Pastor’s Columns

What does Islam look like in America?
The United States is one of the most fascinating countries in the world for the Muslim community. Islam is a global religion with communities in Brazil, Japan, and the most unlikely places, but the most fascinating community is in the United States of America for one big reason: its variety.
American Muslims are a tiny minority, about 7 million people or 2 percent of the population, and the community covers every kind of Muslim. On our year-long journey, I met Cambodian Muslims, white and Latino converts to Islam, Arabs and Pakistanis. The whole world is here.
About one third—maybe even half—of the U.S. Muslim population is African American. What is fascinating about them is that even though they aren’t part of the mainstream American story, they are, in fact, as American in their narrative as WASPs or Catholic or Jewish immigrants.
When I asked about their conversion to Islam, many said, “We are not converting to Islam; we are reverting to Islam.” They explained that 40 to 50 percent of the slaves brought from Africa on those terrible death ships were Muslim. I later double-checked this, and if you look at the map of Africa, where these ships landed, and the type of people they picked up, most of these tribes even today are Muslim. It’s logical that in many cases the slaves would have been Muslim.
This huge population, which is American and which is Muslim, today could be the best ambassadors for America to Islam and for Islam to America.

What about immigrant Muslims?
The immigrants coming to the United States from the 1970s onward were highly educated professionals: professors and doctors and engineers and entrepreneurs. They are modernists—people who say, “We are living in America, and we live by the rules of America. We’re proud of being Muslim, and yet we can play baseball and dress like Americans.”
They didn’t have any problems at first. You don’t ask your doctor, “When did you come here? Are you here legally?” You have a doctor-patient relationship with him.
Then on 9/11 every American suddenly became aware of Islam. The same doctor now became an object of suspicion. People suddenly wanted to ask, “Aren’t you from Egypt or Pakistan? Don’t you guys train terrorists?”
I was coming from England where there already was a debate about Islam, but these American Muslim immigrants didn’t see it coming. They have huge houses and Mercedes, and they’re all living the American dream, saying, “This is the most wonderful country in the world.” Their lifestyles are almost dangerous because they are so isolated from the wider community—eating Pakistani food or Egyptian food and speaking in their own language.
I first saw this in New Orleans in 1997 when I gave the keynote address to the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America. After the talk we were on a boat, the Mississippi Queen, when I heard the azan, the call to prayer.
I came onto the main deck, and I saw a sight that both excited and scared me. The visual impact of 30 or 40 Muslims in traditional dress praying in unison excited me, and I thought, “My God, look at this, how wonderful. Muslims are totally integrated as part of American society.”
But it scared me because I knew something of American history and race relations. Every group, including the Catholics and the Jews, waited a long time to be accepted. These Muslims were simply bypassing all this.
So when 9/11 happened, I knew how disconnected the Muslim immigrant community was and how little Americans knew about it. Ten years later the gap has never been greater.

Will Muslims eventually be accepted as Americans just as Catholics have generally been accepted?
There are real differences that will make it harder for Muslims to be accepted. First, Catholics are part of the Christian tradition. They have an organic relationship with Protestants, even if there are disagreements. Culturally they are similar. European Catholics are white from an outsider’s perspective, and as an anthropologist I very quickly discovered the importance of color in the United States.
It took Catholics more than 100 years before they were accepted, until John F. Kennedy was elected president, and the stories are horrifying—churches were burned, Catholics were lynched. But an outsider would see no difference between Protestants and Catholics today.
When I traveled throughout America, people constantly asked me, “Can a Muslim really be an American?” They were challenging the capacity of the doctor who came decades ago to be an American. It’s going to take a long time for Muslims to be fully part of America.

What is preventing Muslims from becoming part of the United States?
We have a double failure. Americans simplify Islam, reducing it to a caricature, and Muslims fail to explain it.
When I talk to Muslim leaders, I say, “Americans want to know about shariah (Islamic law), polygamy, jihad, attitudes to Jews and Christians. Have you answered them?” They just keep saying, “Islam is a religion of peace.”
We haven’t provided good enough answers. The diversity of the community also creates problems because leadership is divided and uncertain about which way to go.
Apart from the fact that 7 million American citizens are Muslim, it is in America’s interest to
have good relations with the Muslim world. We have tens of thousands of troops in the Muslim world. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and General David Petraeus constantly talk about winning hearts and minds, but unless you understand the Muslim world, you’re not going to win hearts and minds.
The Muslim American community is a kind of hostage community now.
It’s as if we’re being held hostage for the chaos in the Muslim world from which we escaped. There’s a fear, based on statements from then-Attorney General John Ashcroft and other officials following 9/11, that the 7 million U.S. Muslims could be locked up in internment camps, even though this would be impossible and unwise.
I hear—and not too softly—that we can’t trust Muslims. A girl in a hijab—a head scarf—couldn’t stand behind Obama during his campaign. Obama can’t go to a Sikh temple on his visit to India because he’d have to wear a head covering and someone would say he’s a Muslim. Twenty-five percent of the country already thinks he is a Muslim.
A lot of people hint very darkly at what could happen if, God forbid, some idiotic, confused young Muslim from the United States killed hundreds of people. The backlash would be so intense, it could lead to anything.

Should we be afraid of homegrown terrorism?
It’s a real issue, and it’s classic anthropology, even though self-described experts pin it on theology. If terrorism was motivated by faith, why weren’t the previous generations of Muslims blowing up everyone?
Potential homegrown terrorists are confused young men. They grow up in American culture, but after 9/11 American culture implicitly or explicitly rejected them. In the meantime their parents’ culture has faded away.
Being suspended between two cultures is the most dangerous position for any individual to be in, and both are pulling. To be fully accepted in America, a young Muslim may have to say, “Damn Islam, barbaric religion. I hate this religion.” But Muslim culture may say, “You’ve become too American; you’re drinking and sexually promiscuous like all these other kids.”
When this young Muslim needs answers, he goes to the imam, the religious teacher or leader of the mosque, and says, “I’m in turmoil. Give me advice. Should I drink, should I do drugs? All my friends are doing it at school.” These imams are largely from the Middle East or South Asia. They have little knowledge of American culture and will not be able to answer. He’ll just say, “How dare you talk about this.”
The young man won’t talk to his parents because in our culture there’s a formality between the generations. So who does he turn to? He’s a confused teenager, and as a Muslim he’s doubly confused. He has all these ideas in his mind, is reading the media here and abroad. He’s going to go online. He may start talking to radical imams who say, “Come to us. We have the answers. Take revenge for Islam.”
At a New York mosque, we met two little boys born around 9/11. They are Americans; they only know America. They’ve been beaten up at school and called terrorists. One boy’s parents went to Pakistan, and the mother was killed in a bus blown up by the Taliban.
If there is a 10-year-old boy whose mother was blown up by terrorists and who has been called a terrorist, he will likely be a very confused, angry teenager. He’s going to want to express his anger and hatred for the world that has taken away his mother and abused him. And that is the danger.

Can we do anything to prevent this?
I tell Muslim leaders to be sensitive to young people and channel their energy. Tell them, “You want to do something for Islam and America? Go to Pakistan or Afghanistan. Work in a hospital, become teachers. Become ambassadors for Islam and for America. See the impact you will make.”
We need a Muslim Peace Corps. I think the government has to be involved. Americans don’t want to involve the government, but the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are involved already, sometimes making people feel like criminals.
We need positive programs for the next generation that give young Muslims self-confidence and a sense that America doesn’t hate them.
We cannot pretend this crisis does not exist, and I am very nervous because America is continuing to demonize Islam in the media. There’s so much Islamophobia. It’s a miracle that there haven’t been more homegrown terrorists.
My personal experience—the respect and hospitality that I’ve received—cannot be taken as a typical American response to Muslims. If I want to do a favor to American society, I can’t say that there’s no problem, that we love you and you love us. I have to be honest.

Were the congressional hearings on the radicalization of the American Muslim community necessary?
It’s tempting to say no because of the poisonous atmosphere. There have been attacks on mosques and women in hijabs. Schoolchildren are called terrorists because they have Muslim names. Even if there are just a few incidents, we need to do everything possible to dampen that atmosphere of distrust and hatred.
I initially had some reservations because some of the panelists are very hostile to Islam. At the same time this is a democracy. It has certain institutions, and as Muslims we need to respect them. I saw the hearings as a challenge to Muslim Americans to participate, write letters to the editor and articles, be in the media, and explain Islam—explain the richness, the sophistication of Muslim cultures. The panel also included three Americans who are more than capable of handling false or distorted ideas.
The question is why they investigated Islam and not any other religions, but that is the reality of living in the United States after 9/11. We cannot pretend that 9/11 did not happen. We cannot pretend that there isn’t a generalized Islamophobia.
A lot of well-meaning, sensible Americans really don’t know anything about Islam. And by sulking, becoming angry, or rejecting any questioning, Muslims feed into the sense that “well, these Muslims aren’t really good, proper Americans.”

Some say Muslims can’t be real Americans because of shariah. Should we worry about Islamic law being imposed in the United States?
I had a little exchange on Anderson Cooper 360 with Frank Gaffney, a so-called expert on shariah. He’s written a book and claims that shariah has taken over America.
“My mathematics are not very good, so you’ll have to help me,” I said. “Please explain how 2 percent of the population—assuming that every one of the Muslims wants shariah—can impose its will in a democracy on 98 percent of the population?”
Only literalist Muslims might want shariah, but modern and mystic Muslims would be its first victims.
I’ve been an administrator in Pakistan, a country that is 98 percent Muslim. We don’t have shariah. Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Malaysia are 90 to 95 percent Muslim. It would take them three minutes to pass a resolution to impose shariah on everyone. Yet, most of the time Muslims are not imposing it in their own countries where they can. Why are we worried that they are going to impose it in America where they can’t?

What can we learn from the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East?
I’ve been saying for years that ordinary Muslims want nothing more than dignity, security for their families, jobs, and education. They don’t want corrupt, incompetent leaders eating up their countries’ resources. They don’t want tyrants ruling them for decades.
I was told by the so-called experts that somehow Muslims are a distinct species that like to be ruled by strong men. This is sheer nonsense. It’s neither Islamic nor rational. So I was thrilled that in Cairo we saw a genuine Arab revolution, led by ordinary Muslims.
American experts had no idea how to cope with this. The challenge isn’t for those rising against the tyranny of a pharaoh. The challenge is for America. Is America going to say, “Wait a minute, these people want exactly what we want: democracy, human rights, civil liberties. Let us help them.”

What can Catholics do to help Muslims become part of America?
The first thing is to begin to understand Islam. They need to read books like Journey into America so they can understand American Muslims, warts and all.
I also would suggest that they visit a mosque. Go talk to the imam or the women in the mosque. Invite them to a Catholic church or to a gathering. The dynamics will change very quickly because there’s nothing like seeing the bonds that already exist between our faiths for creating understanding and then friendship.
On a flight to Denver, one of my assistants told the lady sitting next to him that he was going to visit a mosque. She said, “How are you visiting a mosque? Muslims never allow outsiders to go into a mosque; they kill them or something.” He said, “I’ve been to 100 mosques with Professor Ahmed.” She responded, “Out of the question, that’s impossible.”
People have very strange ideas of each other, whether between Catholics and Protestants, Christians and Jews, or Buddhists and Hindus. It’s not surprising that there are so many questions. But the only and the shortest way to dispel misperceptions is through knowledge of each other—knowledge and this personal relationship. Everything changes from there.

Prayer for Priests and Vocations

Jesus, good and gentle Shepherd, I thank you for the men who have heard and responded to your call to priesthood.
Place in their hearts a deep desire to love and serve you and the people you have placed in their care.
May their word to us be your Word.
And may we hear and act on your Word.
Protect and guard your priests from false and sinful ways.
Keep them in your truth.
Help them to grow in holiness.
Help us, your people, to love and support your priests by word and deed.
Lord of the Harvest, may all those whom you are calling to the priesthood and religious life hear and answer your call.
Show us, as a parish, ways to foster vocations.
Jesus, bless all Vocations Directors. Help them to discover effective ways to call men and women to the priesthood and religious life.
Amen.

The genesis of same-sex attraction remains largely unexplained.

Persons with same-sex attraction do not choose their condition or sexual orientation.

Persons with same-sex attraction must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Any form of unjust discrimination towards persons with same-sex attraction is morally wrong and should be condemned.

Sexual relations between homosexual persons is morally wrong. Why? Catholic newspaper columnist and author, Amy Welborn, writes: “To put it rather bluntly, the parts (i.e., our genital parts) were made to fit and fit for a purpose…namely, the creation of a family in the physical and spiritual sense. The purpose of genital sex is to create communion between a man and a woman (more specifically between a husband and a wife) and to procreate new life. Homosexual acts can never fulfill the twofold design of the Creator for genital sex.” In stating that homosexual acts are morally wrong, we are not saying that homosexual desires are morally wrong, unless of course we deliberately will them.

Three dimensions of human sexuality

Chastity (obstacles and helps to living a chaste life)

Extramarital sex

Masturbation

Pornography

National Family Planning

In vitro birth methods

With 10,000 billion billion heavenly bodies in the cosmic ballroom, God has created a grand universe of possibilities.

As a priest and an astronomer, Jesuit Father George Coyne bridges the worlds of faith and science, but he’s quick to acknowledge that they serve two different purposes. “I can’t know if there is a God or if there is not a God by science,” he says.
At the same time the emeritus director of the Vatican Observatory sees no conflict between scientific and religious knowledge, though he admits that the church has not always agreed. But even in the famous case of the astronomer Galileo, there were issues other than science at stake, notably who
could interpret the Bible. “Galileo was never given a chance to talk about his science,” Coyne says. “Galileo knew how to interpret scripture, but he did it privately.” The Council of Trent had forbidden private interpretation 70 years before in response to the Reformation.
Still, says Coyne, Galileo pointed the way to a happier relationship between faith and science. “Galileo anticipated by four centuries what the church would finally say about the interpretation of scripture,” argues Coyne. “Galileo said that scripture was written to teach us how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.”
For his own part, Coyne finds in science an invitation to explore. “The universe is dynamic. We don’t know totally where it is going,” he says. “Does that limit God? Does that minimize God? I don’t think so. I think it glorifies God.”

Give us some amazing facts about the universe that would enrich a Catholic understanding of faith.
The universe understood scientifically is an amazing challenge to both science and to religious faith. The scientific facts about the universe are very well established. First the universe is 13.7 billion years old. A billion is a one with nine zeroes behind it, so that’s a lot of years. Second, it contains 10,000 billion billion stars. That’s a one with 22 zeroes behind it.
We know the age of the universe by its expansion. Galaxies are all moving away from us. There is a very tight relationship between their distance from us and their speed. Namely, the farther away an object is, the faster it is going. If you’re two times farther away from me, you’re going away four times faster. If you’re four times farther away from me, you’re going away 16 times faster. It holds for every galaxy in the whole universe.
When we measure the age of the universe by its expansion, we discover that the universe began to expand 13.7 billion years ago, plus or minus 200 million years. It’s an amazing measurement.

How do we count all those stars?
When the Hubble telescope takes a photograph of the most distant part of the universe we can see, it produces an image called the Hubble Deep Field. The image has millions of dots of light, and every one of those dots of light is a galaxy.
Hubble concentrated on a very small part of the sky, one-twentieth of the thickness of my index finger held at arm’s length. So you have a million galaxies in this little piece of the sky. What if we measured the whole sky? By multiplying all that together you get 100 billion galaxies, each of which contains, on the average, 200 billion stars.

What’s so important about that?
Now I’m getting into the religious implications. How did we come to be in this universe? The classical question is: Did this happen by chance, or was it necessary that we would come to be? The question is a scientific question at first.
Was it by chance or by necessity? We know the processes. The answer, according to modern science, is that it’s both: chance and necessity in a fertile universe.

What do you mean by a “fertile universe”?
A star lives, so to speak, by a thermonuclear furnace at its center, created by the collapse of gas that raises the temperature to millions of degrees. The furnace converts hydrogen to helium. If the star has enough mass, it will collapse again, raise the temperature even higher, and convert helium to carbon, carbon to nitrogen, and so on. As a star lives, depending on its mass, it converts lighter elements into heavier elements. When it dies, it spews out these elements to the universe.
When a generation of stars dies, a new generation is formed from that gas, which is no longer just hydrogen but is enriched with helium, carbon, silicon, nitrogen, even iron. Our sun is a third-generation star. If it were not, we wouldn’t be here.
We needed three generations of stars to get a star that could furnish the elements for life. That’s what I mean by the fertility of the universe, that through physical processes in the universe, we’re building up the chemistry until we have the chemistry for life.

What about chance and necessity?
Over 14 billion years with all these stars pouring out all this chemistry, imagine what has been happening.
The universe has a structure to it. It has laws of nature. When two hydrogen atoms meet, they have to make a hydrogen molecule. But sometimes they don’t because the temperature and pressure conditions are not correct.
So they wander throughout the universe and meet trillions of times. There are trillions of hydrogen atoms doing this. It shouldn’t surprise us when, by chance, two atoms meet at a time when the temperature and pressure conditions are correct, and they make a hydrogen molecule.
That’s “chance,” but it is also more than just chance. The two hydrogen atoms have to make a hydrogen molecule if they meet with the correct conditions. We can put a probability on that. Around some stars it’s more probable because the temperature conditions are different. In some galaxies it’s more probable. It’s a combination of chance and necessity, but in a fertile universe there are many possibilities for this to happen.
With all this chemistry available over 14 billion years, chance and necessity work together to build up ever more complex molecules. You get proteins, amino acids and sugars, DNA, livers, hearts, and eventually the human brain through biological evolution.

How does God fit into that?
We know the scientific process that brought us to be. But a religious believer then asks, “Did God do it, since it seems to have a structured evolution toward a human being?”
Did God do it? Speaking as a scientist, my answer is: I don’t know. There’s no way I can know scientifically if God did it. I can be amazed that there is this movement to ever more complex, more adapted organisms, including human beings. But to me as a scientist the human being is a complex biological organism. I can’t talk about the spiritual character of the human being. I can get evidence of it. But I can’t talk about it as a scientist, and I can’t talk about God as a scientist. If I try, I’m not doing science. I think it’s very important in modern society, certainly in modern America, not to confuse what we know from science with what we know from philosophy, theology, literature, and music.
Human culture is vast, and science is an important part of human culture. But it’s not everything.
I believe that God created the universe, and because I believe that God created the universe, I think it is valid for me as a scientist to say, “I know what the universe is like. What kind of God would make a universe like this?”

How do you answer that question?
It’s a marvelous God to my mind. In creating the universe, God did not make a washing machine or a car. God made something dynamic.
Creation has an evolutionary character to it. There is chance involved. This God didn’t make something predetermined. We don’t know completely where it’s going, even scientifically. We can’t predict everything. Is God omnipotent? Is God omniscient as I was taught? Would God be able to know at the beginning of the universe that I was going to be born?
To respect the science, I have to say no, because God cannot know what’s not knowable. Since there are chance processes involved, it’s not completely knowable according to science. Does that limit God? Does that minimize God? I don’t think so. It glorifies God: God did not want to have something that was completely predetermined.

