A Good Friday Reflection

I was fortunate enough to attend a Good Friday Liturgy today, as I often miss going due to my work schedule. As I sat there listening to the gospel and taking the time to really let the message of Christ’s suffering and death for all our sake sink in, I began to think about how readily I actually accept His gift. He died for my sake and took on my many sins so that I would have the hope of one day being with our Father in heaven. He suffered all the anguish and anxiety of knowing what was going to happen, and rather than shrink away from it, he pressed resolutely on. His concern was to give us all life, but even before he took on the suffering and death that was rightly ours, he took the time to share that final meal, and bring us the Eucharist, so that we would be ever strengthened by his body and blood. He knew what he was facing, and all he focused on was us.

I have to ask myself how I acknowledge that kind of love, and that precious gift? Do I live like someone who received something that special, and bought at such a heavy price? Do I take the time each day, and remember what was given to me, and perhaps pay forward that kind of undeserved love and hope to others around me? I certainly did not deserve to receive such a gift, so who am I to ever look at others and decide they are unworthy of my time or patience? I can’t keep living the way I have been. I can’t keep living my life like it is my own, and I somehow have a right to be that judgmental.

I look at my more personal conduct, and even that doesn’t reflect the gift that I have received. If I feel like something is out of my control, and it makes me anxious, I seek to simply assuage that by my own selfish methods. My first thought is rarely to invite God into my thoughts and to ask for his help. I don’t let him in to be truly part of my life like that. I would sooner go to google and try to find answers, and perhaps obsess over what I find, and do more searches until I can find something to assuage my own fears than allow God to take my hand and give me his consolation. I shut him out, when I need him most, and treat him like he is not part of my life. All the while reading the words in scripture and treating them as just words, rather than taking the time to really acknowledge the gift.

I’ve asked myself before how it is that I can do this, especially with the grace that I have been granted which allows me to serve as a deacon. I’ve asked myself how it is that I lose track and get so self-absorbed. It is not that I do not love God, I do, I just seem to lose sight of what is important at times and so fail to show it. It’s not so much different than when I take my wife or my daughters for granted at times. I love them, but I lose sight because at times I seem to love myself more and become blind to how that separates me from what is really important and worth loving. God is part of my family, he is who gave me the gift of family to begin with, and who saved all of us and gives us hope of being with Him one day. He binds us together, and comforts us, and helps us through when we hit a rough patch. He watches over us and rejoices when we spend time with Him. He asks only to be loved and be part of our family. He deserves my intimacy, my love, and my respect. He showed me, as he died on the cross, how much he loved me.

I haven’t given up that much for Lent this year, but perhaps it’s not too late to lay one more thing aside – myself. I was purchased at a price, and my resolution is to start to actually live that way. I pray that others have had similar thoughts. I am probably just catching up, and I hope to join the rest of you in this way of living.

Moving our faith to a secure foundation within

I think that most of us, at one time or another pray that our faith may be strengthened. Very often this is during a time of crisis or trial, and we are not at peace. At some level, we know that we are in God’s hands, every one of us, and yet we have doubts, and fears, and anxiety. Our enemy knows every one of our weaknesses intimately and will use these in a full onslaught designed to destroy our hope and to create doubt in what we know to be true so that it doesn’t always feel like we know it. This is his most powerful tactic because once our hope is compromised, we can feel separated from God, and we are therefore vulnerable. Our fears and emotions are used to override our reason and intellect, and the resulting chaos is ripe for evil to do its work.

There is a difference between what I will call emotional knowledge (things we casually believe, but which we allow to be subject to all of the range of emotions, including the negative ones because we don’t quite trust in them completely), and intellectual knowledge (these things we know to be true, based on experience, learning, and evidence which we see as relatively immutable). We are all subject to both of these forms of knowledge or belief, but our goal for those things that are truly important is to have them on the more concrete footing of intellectual knowledge. Now, I want to be careful here, I am not saying that all things can be explained, proven, or believed in solely through our human intellect. No, for the most important of our beliefs, there is also faith required. Faith, however, is not directly equatable to emotion (even though we will sometimes feel great emotion during our expression of our faith). Still, it is more than that, more than just strong feelings, it is a mix of knowledge passed on, the evidence we continue to accumulate throughout our lives, and then the humility and trust to allow room for those pieces of evidence that do not have the capacity to prove through conventional means. True faith and intellect are not at all at odds.

