WHY WASN'T THE PERFUME SOLD AND THE MONEY USED TO FEED THE POOR?

Starting Easter Monday, St. Sebastian church will be closed weekdays for restoration.  Someone might rightly ask, “Why drop this amount of change on a building?” and list any number of worthwhile causes were the resources might be spent.  It is a good question to ask and one not to be taken lightly. 

At the center of a Catholic community is not a thing (building of otherwise) or a theology or philosophy or any thought or thing.  It is a Person: Jesus Christ.  And not a center where Jesus is remembered or merely in some way mysteriously present in a people or proclamation.  According to our 2,000 years of belief, Jesus is present substantially, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity under the appearance of bread.  He is present to us just as He was 2,000 years ago when John the Baptist pointed to Him and said, “Behold!  The Lamb of God!” 

The epicenter then - the very core of our parish can be found in the tabernacle - in the Sacred Species.  You can find this in the most conspicuous spot in the most conspicuous building on our campus.  There is no mistaking this from the clues given by our art and architecture.  

As a result, this is where a large number of (mostly) local residents voluntarily gather at least once a week to discuss what it is to be human, what it is to be good men, good women, what it is to be a good citizen, to hear and be sent out on mission to form Western Culture.  It is no academic exercise.  It is a duty to which we are expected to respond the benefits of which are for more than ourselves but for the good of all, particularly the most oppressed or disenfranchised.

Its doors are open to all.  Its beauty is even for those who have no funds to support it.  It is all done voluntarily and not just for the good of itself but, as it sees itself, for the good of the whole world.

Such noble gems of intentions are of course enshrined in a beautiful space.  The center of our source of beauty, goodness, and of truth is reflected in the space in which it is nurtured.  The idea is not to have a building that stands out beautifully in a less-than-beautiful world, but to inspire the world to be as beautiful.

JESUS THE MARKETING GENIUS

I think Jesus is a marketing genius.

In marketing, one must always outdo what came before.  Look at phones.  Each new model must promise to do more, do it more innovatively, and quicker.  If that is not achieved, it is declared a grave disappointment and there are no lines at the store.

It is the same with television series.  The next season must always outdo the last season.  It must be wilder, bigger, crazier.  If it is not, people lose interest.  I think that is why so many of them end up becoming a soap opera about who is sleeping with whom.  But once you have jumped that shark, who cares . . .

Many Churches are like this.  The music must get better and better or at least be updated.  The preaching must always be cutting edge.  New special effects; fog, lighting, projections, must be added, changed, improved, expanded because once you have a spectacular, it becomes common.  (Think about the poor guy that has to come up with a new Super Bowl halftime show every year.)

But the Church Jesus founded steadfastly marches in the other direction.  There isn’t really anything to see particularly at its heart - the Eucharist.  The Eucharist couldn’t be more counter-cultural.  There was a big push for a spell to have clear glass chalices so people could “see what was going on.”  Do you know how differently wine looks after it is consecrated?  Not a jot.  Everything happens below the level of the senses.  The bread and wine cease to exist, but their accidents remain.  So it may look, feel, smell and taste like bread and wine, but it has become wholly the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ.  This is something that can maintained for 2,000 years without constantly having to come up with something “new.”

Although I am one for great music, art and liturgy done well, none of that is intrinsic to the Eucharist.  Jesus makes Himself present in His Word and the Eucharist whether you are the Basilica of St. Peter or having Mass on the hood of a jeep in field during a war.  Lighting effects, fog machines and the like would be a distraction to this.  We come, not to be entertained, but to give time to the One who loves us.  

“Do you love Me?” He seems to ask, “Then spend time with me, not because you are entertained, but because you love me.”

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH - WHEN IS LESS MORE?

So one time I go to Mass in New York and when entering the church there was a table with two bowls.  There was a sign that said, “If you are going to receive communion today, please take a wafer from this bowl and put it in the other bowl.”

First of all:  Ew.

Secondly, it was a valiant effort to fulfill paragraph 85 of the GIRM.  This paragraph points out that the priest is BOUND to receive a host that was consecrated at the Mass being celebrated.  (That is, not taken out of the tabernacle from that which was consecrated at another Mass.)  It is “most desirable” (pretty strong wording without making it mandatory) that the whole congregation (as you were anointed prophets, kings, and priests after all) also receive hosts consecrated at the Mass being celebrated.  