That God sounds different from many common understandings.
Whenever we talk about God, we’re babbling. We’re doing our best from what we know. God is not just an object that we talk about and think about and pray to. God is the source of everything, of all knowledge. But I do insist that our knowledge of God should respect our knowledge of the universe and of ourselves in the universe. That’s a challenge, but it’s a happy challenge.
I believe that God is omniscient and omnipotent. But then I have to think about what I’m saying and ask, “What do I mean by that?” I surely mean that God is all-powerful, but can God do anything God wants to do? The universe appears to me to not allow that, but it’s because God wanted the universe to be the way it is.

Why do some believers want to ignore or reject scientific knowledge?
It’s not so much they’re ignorant from the point of view of what science knows or ignorant from the point of view of what religious faith is. They don’t want to face the challenge of putting them together. But there’s no conflict—a challenge, yes. But I can’t see that there ever could be any conflict between true religious faith and true science.

Then why do faith and science seem to be at loggerheads?
Because of you journalists! I’m only kidding, but some journalists really do seem to want to stir the pot.
One problem is scientists who claim they’re practicing science when they either assert or deny God’s presence. They’re stepping outside science.
I get into trouble when I say it, but atheism is a practice of faith. An atheist cannot prove to me there is no God. The evidence we have through all of human history documents people’s deep-rooted belief in God.
Some scientists will say we’re all being duped, but that is not reasonable. Science is a rational process. It’s using our intelligence to try and understand the universe, as is philosophy, as is theology, by the way. It’s an attempt to understand.
Faith goes beyond reason, but it doesn’t contradict reason. I’m thoroughly convinced of that, not just in my own life, but in the reality of what religious faith is and what human reason can accomplish.
Most of the scientists I know who are atheists are deeply respectful of human faith. The ones that aren’t don’t understand it. The evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, who wrote The God Delusion (Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt), and the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who wrote A Brief History of Time (Bantam), are both eminent scientists. But they don’t understand what religious faith is. I’ve had conversations with both, and I’ve said that to them. They respect me because they realize that I’m an objective, working scientist just as they are.

What are they missing?
Stephen Hawking’s concept of God is that God is something we need to explain parts of the universe we don’t understand. I tell him, “Stephen, I’m sorry, but God is a God of love. He’s not a being I haul in to explain things when I can’t explain them myself.”
I once said to Richard Dawkins, “Richard, why did you marry the lady you married? Because she has blue eyes, paints her toenails red, has curly hair?” When you put all the facts together in general human experience—not just religious experience—you can’t explain it all rationally. Human experience has a nonrational character. That doesn’t make it irrational. You’re not crazy—you may be crazy in love—but all that means is that you can’t explain everything.

When you pray, does it make any difference that the universe has 10,000 billion billion stars?
Absolutely. When I pray to God, it’s a totally different God than I prayed to as a kid. The God that I pray to now is a God who not only made me but brought me to be in a universe that is dynamic and creative. The universe is not itself a living being, but it is a universe that has thus far given birth to human beings who can pray to God.
I pray to a God that, from my scientific knowledge, has made a universe in which people have come to be and are still coming to be, even from a scientific perspective. The universe is continuing to expand. Just in the past 50 years, look at what the human being has come to be. I’m talking about technology.
When I was growing up we had no television. Now you have one in your pocket. That is a development of the human being. Technology is an extension of ourselves. Is there anything special about us in this enormous universe?
We are very special to God, and there’s no doubt about it. I mean, God sent his only Son to us. Being special as a piece of material in the universe is one thing; being special in knowing religious history and living a faith-filled life is another. But it’s still a challenge.
As material objects in the universe, it would be difficult for me as a scientist to defend that we’re special. Our history as human civilization certainly makes us special. But what if there is another civilization out there that is intelligent and spiritual, that has a special relationship to God? What would that do to us? I’m going to leave that to theologians. But could God send his only begotten Son, true God and true man, to become true God and true Martian, or whatever it is? Well, I find that very difficult to accept. But I can’t exclude it. I don’t know enough to exclude it, and I can’t limit God.
This is getting into science fiction, but in the end if God treated another spiritual civilization in a very special way, does that detract from his treating us in a very special way, however he dealt with them in the concrete?
I’m one of 10 kids. If my mother decided to buy me a new pair of pants, does that make my brother less special to my mother? I can’t imagine that discovering an intelligent, spiritual civilization that God loves in his own way would detract from God loving us.

A few years ago, Mary, a 40-year-old mother of two teenage sons, asked a curious question: “Shouldn’t I be able to sing ‘Alleluia, alleluia,’ on Easter morning?”
She continued, “I’m not referring to my vocal ability, since I’ve known for years that I’m not a great singer. I just wonder what I am to do when Easter Day dawns and I’m not able to sing ‘Alleluia’ because I really don’t feel the joy of Easter. Oh, for sure, in some ways I’m glad that Lent is over and that the season of spring has arrived; I am not always, however, in an Alleluia frame of mind or heart at this time of year. For that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? I want to feel the joy of Easter and sing ‘Alleluia.’ I really want to mean that with all of my being.”
Mary has something in common with the Little Flower. One Good Friday evening more than 100 years ago, a young Carmelite nun known as Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face, more commonly known as Thérèse of Lisieux or the Little Flower, experienced the initial symptoms of what would eventually be diagnosed as terminal tuberculosis. While Thérèse trusted that God’s abiding consolation would be with her throughout her illness, it was during the ensuing Easter season that Thérèse compared her actual experience of God to that of being “surrounded by a thick fog” (The Story of a Soul, Chapter 10).
Thérèse writes of these increasing feelings of darkness in these words: “During the most joyous days of Eastertide, Jesus made me feel that there truly are souls that don’t have faith” (Chapter 10). She continues: “When I sing of the happiness of heaven, the everlasting possession of God, I feel no joy because of it, because I simply sing of what I want to believe” (Chapter 10). Thus, Thérèse found it difficult to sing a heartfelt Easter “Alleluia” in the spring of 1896.
Although Thérèse of Lisieux was born in 1873 and died 24 years later, her spiritual legacy lives on. She can serve as a valued spiritual guide for contemporary women and men seeking ways of authentically praying with the Easter mysteries.

Doctor’s Advice

Thérèse Martin entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux at the age of 15. Except for her book, The Story of a Soul, Thérèse might have died relatively unnoticed and unremembered, recalled only by her family members, friends and the Carmelite nuns who loved her.
Her spiritual legacy, however, led to her being canonized in 1925. In 1997, she was given the title “Doctor of the Church,” sharing this honor with Saints Teresa of Avila and Catherine of Siena. These three women and 30 men have been recognized for their tremendous contributions to the life of the Church around the world and across the centuries.
Thérèse’s spiritual legacy has been recognized on a global scale with a particular focus on her “Little Way,” a spiritual path that can be accessed by people from all walks of life. Thérèse’s own parents, Louis and Zélie, were beatified in Lisieux on October 19, 2008.
Given the varied movements of the Easter mysteries that can lead spiritual seekers to proclaim their own heartfelt “Alleluias,” this article links four Easter quotes with excerpts from The Story of a Soul and stories from contemporary spiritual seekers. Questions for further prayer and reflection show how Thérèse of Lisieux can help us understand and live the Easter mysteries.

Experiencing Darkness Before Dawn

“Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” ask the women on their way to Jesus’ tomb (Mark 16:3).
Before the “Alleluias” can be sung, we may need to spend reflective time before the dawn, patiently waiting for the first streaks of light to cross the morning sky. Time set aside for quiet prayer with the Easter Scriptures often enables us to notice our own questions, similar to the Gospel women’s about moving stones and searching for Jesus among the dead.
James, a 54-year-old computer software engineer, feels he was betrayed by his brother-in-law. James recently made this connection with Mark 16:3: “How can I begin to move the stones that may be within me, particularly in places where I find it so hard to forgive others like my brother-in-law, who turned his back on me in my time of need?
“In addition to my heartache over my brother-in-law, I experience other heavily burdened places within, for it’s not just one stone, but several of them that are weighing me down. I don’t even know how to begin to budge these heavy weights in myself. Can I really believe that my stone will be rolled back by God’s grace as a way for me to experience Easter joy?”
Interiorly burdened spiritual seekers like James may resonate with Thérèse’s experience of powerlessness: “In rich homes there are elevators that replace stairs to great advantage. I would also like to find an elevator to lift me up to Jesus, because I’m too little to climb the rough staircase of perfection. The elevator that must lift me up to heaven is Your arms, Jesus! For that I don’t need to become big. On the contrary, I have to stay little” (Chapter 10).
Reflection question. Perhaps we should ask ourselves: What do I desire of God as I stand in the darkness before the dawn, perhaps in a difficult situation in my own life at this time, or perhaps where I feel powerless in the face of heavy stones that seem to weigh me down? How might Thérèse of Lisieux accompany me here?

Clarity and Deepening Awareness

“He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said,” says the angel in Matthew 28:6.
Scripture shows that the disciples’ clarity and wonder at Jesus’ rising from the dead were far from instantaneous. Jesus’ followers gradually understood that he had fulfilled what he had promised about the third day. In light of this scriptural backdrop, a 50-year-old caregiver named Evelyn shared her significant anger and disappointment over all that had been required of her. Her mother’s sudden illness meant selling their Philadelphia home to pay for her mother’s financial and assisted-living needs.
By taking the risk of acknowledging to God her feelings of anger and disappointment, Evelyn has slowly come to recognize that God has indeed been present in everything that this loss has involved for herself and her mother. Evelyn prayed to stay open to her sense of God’s care and love.
While serving as a credible spiritual guide for a contemporary spiritual seeker like Evelyn, Thérèse provides a poignant example of having to grow up quickly as a result of a deeply felt experience of disappointment. It involves her beloved father after the Christmas Midnight Mass in 1886. In the Martin household, Christmas gifts were placed in the children’s shoes that were left by the fireplace. This yearly custom still brought joy and delight to 13-year-old Thérèse. On this particular Christmas Eve, however, Thérèse overheard her father tell her older sister Céline with relief, “Well, fortunately this is the last year” (Chapter 5).
Thérèse immediately realized that, despite her keen disappointment in hearing the tone and finality in her father’s words, she likewise knew that “Jesus had changed her heart.” It was indeed time for her as a teenager to move on and grow beyond this treasured custom.

Reflection Question. We may want to ask ourselves: What do I desire of God as I search for clarity and peace of mind, perhaps regarding a changing or disappointing situation in my own life at this time? Could Thérèse of Lisieux be of any help here?

Joy and Surprise

“Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples” (Matthew 28:8).
Scripture shows us the momentum that builds when joy is truly experienced. This often takes place in the context of relationship, as someone feels drawn out of desolate solitude and fear into companionship by consolation and hope. Just as the women in the Scriptures left the place of burial and ran to report the wonder of all that they had seen and heard, so we too may be invited with joy-filled energy to tell others about where we have experienced the Lord.
Andrew, a 24-year-old college graduate, recently shared that when he had finally made a clear decision about his life’s path, he felt incredible relief and a sense of joy at taking steps that would lead him toward true happiness. Granted, it wasn’t the money-making career in business management that Andrew had originally envisioned. He realized, however, that being a high school teacher would bring him greater joy and fulfillment. Andrew allowed the momentum of this deep joy to take him forward on his path as a teacher.
Thérèse can effectively accompany contemporary seekers such as Andrew. She writes that when she finally told her father that she wanted to fulfill her lifelong dream, “Through my tears I confided in him my desire to enter Carmel. Then his tears began mingling with my own…[and] with Papa’s simple and upright nature, he was soon convinced that my desire was that of God Himself” (Chapter 5).
Thérèse entered Lisieux’s Carmelite monastery on April 9, 1888. “Finally my desires had been accomplished,” she wrote, “and my soul felt such sweet and such deep peace that it would be impossible for me to express it” (Chapter 7). Even through ensuing hardships, trials and terminal illness, Thérèse would later acknowledge that the deep sense of inner peace and joy that she felt on that day had never abandoned her.
Reflection question. Our prayer could be strengthened by our asking: What do I desire of God as I name an experience of deep joy on the path of my life journey? What is it like to recall and savor that experience now? What might Thérèse of Lisieux contribute to my journey?

Spreading the Light

Regarding the women at the tomb on Easter morning, Matthew writes, “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me’” (28:10).
The Easter Scriptures always point spiritual seekers toward an active discipleship of sharing the Good News of the Risen Jesus. This invitation to Christian discipleship is limitless.
An 80-year-old homebound widow from New York, Jeanne, wonders about the effectiveness of her life now that her advanced stage of Parkinson’s disease has mostly confined her to her home.
Jeanne has always been an active member of her faith community, as well as various neighborhood organizations committed to service projects and good works. Reflecting on her memories of those good works, she says: “I used to be able to do such good work for God. Now that I’m in my home almost 24 hours a day, there isn’t much that I can do anymore. This makes me very sad.” However, Jeanne has recently discovered a renewed sense of vocation while enjoying the friendship of her newly found spiritual guide, Thérèse of Lisieux.
It may seem strange that Thérèse was named by the Catholic Church as patroness of missionaries, considering that she never left the Carmelite monastery after entering it at the age of 15. Thérèse’s fervor for the spiritual well-being of others, however, had begun in earnest well before her entrance into Carmel.
She prayed in 1887 for an outward sign of the conversion of a death-row criminal named Pranzini. When Thérèse found out that Pranzini had held a crucifix while kissing it three times immediately before his execution, she reports that she had truly obtained the sign of conversion for which she had prayed.
Years later at Carmel, Thérèse applied this same sort of zeal for others as she accepted a request to pray for a young seminarian, Maurice Bellière, who wrote that he had been inspired “to ask for a Sister who would devote herself especially to the salvation of his soul and help him through her prayers and sacrifices when he became a missionary” (Chapter 11). Without hesitation, Thérèse agreed to pray for him and many other missionaries throughout the world.
Our Easter faith may grow deeper if we ask: What do I desire of God as I may feel called to spread the Good News of God’s light and love? What might it be like to accept God’s call to me at this time in my life? How might Thérèse of Lisieux show me the way?

The ancient story is told of a rabbi who gathered all his students together very early in the morning while it was still dark. He told them to pay attention because he had a very important question to ask them. The question was this: How could they tell when night had ended and the day was on its way back.
One student answered: “Could it be when you see an animal and can tell whether it is a sheep or a dog?”
“No,” answered the rabbi.
Another student said: “Could it be when you look at a tree in the distance and can tell whether it is a fig tree or a peach tree?”
“No,” answered the rabbi.
After a few more guesses the students demanded: “Well, then, what is it?”
“It is when you look on the face of any woman or man and see that she is your sister and he is your brother. Because if you cannot do this, then no matter what time it is, it is still night.”

This is a parable told about a farmer whose mule fell into a well. The farmer heard the mule ‘praying’ or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened…and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.
Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back…a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back…

HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!
This he did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up… Shake it off and step up… Shake it off and step up!” He repeated this to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!
It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him, actually helped him…all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.
That’s life! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity…the adversities that come along to bury us usually have within them the very real potential to benefit us! (Author unknown)

An Open Letter to President Obama,
Secretary Sebelius and Members of Congress

Don’t Claim to Speak For All Women

We are women who support the competing voice offered by Catholic institutions on matters of sex, marriage and family life. Most of us are Catholic, but some are not. We are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Many, at some point in our careers, have worked for a Catholic institution. We are proud to have been part of the religious mission of that school, or hospital, or social service organization. We are proud to have been associated not only with the work Catholic institutions perform in the community—particularly for the most vulnerable—but also with the shared sense of purpose found among colleagues who chose their job because, in a religious institution, a job is always also a vocation.

Those currently invoking “women’s health” in an attempt to shout down anyone who disagrees with forcing religious institutions or individuals to violate deeply held beliefs are more than a little mistaken, and more than a little dishonest. Even setting aside their simplistic equation of “costless” birth control with “equality,” note that they have never responded to the large body of scholarly research indicating that many forms of contraception have serious side effects, or that some forms act at some times to destroy embryos, or that government contraceptive programs inevitably change the sex, dating and marriage markets in ways that lead to more empty sex, more non-marital births and more abortions. It is women who suffer disproportionately when these things happen.

No one speaks for all women on these issues. Those who purport to do so are simply attempting to deflect attention from the serious religious liberty issues currently at stake. Each of us, Catholic or not, is proud to stand with the Catholic Church and its rich, life-affirming teachings on sex, marriage and family life. We call on President Obama and our Representatives in Congress to allow religious institutions and individuals to continue to witness to their faiths in all their fullness.

Helen M. Alvare, JD
Associate Professor of Law
George Mason University (VA)

Kim Daniels, JD
Former Counsel
Thomas More Law Center (MD)

4 ways anger can hurt our well being

8 things to remember when dealing with anger

3 suggestions for dealing with anger

“Wrath and anger are hateful things
yet the sinner hugs them tight.”
“Should a man nourish anger against another
and expect healing from the Lord?”
(Sirach 27:30, 28:3)

When it comes to the hard work of forgiving life’s hurts, one of our biggest challenges may be getting past the anger we may feel around a hurt. Learning to deal with our anger in a constructive way is surely one of the best life skills any of us can develop for ourselves and teach our children.

Before we look at what makes us angry and why it is so important for us to deal with it in a constructive way, it might be helpful for us to reflect on the following questions:

How did your parents deal with their anger? Did they tend to repress it, or express it? If they usually expressed it, how did they express it—in an explosive, frightening kind of way or in a more appropriate way?

As a child, was it okay for you to express your anger, or was it something you had to keep in tight control?

At this time in your life, how do you generally deal with your anger? How easy or hard is it for you to express your anger? In your relationships, is it your tendency to “keep peace at any price,” or are you generally able to let someone know that you are upset or angry with them?

Do you agree that the appropriate expression of anger can bring about positive results, or is anger usually a war-zone for you?

How aware are you of the tendency for most of us to repress our anger or minimize it? We may say “I’m concerned” or “a little upset” when in fact, we may be very angry. Psychologists tell us that anger is the emotion we most often feel, with sadness coming in as a distant second. This will surprise most of us because we are such experts at repressing our anger.

How often do you become angry at yourself? A lot of anger at ourselves is a form of self-hatred which, of course, is very destructive to our self-esteem.

Most of us receive very poor training in dealing with anger in a positive and appropriate way. As a result, we may be afraid of our anger or other people’s anger, or we may only be able to express it in a destructive way. As I revise this article, which I first wrote several years ago, I am very aware that there is a lot to understand about this emotion and that there is still much for me to learn about it. But hopefully, the following can be the start of a discussion and reflection on the emotion that we most often experience whether we are conscious of it or not.

What makes people angry

It might be an interesting exercise to track our anger for a day or two to see what infuriates us. The following are some common triggers of anger:

We do not meet our own expectations or when others do not meet our expectations.

We have a big need to control life or others.

Long periods of caring for a loved one, our own physical limitations, injuries to ourselves or others, acts of injustice against ourselves or others.

It is normal for grieving people to often feel anger with their situation. They may be angry at God, the doctor, church, other family members, or just the situation they find themselves in.

Psychologists remind us that most of our anger occurs when our need for security, affection and control is threatened. We certainly see this as we watch people deal with the economic recession. Also, our anger may be due to the fact that we are working too much, stressed out, not appreciated, tired or powerless, etc. What else makes you angry?

Four reasons why it is important for us to deal with anger in a constructive way

Psychologists and spiritual counselors point out that failing to deal with our anger in a constructive way will have dire results on our relational, mental, physical and spiritual lives.

