When The World Moves At a Faster Pace

Is it my imagination, or do things happen so fast that one can hardly keep up?  So many good and bad things are happening locally, nationally, and internationally, it’s hard to find time to reflect on any of it.  As soon as I start to reflect on one issue, or event, another one of equal importance occurs.  It’s what I call “emotional whiplash,” or just a simple case of social/news media overstimulation.  What I rail against at my teaching job (now “former” teaching job) is not unique to educational institutions; it’s endemic throughout Western society.  We are in constant motion. We go from one activity to the next with little or no consideration given to the people involved, or how it affects us.  If we are to grow and learn we must have periods of contemplation, reflection, and prayer in between the events that fill our days.  I mourn the art of “down time” that has been lost; time alone with our thoughts, our God, and time spent in conversation with the people in our lives.

As I consider the recent SCOTUS rulings I am troubled by our reliance on a group of 9 women and men to tell us what is just and right.  I am troubled by those who praise the Supreme Court when a particular ruling supports their point of view or way of life, and then damn them all to Hell when they don’t.  I am also troubled by the way so many narrow-minded members of various religions apparently feel so threatened that they find it acceptable to speak and behave in such hurtful ways.  As a Catholic I understand Christ’s message of love to be about relationship; our relationship with God, with each other, and with our planet.  That’s it.  Relationship.  And, I’m pretty sure that if I delved deeper into every organized religion out there, relationship would be at the heart of these faiths, too.  To be clear, I am pleased with the courts ruling on marriage equality, but very disturbed by their ruling on the use of the controversial drug midazolam being used during executions.  Also, while I do not need the SCOTUS to spell out for me what is just and right, I certainly understand the important part the high court plays in our society.

Fr. James Martin, SJ posted (as usual) a terrific piece on his Facebook page, and also Tweeted in response to the marriage equality ruling.  Of course he got a lot of heat and verbal abuse from several followers.  Here’s what he wrote the other day:  “How can Catholics and Christians respond to the Supreme Court decision? First, of course by remembering to love their LGBT brothers and sisters.”  I am constantly amazed by people who think they have the moral authority to pass judgment on others when they themselves clearly have a plank in their skull! eye (Matthew 7:1-5)!  He followed up with a post reminding his “erstwhile” friends about how the “un-friend” and “un-follow” buttons work.  I love this Jesuit!

But, Fr. James wasn’t the only one who got dumped on.  Imagine my surprise when I opened up my Facebook to find a hurtful message from someone who is not even “friended” on my page, and who I consider only an acquaintance.  Apparently she was “shocked” at my profile picture (with rainbow filter), and she just “felt she needed to share that” with me.  Pretty bold for someone I hardly know, and who obviously knows nothing about who I am.  When Pope Francis says that he will not judge, and Jesus himself refused to pass judgment on a woman about to be stoned, who does she think she is?  I believe in healthy dialogue when it comes to important topics, not petty “bird-dropping” online.  Sharing ideas is important to building relationships.  Compassion, love, and understanding are at the core of Christianity, and it’s all relationship.  What this woman did to me, and what many others are doing on social media, serves no useful purpose, and does not reflect the light of Christ or God’s overwhelming love for us.  In fact, this kind of negativity only tears down relationships and the kingdom of God.

It’s troubling.

The other thing I find troubling is the lack of outcry from these same people over the court’s ruling on the use of midazolam to execute prisoners on death row.  What’s even more troubling are some of the comments I’ve read below the news reports on this latest ruling.  How do we manufacture such insensitive, aggressive people, some of whom profess to be “Christians?”  The bottom line for me on lethal injection and the death penalty is this:  Don’t.  All life is precious.  All life!  Murderers need to be locked up, not killed.

As I ponder how I should respond to my “friend” (if at all), I will struggle to practice what is always necessary when confronted by opposition and hurtful speech….  I will quietly, gently hold her in prayer.

And to my Facebook friends who are upset or offended by my rainbow filter profile picture:  Thanks for being respectful and loving by not posting anything hurtful!  I noticed that, & I love you all!!!!

PS:  I sat on this post for more than 24 hours & I’m glad I did, since it has given me time to find a podcast worth sharing.  My mentor, Sr. Helene Dompierre, OP, once gave me a book by Fr. James Martin, SJ.  I forgot about that until I came across it today while packing.  What an insightful and joyful man he is!  In December of 2014 Krista Tippett spoke with him on her show “On Being,” and I think this 50 minute discussion beautifully sums up what I believe, and what I aspire to become as a child of God.  Enjoy!