We know that as human beings our capacity to explain or test for evidence of things we cannot readily explain is rather limited. We also know that the evidence for God’s existence and loving interaction with humanity is frankly overwhelming, and yet our belief can be one of the first casualties in terms of trusting in His loving plan when we are truly pressed. We ask God to give us faith to get through these times, and we sometimes even chastise ourselves for not having sufficient faith to sustain us. What I think we miss (at least I know I have, and probably will continue to at times – I am a work in progress) is that our faith is in part predicated on trust, as well as grace. We know that we can have only limited trust in ourselves because our abilities are so finite. Anything we feel in terms of true control of our lives is largely an illusion. I actually believe we instinctually trust in God more than we realize or will admit to at a more conscious level, because to do that would require us to quantify that trust and stop being so intellectually lazy. I say that I believe in God, but if that is so, then why when the chips are down, do I worry so incessantly? I suspect that perhaps it’s because when all those negative emotions come flooding in, I have not done my intellectual due diligence to make my belief less vulnerable, in other words, moved them from emotional to intellectual intelligence. Saint Padre Pio told us to “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayers”. This is probably the best summation of what our life philosophy should be, but it is still easier said than done. The only way to shift our belief from emotional to intellectual knowledge is to gain intimacy with what we believe. With intimacy comes a secure foundation. The rooted knowledge we will hold to be true, no matter what life throws at us. A knowledge that we reflexively hold to be unshakeable at our very core. We gain this kind of intimacy through building a strong relationship, and through experience. We build our relationship through time spent in solitude and prayer, through receiving the Sacraments, and in communion with others who believe (our brothers and sisters in our family in Christ), and the experience can be gained through study and reflection of who God is through the written word and healthy discourse.

I have never been disappointed with any of my time spent learning about God – even when looking into the toughest of questions. One of the most amazing aspects of our faith is the solidity of its history and theology. True, there have been imperfect people involved in our history, but that is the human condition. God, however, is unchanging in what he wants for us. There is no such thing as a topic within our faith that cannot be discussed/explained, as much as our faculties will allow us. Nothing is off the table. There is no need to fear anything we might find. As we peel back the layers and learn more about who it is we want to place our faith in, the more we will gain in reasons to trust, and ultimately whom our faith is always secure in – our loving God.

5th Sunday of Lent – Lazarus’ new life

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead, and thus definitively demonstrating His power to not only heal the body but over death itself. There was no denying this very public demonstration of His power as the Son of God. As so often has happened in history, when someone exercises power and authority that is beyond the scope or control of the existing leadership, it makes those in authority very nervous, perhaps even deadly.

When the people learned of Lazarus’ resurrection from physical death, they became convinced of Jesus messianic kingship and applauded Him on his way into Jerusalem on what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday. Moreover, when they laid their cloaks and palm branches before him as he made his way. There is great significance in those actions, as they were publicly acknowledging their intention to have Him as king. This was the final straw, and what ultimately put into motion the events that led up to Jesus death on the cross.

All of those actions are well known, but what is perhaps less talked about, is Lazarus himself after Jesus raised him from the dead. We know that the Jews considered killing Lazarus in order to quash the situation, but even they realized that with the number of people who witnessed Jesus raising him from the dead, this was an impossibility. But what of this man Lazarus, who was raised from the dead? What became of him? How did he live his life – his newly given life? Would it be possible to be the same man after having tasted the sting of death, and been in its grip while spending all those days in the tomb? To not only once again breathe the air, and see the sun, but to also have seen beyond the veil of earthly existence, and then returned because of the grace and love of God.