Relational. If we are interested in having good and wholesome relationships, we must develop the skill and virtue of dealing with our anger in a constructive and appropriate way. So many relationships are wounded or destroyed because one or both parties are unable or unwilling to deal with their anger. In a similar way, so many work situations are filled with tension and unhappiness because the leader or workers are unable or unwilling to work through their anger.

Mental. Failure to deal with our anger in a constructive way often leads to depression. A frequently used definition of depression is anger turned inward. Somewhere in the journey of life, we learned that it was not okay to express anger outwardly, but it was okay to express anger inwardly. (Of course, we need to remember that anger is not the only cause of depression.)

Physical. Repressed anger can even impact our bodies. Experts in this area tell us that physical disorders commonly associated with repressed anger are tension headaches, high blood pressure, impotence and frigidity, chronic itching and rheumatoid arthritis. Any of these disorders could come from other causes but we can be sure that if we do not express our anger in a healthy way, we will only aggravate whatever disorder we may be suffering from.

Spiritual. Failure to deal with anger may cause our relationship with God to become flat and dull. It is normal for us to feel angry with God just as it is normal for us to feel angry with a friend. But because of our spiritual formation, we may repress our anger at God, judging it disrespectful or sinful. Just as repressed anger with a friend will have a negative impact on the relationship, so will repressed anger with God have a negative impact on our relationship with him.

Eight things to remember when dealing with anger

1. When discussing the topic of anger, we should differentiate between “righteous” and “unrighteous” anger. “Righteous anger” is what the prophets in the Old Testament expressed when they saw injustices and false forms of worship in their communities. It was righteous anger that motivated Jesus in today’s Gospel to throw the sellers out of the Temple for turning his Father’s House into a place of business. Jesus was angry at the exorbitant prices the poor were charged for animals used to offer sacri-
fice. In fact, we might say that our conscience is dormant when we do not feel a “righteous anger” when confronted with a blatant injustice, whether involving ourselves or others. We can be grateful for the anger that moves us to right an injustice. “Righteous anger” impelled Martin Luther King to fight racism in this country. “Righteous anger” moved mothers to get legislation passed against drunken drivers. Conversely, “unrighteous anger” results from perceived injustices, hurts and rejections. We express our anger in a destructive manner when, for example, we don’t get our way.

As a corollary, we can say that feeling anger and rage, and expressing it in an appropriate way, can be a positive and Christian thing to do. Sometimes our anger is calling us to right some injustice.

2. Rarely are relationships hurt when anger is expressed in an appropriate way. In fact, when couples, friends or coworkers learn to express their anger in an appropriate way, their relationships and work situations are usually enhanced. On the other hand, when anger is repressed or expressed in a negative way, we can be sure relationships and work situations will deteriorate.

As a corollary to this point, we can say that mentally healthy people are not without anger. Rather, they have learned to deal with their anger in a constructive way. On the other hand, mentally unhealthy people are not with “too much” anger. Rather, they express their anger in a destructive way.

3. Sometimes the anger we feel is “our problem” and we shouldn’t make a big fuss about it. We just need to deal with it and get on with our lives. For example, we may be mad when someone challenges our opinion or viewpoint. We may get “hot under the collar” and want to put down the other person in some way. Instead, we should be open and grateful for the other person’s input. Of course such a response demands much maturity and humility.

4. St. Paul says: “Be angry but sin not” (Eph 4:26). It is good and healthy to feel our anger and to express it in an appropriate way. Sin only arises when we nurse it and express it in destructive ways, e.g., sarcasm, nagging, withdrawal, negative humor, cold silence, procrastination, sexual affairs, harsh sermons and “looks that could kill.” The more we nurse our anger, the deeper it becomes. It can grow into the “poison of resentment.” Harboring resentment is a sure way to kill a relationship. When we express our anger in a destructive way, we are simply adding more darkness to an already dark night. Before we can forgive a hurt, it is important that we give some expression to the
anger around the hurt.

5. Allowing anger to emerge, taking time to befriend it, and expressing it in a constructive way is often the beginning of a more authentic life for those of us who tend to repress our anger in order to always appear “kind and nice” to others. Needless to say, it will not be easy to move from being “Mr./Mrs. Nice Guy” to being one’s real self, which always involves some experiences of anger. Most of us may need the help of a counselor to coach us through this transition. But the effort involved is well worth the cost when we consider our newly discovered feeling as we move from a spiritless, going-through-the-motions existence to a life that is more vibrant and in touch with what is really going on within and around us.

6. Sometimes the manifestation of our anger is misplaced. For example, we are mad at our boss but we take it out on our spouse, friend, co-worker, child, or the dog.

7. “Free-floating anger” is another important element of this emotion. We may be trapped in a bad marriage or with a permanently ill spouse, or in a job that we do not like. We may be in denial about a recent loss. We may be constantly mad because life is dealing us a poor hand. On a regular basis, we “fly off the handle” and get mad with someone who has done nothing to offend us.

8. As we deal with our anger, seeking to understand where the other person is coming from can be very challenging but also very helpful.

Learning to deal with our anger in a constructive way

We will begin to live our best life now if we decide to do what we can to learn to deal with our anger in a healthy way. Can you imagine how much more peaceful our family and social lives and the world at large would be if all of us learned to deal with our anger in a constructive way? Now for some practical suggestions:

Take time out to cool down. When our “anger button” is pressed, our immediate reaction may be to strike out and “get back” at the person who hurt or offended us. A big challenge will be to take time out to
cool down before we take any action. This step demands much self-discipline, self-control, prayer, and a strong desire to become a wholesome person. Sometimes I use my journal to write down my thoughts and feelings. I may write a nasty letter to the offender, but of course, I don’t mail it. My journaling exercise invariably helps to defuse the anger. Physical exercise, meditation and deep breathing are other good ways to defuse our anger. I’ve often been very grateful that I have taken time to cool down before expressing my anger in a destructive way. When nasty words are said, it can take a long time to undo the harm caused by them. When we are caught up in our anger, we don’t think clearly, speak rationally or feel compassionately; hence, the absolute importance for taking time to cool down and reflect.

Take time to reflect and pray. Having cooled down, we should take time to reflect and pray about what is happening within us. What is causing the anger? Sometimes it may be very clear, but other times it may not be clear. We may blame the cause of our anger on one thing when, in fact, it is something else. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us name the true cause of our anger. This demands much openness, especially if we are resistant to admitting and acknowledging a certain personality trait. For example, we may get angry when we can’t control a situation or someone else’s behavior. If this is the case, the problem is ours and we need to take care of it. This may mean letting go of our need to control someone else’s behavior or letting go of an expectation that the other person cannot fulfill—at least at this time. Or we may become aware that we are making too much of what happened.

On the other hand, in our reflection and prayer, we may become aware of our tendency to repress anger, thus allowing others to take advantage of us. We may conclude that we have been violated in some way and that we need to do something about it. With reflective prayer, we will hopefully get some clarity on what we need to do with the anger we feel. Martin Luther King rightfully decided that his anger concerning racial discrimination in America was righteous anger, which motivated him to fight till he died for justice for his people. It would have been a terrible mistake if Dr. King had repressed his anger, or expressed it in a destructive way. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of people experienced righteous anger at the local, state and federal government’s poor response to one of the biggest disasters that we have ever experienced in our country.

Talk to a friend. Sometimes it helps to talk to a friend who can give us an objective opinion on what he/she thinks. We should avoid seeking the help of people who will only tell us what we want to hear. So we may need to tell our friend to be really honest with us. And our friend may also have helpful suggestions as to what action, if any, we need to take.

Experts in the field of anger remind us that anger always gets expressed either directly or indirectly. Many of us express our anger in an indirect way much more frequently than we may care to admit. We do this because we may not want to admit to someone, or even to ourselves, that we are angry. We may believe it is wrong to be angry. We may feel ashamed of our anger or we may not want the person to know that he/she had indeed pressed our “anger button.” Some of the common ways that people express anger indirectly are negative humor, sarcasm and displaced anger. The person we are angry at, or an innocent third party, may receive the butt of our anger. We may withdraw and/or give someone who has offended us the cold, silent treatment. We become passive-aggressive because we do not want to admit that we are angry and so we do things— intentionally or unintentionally—that will annoy and frustrate the person we are mad at. The feeling of being “bored with everything” is another way our anger can be indirectly expressed. Within marriage, some indirect expressions of anger are excessive drinking and extramarital affairs which often are a mask for the real issues: intimacy, closeness and emotional distance.

We can express anger directly in a constructive or destructive manner. We express it in a destructive way when we verbally or physically abuse another. Our aim is to punish and hurt the person who offended us in some way. When our “anger button” is pressed, we may be very tempted to express our anger in the two ways I just mentioned. Both are non-productive. They only serve to destroy our relationship with God, others and ourselves. If we frequently express our anger in indirect ways or in a direct but destructive way, we are faced with a major challenge to our maturing process.

Expressing our anger in a constructive way

If we are not used to expressing our anger in a constructive way, it will take us some time and much effort and prayer to learn this important skill. But if we are to grow into healthy human beings and live more peaceful lives, it is very important that we do whatever it takes to develop this skill and virtue.

If we decide we need to talk to someone about the anger we feel towards him/her, we should first take the steps mentioned above. Cool down, pray and reflect on the situation, talk to a friend who will give us his/her honest opinion, and finally, sincerely and prayerfully decide that the next best and right thing for us to do is to talk to the other person.

Once we have arranged a good time for the parties to talk, we can pray that the Holy Spirit (and not an evil spirit) will be with both parties. When the time comes for us to “say our bit,” we should try to avoid harsh accusatory language which could only add more fuel to the fire. Yet, we should express ourselves with sufficient intensity that our concern/hurt will be clearly communicated. (If it helps us, we may need to write down what it is we wish to say.) As for the outcome, we do not have control over it. Our job is to take the necessary action in the most appropriate and Christian way we can and hope for the best. If the other party’s response to us is negative and closed, that is his/her problem, not ours. We should feel good that we approached the situation prayerfully and reflectively with a cool head and a conciliatory heart. That is the most anyone can expect of us.

After the encounter, we would do well to reflect on how we did. This is how we learn. Upon reflection, we may conclude we were too defensive, aggressive, too weak, etc. If we feel that our efforts went nowhere because the other party was closed to us, then we must decide how long we want to continue to relate to that person. If the person continues to relate to us in an angry way, we may need to put some distance between us. If this is not possible, we have a big cross to carry. We must ask: what good will be achieved by me holding onto my anger? Will it help me in some positive way, or will the toxicity of resentment only continue to steal my peace and joy and keep me miserable?

If you are dealing with this issue and you think that I can be helpful, I hope that you would not hesitate to contact me.

If you have any insights or comments, or are dealing with anger in a constructive way, I’d love to hear from you.

Reflection questions:

What spoke to you most in this article?

Currently, how do you express anger in a destructive or unhelpful way?

What concrete steps do you need to take to help you express your anger in a constructive way?

Reflection questions

What was the toughest thing God ever asked you to let go of?

To what extent do we tend to believe that all that we have is ours versus the “stewardship principle” that all belongs to God. We own nothing. Everything, including our children, are only on loan to us.

Who or what are the “Isaacs” that we tightly hold on to as if they belonged to us? What would it cost us, or what would it take for us to say: Ok, God, this is yours, I surrender him/her/it to you.

To be Filled with God

O Divine One,
   to thee I raise my whole being,
   a vessel emptied of self.
O Accept, gracious God,
   this my emptiness, and so fill me
   with thyself, thy light, thy love, thy life.
That these thy precious gifts may radiate through me and overflow the chalice of my heart into the hearts of all those with whom I come in contact this day,
   revealing unto them the beauty of thy joy and wholeness and the serenity of thy peace, which nothing can destroy. Amen.


Prayer for a Giving Heart

I do not know how long I’ll live,
but while I live, Lord, let me give
some comfort to someone in need
by smile or nod, kind word or deed.
And let me do whatever I can
to ease things for my fellow man.
I want nothing but to do my part
to lift a tired or weary heart,
   to change folks from frowns to smiles again—
then I will not have lived in vain.
And I’ll not care how long I’ll live,
   if I can give—and give—and give.

To oppose or debunk existing belief errors about Christianity,

To state succinctly what Catholic Christians believe.

Coloroso, a former Franciscan nun and parent, has served as a classroom teacher, a laboratory school instructor, and a university instructor. She has written two international bestsellers: Kids Are Worth It! Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline (Avon Books, 1994) and Parenting Through Crisis: Helping Kids in Times of Loss, Grief and Change (Harper Resource, 2001) and provides resources on her website www.kidsareworthit,com.

Coloroso is an internationally recognized speaker and author in the areas of parenting, teaching, school discipline, nonviolent conflict resolution, and reconciliatory justice. She is an educational consultant for school districts, the criminal justice system, and educational associations in the United Sates, Canada, Europe, South America, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland.

In her work and as a mother of three, Coloroso’s goal is to raise kids with inner discipline and inner virtue. “I want to teach kids to stand up for values and against injustices and not be easily led.”

Barbara Coloroso holds kids in high esteem. She believes in them and knows what they’re capable of. This profound respect for children underlies all her work with parents, teachers, and school administrators.

The following are excerpts from some of the questions U.S. Catholic asked Coloroso.

What do kids really need from their parents?

We have to look at what our goal is in parenting. Is it to control and make children obey us? Or is it to empower and influence them? My goal is to empower and influence them in a way that they will become responsible, resourceful, resilient, and compassionate human beings who know how to think, not just what to think. We need to raise children who can stand up for values and against injustices, who are not easily led, who don’t do things to please others.

All my work with parents and kids is based on three philosophical tenets. The first is, “Kids are worth it.” They’re worth the time, the energy, the resources it takes to help them become all that they can become. Second, “I won’t treat them in a way I myself would not want to be treated.” I went through the nine major religions of the world and found that tenet in each one. It’s not new stuff; this is of the ages. The third tenet is, “If a technique works and leaves my dignity and my child’s dignity intact, I’ll use it.”

I’ll take anybody’s technique, and there are a lot of them around, and bounce it off those three philosophical tenets. If it won’t bounce, I don’t care who said it or what kind of research is behind it, I’m not going to use it.

The goal is to give your child the gift of inner discipline. That takes years and years of giving kids responsibilities and letting them make choices and decisions that have been guided by you with limits and boundaries that grow smaller and smaller over time.

Does this approach come naturally to parents? It seems that many parents go about raising kids in a reflexive rather than reflective manner. What was done to them, they continue to do.

We all have a parenting toolbox in our heads, compliments of the parents who raised us, the community we grew up in, and the culture we live in. People who grow up in vital, functioning, healthy families and communities can reach into their parenting toolbox and pull out a hammer; and it will serve them well. Those of us who came from less than vital, functioning, healthy families will often reach in for a hammer and pull out a hatchet, and we make a mess of whatever we’re trying to do.

My role as a parenting educator is to help people replace the family heirloom tools that aren’t working and keep the ones that are good—because if you’re functioning today, something went right. If we don’t replace the ones that don’t serve us well and replace them with something that works, when we’re tired and worn out and frustrated, even though we said we wouldn’t hit our kid, that comes out as a reflex.

What should parents do when they do react with the wrong tool?

When we’ve blown it, we need to pull back and say to our kids, “I’ve made a mistake.”

Won’t that undermine your authority?

On the contrary. If you say, “I need a time-out here to calm down and to come up with something that makes sense—and I will,” you accomplish two things. You teach that when you make a mistake, you own it and fix it. You don’t blame it on your kids or others. And you also model how when they make a mistake, they can own it and fix it.

Now if every day you’re saying, “Kids, I’ve blown it,” you better get help. Because sometimes you need help to break out of the old patterns.

Is there a difference between punishment and discipline?

We often use those terms as if they’re synonymous, and they’re not. Punishment is imposed from without, arouses resentment, and basically teaches kids to respond with fear, fighting back, or fleeing. People often think that if they don’t punish, their children are just going to run wild. But there is a middle ground called discipline. The Latin roots of discipline mean, “to give life to learning,” and that’s our goal.

What’s different about discipline?

Discipline accomplishes four things that punishment will never do: It shows kids what they’ve done wrong; it gives them ownership of the problem; it gives them ways to solve the problem; and it leaves their dignity intact.

Can you give an example?

Our son in grade three did something that wasn’t on the approved behavior list on a field trip. He broke the beaver bait jar at the Natural History Museum. I was pleased that he wasn’t punished. He wasn’t paddled, which is still allowed in my state and 23 other states in this country. He wasn’t sent to the principal’s office, he didn’t have to write 550 times “I will never break a beaver bait jar” and he didn’t get banned from the next field trip.

What did happen?

His teacher wisely said, “Joe, you have a serious problem, I know you can handle it.” Joe had to write a letter to the Natural History Museum. He had to replace the beaver bait jar, and before he could go on another field trip he had to have a written plan of how he would handle his feet, hands, and mouth creatively and constructively on the next field trip.

I tell you, replacing that beaver bait jar was a trip unto itself—beaver bait is female beaver urine. So you can bet he’ll never break a beaver bait jar again! The Saturday morning he went with the game warden, he got up early and happily got his little knapsack ready. Then the game warden very patiently explained to Joe how he had to collect female beaver urine. Joe’s eyes got huge, and he looked at me, looked at his dad, and said “I have to do that?” I thought the game warden’s comment was classic: “Well, I didn’t break the beaver bait jar.”

So what happened here? He was shown what he had done wrong, given ownership of the problem, given ways to solve it, and his dignity was left intact. Did he have fun? Yes. And this really burns people who are into punishment. How dare a kid have a good time fixing the mess he’s in!

What about when misbehavior turns more serious?

Many communities and schools today are moving toward zero tolerance policies, which I think represents zero thinking. If any kid does anything wrong, he or she gets punished rather than disciplined—sometimes severely punished.

When the incident involves mayhem, or the potential for mayhem, I continue to advocate discipline, but I add three “R ‘s” to it: restitution, resolution, and reconciliation, which constitutes reconciliatory justice. In other words, you have to fix what you did, figure out how you’re going to keep it from happening again, and heal with the people you’ve harmed. That third step is not a part of Western culture, by and large, but it’s in all of our faith traditions.

How does this play out in the home?

OK, say a 5-year-old bops his younger brother over the head when his little brother won’t share a toy. Liz Loescher from the Conflict Center has a motto, “Conflict is inevitable, violence is not.” And so you say to the older boy, “It’s all right for you to be angry; it’s not all right for you to hit your brother. You need to take a time-out-to calm down. You can calm down in your rocker, your room, or on my lap.”

You give them choices?

I always like to give kids three choices. You give a strong-willed child two choices, and they’ll try to figure out which one you want them to do and they’ll do the other just to spite you. So I give them three. Rocker, room, or my lap. And the lap option really upsets people who are into behavior modification because it seems like a reward. But as Catholics we should be models of God to our children, and God is always there, in the good times or the rough times. So parents, be there when they need you.

Does the choice technique work?

Well, a really strong-willed child may say, “I’m not moving.” And I just look at that kid and know that wisdom went out the window and all I’ve got left is wit in parenting. And I’ll say, “You know what? That’s a really good place to calm down too. I hadn’t thought of that one.”

That works because the goal is to get the child to calm down, not to get him to go where I told him to go. The goal is to teach inner discipline. So when the time-out is finished, the process begins.

There’s more?