Have You Written Pope Francis Lately?

Lately I’ve been thinking about some of the “lost arts” like letter writing, sewing, baking, and needlework. Letter writing is an art that is sometimes missed by those over a certain age, and completely unknown to the youth of today.  Do you remember “snail-mail?”  Well, once upon a time I used to be quite good at it (I was stunned when my mother revealed to me that she has saved all of my letters from when I was in college!).

Letter writing truly is an art.  While writing letters to family or friends, you connect in a very tangible, intimate way.  You express yourself slowly and deliberately, and then, once the letter is mailed, you are filled with anticipation, hope, and wonder while your await a reply.  It could be weeks before you receive a response!  Today’s media and technology make us all impatient.  If we don’t receive a reply within 24 hours, we’re ready to “un-friend” a true friend and anyone else who “follows” them!  I imagine the bloggers of today were once excellent letter-writers in a former life, but now our art has been conscripted to our computers, lap-tops, and the internet.  Until now!

Today I stumbled upon a blog post from the Jesuits which shares Fr. Jim Hug’s letter to our dear Pope Francis.  I love it!  I met Fr. Jim just last week, and have had the privilege of hearing him speak and proclaim the Gospel three times in Adrian during this last year.  His delivery is inspiring and stirs the Spirit!  Please read his letter to the Pope.  It will stir your spirit as well, and may even inspire you (as it did me) to reclaim the lost art of letter-writing!  I do wonder how Pope Francis will reply?

I patiently await his reply.

Easter Reflection

Happy Easter!

To some this is just another consumer driven holiday that includes spending money on cute gifts & flowers, a big family dinner with a Ham, dying Easter eggs, and taking your children to a nearby Easter Egg Hunt “Egg-stravaganza.”  To many, however, it is truly a Holy Day, and for me & Catholics everywhere, this is the third day of the three holiest days of the liturgical calendar, the Triduum.

For the last several years (since quitting my weekend waitressing job) I’ve been attending the famous Easter Vigil Mass.  What a joyful celebration!  The two-hour Vigil is full of rich history, symbolism, and sacrament.  After many long months of preparation, prayer, classes, and discussions catechumens are fully welcomed and initiated into the Catholic Church through the reception of the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Communion.  I did indeed say two hours!  Every year all over the world Catholics who only attend mass at Easter get “trapped” by the Easter Vigil Mass.  They look up their local Catholic Church, see the mass times & opt for the Vigil so their plans for Sunday aren’t hurried.  I can remember once when I was an unsuspecting parishioner at a Vigil Mass.  The funny thing was that I attended mass regularly and had gone to Catholic schools my whole life, so I should’ve known.  I remember being caught off guard, first by the Deacon processing in with the Paschal Candle instead of the usual Opening Hymn, and then by the countless readings & Psalms.  And then a light bulb went off in my head.  I remembered something from a long forgotten religion class… Oh, yeah!  This is that “special” mass for Easter!  Then, instead of feeling irritated or impatient, I found myself fully engaged and enjoying the celebration.  I don’t think I had ever been to a Vigil Mass until that night.  I felt connected to a very long faith tradition, and connected to the story of salvation, what some people call Salvation History.

This morning as I opened my online source of the Liturgy of the Hours, the Divine Office, I had to pause and reflect on what was written about today:

Today is Easter Sunday, the Day of Resurrection. Through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, life-giving waters, like the four rivers that flowed from Paradise, flow toward all of us. Those who are thirsty are invited to drink and be reborn into a renewed life, one aligned with the eternal covenant. In this way, nourished by the sacraments, we become a wellspring of life for others and can go forth proclaiming joy and peace. [1][2][3]

As Pope Francis says, “Let each one of us think: “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?” Let us think about this, just this.” [4]

Easter decor at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church; 19 April 2014.