This is trickier than you might think.  You people are not all that predictable.  A former liturgist for the Diocese of Cleveland CLAIMED that this should be no problem and that he would be able to do it at any parish in the diocese.  Perhaps he was clairvoyant and so I bow to his super powers.  We are not so talented (though we have improved mightily.)

Anything can throw the numbers off at Mass.  A football game.  A holiday.  Nice weather.  Bad weather.  The grass mowed in the wrong direction.  The numbers become thrown off because of people coming late because of roadwork, last minute soiled diapers, having to park three blocks away, trying to catch the end of “Jason and the Argonauts.”  

So you try to cut it close and then your are left with having to break the last remaining host into micro-particles in order to have enough for everybody to receive communion.  The next week you have “learned your lesson” and put out extra (better to be caught with a little extra than not enough right) and then you find, at the end off Mass, that you won’t have to consecrate again for the next month.

Sacristans debate in angst before Mass about how much to put out especially at funerals.  “Do you think I should put out more?  Will there be a lot of people at this funeral?  How many people were at calling hours?”  My standard answer, which they have not caught on to after 8 years, is “I don’t know.”

So you do your best.  Sometimes you do well, sometimes not so much.

This paragraph also states that Communion under both species be offered whenever it is feasible, not open to profanation, and suitable as determined by the priest under the guidelines of the local council of bishops.  

Here is another area of difficulty.  How much wine should we prepare to be consecrated?  Some weeks we run out.  Some weeks the deacon consumes so much that I worry about him walking down the aisle.  

Eh.  If this is our biggest problem, we are doing pretty well.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: LARGELY GUESSING IF YOU ARE RIGHT OR WRONG

GIRM paragraph 84

I’ve always been fascinated by this prayer of the Mass.  It is said quietly by the priest just before he is to receive Communion.  The words prescribed sound a little bit like a parent taking his precocious son aside and privately saying in a calm but pointed voice, “Okay, this is your last chance.  Are you sure you want to do this?”  

“Yeah Mom!”

“Fine.  Then go ahead.”

The prayer reads in part, “May the receiving of your Body and Blood Lord Jesus Christ not bring me to judgement and condemnation. . .”

You know what? Wow.  We sugar coat SO MUCH.  “You’re fine.  I’m fine.  We are all going to heaven anyway.”  But here is the Church taking one of her sons aside for a moment and saying, “This is serious stuff.  Don’t mess around.  There are repercussions and consequences for taking this lightly.”  It is possible for the reception of the Body and Blood to bring about judgement and condemnation.  The Church chooses her words very, very, very carefully.  She would not bandy about “condemnation” if she didn’t mean it.  To receive the Eucharist being aware of serious sin on your soul is grave matter.  Since we believe that the Eucharist is not a thing but a Person, that means one has first rejected the Person out of their life (that is what mortal sin is) and then forced themselves on to that Person in this most intimate of actions. It, in essence, becomes a double abuse of His Love.

So let’s suppose that you are a priest and you take these things seriously and you come up to a wedding or funeral at which there are lapsed Catholics of varying degrees and many non-Catholics.  What do you do about Communion?  There are some options.  One is to let it go.  The argument here is that God is Love and can fend for Himself and if someone receives who shouldn’t, they did so in ignorance and God will let it go.

But that would cover over one of the biggest scandals of the Church:  That they may be one.  By recognizing that there is a division between us I have been afforded the opportunity to talk with non-Catholics who have come up to me and to discuss it.  At one point, with a Protestant minister, we came down to the point of, “Well, if you believe that, you need to consider becoming Catholic.”  I don’t think he did but he was shocked at how Catholic his ideas were after some Scripture study and perhaps there was a little healing of Christian unity there.  

That would not have happened with the “You’re Okay, I’m Okay, God can fend for Himself,” mentality.  

SO how do you get the message across?  One way is to have people read the USCCB statement usually found on the cover of the misselette.  It is an entire page of instructions to various persons who may be present.  The priest can also announce some instructions.  Some do it at the beginning of Mass, some do just before Communion.  That is what I do since the missalette is not in our pews.