Many time-out programs are just going through the motions—the time-out, the “I’m sorry,” and that’s it. That’s not enough. I even had a woman tell me her son was on a great time-out program. “He hits his sister and goes and sits. I don’t even have to tell him any more.” And I wonder, “Who’s conning whom?”

Now, once the child has calmed down, the work starts. If you threw a toy across the room, now is the time to pick it up. If you wrote on the wall, now is the time to clean it up. And some offenses are hard to fix—like shunning another person, or verbally or physically abusing someone. In those cases it starts with an apology, “I’m sorry.” But that only goes so far.

I saw one elementary school teacher explain it well to her students. She took a block of wood and hammered a nail in it. She said, “Every time I hit this I want you to think of a time you shunned or verbally abused or physically abused somebody.” She pounded away at the nail. Then she pulled out the nail and said, “This is the ‘I’m sorry.’ But,” she asked, “what are we going to do with the hole that’s still left in the wood? When you abuse another person or shun them, you make a hole in that other person that ‘I’m sorry’ doesn’t fix.”

So what’s the next step?

The second step is for the child to figure out how he or she is going to keep it from happening again. All children will typically say, “I won’t do it again.” But what I want to know is what you will do when you want your brother’s toy and he doesn’t want to give it to you. And this is where our teaching comes in. Giving life to learning.

And the third step is the one that is so critical and often left out of most time-out programs. Over and above restitution, you must go to the person you’ve harmed and offer something to them to heal them.

So I say to the older one, “Your brother didn’t get off to such a good start today getting bopped over the head. What can you do to help him have a better day?” And the older boy says, “He likes being pulled in the wagon.” So here’s the 5-year-old pulling the 3-year-old in the wagon, the 5-year-old knowing his own goodness and the 3-year-old knowing his brother’s goodness. And they’re healed—only to go back and fight later in the day, because it’s normal for kids to fight.

If we could go through those three steps in our judicial system and in conflicts with our neighbors, there would be so much more healing.

And they need signs of affection?

Kids need a smile, a hug, and humor every day in rough times. In the days after 9/11, I saw many articles about whether we can get our humor back, if we can ever laugh again. Laughter is very healing, so we need to laugh with our children.

How do you convey optimism while grieving?

I’m not talking about a rose-colored-glasses type of optimism here, where everything is all right with the world. Optimism doesn’t deny anger, frustration, sadness, or intense sorrow. It is willing to give each one its due, but only its due.

I marvel when people say America lost its innocence on September 11. That was lost a long time ago. It’s our sense of safety that’s been lost. And in that sense we need to be able to get through our dark night of the soul, get up in the morning, fix our children breakfast, and say to them, “We’re going to make it through this.” And we will get through it, though we may never get over it.

There’s a difference?

“Getting over it” and “closure” are words we need to be rid of anytime there is a major loss. People say, “How do I help my children handle a divorce?” I tell them they’re using the wrong word. You handle losing your mittens. You get through a divorce. And you don’t get over it.

My daughter put it so beautifully after her cancer. She said, “That’s a big ugly thread in my tapestry, but I won’t let it frame my life.” We all have ugly threads in our tapestries, they just can’t frame our lives. That’s the kind of optimism we need to model and teach to our kids.

Reprinted by permission of U.S. Catholic magazine (http://www.uscatholic.org). U.S. Catholic is published by the Claretians. Call 1-800-328-6515.

Reflection Questions:

What spoke to you most in the above article? What challenged you most? Was there anything said that you disagreed with? Share with your spouse or another parent.

Catholic Appeal Update

Our assessment is $281,000. Last weekend 357 parishioners pledged for a total of $107,000. Thank you.

Have a blessed week,

tobin2@live.com

Regardless of whether our political affiliation is democrat, republican or independent, or whether we are for or against contraception or sterilization, we should be, I believe, outraged at the government’s attempt to force Catholic institutions and individuals to buy into a healthcare plan that violates their conscience.

I believe that we should not allow the government or the liberal media to frame this as merely a contraceptive issue (90+% of Catholics do not follow this teaching of our church). Rather, we need to fight this issue because it is another attack by the government on religious liberty and conscience. It is amazing that the government is attacking an institution that has been a champion of healthcare benefits for all, an institution whose hospitals care for one out of six Americans, an institution that does provide very good health insurance for its employees who work 30 hours or more a week. Now the government sees fit to seek to force our church to include in our healthcare benefits abortifacients often called ’the morning after pill’.

Let me be clear, I am not one of those priests who believes that it is a sin to vote for a pro-choice candidate (unless of course one is voting for the candidate because he is pro-choice. That would be a serious sin). There are many issues to consider when one goes into a voting booth and while the abortion issue is certainly a huge issue, there are many other issues as well—such as, which candidate has policies that will provide for the poorest of our people (high on Jesus list). Our concern is not just for the unborn, but also for the already born.

Having said the above, I am personally outraged at this attempt by the government to attack the moral beliefs of a church that does so much good for millions and millions of our people. I believe every person who values religious liberty and doesn’t want the government attacking the beliefs of his church, should fight this issue. It has been said “all that is needed for evil to succeed is for good people to stand by and do nothing”. I hope, when it comes to this issue, we will not be guilty of standing by and doing nothing. Make no mistake: this is not a case of furthering women’s health benefits, as the administration’s spin would have us believe, it is a case of ordering the violation of conscience. If unchecked, what will they dictate next?

Concerning this issue, our Bishop John Noonan has written the following letter to the people of our diocese.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly, and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which claims to be “of, by, and for the people,” has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people – the Catholic population – and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees’ health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception. Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write. And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.
In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty. And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so). The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

We cannot – we will not – comply with this unjust law. People of faith cannot be made second class citizens. We are already joined by our brothers and sisters of all faiths and many others of good will in this important effort to regain our religious freedom. Our parents and grandparents did not come to these shores to help build American’s cities and towns, its infrastructure and institutions, its enterprise and culture, only to have their posterity stripped of their God-given rights. In generations past, the Church has always been able to count on the faithful to stand up and protect her sacred rights and duties. I hope and trust she can count on this generation of Catholics to do the same. Our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.
And therefore, I would ask of you two things. First, as a community of faith we must commit ourselves to prayer and fasting that wisdom and justice may prevail, and religious liberty may be restored. Without God, we can do nothing: with God, nothing is impossible. Second, I would also recommend visiting:

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/religious-liberty/conscience-protection/index.cfm to learn more about this severe assault on religious liberty, and how to contact Congress in support of legislation that would reverse the Administration’s decision. (End of letter)

Very large parishes (income of $2 million or more) are assessed 19.4%.

Large parishes (income between $1 million and $2 million) are assessed 18.17% (Ascension falls into this category).

Medium-sized parishes (income between $500,000 and $1 million) are assessed 16.9%.

Small parishes (income of less than $500,000) are assessed 15.7%.

Last year, 53 parishioners pledged gifts of $1,000 or more to our Catholic Appeal, totaling $83,762.

104 parishioners pledged between $500 and $999, totaling $74,943.

261 parishioners pledged between $200 and $499, totaling $91,740.

169 parishioners pledged between $100 and $199, totaling $27,087.

409 parishioners pledged under $100, totaling $23,089.

Recently I have put together a book of beautiful prayers that can be used anytime to enrich our relationship with God. The book contains morning and evening prayers and a variety of other prayers to God, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit: prayers for guidance, healing, employment, respect life, when fearful, spiritually dry, etc., written by well known and not so well known saints and holy people of God. Copies of this booklet are printed in our office and will be available next Sunday after Mass.

In addition, my book How to Forgive Yourself & Others is now available in Spanish. Copies in both English and Spanish will be available next Sunday.

Have a blessed week,




tobin2@live.com

When St. Paul describes the gifts God has given the church, he includes teaching among the most important (1 Cor 12:28). No surprise there. “Go teach!” was the final mandate of Jesus. History has long taught that without teachers to announce the Gospel and educate the young, the church struggles to survive. Evangelization through good teaching is essential to Catholic life. Pastoral leaders in developing nations say that Catholic education is what attracts people to Jesus and his church. When it comes to education, nobody has a better track record than the church.

In the 20th century, for example, there was no greater witness to the effectiveness of Catholic schools than the Nazi and Communist efforts to destroy them. Pope Benedict XVI’s own beloved homeland—where to be Bavarian was to be Catholic—was perhaps hardest hit in all of Germany. By January 1939 nearly 10,000 German Catholic schools had been closed or taken over by the Nazi Party. Tyrants know and fear the true strength of a Catholic education: what parents begin in the home, Catholic schools extend to society at large.

But what of today’s Catholic schools that exist in a world largely free of those sorts of 20th-century threats? Are we not facing our own crisis of closure for the Catholic school in America?

The answer is yes. Statistics from the National Catholic Educational Association tell a sobering tale about Catholic schools in the United States. From a student enrollment in the mid-1960s of more than 5.2 million in nearly 13,000 elementary and secondary Catholic schools across America, there are now only half as many, with just 7,000 schools and 2.1 million students enrolled.

The reasons for the decline are familiar: the steady drop in vocations to the religious teaching orders who were the greatest single work force in the church’s modern period; the drastic shift in demographics of the late-20th century that saw a dramatic drop-off in Catholic immigration from Europe; the rising cost of living since the late 1970s that forced nearly every American parent to become a wage-earner and put Catholic education beyond their budget; and the crumbling of an intact neighborhood-based Catholic culture that depended upon the parochial school as its foundation.

The most crippling reason, however, may rest in an enormous shift in the thinking of many American Catholics, namely, that the responsibility for Catholic schools belongs only to the parents of the students who attend them, not to the entire church. Nowadays, Catholics often see a Catholic education as a consumer product, reserved to those who can afford it. The result is predictable: Catholics as a whole in the United States have for some time disowned their school system, excusing themselves as individuals, parishes or dioceses from any further involvement with a Catholic school simply because their own children are not enrolled there, or their parish does not have its own school.

WIDESPREAD BENEFITS

The truth is that the entire parish, the whole diocese and the universal church benefit from Catholic schools in ways that keep communities strong. So all Catholics have a duty to support them. Reawakening a sense of common ownership of Catholic schools may be the biggest challenge the church faces in any revitalization effort ahead. Thus, we Catholics need to ask ourselves a risky question: Who needs Catholic schools, anyway?

The answer: We all do. Much of the research on Catholic education conducted over the last five decades—from the Rev. Andrew Greeley to the University of Notre Dame; from the National Opinion Research Center to the work of independent, often non-Catholic scholars—has answered with a unanimous voice that without a doubt Catholic schools are an unquestioned success in every way: spiritually, academically and communally. More to the point, the graduates they produce emerge as lifelong practitioners of their faith. These Catholic graduates have been, are and will be our leaders in church and society.

Consider:

The academic strength of Catholic schools is unassailable. Researchers like Helen Marks, in her essay “Perspectives on Catholic Schools” in Mark Berends’s Handbook of Research on School Choice (2009), have found that when learning in a Catholic school is done in an environment replete with moral values and the practice of faith, its test scores and achievements outstrip public school counterparts.

Updating the work of John Coleman in the early 1980s, Professor Berends also estimates that two factors—the influence of Catholic values and the fostering of Catholic faith and morals—are the single biggest supports for the success of many young people, Catholic or not, educated in inner-city Catholic schools.

Sociologists like Father Greeley, in his book Catholic Schools in a Declining Church (1976), and Mary Gautier, in her more recent article “Does Catholic Education Make a Difference?” (National Catholic Reporter, 9/30/05), have found that graduates of Catholic schools are notably different from Catholic children not in parochial schools in four important areas: 1) fidelity to Sunday Mass and a keener sense of prayer; 2) maintaining pro-life attitudes, especially on the pivotal topic of abortion; 3) the personal consideration of a religious vocation and 4) continued support for the local church and community, both financially and through service projects, for the balance of their adult lives.

Catholic school graduates make good citizens, deeply committed to social justice, the care of the poor and the planet, proud volunteers in the church and in community. The widespread institution of service program requirements in Catholic schools over the last two decades has helped to create an entire generation of generous, socially minded alumni ready to help, no matter the need.

More could be written, of course, about how Catholic schools continue to excel in so many ways, helping to form citizens who are unabashedly believers in the way they live out what is most noble in our American identity. The few points listed above are potent reminders of the many long-term effects that Catholic schools have on the formation of their students. As both history has shown and researchers have documented, there are plenty of reasons for all American Catholics to take proud ownership of Catholic schools.

REVIVING CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Not only should the reasons behind changes in attitude toward Catholic schools give us pause, but also the consequences of letting this school system decline. If Catholic education promotes lifelong commitment to faith and virtue, a high sense of social justice, greater numbers of religious vocations and an embrace of a way of life based on responsible stewardship, then will not its continued decline risk further erosion in all of these areas? Catholic history can answer this clearly.

In New York, for example, a nagging concern from the 19th century is re-emerging at the start of the 21st. My predecessor, Archbishop John Hughes—famously known as Dagger John for his fearsome wit and readiness to fight for Catholic rights—struggled to rid the New York public schools in the 1840s of their anti-Catholic bias. He was convinced, after watching immigrant families fight discrimination, that “the days had come, and the place, in which the school is more necessary than the church” (from James Burns’s A History of Catholic Education in the United States, emphasis added). Quite a statement—one echoed by several of his brother bishops, including a saint, John Neuman, bishop of Philadelphia, and the scholar and reformer John Lancaster Spalding of Peoria, who said that “without parish schools, there is no hope that the Church will be able to maintain itself in America” (see David Sweeney’s The Life of John Lancaster Spalding). These men understood that until Catholic schools were up and running, Catholic life would be stagnant. They made the establishment of Catholic schools their priority, and, thank God, most other American bishops followed their example. In 1956, for instance, my own parish in Ballwin, Mo., built its school even before its church, and I am sure glad they did, because that year I entered first grade to begin the most formative eight years of my life.

Given the aggressive secularization of American culture, could it be that Catholics are looking at the same consequences that met those 19th-century prelates? Today’s anti-Catholicism hardly derives from that narrow 19th-century Protestantism, intent on preserving its own cultural and political hold. Those battles are long settled. Instead, the Catholic Church is now confronted by a new secularization asserting that a person of faith can hardly be expected to be a tolerant and enlightened American. Religion, in this view, is only a personal hobby, with no implications for public life. Under this new scheme, to take one’s faith seriously and bring it to the public square somehow implies being un-American. To combat this notion, an equally energetic evangelization—with Catholic schools at its center—is all the more necessary.

The 21st-century version of the Hughes predicament, which tried to establish Catholic rights in the face of a then anti-Catholic America, would seem to suggest that without Catholic schools the church in the United States is growing less Catholic, less engaged with culture and less capable of transforming American life with the Gospel message. As long as we Catholics refuse to acknowledge that the overall health of the church in the United States is vitally linked not only to the survival but the revival of the Catholic school, we are likely to miss the enormous opportunity this present moment extends.

It is time to recover our nerve and promote our schools for the 21st century. The current hospice mentality—watching our schools slowly die—must give way to a renewed confidence. American Catholic schools need to be unabashedly proud of their proven gritty ability to transmit faith and values to all their students, particularly welcoming the immigrant and the disadvantaged, whose hope for success lies in an education that makes them responsible citizens. This is especially true for the Catholic Hispanics in the country, whose children account for a mere 4 percent of the Catholic school population. Failure to include the expanding Hispanic population in Catholic education would be a huge generational mistake.

To re-grow the Catholic school system, today’s efforts need to be rooted in the long-term financial security that comes from institutional commitment through endowments, foundations and stable funding sources and also from every parish supporting a Catholic school, even if it is not “their own.” Catholic education is a communal, ecclesial duty, not just for parents of schoolchildren or for parishes blessed to have their own school. Surely American Catholics have sufficient wealth and imagination to accomplish this.

It is both heartening and challenging to remember that Catholic churches and schools were originally built on the small donations of immigrants who sacrificed nickels, dimes and dollars to make their children Catholics who are both well educated and fully American. Have we Catholics lost our nerve, the dare and dream that drove our ancestors in the faith, who built a Catholic school system that is the envy of the world?

We cannot succumb to the petty turf wars that pit Catholic schools against religious education programs and other parish ministries. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the church is all about both/and, not either/or. Strong Catholic schools strengthen all other programs of evangelization, service, catechesis and sanctification. The entire church suffers when Catholic schools disappear.

As the Most Rev. Roger J. Foys, Bishop of Covington, has said: “While there may be alternatives to Catholic education, there are no substitutes.”

In the early 1980s, Dr. Anthony Levatino saw abortion as just part of his job as an obstetrician-gynecologist. He estimates that in five years he performed 1,200 abortions. In medical school, he said, doctors quickly learn to compartmentalize aspects of their work.

“There’s a corpse on the table,” he said. “You have to take it apart. You don’t think there are emotions involved in that? You learn to shut them out, and you do a job.”

But on June 23, 1984, something happened that changed Levatino’s point of view. When his 5-year-old daughter, Heather, ran into the street to protect her younger brother, she was struck and killed by a car.

Levatino dealt with his daughter’s death the best he could, taking a few weeks off from work. But this time, the heartbreak over his own loss gave him a new perspective when he saw the aborted remains of an unborn child.

“All of a sudden, I didn’t see the patient’s wonderful right to choose,” he recalled. “All I saw was somebody’s son or daughter.”

Within eight months of Heather’s death, Levatino stopped doing abortions. “A change had come that I couldn’t take back,” he said. “Once you finally realize that killing a baby at 20 weeks is wrong, then it doesn’t take too long to figure out that killing a baby of any size is wrong.”

LEARNING THE TRUTH

In the nearly four decades since Roe v. Wade, there have been a number of high-profile conversions of former abortionists and clinic workers—including Dr. Bernard Nathanson, who was instrumental in legalizing abortion throughout the United States in 1973. Witnessing an ultrasound-guided abortion that same year led Nathanson to dramatically reassess his position. He later converted to Catholicism and was a passionate pro-life advocate until his death last February. Abby Johnson, the former director of a Planned Parenthood facility in Bryan/College Station, Texas, has also made headlines since she walked off the job in 2009 during a 40 Days for Life prayer campaign.

There are many lesser-known stories as well, including that of Catherine Adair. A former medical assistant at an abortion facility in Boston, Adair said someone must have been praying for her conversion. She admitted that she had strayed far from the Catholic Church in her late teens and had stopped going to Mass after confirmation. When she became pregnant in college, she went to her mother for help.

“I was afraid to tell my mom,” Adair recalled. “When I did, she said, ‘Don’t worry about it. We can set up an appointment and terminate.’”

And that’s what she did.

“In my world, I was expected to finish college and have a career,” Adair said. “I couldn’t support a baby. I thought an abortion would take care of it.”

After college, she applied for a job at Planned Parenthood in 1996. “I saw it as a progressive, pro-woman organization. I thought it would fit with who I was,” she said.

Adair worked there for a year as an office worker. She was then trained as a counselor and later as a medical assistant. Part of her job, she explained, was to clean the examination and procedure rooms between abortion appointments.

One day in particular still haunts her. Adair was sent to clean a room following a second-trimester abortion. In addition to the usual blood spatter on the floor, she saw a table with a jar containing tiny body parts.

“I stood there in shock not knowing if I was seeing what I was seeing,” she said. “I remember I backed out of the room and was sick to my stomach.”

Adair said she didn’t immediately walk off the job, because she didn’t know what to do. Instead, she went back to work the next day and the day after.