On the surface, this seems like an extraordinary question, because of the events that surrounded it. Certainly, for those who experienced or witnessed it, it was an awe-inspiring and perhaps life-changing event, but should it be any less so for us? I’ll grant you, we are not physically of that time period or location to have seen these things first hand, but we are none the less tremendously well informed in terms of what happened, and possess the additional knowledge we have of Jesus Christ’s teachings, compared with those who were actually physically present. And yet, we lose sight of the fact that we are equally called from our collective tombs each day, and perhaps should be especially aware of it now during this Lenten season. We are called from our tombs of self-focus and indulgence, we are called from our tombs of avarice and of selfishness, we are called from our tombs of worldly allurements and flesh, and we are called from our tombs of indifference toward our Lord Jesus Christ and his children who are our brothers and sisters in his remaining body here on earth – His Church. Each of us in some way is a Lazarus, and have the same opportunity if we will only listen to the call. We often ask ourselves at the beginning of each Lenten season, what will we give up this Lent? Perhaps it is chocolate, or television, or some small item that we normally enjoy, as a show of what we are willing to “sacrifice” for God and to hopefully use as a way to remind us of what we are supposed to be focusing on during Lent – repentance. What about giving up death? What about giving up that tomb that we sometimes cling to? What about stepping out into the light of the day that Christ has called us to and walking out of the tomb, shed of the bindings of death that hold us, and walking freely the way we are supposed to? That would indeed be a Lent to remember.

Homily – A call to hold to our Catholic values (5th Sunday Ordinary time)

There is a common theme in our readings today. We hear of men who are called to serve God, and who are all too aware of their own shortcomings, so that they are initially discouraged. However, each also realizes the hope that through God’s grace anything is possible. Even being able to use such flawed tools to accomplish His tasks. I don’t think any of us is really that different. If we’re honest with ourselves, we will like Isaiah, or Saint Paul, or Simon Peter feel the urge to ask the Lord at times to seek those who are worthier than we to do His work. We sometimes do this by default because we know that we have fallen short many times during our lives, and yet God is able to work with individuals such as us to affect incredible change.

As Catholics we have a unique heritage, we hold an unbroken lineage and theology that goes back to the time of Christ’s life here on earth, and farther. Our lineage in point of fact goes back to the Genesis account. We were, and are, the original followers of God the Father, and His son Jesus Christ. Our theology and teachings encompass not only what is in scripture, but also the traditions formed in the early Church by those who either knew Jesus directly or were followers of his twelve disciples. These times were pivotal in terms of digesting and understanding more fully what Christ taught us, and to then educate the people and develop what we know today as our Catechism. As is often said, and I think this applies here – to whom much has been given, much will be expected. With the rich tradition we share, it is then incumbent on each of us to both know and share our knowledge. Every single one of us is called to be both saint and prophet. If we fail to share our knowledge with our brothers and sisters who were not raised in this tradition, or who have perhaps fallen away, we have much to answer for. Moreover, if we fail to set an example by adhering to this same knowledge, we are likewise left with much to answer for.

We are often accused as Catholics of being outdated in our teachings, and out of touch in the way we handle some social issues. I find that such accusations are often a mask for a social agenda that is uncomfortable with those who will not compromise their beliefs to blend with current social whims. This noncompliance with the social norm will inevitably create friction, perhaps resentment, or even in some cases hatred. Good. We were told by Jesus Christ himself that those of us who follow Him would be hated because of His name. If we are then hated, labeled, and ridiculed, because of our focus on God’s teachings rather than man’s expectations, frankly we are probably doing something right. If you want an example of this, you need look no further than the reactions of those who would have us compromise our beliefs to fit more closely with the social and political agendas concerning life itself. In the homily that Father Mike presented last weekend the issue of life for those pre-birth was discussed in light of the recent legislation passed in the state of New York, that deeply erodes the sanctity of human life, and frankly the rights of women. There are those who would have us believe that the option to kill one’s own child is somehow empowering to women because they can keep more definitive control over their bodies. What I rarely hear anyone talk about is the damage that is left in the wake of such a choice, both to the child and the mother. The notion that such a “choice” leaves no mark is ludicrous. The scientific statistics are plain, and constant, in what they show as the clinical, mental, and overall personal impact of such an act. Moreover, we have overwhelming scientific evidence that shows just how alive these pre-birth children really are. The Catholic standpoint of life being sacred from conception to natural death is not outdated, or anachronistic – it aligns perfectly with modern science. We do not express hate when we hold to this, quite the opposite, we want what is best for both mother and child. And yet, we are at times looked upon with suspicion and resentment because of this.