Here is what I say:

It is always an honor and a privilege whenever persons of different faith backgrounds come together to worship our God.  Out of respect for you and out of respect for your beliefs, I can only offer Communion today to those Catholics who are properly disposed.  If you are unable to receive today, please pray for the unification of the Christian Church and make a spiritual communion with us.  Thank you.

There is a person who lives in our neighborhood who takes great offense at this statement.  She attended a funeral Mass years ago at which I made this statement though I will admit that instead of “Catholics who are properly disposed,” I said, “Catholics who are in a state of grace.”  I changed it because of her.  I suppose she sees me as causing too much division among Christians and I see her as causing too much division among Catholics she tries to dissuade from attending St. Sebastian.  I like to think we are both well intentioned.

But I digress.

Whereas the celebrant has specific prayers to pray before receiving, all others are giving leeway to pray as they wish that they will “fruitfully” receive the Blessed Sacrament.  The priest then shows the Eucharist to the people “inviting them to the banquet of Christ” and then all say an act humility borrowed from the Scriptures.  

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: WE ARE MANY PARTS - WE ARE ALL ONE CHEVY

When I was in junior high school (back when it was thought the concept was thought superior to middle school) one of the prizes handed out at carnivals was a necklace that had a heart on it that was broken in half.  The other half you were supposed to give to the person with whom you were going steady to show that you were one of the same heart.  (Eash.  Please tell me they don’t do that anymore.)  Of course, never mind the fact that they handed out millions of those things and so there was a good chance that any number of people were walking around with the other half of your heart.

But the cool thing about it is that, although trite and not efficacious, it does give an insight into the Eucharist.  Today we move from the part of the Mass in which the sacrifice was offered to the Father on behalf of mankind, and now (paragraph 83 of the GIRM) we prepare to become one in Christ and with each other as we partake in the One Body of Christ and share in His benefits.

So, in an action reserved to the ordained clergy, Christ’s Body is broken and divided among His brothers and sisters not unlike that heart that was divided between two people involved in the trials of puppy love.

Now obviously the analogy only takes us so far.  The necklace does not actually unite anybody.  And it is only an object, not a Person.  And the Eucharist is the entirety of Christ; Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, not just half a heart.

Christ’s Body is arced toward unity.  There is only the appearance of the Body being divided, but spiritually it is bringing us all together into unity with Christ and with each other.  Understanding this allows you to understand better Flannery O’Conner’s comment, “Because if it is only a symbol, to hell with it.”  And if I belonged to a Church that didn’t celebrate the Eucharist, if I didn’t like the music, I think I would stay home and pray with my family and maybe a couple of neighbors.  But if the Eucharist is what Christ said it was, what a magnificent event this is.  Nothing compares.  

FRIDAY POTPOURRI - BUT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT

So in high school I was dating a girl whose father was a Methodist minister.  One day I went to her family’s church to play trumpet for the choir.  The service was good, they had a communion service (no, I didn’t partake) and the music went well.  I was sitting in the sacristy after cleaning my trumpet when her mother came in bringing the communion that was left over from the service.  She tilted the silver platter and dumped it all into the trash.  

I had a moment of freaking out - like seeing someone bumping a glass full of water and reaching out to catch the glass before it spills.  Then I realized that she had done it on purpose and was embarrassed.  She said something along the lines of, “Oh you Catholics,” with a kind and broad smile on her face, “it isn’t Jesus anymore.”

It is intellectually easier for a very good Methodist to open up their communion service to anybody who professes the Name of Jesus, even those who are not yet baptized.  This body of Christians does not believe in transubstantiation but that in some way not fully explainable (it is a mystery - understandable) that “the elements are essential tangible means through which God works.”

But let’s suppose that you see something different in Communion.  You see and/or understand a Divine Person clearly present.  It would be similar to the person who sees life in the womb as a cluster of impersonal cells, but you see a vital, viable and inviolable human being - a boy or a girl.  Who would you entrust to carrying your baby to term for you: someone who promises to have respect for your clump of cells, or someone who has love for your baby girl?