But when she became increasingly unhappy, Adair left her position at Planned Parenthood and went to graduate school to become a teacher. In 1998, she married her college boyfriend and started a family. Still, as time went on, she felt that something — or someone — was missing in her life.

Adair and her husband started looking for a church, visiting a few different services before walking into a Catholic parish in Fitchburg, Mass., in 2006. She then attended Sunday Mass for three years without receiving the Eucharist.

“I finally worked up the nerve to go to confession. When I went, I couldn’t stop crying,” she recalled. The priest, she added, was very kind and nonjudgmental. “As penance, he asked me to pray the rosary.”

Adair’s devotion to Mary soon drew her closer to Christ than she thought possible. As she prayed for healing, God revealed to her the truth about the “right to choose” — a right that she had championed for so many years.

“God pulled aside that final veil of ignorance about the fact that these are babies,” she said. “I knew he was prodding me.”

Last year, Adair began sharing her story publically across the country. She has also worked with the Susan B. Anthony List, a Washington-based political action commit-

tee that works to elect pro-life candidates. But most importantly, Adair wants women to know the truth about abortion and give them a glimpse into an industry that claims to help them.



PATIENCE IN PRAYER



In his own personal testimony, which he has shared with audiences for two decades, Levatino offers a graphic description of a typical abortion procedure. As difficult as it is for his listeners to hear, the horror has never worn off for Levatino. He believes that it is important for people to know the truth of what the procedure entails.

“It is as if people think the doctor waves his hands and the baby disappears. It doesn’t happen like that,” explained Levatino, now a gynecologist in Las Cruces, N.M.

Until his daughter’s death, Levatino spent the early part of his career doing first- and second-trimester abortions as part of his obstetrics and gynecology practice in Troy, N.Y.

“Charges ranged from $600 to $700 for a second-trimester abortion,” he said. “In 15 minutes, I was making 50 percent of what I was making delivering a baby, which took 10 months, hours awake in the middle of the night and almost unlimited liability afterwards.”

Levatino said he knows God was working in his life long before he converted to the pro-life position. One of his patients was part of a group that protested abortion in front of his office. He recalled that on one occasion, the woman told him, “Jesus loves you, and this is not what he intended for you.”

Levatino politely listened but was very annoyed. “I had this overwhelming thought that I had to hustle this woman out of my office,” he recalled.

But the woman, who was always kind and respectful, never gave up on him. She sent him cards from time to time, including one after Levatino’s daughter died. The message eventually got through.

Not long after Levatino stopped doing abortions, a local church group invited him and his wife to a pro-life potluck supper. His wife, who had always been opposed to abortion, wanted to go. Until that time, the couple had agreed to disagree on the issue and decided they wouldn’t talk about it. Levatino finally agreed to attend the event, and the kindness of many people there changed his opinion about the pro-life movement. Soon after, he decided to share his story.

Levatino said that people need to pray constantly for those who work in the abortion industry and reach out to them if possible. He said that even though people in the pro-life movement may get discouraged or assume that the staunchest supporters of abortion are a lost cause, conversions take time. “You need tremendous patience in prayer,” he said. “You have to develop a relationship and say to them, ‘The Lord loves you.’ That’s how you start.”

For the next few moments, allow your memory’s muse to carry you back through the years to the time when you were just “starting out in life.” Recall those entries under your picture in your high school yearbook; included among your achievements and the activities in which you participated was a mention of your future aspirations. Some of us were intent on being teachers, others doctors or nurses, some were headed for the military, business or law school and a variety of other fields and professions. Now, ask yourself, has your life evolved as you had thought it would? Have you fulfilled those youthful aspirations or do you find that you have been called by God in directions other than what you had planned? Whenever I pose these questions to the adults in the classes I teach, their responses are invariably similar.

Their lives have been filled with people and places, challenges and opportunities quite different than what they had initially expected.

Today’s liturgy invites us to look at the often surprising twists and turns our lives have taken and to perceive therein the presence of God, whose call has directed every juncture of our journey and has brought us to this moment. If we look at our lives, not simply as a conglomeration of happenstances or of unrelated events but as a series of continuing calls from God, then we will also be drawn to live our lives as an ever-growing litany of responses to God. Our lives have been shaped not just by one but by many calls from God and God speaks not just with one voice but with many.

As we examine this call-response dynamic and the direction that it lends to our days, we might also reflect upon how others have responded to God’s calls. Samuel (first reading) had first answered God’s call to be in the service of the temple but with the help of Eli, he was able to discern that God was calling him in a new direction, viz., from then on, he was to minister as God’s prophet for his contemporaries. In today’s gospel, the disciples who had answered God’s call, as voiced through John the Baptizer, were then called to enter into the company of Jesus where they, in turn, began to call others to salvation.

Closer to our times, Mother Teresa of Calcutta first perceived God’s call to serve as a Sister of Loretto. She entered the order in 1928 at the age of 18 and was soon teaching at a high school in Calcutta. However in 1946, she received what she called “the call within the call.” “The message was quite clear,” she wrote. “I was to give up all and follow Jesus into the slums—to serve him in the poorest of the poor.” Her “call within the call” caused Mother Teresa to found a new order of sisters who continue to answer God’s call as they hear it in the cries of the dying, the sick and the deprived.

Henri Nouwen’s responses to God’s calls led him first to the ordained ministry in his native Netherlands, then to university classrooms in Europe and the U.S.A. as well as on several lecture circuits. In 1985 and until he died in 1996, Nouwen was a member of one of Jean Vanier’s L’Arche Communities; there he answered God’s call as spoken through the needs of the intellectually and physically handicapped with whom he shared his love and care. “At L’Arche,” said Nouwen, “I was invited to do something I wasn’t prepared for. I didn’t know anything about mentally handicapped people. I’m totally impractical in the first place but God called me there and in this case, God’s will was not totally in line with my specific talents” (Seeds of Faith, interview for BBC Radio, July 4, 1993). Nevertheless, Nouwen found at L’Arche the home and familial harmony for which he had longed so many years of his life.

Like Mother Teresa and Henri Nouwen, the Berrigan brothers, Philip and Daniel, also answered God’s initial call to the ministry; so attuned were they to God’s continuing calls that they were willing to become prophets in the political arena where they decried the injustices of war, nuclear armaments, conscripted military service, etc. Similarly, an American monk, Thomas Merton, and a Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, joined forces in answering God’s call; together they raised their voices to speak to the world from different cultures and beyond their cloisters and challenged it to forge an authentic and lasting peace. Martin Luther King’s sensitivity to God’s call led him from the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to the streets of Selma, Montgomery, and Washington, D.C., in support of civil rights and racial equality.

As we consider how God’s call has offered meaning and direction to our lives to date, the experiences of these and other believers can inspire, encourage and edify. When we feel ill-prepared or unequal to the challenge of God’s call, we are to remember that no call ever comes without the accompanying guarantee of grace. When calls from God seem to conflict with our personal aspirations, or appear to be a detour from the course we have set for ourselves, we are challenged to renewed trust and surrender. Most of all, we are to remember that our God is a God of many surprises and multiple voices; therefore we must be open and willing to hear and to heed the call of God from wherever, in whomever and whenever it may come.

No religion takes the body as seriously as does the Christian religion. The body is not seen as the enemy of the spirit, or as a prison of the spirit. Through Christ’s birth, life, death and resurrection, the human body has become part of the life of God. There is no place in Christianity for contempt of the body. But neither is there a place for worship of the body.

We are God’s creatures. Our body is the work of God. That is reason enough for respecting it and caring for it. But St. Paul gives us a further and deeper reason for respecting the body. He says, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Today there is a cult of the body, especially in modeling and advertising—a cult of the body apart from the person. It is the body that counts, not the person. And it is always a young and beautiful body. Needless to say, this is not what St. Paul is talking about. This is not respect. This is more like exploitation.

Today there is also huge interest in physical fitness and physical health. While this is to be welcomed, it should be kept in perspective. Care of the body shouldn’t result in neglect of the soul. Bodily health shouldn’t be sought at the expense of health of soul.

The church respects the body from the beginning of life right to the end, from that of a tiny infant to that of an elderly person. At Baptism it pours water over the body of the child. It anoints it not once but twice. It adorns it with a white robe. At the end of life it again anoints and blesses the body of the Christian. Even when life has gone out of it, it still considers it sacred. The Church buries it in consecrated ground. And when cremation occurs it urges that the ashes be treated with respect.

This is because the Church regards the body as a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. Moreover, in the incarnation Jesus took on a body like ours. He lived, suffered, and died in our flesh. And he rose from the dead and was glorified in our flesh. This is another reason for respecting the body: it is destined for eternal glory. “God will raise up these mortal bodies and make them like his own in glory” (St. Paul).

We don’t show respect for our bodies by sins of the flesh, or by over-indulgence in food or drink. Having more respect for our bodies would go a long way towards reducing social problems such as addiction, the spread of AIDS, and teen-age pregnancies.

Once in a small town in Poland a young boy stood watching a gypsy as he drank from a well in the town square. After drinking, the man stood there, gazing down into the well, as though looking at someone. He was a giant of a man but had a friendly face. So the boy approached him and asked, “Who lives down there?”

“God does,” answered the gypsy.
“Can I see him?”
“Sure you can,” said the gypsy.
Then he took the boy into his arms, lifting him up so that he could see down into the well. All the boy could see, however, was his own reflection in the water. “But that’s only me,” he cried in disappointment. “All I see is me.”
“Ah,” replied the gypsy, “now you know where God lives. He lives in you.”

The wise travelers from the East, who brought gifts to the Christ Child, displayed great life skills anyone can emulate throughout the year.



In the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-12, the story of the visit of the Magi has captured the hearts and souls of spiritual seekers throughout the ages. These three Wise Men from the East, though not specifically named in the scriptural text, have come to be known as Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior as they carry their signature gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the newborn Christ Child.

How many of us remember the delight we took as children in moving these royal travelers ever closer to the manger in our home Nativity scenes in anticipation of the Feast of the Epiphany! A wonderful family ritual for sure, yet no less compelling for us to consider how these travelers might continue to lead us ever closer to Christ throughout the year.

In particular, the Magi display significant qualities for any spiritual traveler to emulate, especially in the development of their skills and gifts:

Keen observation

Ability to follow directions

Quality of presence

Active participation

Discernment
All five of these life skills for the spiritual journey can be considered important. The Magi exhibit mastery of each, particularly exemplified in the discernment they showed. Discernment is the capacity to sift our everyday experiences and trust when we are following the lead of God and when we are not.

Given the number of “signs” in today’s world that call for our attention and commitment, we might rightfully wonder how we can actually know when we are indeed following God’s lead. Even when we discern what we consider to be the right path, how do we get there? Whom do we trust? Or do we try to do it alone?

To help us come to some deepening clarity, we take a reflective look at the story of the Magi’s visit and see what these wise companions might teach us about acquiring some of the necessary traveling skills needed for our spiritual journey in today’s world.


Seeing the Star

“We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” (v.2)

Jonathan sat expectantly in the darkened Church of St. Peter the Apostle, as his oldest son, Mark, led the procession of three royal travelers. Each was carrying carefully wrapped gifts representing gold, frankincense and myrrh to the starlit tableau waiting in serene stillness at the center of the sanctuary. The suspended gold-plated star above the altar twinkled as it cast its light directly on the manger scene below as the three wise travelers in royal capes of velvet and velour moved steadily toward the tableau.

Jonathan’s wife, Amy, leaned over and whispered, “Mark really looks like he enjoys what he’s doing, doesn’t he, as he leads the procession with such dignity?” Jonathan whispered back, “Yes. Maybe all we need to do is follow the light of the star. If it were only that simple!”

Amy sat back and enjoyed the unfolding scene before her. She was remembering each step of the preparations that went into getting Mark ready to be the leading king at this special moment.

While following the star’s light may indeed seem like a relatively simple task, the Magi can teach us the traveler’s most basic skill of keen observation. Given the number of “lights” that glisten and call for our attention, it would be good for us to learn what we need to actually “see” before we take the next step on our faith journey.

One of the most important observations may be to see that we have been created by God with life and purpose. We need to claim the idea that God desires a personal and loving relationship with each of us. We are invited to see our lives as a woven tapestry of faith that gives testimony to our unique relationship with God.

For example, we may want to ponder: What are we really seeking in life? What gives our life meaning and purpose?

It is evident that these three wise travelers of old had been actively waiting for a significant period of time for a sign in the heavens to guide them. They were prepared to see the sign. There is a sense of activity and purpose in their seeking, and so when the time was right, they took steps to follow the light and to inquire further about where they might find and worship Jesus as the newborn king of the Jews.

For 21st century spiritual seekers, the challenge of finding God in our lives may seem less dramatic than that of the Magi, and yet no less daunting, in our quest to find God’s presence in our everyday experiences.



Could we consider that a sign and star might be as simple as a phone call from a friend or colleague, a word of advice from a parent, an employment opportunity that seems to beckon even though it doesn’t seem to be our dream job at the moment?

The important thing to notice is where these signs and stars lead us so that we can take the very next step in front of us with the assurance that we are not alone when we are following the lead of God whom we have come to trust.


Setting Out

“After their audience with the king they set out.” (v.9)

Mary Anne, an executive who makes countless daily decisions on the corporate level, finds it more difficult than ever to take the time to attend to her own personal choices. She tends to sit on the fence for long periods of time before actually setting out to follow a path. She admits that many of life’s opportunities on the personal level have passed her by because she was often too reluctant to take the necessary next steps with confidence. Often experiencing a certain paralysis of spirit, Mary Anne also finds it difficult to trust others in order to gain insight.

Perhaps our three wise travelers may offer Mary Anne just the help she needs since they indeed stepped out and followed the path to Bethlehem even as they looked for consultation on their journey that included a visit with King Herod. While we know that the Magi later realized they were not to make a return trip to Herod, they clearly explored every option at this early stage in their journey in order to gain the best access route to the Christ Child.

Likewise, how difficult it can be for us when we are relying on the guidance of others! Persons like Mary Anne often find it safer to stay undecided since they are so fearful that they might make a mistake, especially if those whom they once trusted prove later to be unworthy of such trust.

And yet, do we have faith that God will lead us and show us the way if we keep paying attention, as the Magi did, at all stages of our journey? What we are called to do, flowing from our growing skill of observation, is to notice each of the signposts on the path and follow the directions that can lead us to life and freedom by paying closer attention, pondering our next steps, praying for God’s help and putting one foot in front of the other.

These steps may be helpful in moving us forward if we feel called by God to make some kind of significant life change that might involve varying degrees of struggle, confusion and uncertainty. Or perhaps it is necessary to restore trust and fidelity to a relationship that has been hurting due to betrayal or misunderstanding. Or we might be called to a conversion of heart that needs concrete steps to follow our good intentions.

Whatever the situation may be, we may be feeling invited to trust the reliable signposts on our path. That way we can take the necessary next steps that will give some momentum to our choices.


Coming to the Place Where Jesus Was

“And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was.” (v.9)

Day after day, Margaret looks into the eyes of her 75-year-old husband, Zach, and wonders if he even knows that she is there anymore. His dementia seems to be getting worse, and it is increasingly difficult for her to find any tangible comfort in their 53 years of marriage. Sustained by deep love, however, she continues to care for Zach by feeding him, bathing him, dressing him and holding him with the hope that somehow he will know of her love even as she wonders how much he is really “there.”

Margaret somehow recognizes in the seeming absence of Zach’s responsiveness that she is exactly where she is called to be as she stays by her husband’s side with great tenderness and affection. These are the signature qualities of her presence to him. What greater gift could she give him?

When Margaret finds herself growing impatient and restless, given her lagging day-to-day stamina and demanding attentiveness to her husband, she says that she continues to trust that she is indeed in the stable of her home as she lovingly cares for Zach.

Likewise, the wise travelers found the Christ Child in humble surroundings in the manger, and it is precisely there that they opened and shared their gifts in deep reverence since they had been so “overjoyed at seeing the star” (v.10). This star had led them to the house where “they saw the child with Mary his mother” (v.11).

This gift of quality of presence can, at first glance, seem to be so simple for us to understand. Yet how often might we wish that we were somewhere else? When we compare our lives with the seemingly better and more desirable situations of others, we can experience a restlessness of spirit. This can cause discontent and unhappiness since we are under the illusion that our true happiness is yet to come in some other and better place.

Perhaps what God most longs for us to know is that, when we discern that we are following God’s lead in our life situation and vocation, we are exactly where God wants us to find our true happiness and abundant peace.


Offering their Gifts

“Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (v.11)

Dennis, a recent college graduate, asked, “What can I possibly give to God in my life? Who am I, after all, that God would want me to do anything special in my life? Often I feel as though I have nothing to give.”



The three wise travelers might encourage Dennis to consider questions such as the following: How might I identify the specific gifts that God has given me to share with others? How generously might I “open my treasures” and freely give of my time and talents? What gifts do I allow others to share with me? How willingly do I receive these gifts freely shared? Where do I struggle to see my giftedness and the giftedness of others?

Dennis feels drawn to a more active participation in the lives of others as he seeks ways to open his coffers as the Magi did when they presented their treasures to Jesus.

So often spiritual seekers of all ages and ways of life think that God must want something spectacular and beyond their reach in order to prove that they have some kind of worthwhile gift to share. Can we dare to believe that God wants us to be happy in our giving from the depths of who we are?

While Dennis may not have gifts of gold, frankincense or myrrh to offer, he has gifts of generosity, intelligence and compassion that have continually nurtured his desire to major and graduate with a degree in the study of human resources. How might Dennis trust these gifts as an invitation to seek to broaden his horizons in the urban community where he is seeking employment at this time?

How are we called to share our unique gifts with others?


Returning Home

“And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.” (v.12)

Frank, a 30-year-old sportswriter and self-proclaimed workaholic, admits that he needs to trust his instincts with deeper integrity when making decisions, especially since he can tend to be a people-pleaser. He often second-guesses himself even after coming to a decision. This pattern can lead him to doubt his own discernment and then follow the lead of others, even when his mind and heart are telling him otherwise.

Simply put, Frank has a hard time saying no, and he takes on too many commitments while working under the illusion that he can successfully juggle all of the balls in the air.

Perhaps Frank would benefit from the advice of the Magi who can encourage him to act in truth, discernment and integrity rather than allowing his motive of pleasing others to dominate his decision-making.

Clearly, the Magi had heard and intended to follow King Herod’s earlier request: “Go and search diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too may go and do him homage” (v.8). And yet, the three wise travelers later heeded their dream exhorting them to do otherwise.

Since the Magi deemed the message in the dream to be of God, they subsequently allowed their next steps to follow this dream, even if it meant causing displeasure to King Herod. This kind of fluidity of spirit seems essential to good discernment, especially when there are contrasting voices clamoring for our attention and choices.

In order to attain this level of discernment, it might be worthwhile to ask: How do we “return home” after our encounters with Christ, and yet allow ourselves to be forever changed by these encounters? How do we keep growing in our spiritual journeys? How do we keep learning about ourselves in ways that hold the potential to deepen God’s call to holiness as we find our way each day of our lives?

As the Magi can well testify, our return trip home indeed finds us transformed beyond our imagining, since our journey to draw ever closer to Christ Jesus renders us changed for a lifetime.


Being Stars for One Another

Now we need to consider how we are called to be a “sign” and a “star” for others as they seek their way to find Christ.