In the United States, we had roughly 1% of the population that was Catholic from the time this country was founded, until roughly 1840 when there were large immigrations from Ireland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and elsewhere in Europe. In the earliest days of US history, Catholics were not allowed to hold public office, to own land, or to practice their faith openly by celebrating the Mass in public. The only exception to this were those residing in what is now the state of Maryland which had some provisions made to allow Catholics to live more openly. Still, even there we were not initially trusted with holding political or public office, or to serve in positions of authority because we were suspected of being completely subservient to the Pope, rather than allegiant to those in authority here in America. In took another 184 years from the time this country was founded, before the first Catholic US president was elected, this was of course John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Today, we comprise roughly 24 – 26 % of the US population depending on whose statistics you believe, and we have correspondingly similar numbers of people that represent us in congress. Yet, we continue to see ideas promoted, and laws passed with surprisingly little resistance that are directly contradictory to our fundamental beliefs. We see legislators who will tout their Catholic faith when it is convenient to do so, and then vote in a way completely contradictory to what should be their conscience when the time comes. Let me be clear on something, if we call ourselves Catholic, and then continually violate the most basic of our core beliefs by our actions – WE ARE LYING TO OURSELVES AND OTHERS. We cannot pick and choose which of our core beliefs we would like to adhere to – this is not an ala’ carte faith. What message are we sending if we conduct ourselves in this way? This is especially true for those who hold positions of civil authority and claim to believe. When we vote these people into office, or worse re-elect them when they have already demonstrated support for beliefs wholly contradictory to our own, we are accountable. When we do not act decisively within the Catholic Church to condemn their actions, and again hold these individuals responsible, we are accountable. Our leadership in the Church are certainly accountable in their response to these situations, and we need to reinforce to them that we support them, and that we expect them to take action. Think about this for a second, when we waiver or do not hold others within our faith accountable for their actions, we are not demonstrating our commitment to our faith for others who believe, or perhaps for those who might want to believe, and we are not showing concern for those in error who need to change their way of thinking. We are not helping them to realize the damage they are doing in execution of their duties, and subsequently, the damage they are doing to their own souls. At the end of time, when each of us stands before God, He is not going to ask us whether we held to political party ideology. He is going to hold us accountable for how we listened to and lived his message.

A number of years ago, I had the most extraordinary conversation about faith with someone I worked with. Both he and his wife were graduates of Oral Roberts University, and both hold degrees in both divinity and theology. As practicing Baptists, they are both very engaged in their church, and very strong in their beliefs. So, when one day, my friend told me that if he were ever going to consider another religion, it would be Catholicism, I was completely floored. Yet as we continued our discussion what he said really made sense and was a perfect example of what can happen when we live our values. He told me that we were the only ones that seemed to uncompromisingly hold to Christ’s teachings (and this included his own denomination), and that no matter what, we never wavered despite public pressure and sometimes backlash. Our consistency of belief spoke to him in a way that meant something. No other preaching was needed, it was the true essence of – “preach the gospel always, and if necessary, use words”. If we think for a moment that others don’t take notice of our actions, or sometimes the lack thereof, I am here to tell you they do. We can give witness both with how we live our lives, but also with how we declare our beliefs. The disposable mentality that is so prevalent in this day, is not used to this kind of commitment or fortitude. We should do this with love, and with resolute commitment to the one whose teachings can always be trusted. If we waiver, we then remember and correct ourselves. If we doubt, or we feel our courage falter, we look to the cross, and we remember the words of Saint John Paul II – BE NOT AFRAID.