“Life-giving waters, like the four rivers that flowed from Paradise, flow toward all of us.”  I am responsible for decorating the sanctuary at our church, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.  Easter is a time that I look forward to because of the symbolism I am able to incorporate into the decor.  We have this sheer blue fabric that I pin under the altar linen.  I place lava rocks around like a mini pond on the steps and then “spill” the fabric/water so it looks like life-giving waters flowing from the altar of sacrifice out toward the congregation.  I’m not sure how many of our parishioners understand this symbolism, or if they make the connection to the Vigil’s Fifth Reading from Isaiah (55:1-11) and the Vigil Epistle reading from Paul to the Romans (6:3-11), but I do it every year.  The reading from Paul is one of my favorites.  It sums up for me what Easter and the Resurrection are all about, but more importantly, it sums up what our lives should be about because of the Resurrection.  I believe that in “living for God in Christ Jesus” I can be for others a “wellspring of life, joy and peace.”  But this is a daily struggle throughout the year, not just a “feel-good,” “mountaintop” experience for today only.

Easter is not just one day.  Easter is the culmination of the Triduum.  On Holy Thursday we remember how Jesus instituted the new priesthood and the Eucharist.  He washed the feet of his Apostles and demonstrated through his actions how, if we want to truly be servants of Christ, we must serve others.  Good Friday has always been a time of quiet reflection for me.  Participation in the Stations of the Cross at 3:00, and the evening celebration of the Passion of the Lord with Solemn Prayer and Adoration of the Holy Cross is a way for me to reflect on my Lenten journey.  It is also a time to contemplate what it means to be obedient to the will of God.  In his article “The Sacred Triduum,” Michael Sean Winters describes these holiest days as a connected, ongoing event; one continuous prayer rooted in history.  He says,

We do not so much profess an understanding of this paschal mystery, as if it were a bit of knowledge we can manipulate as we do other discrete bits of knowledge. No, the Church sets forth on a way of life from this event. We embrace a new attitude towards death and therefore towards life. The teachings of Jesus, which got Him killed, are confirmed for us as true. And, because of the eucharist and the abiding Spirit at work in the community of faith, we know that on this way of life, we do not walk alone, we accompany each other and are accompanied by the Spirit of Christ.

The Paschal Mystery, if we are willing to be changed by it, demands that we change our attitudes towards death and life.  Pope Francis’ words pose the ultimate question for us all, “Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?”  I will be thinking about this in the coming days and months.  How will my life be transformed this year by the Paschal Mystery?  What new ways will God lead me to serve my brothers & sisters?

PS:  Last night I had the special privilege of being a sponsor for a former student and cancer survivor who was Confirmed at the Easter Vigil. I got to not only enjoy again the richness of this liturgy, but share it with a beautiful young woman of great faith and love. Truly a blessed evening with her and her family; another memorable Vigil!

World Day of Peace: A Call to Fraternity

In Pope Francis’ message for January 1st, World Day of Peace, his Holiness calls “Fraternity the foundation & pathway to peace.”  His message begins with our original call to be brothers & sisters in the story of Cain & Abel (Gn. 4:1-16), and then the Pope touches on the many examples in society where we have opportunities to form relationships, yet often fail to do so.  He asks the questions we all ask from time to time, “Can the men and women of this world ever fully respond to the longing for fraternity placed within them by God the Father? Will they ever manage by their power alone to overcome indifference, egoism and hatred, and to accept the legitimate differences typical of brothers and sisters?”

If fraternity is the foundation & pathway to peace, then Pope Francis also rightly names fraternity as “a prerequisite to fighting poverty,” and further states that “fraternity extinguishes war.”  If we, as individuals or as nations, see others as anything less than a brother or sister, then we will find no difficulty in treated them as a commodity to be exploited; and isn’t that exactly what has happened the world over?  We exploit people, animals, and nature because we fail to enter into relationship.

As I read the Pope’s message, not only did I begin to see connections that I hadn’t considered before, but I also felt a little embarrassed.  As a Catholic I am aware of the teachings on Social Justice and I do my best to work for justice, but I often feel like I should be doing more, and that I should be doing a better job at promoting peace & justice.  Here’s the line under point #7 of the Pope’s message that gets me:   “The Church also speaks out in order to make leaders hear the cry of pain of the suffering and to put an end to every form of hostility, abuse and the violation of fundamental human rights.”  Well, does “the Church” also speak out?  Do I?  God asked Cain, “Where is your brother?”  God is still asking that same question of us.  It’s a tough question.  How am I speaking out for my brothers & sisters in need, and am I doing all I can to lead others to fraternity?