May these wise companions continue to inspire the journeys of spiritual seekers of all time so the blueprint of their story of loving search can be claimed for generations to come!

Over the years, few Catholic beliefs have caused Protestants and prospective converts problems more than our beliefs about the Mother of Jesus.

The only reason the Catholic Church honors (not worships) Mary is because God honored her in a unique way by choosing her from among all women to be the mother of his divine Son, Jesus.

Four Marian Doctrines

In fairness to our Protestant brothers and sisters, they do not usually have a problem with us honoring Mary. What’s at issue are the four doctrines held by the Catholic Church about Mary, as well as Mary’s intercessory role in our prayer life. These four doctrines are (1) the Immaculate Conception (our belief that Mary was conceived without original sin and remained sinless all her life); (2) Mary’s assumption into heaven immediately after she died; (3) Mary’s perpetual virginity; and (4) Mary, the Mother of God (today’s feast). These beliefs about Mary are refuted by Protestants because not one of them is stated explicitly in Scripture.

The first thing that should be mentioned is that the Catholic Church is not a sola scriptura (only scripture) church—one whose beliefs are solely based on what is explicitly stated in Scripture. When it comes to her beliefs, the Catholic Church looks to both Scripture and Tradition. [For more on what is meant by Tradition, go to our website and read my Catechism article 2.] For Catholics, a belief is only non-scriptural if it contradicts what is stated explicitly in the Bible. While certain Catholic beliefs about Mary are not stated explicitly in Scripture, there is nothing in Scripture that contradicts Catholic Marian beliefs.

We may ask or wonder why it took the Church so long to finally define some of her beliefs about Mary. It seems the Holy Spirit moves very slow. It took the church hundreds of years to decide on which sacred writings should and should not be included in the New Testament. It took over 1,000 years to establish the number of sacraments. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the Church through its deliberations in selecting the 27 books of the New Testament and in deciding on seven (and not nine) sacraments. Indeed, it was the Holy Spirit guiding the Church through all the heated debates concerning the four above mentioned Marian beliefs.

Immaculate Conception. The dogma or doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was not officially defined by the Church until 1854, although the belief certainly existed in the minds and hearts of the faithful for many centuries prior to that. In the fourth century, St. Ephrem wrote:

You, Jesus, and your Mother alone
are beautiful in every way.
In you no stain,
in your Mother no spot.

Despite early beliefs about Mary’s holiness, the doctrine that she was conceived free of original sin was hotly debated by saintly theologians in the Middle Ages. But Rome finally came to a conclusion, and in 1854 officially declared the doctrine of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Four years later, Mary appeared to Bernadette at Lourdes, France. When Bernadette asked Mary who she was, she answered, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” This was like a heavenly affirmation of what the Pope had declared four years earlier. It has been the belief of the Church from the earliest times that it was only fitting that she who conceived our divine sinless Savior should herself be free from all stain of sin. The angel Gabriel only confirmed Mary’s sinlessness when he addressed her as “full of grace.” One could not be full of grace unless one was free of all sins.

While Mary is not our sister when it comes to sin and disobedience to God, she is our sister in suffering temptation. Just as Jesus was tempted by the devil to disobey God, we can assume Mary was also tempted. And just as we experience suffering here on earth, so did Mary. Mary’s holiness was a hard-won holiness which could only be gained through constant and total cooperation with God’s grace.

The Assumption. This belief affirms that when Mary’s life was completed here on earth, she was taken body and soul into heaven. As with Mary’s Immaculate Conception, the Church reasons that it is only fitting that the body that bore the Savior of the world should not suffer decay when her life on earth was completed.

Mary, Perpetual Virgin (C 496-507). All Christians believe in the virgin birth, i.e. that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus. However, not all Christians believe that Mary remained a virgin all her life. Even though there is no reference to the perpetual virginity of Mary in the Bible, this belief has always been held in sacred Tradition. The liturgies of the East and West from the early centuries of Christianity recognized Mary as “ever virgin.” The founders of Protestantism (Luther and Calvin) believed that Mary remained a virgin all her life.

“God’s one purpose for Mary was to be the Mother of his Son. That was the divine goal. For that she was conceived, born and lived. Her undivided heart and body were meant for God alone” Fr. Al McBride Mary’s perpetual virginity should not be seen as a put down on sex. After all, God created sex. Only something good and beautiful could be offered up to God in sacrifice. Some writers point out that Mary’s physical virginity is an outward sign of her spiritual virginity which describes a life totally open and totally consecrated and devoted to God. Only with the eyes of faith can we begin to appreciate Mary’s perpetual virginity.

Mary, the Mother of God (C 495). As the early Church continued her reflection on the Scriptures and on Mary’s role in our relationship to Jesus, she concluded that since Mary is the Mother of Christ—human and divine—she could rightly be called Theotokos, Greek for “God-bearer” or Mother of God. The Council of Ephesus (431AD) which solemnly declared Mary to be the Mother of God, was careful to state that Mary is the Mother of God “according to the flesh,” to clarify that Mary is not the source of Jesus’ divinity.

Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, was perhaps the first person to recognize Mary’s special privilege. When Mary visited Elizabeth, she greeted her with these words: “How does it happen that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:43) The Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on January 1 st.

Veneration of Mary

The Catechism states: “The Church rightly honors Mary with special devotion…. This devotion differs essentially from the adoration given to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” (971).

Catholics venerate Mary because she is the Mother of God. We honor her because God honored her. When we kneel before statues of Mary or carry her in a religious procession, we are not worshipping her. Rather, we are honoring and showing our affection for the one who is closest to Jesus, the one who was most faithful to him.

The heart of Marian spirituality is not in the reciting of particular prayers in honor of Mary, but in “doing what Jesus tells us to do” (Jn 2:5). The true devotees of Mary are those who listen to God’s Word and act on it.

Seeking Mary’s intercession. Catholics often ask Mary, as their spiritual Mother, to pray for them. Non-Catholics have a problem with this because they look upon Jesus as their one and only intercessor and mediator before God. In 1Tim 2:5-6, Paul says: “There is only one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus….” Catholics understand that God alone grants us blessings and graces. But just as all believers share in the priesthood of Jesus (1Pet 2:5), all can share in his intercessory and mediatory role.

On behalf of one another, we join our prayers of intercession to those of Jesus. If we do not hesitate to ask our sinful brothers and sisters on earth to pray for us, why would we hesitate to ask Mary, the preeminent member of our community, to intercede for us. Vatican 2 document Lumen Gentium

Finally, when you hear Catholics speak about “praying to Mary,” translate that to mean “asking Mary to pray for us.” In the ‘Hail Mary’ prayer, we say: “Holy Mary, pray for us sinners.” In singing the praises of Mary, we are singing the praises of God who did great things in her. We should never think that God is in any way slighted because we love and venerate his Son’s Mother.

Statues and medals of Mary. For Catholics, statues, images and medals of Mary are visible reminders of someone very special in our spiritual lives. If we can carry pictures of loved ones in our wallets and place them on the walls of our homes and offices, surely it is okay for us to have visible reminders of the most perfect Christian who ever lived. If we lay wreaths before our national heroes, surely it is right for us to lay a wreath or bouquet before Mary, the Mother of our Redeemer. Catholics kneel and pray before statues as a mark of respect. But we do not worship statues, nor do we believe that statues have any spiritual power in or of themselves.

Prayer

My father was raised a Catholic and my mother converted to Catholicism when they married. My six brothers and I went to church every Sunday and Holy Day, confession every week, attended Catholic school when we could and CCD when Catholic school wasn’t available (my Dad was in the military so we moved often). I was a joy to my parents. I was proud of being a Catholic and I considered being a nun when I grew up.

When I was thirteen, I fell off a cliff…not literally but figuratively. I got involved in drugs, sex, stopped attending school, and fought going to church. I was kicked out of school and the house at age sixteen. The last time I attended church was in 1972 – thirty-nine years ago.

I reconciled with my parents when I was twenty and they, but in particular my father, have been praying for years that I would return to church. Every phone conversation and every visit, he’d ask “Katie, are you back at church? I’ve been praying for you. I want you to have a happier, more fulfilling life on earth and eternal life in heaven.” I’d cringe and say, “Dad, I’m thinking about it” or “Dad, I feel
close to God without the Church” or “Dad, I’m going to go to the Episcopalian Church with friends – it’s like the Catholic Church but not as rigid.” His standard response was “I’m glad you’re going to church, Katie, but I’m praying that you’ll return to the Catholic Church.”

I saw my father this June and was struck by the realization of how frail he was. As I was leaving to drive home, he hugged me and whispered, “I’m praying for you, Katie. I know the Holy Spirit will bring you home soon.” On my eight-hour drive back to Florida I couldn’t stop thinking about my father and how important it was to him that I rejoin the church. What was I so afraid of? What harm could it do? I have always had a strong faith, always considered myself a Christian, didn’t think I needed “church” but if it would make my father happy, why not just go?

It still took me several weeks of soul searching, making excuses, trying to convince any one of my friends to accompany me (no takers) until finally I settled on the perfect date – my Dad’s eighty-second birthday. What better gift to give him?

I slipped in the side door at the 5:30 Mass at Ascension on the 31st of July 2011. I got to church early and sat in the back row hidden next to a big column. I was overwhelmed being in the church and was flooded with emotion – fear, relief, peace, amazement, joy. Mass started and I was glued to every word, every movement. I felt like the priest was speaking to me – like he knew I needed to hear the words he was saying. When we started singing “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us,” uncontrolled tears ran down my face. “Lord, I am not worthy to receive you.” When everyone else went to Communion, I slipped out the door.

My simple gift for my father was the best gift I’ve ever given myself. It didn’t take long before I realized I wanted and needed more than Mass. I wanted to connect to other Catholics. I wanted to learn more about my faith. I wanted to learn more about the Bible. I started sharing with my non-Catholic and non-practicing Catholic friends about how exciting it was to get re-involved in the church and how much easier my life, my job, and life’s challenges were when I shared them with God.
None of them wanted to go to church with me, but they watched with interest, asked questions, and tried to figure out what was going on with their friend. I took the bulletin home every week and tried to get somebody interested in “retreats” or “meetings” or “fellowships” because I didn’t want to go by myself, but realized it was up to me to move forward in faith. I bravely signed up for “Why Catholic” and was assigned to an incredible group who has taught me why it’s so important to get involved and become part of a church family. They are supportive, encouraging, and full of wisdom and grace and have enriched my experience of coming back to the church in so many ways.

The hardest step for me was Reconciliation but because I wanted to receive Communion, I knew I needed to take this step in order to make a complete return to the church. I also knew that depending on the rules of the church and the decision I made, I would be reconnecting for good, as an adult, and making an adult decision to spend the rest of my life serving God as a Catholic. I met with Father Tobin on Halloween. I laugh now because I was shaking with fear driving to meet with him. The last time I’d talked face to face with a priest was when I was sixteen. Father was so easy to talk to and shared several options but we both agreed that it would be best if we met at a later date so I could prepare – I wanted to do this right. Father gave me some wonderful reading material before I left including a booklet on Preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Daily Prayers For the People of God, and a wonderful book by Matthew Kelly called “Rediscover Catholicism.” All three of these are well worn and well read now, as is my Bible.

I will receive Holy Communion this year on Christmas. I am filled with joy just thinking of receiving such an amazing gift. I can’t wait to call my Dad and thank him for believing in me and praying for me for so many, many years.

Since I’ve returned to church, my job situation has changed, impacting my finances, and I lost my wonderful dog to cancer but I’ve found strength in the Lord that’s kept me moving forward, excited about the opportunity to grow and blossom in both my life and my faith. I’m thrilled about moving forward in the church, getting more involved, meeting more people, helping others, and learning more about my Lord and Savior. And I’m excited that two of my friends who’ve been watching my journey both plan to attend church with me in the New Year.

[For the past eight years, I've been working to assist military families with the challenges of deployments, employment/unemployment, and unmet needs. I've worked with active duty members and families from all branches of service, veterans and families, war-wounded and caregivers, and widows/widowers. If you wish to get in touch, email me at kmidden@homefronthearts.org .]

Sometimes I am not sure I keep the faith. During those times, with a flip of the hand, I say, “I’m done with this!” I rant and rave, badmouth the new conservative trends in the church, and sometimes (horrors) I skip Mass in a sort of twisted statement of discontent. I ask myself why I should be active in a church that spends so much time on the issues of liturgical semantics and sexual mores, while at the same time attempting to convince the world of the virtue of celibacy. What about poverty, alienation, and genocide?

Yet in spite of these times of disgust, I find myself volunteering, participating, and thinking the struggle is worth it. The church, after all, is more than institutional majesty and a few self-proclaimed keepers of orthodoxy.

The faith community where I worship has no less than 30 ministries, most of which exist to serve the poor, sick, grieving, and incarcerated. The pastor has delegated all parish administrative responsibilities to deacons and lay people while he spiritually ministers to the faithful—and the not-so-faithful. He is so well liked that three retired priests—one conservative, one liberal, and one physically challenged—have made their home at our parish. Having four priests of such different persuasions and gifts provides a model of religious diversity. Needless to say, our church is full on Sunday with women and men serving at the altar, the veiled and jean-clad all kneeling together, worshiping in genuine camaraderie.

This kind of parish community is why I remain faithful. It gives me hope that in spite of the polarization and injustice so often talked about and bemoaned, in many corners of the church world, tolerance, equality, and charity prevail quietly.

There is one more thing that keeps me faithful. It is the realization that our church is a global church. While I am safe and sound in the United States, both male and female Catholics in other countries are being suppressed or exterminated for the faith. Willingness to die rather than not be Catholic makes the pettiness here seem downright sinful.

 
David, Paul, Mary. Each name elicits awe and respect. Comparing ourselves to them can make us feel humble, but we should not feel the lesser with comparison. Instead, comparing ourselves to them should create within us a sense of relief about who we are. David, Paul and Mary stand as convincing examples that we, too, can be participants in God’s plan for the world.
 
Unfortunately, we make their accomplishments seem so unbelievably fantastic that we convince ourselves that we cannot repeat their successes. We must make ourselves remember, however, that it is not what they did but instead what God did through them that makes us remember them.
 
The special mark of these people is that despite becoming king, apostle and Mother of God, they are not much different from us. Each of them simply rose to the occasion to do God’s will when given the opportunity. We can do the same. Unfortunately, we are so often focused on what was accomplished through them by the end of their lives that we forget their beginnings, which reminds us of how much we hold in common.
 
David came from a family of shepherds, the family of Jesse. He was the youngest among many brothers—so young that when the prophet Samuel appeared, seeking God’s chosen from among Jesse’s sons, David was too young to be invited to the meeting. He was left tending the sheep and had to be sent for as an afterthought.
 
Paul was student of the Law from a well-to-do family, but who learned to be a tentmaker in order to support himself while studying. Like many college students of our day, the more learning opened his mind, the more he was filled with a zeal for getting into the world.
 
When we meet Mary in Luke’s Gospel, she is only a young girl from a poor family, perhaps around 14 years old, the age of an eighth grader or high school freshman. Her very ordinary life had progressed normally. At the usual time, she was betrothed to a man chosen by her family.
 
These were individuals, two barely out of childhood and one still in studies, whose beginnings are echoed in our own. From their families, families like our own, they had inherited faith. Each in turn had learned to use his or her faith, and it was because of this faith that they were able to participate with God when the opportunity was presented.
 
The Second Book of Samuel tells us of David in mid-life. David’s faith helped him realize that he had been blessed in many ways. He knew his assent to the throne was miraculous. After all, had not Saul, the prior king, sought to have him killed?
 
David, knowing that thanks to God were in order, saw that his palace was better than the tent in which the Ark was housed. David saw in this injustice his opportunity to offer thanks. He acted on what he saw. God took David’s desire to correct the injustice and, instead of accepting a temple, made of David’s house a nation out of which came our Savior.
 
Paul had converted hundreds and was regarded as a hero, but he thwarted the efforts of people to praise him and instead gave every credit for who he was and what he had accomplished to God. Paul knew it was not what he had done that was amazing but instead what God had done.
 
In many ways, Mary was no different from any girl her age. But, like David, she managed to see God’s hand in all that happened to her. Initially afraid of what was presented to her and doubting her own worthiness, she still seized an opportunity to participate with God. God repaid her humble acceptance of this event by making her the first among women.
 
These individuals saw opportunities to serve God, and they took them. But the accomplishments that followed are what God did.
 
Too often we feel that success is beyond our grasp. But David, Paul and Mary should offer us a sense of relief. All we have to do is try. Our hope for success never rests on what we can do. Rather, our hope rests on what God will do through us. David, Paul and Mary never dreamed of what would happen in their lives or what they would accomplish. They certainly never worried about what they could and could not do. They just trusted and just acted. They gave God his chance, his opportunity to work miracles.
 
Why is it that these three young people could so easily say, “Yes, Lord,” and we adults can’t even work up the nerve to pass out bulletins at Mass. How is it that we can see the miracles God has worked through the simplest of people and continue to say, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly do that”?
 
We must not let their example escape us. Through their willingness to try and serve God, Jesus Christ entered the world. In turn, we are offered the opportunity to help the Lord build his kingdom, work that will continue until he returns in glory.
 
Advent reminds us of what can be accomplished if we prepare the way of the Lord. We must find our opportunities, seize them and not be surprised by the miracles that follow. (End of Article)

 
At a recent conference on parish life, I met some remarkable stewards of the Lord.
 
Shirley, an older woman has spent all her adult life working for non-profit organizations and church-based ministries at minimal salaries: soup kitchens, parish social service groups, immigration movements. She has a master’s degree, is very articulate, and could easily have had a very prosperous career in business or the academic world, but she chose a life of service.
 
Richard is a former bank executive who worked in Manhattan for many years. Then, in his prime, he chose to be ordained a deacon and serves a parish and a Catholic high school in a variety of ministries. He speaks with a smile about his days in high finance but insists that he wouldn’t trade what he is doing now for any other work.
 
I met a young woman named Joanie who has all those gifts that society judges would lead only to a top-of-the-line career wherever she might choose to go. She is very talented, with a master’s degree and is considering a doctorate, has a sparkling personality, and is very attractive. She affirms that she will spend her life in some form of social justice work—and says so with a deeply considered conviction.
 
What motivates them all? How did they come to such decisions? One of the speakers at the Institute, Scripture scholar Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., was explaining a biblical concept that may be what they all hold in common at some deep level within. The Jewish-Christian Scriptures maintain, she said, that we have received our gifts and talents from the Divine, not as our absolute personal possessions, but “in trust.” We have been entrusted with certain skills to nurture and cultivate God’s world, and to assist our brothers and sisters in reaching their full human dignity as they, too, respect and care for this beautiful thing called creation.
 
It is true that many people work hard on developing their talents, spend long hours refining and enhancing their gifts. For this they deserve real credit. But the question remains, do they do so primarily for their own benefit as though these gifts are theirs by right?
 
Perhaps this biblical notion needs to be highlighted in our Western industrialized societies that have such an attachment to individualism and personal rights, an attachment that often leads to the rape of the planet and lack of concern for our sisters and brothers at the bottom of society.
 
It is clear to me now that I meet many people at all of our conferences who hold in common the conviction that they have their gifts/talents “in trust” from the Divine. And, I pray that the readers of this column feel the same.