Merry Christmas and an uplifting New Year

Chrstmas

As I sit here in my office, I am still trying to finish my last-minute Christmas shopping (gotta love Amazon) and putting some finishing touches on our plans for Christmas. My hope for each of you, is that you have a peaceful and blessed Christmas, with time spent with family, and with our Savior. Still, I find that I also need to look ahead to what the coming year may bring and give some thought to what I hope to accomplish in the coming year. This is something I hope you will be taking some time to do as well, either before, or as the new year begins. We have our responsibilities and goals for home and family, and perhaps professionally to consider, but we also need to give some thought to our spiritual goals for the new year. My hope for each of us, is that we have a year of unprecedented spiritual growth, and that we receive the required graces to allow us to recognize the areas where we need to mature in our relationship with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ. To be sure, this is not always easy, both in terms of the effort required, but also at least as importantly in our willingness to sometimes step out of our established comfort zones. To quote Saint John Paul II – “be not afraid”. In God, we have all the help we will need to accomplish anything, and he will hold us up in times when we struggle, if we will only allow Him to. This business of “pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps” has its place in some things, but it has no place in our relationship with God, or our spiritual growth. There is a reason Saint Paul state “it is when I am weak, that I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). Paul understands that it is our humility and trust that brings us to reliance on Jesus Christ who wishes to hold up and strengthen each of us. To embrace this reliance is to embrace humility and wisdom, and to let go of arrogance and ego. It is also one of the most freeing, and spiritually uplifting things that we can do. Go forth this year, and in freedom, peace, and love, let God help you find illumination in your quest for spiritual growth, and achievement as you let Him guide you forward with supporting arms around you.

Yours in Christ,

Deacon Charles Zlamal

Advent – A time to prepare

We’re coming up on the season of Advent, and I tend to get a bit more introspective this time of year. This year though, there were two very external events that got me more into that mode than usual. The first was this past Sundays first reading (33^rd Sunday in ordinary time) from the prophet Daniel. He alerted us about the two fates that await each of us as the end of time (see the passage below).

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Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.

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Daniel uses two key words in describing the fate of condemnation – horror and disgrace. Horror is analogous to fear, and this is one of the favorite tactics of the adversary. If we are afraid, we are diminished in our ability to deal with things, and often this can lead to hopelessness. This is exactly what Satan wants, to have us give up, and remain in a state of sin. Perceived disgrace is another tool that he favors, because it pairs with resentment, and a hardening of our hearts to whatever we feel we have been slighted or disgraced over, and our ability to forgive is damaged. All of these things keep us from spiritual healing and mending our relationship with God and with others. If we allow ourselves to be left in such a state, the situation is one of horrible self-fulfillment of the prophets warning.

We need to instead, embrace the opportunities this upcoming season of preparation affords us. We need to spend time in reflection, and self-examination of our relationships. We need to reach out and mend that which is broken. We need to go to confession and unburden ourselves of the load that has accumulated. Only then can we truly be part of the season of peace and fulfillment that we are anticipating when we celebrate Christs birth.

At Mass this past Sunday, there was a situation that frankly threw me for a loop at first. During the intercessory prayers one of our family at Saint Bernadette’s was praying very loudly and earnestly for forgiveness and for relief from the things that bound him. He eventually came before the altar and fell to his knees and cried before our Lord as be prayed. I didn’t know quite what to make of it for a moment, but then it hit me, out of all of us there, this man had the absolute right idea. He didn’t care who was watching, he didn’t care that this was out of the “norm” for our Sunday Mass ritual, he knew what he needed, and to whom he needed to present his petitions. It really moved me, and I suspect many of those around me. We should all feel so uninhibited in our pleas, because the only one that truly matters, is the One who sees all with no judgement about appearances, but only of what is really on the mind and heart.

An explanation about Communion, until we are all one faith

POPE DISTRIBUTES COMMUNION AS HE CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS EVE MASS IN ST. PETER'S BASILICA AT VATICAN

The highlight of my week happens each Sunday, when I am able to experience with my Church family the solemnity and joy that is the Eucharistic part of the liturgy. When I distribute Communion, I am awestruck by what I see in the faces of the people receiving. There is a joy and solemnness that I see nowhere else. Each person seems to grasp how close this encounter with Jesus Christ is, and the intimacy involved.