If they have respect for your clump of cells, that may be grounds for a very good friendship.  If they would love your baby girl the way you do, that is a grounding for marriage.  And who is invited into THE MOST INTIMATE ACT of the marriage covenant?  Those who are part of the covenant.  Who is invited to Catholic communion?  Everybody.  All people of all times and all places.  But if you have no desire or belief to be part of this mystical marriage in a permanent way, we can share all kinds of things together, just not this Person Who we believe is present to us Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.  

That is why paragraph 80 (yes!  we have escaped paragraph 79) of the GIRM says that it is desirable that at the Paschal Banquet, in keeping with Christ’s instructions, “His Body and Blood should be received as spiritual food by the faithful who are properly disposed.”  Properly disposed to receive means about the same thing as someone who is properly disposed to receive the sacrament of marriage.  For marriage to be valid, a person must, know what they are getting themselves into, understand it, accept it, and fully give themselves to it and to a partner.  Eucharist is no different.  We are to know exactly what it is that we are doing, understand it, accept it, and give ourselves not only fully to Him, but to this Body of Christ, the Church, to which we are to be made one to be properly disposed.  If not, communion (common union) does not really exist and what we act out is not in accord with the reality.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: PAPA SANG BASS, MAMA SANG TENOR

The Church has produced some of the most beautiful music in the world, not the least of which are Mass settings.  I grew up singing these Masses in Latin (yes, post Vatican II.)  We sang them at Church.  We sang them in public school.  We sang them at the University of Akron.  I sang them with a choir at an Episcopal church for their services.  About the only place they are controversial is at a Catholic Mass.  Oh, the irony.

There is at least one part where I get the reason why.  The Sanctus (Holy, holy, holy) is not to be done by the choir in complicated polyphonic form (in Latin or English.)  This prayer is part of the Eucharistic prayer.  Paragraph 79, subsection b, states that this acclamation is that, “by which the whole congregation (joins) with the heavenly powers.”  This makes sense because the first line of the acclamation is the song the seraphim (angles) sang in Isaiah 6:2,3:

Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they hovered.

One cried out to the other:  “Holy, holy, holy^* is the LORD of hosts!  All the earth is filled with his glory!”

And Revelation 4:8

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty,

who was, and who is, and who is to come.”

The second half of the song comes (appropriately enough for this weekend) from the people’s acclamation at Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  “Hosanna!”

It is part of the Eucharistic prayer.  The paragraph reads that the people join with the priest in it.  What we should understand is that the community of priests join with the ordained priest in this proclamation.  If you do not sing or recite this this part of the Eucharistic prayer (I don’t care how bad your voice is) you are shirking your responsibility as surely as the ordained priest would be if he decided he didn’t want to say part of the Mass assigned to him.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: GENERALLY SPEAKING

Here is where the “General Instruction of the Roman Missal” gets its “general.”  Surprisingly, after saying that this is the center and highpoint of the liturgy (the source and summit of our lives,) it becomes rather vague and, well, general.  It becomes more descriptive than directive for a spell.  I guess the specific instructions, the rubrics, are simply left for later in the Missal.

That is not to say this is not a long paragraph (79),  It’s longer with lots of sub-sections and even though the subsections are short, we will only be taking one a week.

The main elements of the Eucharistic prayer can be distinguished one from the other in the following ways (A - H)  Today’s subparagraph: A  (Ohhh!  I can sense the excitement!)

A) The first element is that of Thanksgiving.  (Bet you saw that coming.)  This makes incredible sense considering the etymology of the word Eucharist.  According to the Online Etymology Dictionary:

”sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the Communion," mid-14c., from Old French eucariste, from Late Latin eucharistia, from Greek eukharistia "thanksgiving, gratitude," later "the Lord's Supper," from eukharistos "grateful," from eu "well" (see eu-) + stem of kharizesthai "show favor," from kharis "favor, grace," from PIE root *gher- (5) "to like, want" (see hortatory). Eukharisteo is the usual verb for "to thank, to be thankful" in the Septuagint and Greek New Testament.

Too much?