Thousands of essays and books in recent decades have dealt with human failings under various labels without once using the one-syllable, three-letter word that has more bite than any of its synonyms: sin. Actions traditionally regarded as sinful have instead been seen as natural stages in the process of growing up, a result of bad parenting, a consequence of mental illness, an inevitable response to unjust social conditions, pathological behavior brought on by addiction, or even as “experiments in being.”
But what if I am more than a robot programmed by my past or my society or my economic status and actually can take a certain amount of credit—or blame—for my actions and inactions?
Have I not done things I am deeply ashamed of, would not do again if I could go back in time, and would prefer no one know about? What makes me so reluctant to call those actions “sins”? Is the word really out of date? Or is the problem that it has too sharp an edge?
The Hebrew verb chata, “to sin,” like the Greek word hamartia, literally means straying off the path, getting lost, missing the mark. Sin—going off course—can be intentional or unintentional.
“You shoot an arrow, but it misses the target,” a rabbi friend once explained to me. “Maybe it hits someone’s backside, someone you didn’t even know was there. You didn’t mean it, but it’s not a sin. Or maybe you knew he was there—he was what you were aiming at. Then it’s not a matter of poor aim but of hitting his backside intentionally. Now that’s a sin!”
The Jewish approach to sin tends to be concrete. The author of the Book of Proverbs lists seven things God hates: “Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family” (6:17-19).
As in so many other lists of sins, pride is given first place. “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” is another insight in Proverbs (16:18). In the Garden of Eden, Satan seeks to animate pride in his dialogue with Eve. Eat the forbidden fruit, he tells her, and “you will be like God.”
Pride is regarding oneself as godlike. In one of the stories preserved from early desert monasticism, a younger brother asks an elder, “What shall I do? I am tortured by pride.”
The elder responds, “You are right to be proud. Was it not you who made heaven and earth?” With those few words, the brother was cured of pride.
The craving to be ahead of others, to be more valued than others, to be more highly rewarded than others, to be able to keep others in a state of fear, the inability to admit mistakes or apologize—these are among the symptoms of pride. Pride opens the way for countless other sins: deceit, lies, theft, violence, and all those other actions that destroy community with God and with those around us.

Guilty as charged

For the person who has committed a serious sin there are two vivid signs: the hope that what I did may never become known and a gnawing sense of guilt. At least this is the case before the conscience becomes completely numb, as patterns of sin become the structure of my life to the extent that hell, far from being a possible next-life experience, is where I find myself in this life.
In the film The Pawnbroker, Rod Steiger, in a desperate action to break free of numbness, slammed a nail-like spindle through his hand so he could finally feel something, even if it meant agonizing pain—a small crucifixion.
It’s a striking fact about our basic human architecture that we want certain actions to remain secret, not because of modesty but because there is an unarguable sense of having violated a law more basic than that in any law book—the “law written on our hearts” that St. Paul refers to (Rom. 2:15). It isn’t simply that we fear punishment. It’s that we don’t want to be thought of by others as a person who commits such deeds.
One of the main obstacles to going to Confession is dismay that someone else will know what I want no one to know.
Guilt is not quite the same thing.
Guilt is one of the themes of Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins. The central figure of the novel is Dr. Thomas More, a descendant of St. Thomas More, though the latest More is hanging onto his faith by a frayed thread. He isn’t likely to die a martyr for the faith.
Dr. More is both a physician and a patient at a Louisiana mental hospital. From time to time he meets with his colleague Max, a psychologist eager to cure More of his guilt about an adulterous affair.
Max says to More, “I understand. Then, since it is ‘sinful,’ guilt feelings follow even though it is a pleasure.”
“No, they don’t follow.”
“Then what worries you, if you don’t feel guilty?”
“That’s what worries me: not feeling guilty.”
“Why does that worry you?”
“Because if I felt guilty, I could get rid of it.”
“How?”
“By the sacrament of penance.”
“I’m trying to see it as you see it.”
“I know you are.”
Percy’s novel reminds us that one of the oddest things about the age we live in is that we are made to feel guilty about feeling guilty. Dr. Thomas More is fighting against that. He may not yet experience guilt for his sins, but at least he knows that a sure symptom of moral death is not feeling guilty.
Dr. Thomas More—a modern man who can’t quite buy the ideology that there are no sins and there is nothing to feel guilty about—is battling to recover a sense of guilt, which in turn will provide the essential foothold for contrition, which in turn can motivate confession and repentance. Without guilt there is no remorse; without remorse there is no possibility of becoming free of habitual sins.

Cut off from love

Yet there are forms of guilt that are dead-end streets. If I feel guilty that I have not managed to become the ideal person I occasionally want to be or that I imagine others want me to be, then it is guilt that has no divine reference point. It is simply me contemplating me with the eye of an irritated theater critic. Christianity is not centered on performance, laws, principles or the achievement of flawless behavior, but on Christ himself and participation in God’s transforming love.
When Christ says, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48), he is talking not about the perfection of a student who always gets the highest test scores or a child who manages not to step on any of the sidewalk’s cracks, but of being whole, being in a state of communion, participating in God’s love.
This is a condition of being that is suggested wordlessly by St. Andrei Rublev’s icon of the Holy Trinity: those three angelic figures silently inclined toward each other around a chalice on a small altar. They symbolize the Holy Trinity: the communion that exists within God, not a closed communion restricted to themselves alone but an open communion of love in which we are not only invited but intended to participate.
A blessed guilt is the pain we feel when we realize we have cut ourselves off from that divine
communion that radiates all creation. It is impossible not to stand on what Thomas Merton called “the hidden ground of love” but easy not to be aware of the hidden ground of love or even to resent it.
Like Dr. Thomas More, we may find ourselves hardly able to experience the guilt we know intellectually that we ought to feel not only for what we did—or failed to do—but for having fallen out of communion with God.
“Guilt,” comments my Romanian friend Loana Novac, “is a sense of fearful responsibility after realizing we have taken the wrong step and behold its painful consequences. In my experience, unfortunately, not many people can tolerate this insight. My hunch is that many people these days experience less and less love, less and less strengthening support from their families and communities. As life gets more harried and we become more afflicted, the burden of guilt increases while our courage to embrace repentance—to look ourselves straight in the mirror and face the destructive consequences of our blindness and wrong choices—decreases.”

Ripples of sin

It’s a common delusion that one’s sins are private or affect only a few other people. To think our sins, however hidden don’t affect others, is like imagining that a stone thrown into the water won’t generate ripples.
As Orthodox theologian Bishop Kallistos Ware has observed: “There are no entirely private sins. All sins are sins against my neighbor, as well as against God and against myself. Even my most secret thoughts are, in fact, making it more difficult for those around me to follow Christ.”
This is a topic Garrison Keillor addressed in one of his Lake Wobegon stories. A friend—Keillor calls him Jim Nordberg—writes a letter in which he recounts how close he came to committing adultery. Nordberg describes himself waiting in front of his home for a colleague he works with to pick him up, a woman who seems to find him much more interesting and handsome than his wife does. They plan to drive to a professional conference in Chicago, though the conference isn’t really what attracts Nordberg to this event. He knows what lies he has told others to disguise what he is doing. Yet his conscience hasn’t stopped troubling him.
Sitting under a spruce tree, gazing up and down the
street at all his neighbor’s houses, he is suddenly struck by how much the quality of life in each house depends on the integrity of life next door, even if everyone takes everyone else for granted.
“This street has been good for my flesh and blood,” he says to himself. He is honest enough to realize that what he is doing could bring about the collapse of his marriage and wonders if in 5 or 10 years his new partner might not tire of him and find someone to take his place. It occurs to him that adultery is not much different
from horse trading.
Again he contemplates his neighborhood: “As I sat on the lawn looking down the street, I saw that we all depend on each other. I saw that although I thought my sins could be secret, they are no more secret than an earthquake. All these houses and all these families—my infidelity would somehow shake them. It will pollute the drinking water. It will make noxious gases come out of the ventilators in the elementary school.
“When we scream in senseless anger, blocks away a little girl we do not know spills a bowl of gravy all over a white tablecloth. If I go to Chicago with this woman who is not my wife, somehow the school patrol will forget to guard the intersection and someone’s child will be injured. A sixth-grade teacher will think, ‘What the hell,’ and eliminate South America from geography. Our minister will decide, ‘What the hell—I’m not going to give that sermon on the poor.’ Somehow my adultery will cause the man in the grocery store to say, ‘To hell with the Health Department. This sausage was good yesterday—it certainly can’t be any worse today.’ “
By the end of the letter it’s clear that Nordberg has decided not to go to that conference in Chicago after all—a decision that was a moment of grace not only for him, his wife, and his children but for many others who would have been injured by his adultery.
“We depend on each other,” Keillor says, “more than we can ever know.”
Far from being hidden, each sin is another crack in the world.

Turn away from sin

One of the most widely used prayers, the Jesus Prayer, is only one sentence long: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
Short as it is, many people drawn to it are put off by the last two words. Those who teach the prayer are often asked, “But must I call myself a sinner?” In fact that ending isn’t essential, but our difficulty using it reveals a lot. What makes me so reluctant to speak of myself in such plain words? Don’t I do a pretty good job of hiding rather than revealing Christ in my life? Am I not a sinner? Admitting that I am provides a starting point.
There are only two possible responses to sin: to justify it or to repent. Between these two there is no middle ground.
Justification may be verbal, but mainly it takes the form of repetition: I do again and again the same thing as a way of demonstrating to myself and others that it’s not really a sin but rather something normal or human or necessary or even good.
“After the first blush of sin comes indifference,” wrote Henry David Thoreau. There is an even sharper Jewish proverb: “Commit a sin twice, and it will not seem a crime.”
Repentance, on the other hand, is the recognition that I cannot live any more as I have been living because in living that way I wall myself apart from others and from God. Repentance is a change in direction. Repentance is the door of communion. It is also a sine qua non of forgiveness. Absolution is impossible where there is no repentance. Repentance is a mountain worth climbing.
As St. John Chrysostom said 16 centuries ago in Antioch: “Repentance opens the heavens, takes us to Paradise, overcomes the devil. Have you sinned? Do not despair! If you sin every day, then offer repentance every day! When there are rotten parts in old houses, we replace the parts with new ones, and we do not stop caring for the houses. In the same way, you should reason for yourself: If today you have defiled yourself with sin, immediately clean yourself with repentance.”

 Perhaps the saddest example of inappropriate guilt is the guilt children experience when their parents divorce or when they are sexually abused.
 
Inappropriate guilt takes on excessive form when individuals feel guilty for just about everything. We are usually only freed from such excessive guilt through much spiritual counseling, which should free us from the feeling that God is a tyrant (which scrupulous people believe unconsciously), and introduce us to a God of love.
 
DEALING WITH GUILT—THREE RESPONSES
 
When dealing with guilt, we can choose one of three possible responses. We can deny guilt by suppressing it. We can go around feeling horrible about past failures, but do nothing to free ourselves of our guilt. Both of these responses are obviously very unhelpful. A third and helpful option is to face our guilt, and check to see if it is appropriate or inappropriate guilt. We may conclude, “yes, I have indeed violated my conscience.” In this case, we can take the necessary action to free ourselves of this guilt. What might be elements of constructive action that will help us to release inappropriate guilt from our lives?
 
First, name our wrongdoing and take responsibility for it. In the Garden of Eden, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent for their sin of disobedience. It takes courage and humility to recognize our wrongdoing.
 
Second, confess our wrongdoing. When doing this, we need to remember that our God is a God of infinite mercy. If God could forgive David for adultery and cold-blooded murder, he can forgive us. If Jesus on the cross could forgive the repentant thief and his executioners, surely he will forgive us our failings. If you have a problem believing in a merciful God, recall the words of Jesus: “I tell you, there will likewise be more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over 99 righteous people who have no need to repent” (Luke 15:7). An excellent prayer to use for this step is Psalm 51 (David’s prayer of contrition for his sins).
 
Catholics have the practice of confessing wrongdoings to a priest in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Many find the exercise of telling another their wrongdoings and hearing the words of absolution a very healing experience. In sacramental reconciliation, penitents experience God’s mercy in a very tangible way and receive God’s grace.
 
Third, restitution. If you need to make amends or restitution to someone, do the best you can. If we can’t make full restitution of property we stole, we need to return back as much as we can. And if we can’t make restitution directly to a store or institution, we should at least give a donation to charity. Also, if we have hurt someone by our words or deeds, we should let them know that we are sorry. We can do this verbally or through a letter. God’s mercy never excuses us from doing what we can to mitigate the damage caused by our wrongdoing.
 
Have a blessed week,
 
 
tobin2@live.com
 
This weekend, the First Sunday of Advent, is the official and mandated date for the introduction of the new Roman Missal into the parishes in English-speaking countries. Until now, the big red book from which the priest reads at daily and Sunday Masses was called a sacramentary.

Some weeks ago, I wrote three columns explaining the reason for the new missal and a commentary on the revised translation of the Gloria and the Creed. In case you missed any of those columns and would like to read them, please contact Maria Sittig at the parish office (msittig@ascensioncatholicsch.org).

Briefly, the reason the Church is presenting us with a new missal is because the Vatican wants English- speaking countries to have a translation that is much closer or more faithful to the Latin text. While very few, if any of us including myself, know much about the Latin language, I thought it might be interesting to look at the Latin text of one of the prayers and compare the new translation to the old translation. Let us take the Opening Prayer for the first Sunday of Advent.

Latin text

Da, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus, hanc tuis fidelibus voluntatem, ut, Christo tuo venienti iustis operibus occurrentes, eius dextrae sociati, regnum mereantur possidere caeleste, Per Dominum.

Old translation

All-powerful God,
increase our strength of will for doing good
that Christ may find an eager welcome
at his coming
and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen

New translation

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess
the heavenly Kingdom.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity
of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen

The first thing we may notice in the new translation is that it is longer by 15 words. Why the difference in length? The method of translation used in the outgoing sacramentary sought to get across the general thought or gist of the Latin text and was not concerned with the word-for-word translation. The old translation aimed at developing a sentence structure that was generally easier to proclaim. Clearly, the new translation has longer sentences.

Another fairly significant change in the new missal is the elimination of the Alternative Opening Prayers. In the old sacramentary, every Sunday and feastday had an Opening Prayer and an Alternative Opening Prayer. The latter was preferred by most presiders because of its fullness and richness. For example, the Alternative Opening Prayer for the First Sunday of Advent was:

Father in heaven,
our hearts desire the warmth of your love
and our minds are searching for the light
of your Word.
Increase our longing for Christ our Savior
and give us the strength to grow in love,
that the dawn of his coming
may find us rejoicing in his presence
and welcoming the light of his truth.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

I believe that these prayers are a real loss as we move to the new missal.

“And with your spirit.”

By now we know the response to “The Lord be with you” is “And with your spirit” (and no longer “And also with you”). This new response is the literal translation of the Latin “Et cum spiritu tuo” which is intended to communicate that Christ is present in the action of the priest at Mass. “And with your spirit” signifies that it is not solely the priest ministering to us at Mass but that he is acting for Christ in our midst, i.e., in persona Christi or in the person of Christ.

Eucharistic Prayer

The vast majority of the changes in the new Roman Missal will impact the prayers recited by the presider. All of the prayers in the big red book have been revised, including the Eucharistic prayers. Following are the previous and new translations of the words of consecration usually called the “institution narrative.”

Previous translation

Take this, all of you, and drink from it:
this is the cup of my blood,
the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.
It will be shed for you and for all
so that sins may be forgiven.
Do this in memory of me.

New translation

Take this, all of you, and drink from it,
for this is the chalice of my Blood,
the blood of the new and eternal covenant,
which will be poured out for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Do this in memory of me.

“…and for many…”

The most controversial change in the new translation of the institution narrative is the phrase “for many” which seems to imply that Jesus did not die “for all” people. Why is this? If we look at Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24, we see that they make specific reference to the “many” for whom the Lord is offering the sacrifice. Even though we use the words “for many,” the Church teaches that Christ died “for all” people. Commenting on these two phrases, Scripture scholar Daniel Merz writes:

The formula “for all” certainly corresponds to a correct interpretation of the Lord’s intention expressed in the scriptures. Even more, it is a dogma of faith that Christ died on the Cross for all men and women (see John 11:52; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Titus 2:11; 1 John 2:2). However, the expression “for many” is a reminder that, while salvation is offered to all, there are some who do not accept it. Salvation is not imposed in a mechanical way, against one’s free will or voluntary participation. It is freely offered to all to accept in faith, and many do indeed accept it. Some do not. As for those who apparently reject the gift, the Church entrusts them to the mercy of God. But in doing so they place themselves outside the Church’s liturgical offering. Christ’s death on the Cross was certainly intended for all, but it can only help those who respond to it freely and willingly. The holy sacrifice of the Mass may well be offered or intended for all, but it can be fruitful only for those who accept it. The Eucharistic Prayer thus refers to those who accept it, in whatever form that acceptance takes.

“The mystery of faith”

After the consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, the presider would say: “Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.” In the new Roman Missal, the presider simply says: ”The mystery of faith” (literal translation of the Latin text “mysterium fidei”) by which he invites the assembly to make one of the three acclamations found in the new missal.

Cycle B-Year of Mark

The First Sunday of Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year. Liturgical Year is the way our Church celebrates, relives and makes present to us Christ and the main events in his life. It is the way that our Church keeps placing before us the story of Jesus.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us: “We must continue to accomplish in ourselves the stages of Jesus’ life and his mysteries.” So, through the ebb and flow of each liturgical year, we seek, with the guidance of our Church, to live and internalize the events of Christ’s life.

When it comes to the Scripture readings, we have the three cycles A, B and C. These are sometimes called the Year of Matthew (Cycle A), the Year of Mark (Cycle B), and the Year of Luke (Cycle C). Today we begin the Year of Mark. Throughout the Sundays in Ordinary Time-with a few exceptions-we will listen to excerpts from Mark’s Gospel which presents the Marcan Jesus. Like the other three Gospels, Mark has some unique features.

• Mark is the earliest of the four Gospels to be written (around 70AD). Many of the stories in Matthew and Luke are taken almost verbatim from Mark.
  
  
• It is generally believed that Mark’s Gospel was written for a persecuted church. Hence, there is a great deal of emphasis on the suffering and death of Christ. Chapters 1-10 lead us to the passion of Christ, and Chapters 11-16 (one-third of the Gospel) deal with Jesus’ last week before his death. Many of the stories highlight the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees.
  
  
• Mark’s Gospel shows his concern with the identity of Jesus. During his trial, Jewish authorities ask: “Are you the King of the Jews?” (15:2). The truth concerning Jesus’ identity is finally revealed when the Roman centurion at the foot of the cross finally exclaims: “Truly, this man was the Son of God” (15:39).
  

Have a blessed Advent season,


tobin2@live.com


On this feast of Christ the King, we close out our reflections on the Gospel of Matthew and Cycle A readings. Next weekend we will begin the Year of Mark and Cycle B readings. The following are some miscellaneous reflections on one of the best known gospels in the Bible, Matthew 25:31-46.