There is another side of this experience though, that is extremely painful to me as the cleric distributing Communion, and to the person who may not be able to receive it. I am not referring to when someone comes up to me with their arms crossed, perhaps because they have not had a chance to go to confession yet and must wait until next week. I am referring to the person who is perhaps unable to receive the Sacrament due to a more lasting circumstance. Yet even there, I see grace at work, they are at Mass, there is the desire to maintain their relationship with Jesus, even if Sacramentally there are some limitations. This pursuit of their relationship with God, and their persistence, will not go unrecognized.

There is one other circumstance that I sometimes encounter, and that can be painful, and often misunderstood. That is when someone who is not Catholic cannot receive Communion at Mass. This is very disheartening for someone who is used to receiving each Sunday, but when they come to visit our Church they cannot. This is a long lasting repercussion of the Reformation, that continues to divide us to this day. As Catholics we believe in Transubstantiation, which means we believe that the bread and the wine that is placed on the altar, are transformed during the Epiclesis of the Mass, into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. This happens mystically, but is based on the very clear statements that Jesus gave us at the last Supper (Matthew 26:26-28).

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While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”^* ^k27Then he took a cup, gave thanks,^* and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,28^l for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.

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Notice the word covenant in the last line, this is not a word used at all lightly by the people, and certainly not by a prophet. The blood of the pascal sacrifice which saved us all, the blood of the Perfect Lamb Jesus, was not to be relegated to simple wine or a symbol. Moreover, if you read John 6:51-68)

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I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”^a52The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat?”53Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.54Whoever eats^* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.57Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.^b58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”59These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”61Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you?62What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?^*63It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh^* is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.64But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him.^c65And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”66As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.67Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?”68Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

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Pay attention to the wording here, it is extremely clear from the standpoint of the language that our Lord uses, that this is not a parable – he is being very direct, and there is a direct purpose at work here. Jesus knows who will leave, and who will stay, despite His statements that for a Jew of that time period (remember the Jewish people were surrounded by pagan tribes that practiced blood sacrifice and cannibalism) would be extremely distressing and would appear to violate the law. This controversial address to those present left Him with the twelve, who would take His word on faith. This distinction in belief is the core of why as Catholics we treat communion differently. We believe that if someone is receiving the true body and blood of Jesus Christ, there is a specific manner in which they must be prepared. Belief is obviously the first step, but there is more. In order to receive one must do so in a worthy manner (see 1 Corinthians 11:26-29)

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly.

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For Catholics this means that if you have not been to confession and received absolution, you would be receiving the actual body and blood of our Lord (again due to transubstantiation) in an unworthy manner. We would not want to place someone in this position either intentionally or unintentionally, so we are very careful about how we hold the Eucharistic portion of the Liturgy, and if we know that someone is present who does not believe these same things, and has not prepared themselves accordingly, we will request that they instead spend the time in reflection and prayer. We are not trying to exclude, we would LOVE to have everyone come to the understanding of the nature of Communion within the Mass, but until that happens, this is our best recourse for everyone’s sake.

Shabbat Shalom

menorah

I had the privilege of attending my first Shabbat service this evening, at the Beth Shalom Synagogue in Raleigh. My initial reason for going was to show support, and unity, with the members of the Jewish community, which suffered a horrific tragedy earlier this week in Pittsburgh. As I was doing a bit of research about the service, it occurred to me that I was in some sense going back to our roots as Catholics and Christians. Jesus was, after all, a Jew. As I sat there at the service reading from the prayer book, I couldn’t help but take notice of the many linguistic similarities (for instance the use of the word “Amen”), as well as some of the similarities in the Sacramentals used in the Synagogue. The prayers recited reflected many of the same attributes of those we recite as Christians, and obviously some of the readings from what we term as the Old Testament were familiar territory. Moreover, I have a new found respect for anyone who can read Hebrew characters, and successfully pronounce much of the language. It seemed at first unusual to me, to not speak of Jesus, and yet when I heard the prayers and pleas for God’s love, care, and mercy, I knew these were addressing the same God, what we term as Trinitarian believers as God the Father. As I was walking out, I had the urge to ask questions about the service, and perhaps have some discourse about our theologically different perspectives, but tonight was not the night for that, tonight was simply a night to come together as the human beings, as God’s children, and show support for one another. Still, I don’t think I am done with attending some of the Shabbat services, there is still much I want to learn about our Jewish roots.