Under #8 Pope Francis addresses corruption, governments, and organized crime (funny he lumped them all together!).  “Fraternity generates social peace because it creates a balance between freedom and justice, between personal responsibility and solidarity, between the good of individuals and the common good. And so a political community must act in a transparent and responsible way to favour all this. Citizens must feel themselves represented by the public authorities in respect for their freedom. Yet frequently a wedge is driven between citizens and institutions by partisan interests which disfigure that relationship, fostering the creation of an enduring climate of conflict.”

He closes with this:  “Service is the soul of that fraternity that builds up peace.”

Enough said.  Pope Francis says it best in his message of peace, so I encourage you to read it.   I, like Pope Francis, offer my “best wishes for a life filled with joy and hope.”  Happy New Year, my brothers & sisters!  Peace.

Informed by Love

A rather alarming statement was made to me today in the midst of an otherwise pleasant conversation, and in church, no less!  I’m sure my immediate response momentarily surprised the person making it almost a much as her comment irritated me.  She was excited about the election of our new Pope Francis, and we shared stories about where we were & what we were doing when we heard the good news, a very typical exchange.  But, when she began to say, “I’m so happy!  He’s a conservative; he’s against gay marriage…” That’s when I immediately cut her off and said, “I don’t care what a person is against, I care about what he is for!”  And then I made my list, “He’s a Jesuit, he is a humble & simple man, and he’s all about social justice issues.  That’s what’s important to me.”    

After I wished her a good day & left the church, I couldn’t stop thinking about her statement, “He’s a conservative.”  What the heck does that mean?  It borders on slander!  If the Pope is supposed to continue the mission of Christ here on earth as a disciple, and the Pope is to be the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, then he is expected to reflect the love of Christ to all of God’s children.  That means everyone!  If one reads the gospels, leaving behind their own “conservative” agenda, then it becomes quite clear that Jesus was anything but a conservative.  He was a radical!  He hung out with the most marginalized & unloved people of his time because they were most in need of His love & grace.  If Jesus came in the midst of our times I’m sure he’d be wearing a t-shirt with a rainbow on it, and not because he knows a guy named Noah!  Come to think of it, he might just wear a t-shirt with “WWJD” on the front just to confuse people.

Last night I was at my parish’s Lenten Mission.  The speaker for this year’s Mission was Dr. Jack Buchner from Baltimore.  He spoke about different kinds of loss.  It was very good, and I am sorry to say that I wasn’t able to make the first two nights.  Some of what he said I knew either through my own discovery or because I had heard it or read it before, but he clarified a simple truth about reflecting on Jesus’ Passion.  Dr. Buchner highlighted three words we all know that can help us in the every day “losses” or “Good Friday’s” that we all experience in our lifetimes:  Faith, hope, and love.  When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed to his Father in Heaven to have this “cup” taken from him.  He didn’t want to die (who does?), especially the unimaginable death of crucifixion?  But then he turned his will over to God in faith.  He did this with hope in his heart that his Father had a plan and would see him through this terrible ordeal.  Why?  Because Jesus understood that he was loved!  Apparently Dr. Buchner talked about “Knowing Who We Are” on Monday night.  Who are we?  We are all children of God, and we are all greatly loved!  Jesus was informed by love in his act of faith and his hope in God.

When St. Paul writes about love in 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 13: 1-13), he speaks of faith, hope, and love.  He describes what love is not, and how faith, hope, and love are connected, but love is the greatest of the three.  Every time I read this scripture, I am humbled by its simple message.  I need to read this passage more often.  It gets at the heart of Jesus’ message, and it gets at the heart of what being a Christian is all about.  Love.  In the above link to this passage from St. Paul, I encourage you to read the footnotes & reflect on this chapter.  The scripture and the footnotes help us to understand who we are, the beloved children of God, and how we are to act; every action informed by love.

As long as there are frightened, arrogant, self-righteous Catholics spreading their brand of heresy (yes, I used the “h” word!), we will continue to see our churches and schools close due to diminishing numbers, vocations will continue to decline, and the faithful (in this Year of Faith) will continue to lose their faith, and then their hope.  Perhaps then those of us informed by Christ’s love would be able to continue His good & radical works of mercy, justice, and love.  Who knows?  Maybe that’s God’s plan after all, but then that’s another piece of scripture & who am I to presume to know God’s plans?

As for our new Pope, I hope & pray that he remains committed to social justice.  I pray that he can renew our church and finally drag her into the new millennium (conservatives & radicals alike).  Perhaps when Francis I retires he will have paved the way for a new Pope Mary II or a Catherine Siena I.  Wouldn’t that be radical!