The authors of Living the Word 2007-2008 write:

Christ the King is pictured in today’s Gospel as deciding the fate of all at the last judgment. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father’” (Matthew 25:34). Under his title of Son of Man Jesus comes in glory for that final judgment. Jesus is also portrayed as a shepherd who “separates the sheep from the goats” (25:32). God had promised a Shepherd King through the prophet Ezekiel. “I will appoint one shepherd over them to pasture them, my servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd” (Ezekiel 34:23).
The criterion for judgment is the presence or absence of faith-based acts of mercy toward the poor and needy. Already in the Old Testament there is the constant insistence on concern for justice and charity. To the prophet Isaiah, for example, God says, “Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). Christ associates himself with those in need.”Whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

The same authors continue with this reflection:

Tom is allergic to cats, even when they’re not around but once were. His eyes turn red, and he starts to wheeze so that he has to excuse himself and leave. Oddly enough, he has lately befriended a neighborhood stray at his back door. He doesn’t touch it, and he won’t allow it into his house, but he feeds it regularly and even misses it when it doesn’t show up on his stoop. Something moves us to care for the lost among us. It is often instinctive, and at times even contrary to our own best interests, as with Tom and his allergy to cats.
Is such sympathy for the underdog written on the back of our psyches? Are lost souls really long-lost kin? Is it guilt that moves us to contribute to food pantries and bread lines or is it genuine compassion? If we are to believe in the Incarnation, that God has taken form in human flesh, then those instincts to visit shut-ins imprisoned in their own homes and to free those who still find themselves locked into poverty are Godly instincts. It is holiness bred in our bones, incapable of being held in.
Because someone is hungry, we find ourselves giving to a food pantry or volunteering at a soup kitchen. Because someone is a stranger, we welcome them into our neighborhood and seek ways to comfort the immigrant. Because someone is imprisoned by illness or old age, we visit them and check in on them. And because our own individual efforts often seems so meager in the face of so many needs, we seek ways to institutionalize our care through government policy and funding. It is all a Godly instinct.

Poverty in America

Jay Cormier writes:

Could you and your family live on $22,000 a year? Everything-food, clothing, housing, transportation, tuition-a family of four making it on less than $2,000 a month.
Of course you couldn’t.
Yet one in six Americans are desperately trying to do just that. According to the September report of the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 15 percent of Americans are living below the poverty line-currently defined as $22, 314 for a family of four.
Given the current jobless rate and the devastated economy, it’s hardly surprising. But such a poverty rate-one in six-means that poverty is much closer than we think-that the poor are in our midst.
And these poor are not just the unemployed, not just the unskilled, not just the unlucky.
The poor-our poor-are Jesus.
The unemployed technician who has been trudging from hopeless interview to interview for months is Jesus.
The desperate mom or dad working three or four part-time, low-paying jobs to feed their family is Jesus.
The child who goes to school hungry because there’s nothing for breakfast and his family can’t afford lunch money is Jesus.
Jesus sits at the table with the poor at the soup kitchen. Jesus shares the crowded house of family and friends who share cramped quarters to save money. Jesus sleeps in the van with the single mom and her two kids because they can no longer afford their own apartment.
Jesus-Jesus the hungry, Jesus the thirsty, Jesus the stranger, Jesus the naked, Jesus the sick, Jesus the imprisoned-walks in our midst.
Have you seen him?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, you have.

In the parable of the sheep and the goats, Christ the Shepherd-King clearly and unequivocally identifies himself with the poor. Our first and most meaningful response to our baptismal call to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom in his Christ is our care for the poor, our work to alleviate poverty and injustice in our communities, our holding ourselves accountable for creating more opportunities for the under-educated and under-employed to provide for themselves and their families. Our “greatness” as disciples of God’s Christ lies in our ability to reach beyond ourselves to bring justice, peace and reconciliation into the lives of everyone, in our seeing in every human face the face of Jesus.

(Used with permission from Jay Cormier, Copyright 2010 by Connections/MediaWorks. All rights reserved)

Fr. Flor McCarthy writes:

People’s basic material needs have to be taken care of before any kind of higher life is possible. But in many countries these needs have been taken care of. Does this mean then that the words of Christ about feeding the hungry or clothing the naked are no longer relevant? No indeed.
In Mother Teresa’s memorable words: “The worst disease in the world today is the feeling of being unwanted, and the greatest evil is lack of love. What the poor need even more than food, clothes, and shelter, is to be wanted.” Hence, the words of Christ are as relevant today as ever. We might put them as follows.
The King will say to those on his left:
“Depart from me, for I was hungry, not for food but for a smile, and all I got from you was sour looks. I was hungry for a word of encouragement, but all you did was criticize me. I was hungry for a word of appreciation, but you didn’t give me so much as a crumb.
“I was thirsty, not for drink, but for a word of recognition, but all you did was nag and give out to me. I was thirsty for a sign of friendship, but you ignored me. I was thirsty for a little companionship, but you never gave me a drop.
“I was a stranger, and you refused to have anything to do with me. I was a child and you forbade your children to play with me because my clothes were dirty. I was a neighbour, and you wouldn’t allow me into your club because I wasn’t in your class.
“I was naked, not because I lacked clothes, but because I lacked self-worth, and you refused to cover me. I was stripped of self-confidence, and you made me feel the chill wind of disapproval. I was naked from the loss of my good name through a story that wasn’t true, and you refused to clothe me with the garment of truth.
“I was sick, not in body, but with doubt and worry, and you never even noticed. I was wounded by failure and disappointment, and you couldn’t care less. I was sunk in depression, desperately needing the medicine of hope, and all you did was blame me.
“I was a prisoner, but not behind iron bars. I was a prisoner of nerves, and you shunned me. I was a prisoner of loneliness, and you gave me the cold shoulder. I was a prisoner of guilt, and you could have set me free by forgiving me, but you let me languish there to punish me.
“I was homeless, not for want of a home made of bricks and mortar, but for the want of tenderness and affection, and you left me out in the cold. I was homeless for the want of sympathy and understanding, and you treated me as if I was a block of wood. I was homeless for want of love and acceptance, and you locked me out of your heart.

Then the King will say to those on his right hand:
“Come, you who have been blessed by my Father. For I was hungry for a smile, and you gave it to me. I was hungry for a word of encouragement and you praised me. I was hungry for a word of appreciation, and you thanked me.
“I was thirsty for a word of recognition, and you took notice of me. I was thirsty for a sign of friendship, and you wrote me a letter. I was thirsty for a little companionship, and you stopped to chat with me.
“I was a stranger, and you made me feel welcome. I was a young person from a bad area, and you gave me a job. I was socially inferior to you, but by your acceptance you built me up.
“I was naked for the want of self-esteem, and you covered me with self-worth. I was stripped of self-confidence, and you dressed me in the cloak of confidence. I was naked from the loss of my good name through a story that wasn’t true, and you clothed me in the garment of truth.
“I was sick with doubt and worry, and with your cheerful attitude you lightened my burden. I was wounded by failure and disappointment, and by your supportive attitude you healed me. I was in a pit of depression, and by your patient attitude you gave me hope.
“I was a prisoner of nerves, and through your attitude of calm you set me free. I was a prisoner of loneliness, and through your friendship you released me. I was a prisoner of guilt, and through your forgiveness you broke the chains of my guilt.
“I was homeless for want of tenderness and affection, and you embraced me. I was homeless for want of sympathy and understanding, and you listened to me. I was homeless from want of love and acceptance, and you took me into your heart.”
There are lots of things we could do if we were more sensitive. It’s not so much a question of giving things, but of giving of ourselves-of our time, our energy, and our love. Thus we will serve Christ and help to build his Kingdom.
“In the evening of our lives we will be judged on love” (St. John of the Cross).

This weekend I am at a youth conference in Atlanta. Please see page 10 of this bulletin for a report on how Ascension seeks to respond to today’s Gospel.

Have a blessed week,


tobin2@live.com


This is the time of the year when most, if not all, parishes in Florida share their Financial Report with their parishioners so that their many winter parishioners can read it. You will find the Report on page 5 of this bulletin. Information on electronic-giving or by credit card may be found on page 4 of the PDF.

Currently, our parish has 15 fulltime and 12 part-time employees. They, as well as our school staff, have not received a pay raise in 2 years in light of the salary freeze mandated by the diocese in 2009 for all parishes. I very much hope that the freeze will be lifted this coming fiscal year.

I am most grateful to all of you who, week after week, month after month, and year after year, faithfully share a portion of your income with us so that our parish can continue the work of Jesus here on earth through worship, faith formation programs, outreach to the needy and many other ministries. If you have any questions about the Report, do not hesitate to contact me or our bookkeeper, Mary Russo, on ext 3078 or email mrusso@ascensioncatholicsch.org.

Parish Audit. Every three years, each parish is audited by one of several firms selected by the diocese. We just completed our most recent audit. Cost $13,500.

Finance Committee. I work closely with our finance committee on all aspects of parish finances. The committee members are Catherine Key, CPA (chairperson), Jose Vento (CPA), Mary Carney, Bonnie Armstrong, Mary Russo (Parish Bookkeeper).

Reflection on the spirituality of money

Money, like every other aspect of our lives, impacts our relationship with God. If forgiveness makes us more like our forgiveness, generosity makes us like our generous God. If unforgiveness places a block between God and us, so does greediness.

Can we talk to God about our finances? Because money is such a personal and touchy issue, people usually do not talk about finances to anyone except to their tax accountant and financial planner if they have one. Sometimes even spouses are not upfront with each other about their finances. In his book, Your Money Counts (a biblical approach to finances), Howard Dayton tells the following story:

When the Crusades were being fought during the 12th century, the crusaders employed mercenaries to fight on their behalf. Because it was a religious war, the crusaders insisted that the mercenaries be baptized before fighting. As they were being baptized, the mercenaries would hold their swords out of the water to symbolize the one thing in their life that Jesus Christ did not control. They had the freedom to use the swords in any way they wished.
Today many people handle their money in a similar fashion, though they may not be as obvious about it. They hold their wallet or purse “out of the water,” in effect saying, “God, You can be the Lord of my entire life except for my money. I am perfectly capable of handling that myself.”

An unmistakable sign that we are growing spiritually is our willingness to talk to God about money matters, especially how we use our money.

An inspiring witness story on tithing

Tithing of ten percent of one’s income is the biblical ideal placed before us. Some years ago, after I conducted my annual stewardship of treasure Sunday, I received the following letter from a parishioner.

Dear Father Tobin,
Sunday’s sermon concerning the Church’s finances and the request for parishioners to give five percent of their income compels me to share my testimony of God’s blessings. I have been a member of our parish for twenty-two years.
Twenty-two years ago, my husband felt we should tithe ten percent of our income and trust that God would supply our needs as He says in Malachi 3:10. “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in mine house, and test me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing, then there shall be room enough to receive it.”
It was hard to be obedient at first, we had four children and a daughter who is multi-handicapped. Every time we thought we couldn’t continue to tithe, a raise in salary or an unexpected resource would come to us. Sixteen years ago my husband had his first heart attack and became totally disabled. He left work under long-term disability. Since then he had another heart attack, four open-heart surgeries, a cardiac defibrillator implanted and finally last year a heart transplant. His medical bills have totaled well over a million dollars. I went back to work after his first heart attack and he was home to be with our children.
We have continued to tithe 10% all these years and I would like to mention some of our blessings: We own our home and are debt free. We have never had to ask for any assistance with medical bills and have paid all of them. We have helped our children with college. We have been able to help others less fortunate even above the 10%. We have a substantial amount saved for retirement and other financial blessings too numerous to mention.

That is an amazing story and a powerful witness to the belief that a) God will not be outdone in generosity, and b) our decision to be generous with our finances will lead to many blessings. When we think of the “blessings” that come from generous giving, we should not think about financial blessings-though they may come-rather we should think of blessings like the inner peace and joy that comes from a life of generosity, the blessing of good friends and neighbors, the blessing of being free from a materialistic outlook on life, the blessing that comes with living a simple lifestyle, etc. These blessings lift up our spirits beyond any material abundance.

The Bible and money

A few years ago, I read an article that said that the Bible has approximately 500 verses on prayer and faith and approximately 2,350 verses on money, possessions, and how we use them. Why so much reference to money and possessions? I am not sure but my guess is that God knows well how easily we can become attached to and preoccupied with money and possessions. God knows our heart’s greedy and materialistic tendencies. Just think about the amount of time that is consumed:

• making money
  
• managing and saving money
  
• spending money
  
• worrying about money, our investments and possessions
  

Jesus knew only too well how money and possessions could easily become the real god in our lives. St. Paul reminds us that the love of money is the root of all evil, not money itself, but our love of it. So the way we handle our checkbook and finances affects our relationship with God.

Tithing. Some, if not many, Catholics look upon tithing as a Protestant thing. It may be-but it has biblical origins. There are many verses in the Old Testament that speak of tithing, as the one quoted above from Malachi. In Genesis 28:22, Jacob says to God: “Of all you give me, I will faithfully return a tenth part to you.” In Deuteronomy 14:22, we find these words: “Set aside a tithe of all the yield of your seed that is brought in yearly from the field.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the poor widow: “This poor widow put in more than all other contributors to the treasury. For they all have contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty” (Mk 12:43-44).

Reflection questions

? In general, do you look upon your use of money as a spiritual matter, or do you tend to think that it has nothing to do with spirituality?
? Are you able to have an open conversation with the Lord about money issues, or is it something that is not on the list when you converse with God?

Five practical suggestions for your consideration

1. Even if you live on a very small income, consider giving something to the collection. The Lord may well be more pleased with your $1 contribution than with your neighbor’s $100 gift. Give not because your Church asks, but because your giving-with a grateful heart-will positively impact your relationship with God.

2. If you are currently a “loose change giver,” seriously consider becoming an “intentional giver.” In other words, determine what amount is a sacrificial gift for you, and commit to staying with that amount. I do realize that this will vary with each parishioner, depending on his/her income, not to mention those paid on commission basis.

3. If you want to take a huge step in the right direction, do the math. See what percentage of your income you currently give. Is it 1% or less, or 2% or more? The table on page 4 will help you with the arithmetic. If you currently give 1% or 2%, consider raising it to 21/2%, which is like turning over to God the first hour of your weekly income.

4. If you currently give 2% but can rather easily contribute 3% or 4%, what keeps you from taking that step?

5. If you are inconsistent in your giving (and many are), I recommend that you consider signing up for electronic- giving. See page 4 for details.


Alive in Christ update. A few years ago, the diocese conducted a diocesan-wide capital campaign to raise funds for diocesan and parish projects. Sixty percent of the money raised was allotted to the parish and forty percent to the diocese. 524 parishioners made a pledge to the campaign totaling $2,290,393. Of this, we have to date received $1,284,299 in cash. The bulk of the money will be used to fund the building of a new 10,000 square-foot ministry building which we hope to start right after Easter. We will only build what we can afford so as not to incur any debt. Already about $70,000 of Alive in Christ money has been given to our school for technological improvements and $15,000 to the Space Coast Center for Mothers and Children.

Tithe Report

In the 2010-2011 fiscal year, we tithed almost $88,000 to the needy and to organizations that support the needy and promote social justice awareness.

Some of the recipients of our tithe donations included parishioners in extreme need, Habitat for Humanity, Congregation for Community Action (CCA), Sister Diocese in the Dominican Republic, Fr. Gregory’s mission in Peru, Genesis House, Morning Star School, Bishop Grady Villas (downsyndrome adults).

Have a blessed week,


tobin2@live.com


Stewardship is a core belief in the gospel and it is one of my own core beliefs. I believe that as we embrace a stewardship vision of life, we:

• gradually become the person God created us to be.
  
• become a blessing to our own family, co-workers, neighbors, church family and other communities we may belong to.
  
• journey on a path that will lead to the wonderful inner feeling that comes with giving of ourselves to God and others. A life of stewardship is a key to happiness.
  

Christian stewardship

Stewardship properly understood embraces all of life and sees all of life as gift-creation, my body, mind and spirit, food and water, material possessions, friendships, time & talents-all given as gift to be received with gratitude, managed wisely and used to bless our families and the communities we belong to.

We can squander the gift of time, waste water and food, neglect our bodies, misuse our gifts by furthering only our own kingdom, ignore our relationships. When we behave this way, we are being poor stewards of God’s blessings. On the contrary, when we care for God’s creation, develop and share our talents and material blessings, etc., we become the Lord’s good and faithful servants.

So while we do usually speak of stewardship in terms of time, treasure and talent, it is really much more than that-it is all aspects of life.

Stewardship of time

Time is a very precious gift. Most of us feel we don’t have enough time for all the things we want to do. Everyone is given the same amount of time, 24 hours each day, 168 hours each week. The question is: How am I choosing to use my time? Henry David Thoreau once said:

“It is not enough to be busy, so are ants.
The question is what are we busy about?”


This week, I invite you to look at how you spend or use
God’s gift of time.

• How much time is given to nurturing your relationship with God? How much time do you give to studying the Bible and Catholic beliefs?
  
• How much time is set aside for exercise and recreation?
  
• How much time is spent watching TV, surfing the internet, or glued to our iphone or ipad?
  
• How much time is devoted to volunteer work inside or outside the parish?
  

How we spend our time says much about what is important to us. We always make time for what is important to us.

Stewardship of talent

In his first letter, Peter says “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (4:10).

In today’s Gospel, the master (God) has pretty tough words for the servant who buried his talent and tried to blame the master for his lack of action: “You wicked lazy servant.” Obviously, the Lord, the giver of gifts, expects a good return on his investment in us.

I am most grateful for the hundreds of parishioners who generously share with us a portion of their time and talent. Because of their generosity, we have many active ministries in our parish, ministries that touch many lives.

If you are homebound or physically unable to be actively involved in a ministry, please remember that your daily prayer for God’s blessings on our parish team and volunteers is itself a very important ministry. When our Church declared St. Thérèse of Lisieux the patroness of the missions though she never spent a day working in the missions, the Church was communicating the message that prayer for God’s blessing on apostolic works is very important.

Stewardship not an option for a disciple

At the International Stewardship Conference I recently attended, speakers said again and again that we need to remind ourselves and our people that stewardship is an essential part of being a disciple or Christian. One speaker said that no mother gets up in the morning and says, “I think I’ll volunteer to be a mother today.” No, motherhood is part of her DNA. In a similar manner, living the way of a good steward is or should be at the heart and center of every disciple’s life. Our baptism calls us to be good stewards of God’s blessings.

Prayer to radiate Christ

Ideally, we seek to be good stewards of God’s blessing all the time and not just when we are volunteering. Each day allows us to be good stewards in our homes, on the phone, when emailing, texting, talking to others, at the store, at work, recreating, dining, etc. Ideally, I seek to be Christ-like at every moment of every day and at every place and time. To help us to be Christ, we could often say the following prayer.

Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance
everywhere I go today;
Flood my soul with your spirit and life;
penetrate and possess my whole being
so utterly that all my life
may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through me and be so in me
that every soul I come in contact with
may feel your presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me,
but only Jesus! Amen.
Blessed John Henry Newman

Have a blessed week,

tobin2@live.com
The following article was written by Adam Kanzer and appeared in the September 2011 edition of Liguorian Magazine.


Imagine that you are a poor Brazilian peasant, desperate for a good job to feed your family. You accept what appears to be a good offer and climb aboard a truck that will take you to your new job. When you arrive, however, you are told you owe the driver for the cost of the trip. You are in the middle of a forest miles away from home. You agree to work off your debt, but debt keeps being added to what you owe. The work is grueling as you clear the forest to make charcoal. The food is unhealthy, and the water is barely drinkable.