Sundays Gospel reflection – can you believe like Bartimaeus?

This past Sunday, the Gospel message was about a man named Bartimaeus, a blind man who encounters Jesus as He is making His way through the streets of his town. This is one of my favorite readings, as it so perfectly illustrates how game changing Jesus message was for the people. Under the law, people such as Bartimaeus were presumed to have either committed a sin themselves, or perhaps been the recipient of extended retribution for a sin that perhaps their parents had committed, and so were considered to less pious than others. They were effectively branded by society as being unworthy, regardless of their present deeds. Yet Jesus not only acknowledges Bartimaeus when he calls out to Him but tells Bartimaeus that his faith has healed him. Think about this for a second, all of a sudden Jesus has opened the possibilities wide for any who would ask of His help, there is no judgement, there is no recrimination, the only requirement is belief. I would be willing to bet that most of you that read this note, have heard this Gospel message before, but have you ever really considered what it means for you personally? I run into people all the time, who seem bent on holding onto the past, whether it be perceived failures, misplaced guilt over something that may have actually been beyond their control, old sins that they have confessed but still can’t stop beating themselves up over, etc. Aside from this being self-destructive behavior, it actually demonstrates a lack of beief in the one who has told us all that is required to be healed – FAITH. If we simply ask Him, He will heal each of us. The burden of the old law has been lifted, so that through faith in Him, we can be lightened of our loads, and live in the peace and joy that only Jesus can bring. We’re coming up on the end of this year, what are you waiting for? If you need to go to confession, go. If you need to simply have a conversation with our Lord, do it. Then, walk a bit lighter, smile a bit more, and share your joy with others (perhaps you could share with them the change you experienced). Shalom

An undiluted Catholic faith

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I guess the title of this post deserves a bit of explanation. As a deacon, one of the things that I have never understood is the a la carte’ approach that seems to sometimes be applied to our faith. This doesn’t just happen with laity, I have seen this with clergy as well, which to me is even more disturbing. If you profess to be a Catholic, whether they are socially in vogue or not, there are certain things that you are called to believe and uphold. To approach any faith requires a degree of humility that I see as quickly diminishing in our society because people misinterpret it as weakness. It is in fact, the opposite of weakness, it means being strong enough to step outside ourselves enough to allow our faith to be guided by God and His Church. This is not always comfortable for us. In some cases we seem to be ready to embrace social whims and public opinion more readily than the teachings of the church we profess to be a part of. I will give an example, as a matter of fact, I will start this with what is perhaps the biggest bombshell of an example that currently divides our Catholic beliefs from secular society, many other denominations of Christianity, and many other religions. That is of course the issue of life. If you are a Catholic, you believe that life is sacred, and that is begins at conception, and ends with natural death – period. There is no other valid interpretation. If you do not accept this core teaching, to be blunt, you need to think about what you really believe, and whether you perhaps need to pursue some spiritual tuning. The same is true of the belief that the Holy Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ, that the one trinitarian God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that Mary is the mother of God and is worthy of veneration, that God created our universe and all mankind, etc. I’m not going to do the exhaustive list of Catholic core beliefs, but you get the idea. Even if you have questions about some of these beliefs, and in some cases struggle with them, that is ok. BTW – contrary to modern opinion, struggle is not always a bad thing, it means your paying attention and that your using the intellect God gave you to actually think about things. If you never struggle with your faith, quite frankly your probably not doing it right. So how does all this apply to the Catholic Church’s views? In short, it means being willing to examine what you believe, and if there are areas where you are not in alignment with Church on it’s core teachings, to pursue those through study, or failing to find resolution with that, by discussing it with your priest to try to come to an understanding. I can say in all honesty, that when I have taken the time to pursue an area where I find myself questioning Catholic teaching, I have yet to be disappointed in the research that has already taken place on the part of the Church to develop its doctrine. The idea here is to work at these areas, not going through life picking and choosing what you believe, and treating it as your personal version of Catholicism. There is only one set of teachings, if we are going to call ourselves Catholics, we need to be both familiar with, and at peace with them.