The main place that the sense of thanks can be found is in the preface.  The preface is right after the prayer over the gifts.  After a “call and exchange” with the congregation, (The Lord be with you - and with your spirit, etc.) the priest goes on to direct the Father on behalf of the community, expressing our knowledge that it is “truly right and just, our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give You thanks Lord Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God.”

It is a theme that picks up now and then depending on the Eucharistic prayer such as, “. . . giving thanks that you have held us worthy to be in your presence and serve you.” from Eucharistic Prayer II.

You know, giving thanks is not something that comes naturally to us human beings.  It is usually instilled in us by thoughtful parents and at times seems like torture.  “Just a minute young man . . . what do you say????”

“Ugh!  Thank you Mrs. McGillicutty.”

It comes to serve us well in life.  Firstly it helps us appreciate who and what we have, knowing that it doesn’t have to be.  Secondly it lets others know that they are appreciated and promotes the best in them.  In the case of Mass, the giving of thanks is wholly for our benefit to make us  better people.  It is “right,” because what we have is purely gift and we are indebted to God.  It is “just” to give what we can to God for His abundant graciousness to us.  It is our “duty” because - well, if you don’t know ask your Mom.  And it is our “salvation.”  Being truly thankful turns our eyes toward the One on Whom we are utterly dependent.  When we realize this, we long to be with Him and conform ourselves every more to Him.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: WE'RE WALKING, WE'RE WALKING, AND WE'RE STOPPING

GIRM paragraph 77 cont.

So . . . 

The GIRM is so, so, so carefully worded.  There is no punctuation, no comma, no part of a comma that has not been carefully thought out.  But I have a little - “problem” would be too big of word for it - maybe just “question” with the end of this paragraph.

Concerning the entering into the Eucharistic prayer it says, “The Eucharistic Prayer requires that everybody listens to it with reverence and in silence.”

I get the silence (save for the crying babies who are our future kindergarten class.  If they aren’t crying, you are dying.)  Music shouldn’t be playing, conversation shouldn’t be going on, other prayers should not be taking place, our focus is on this most august of prayers.  Okay.

I also get the “listen” part even though it is NOT the congregation that is being addressed.  It is the Father to Whom we are speaking.  (This is made a little confusing by the priest facing the people and saying, “Take this all of you,” which, at that point, is still being addressed to the Father, not the congregation.  The priest is speaking on behalf of all to the Father like Moses leading the people through the wilderness.  The way we do it seems like a docent walking backwards and saying, “we’re walking, we’re walking.”  See first 30 seconds of movie clip.  Sorry for the commercial.)

So, while the directives may be true, do not think that the laity are passive participants in the Eucharistic Liturgy.  Remember we just finished praying, “My sacrifice and yours.”  Pope Benedict, God rest him, pointed out that the role of the priesthood of the people is a very important one.  That is why we may not take on more than one ministry at the Mass.  A person cannot (or should not) be lector AND extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, for example.  It takes the person too far away from the more important role of prayer.  Those who perform these ministries are not doing MORE, they are being taken away from their primary duty to perform a task on behalf of the community.  So they are limited on taking more than a fair share of BURDEN.

The reason we are quiet and listening is to take part in the Eucharistic prayer.  We are to PRAY it.  It is not prayed AT you or in spite of you, it is something into which you are to enter, to make your own, and offer that Father.  You are not there to receive, you are there to WORK.  Otherwise, why not just let the priest pre-sanctify everything and just show up for the readings, homily, and Communion service?  

WHY DO WE DO IT?

Chances are that you parish does a lot of things.  There is prayer of course.  Probably a bunch of education for people of various ages.  There might be missions or talks.  Maybe some sports teams run out of your parish.  There are dances, festivals, and concerts.  There might be community events, picnics, and various social groups.  Hopefully there is a bit of social justice ministry taking place, clothing, feeding, advocating, and the sort.

But what is at the heart of it all?  Why does the parish exist?  From what does all this activity flow?

It is not an idea.  Not even a really, really good idea or theological construct such as how you will be saved or Who might do it or even if you can do it on your own.  

It is not a thing.  Not even the Bible which many stand on alone.  It is not a building, or a territory or money.

It is not a human person.  A Catholic parish is not centered on the personality of a priest or any human person.

All of the above things may be very, very important, but they are not the source and center of the Catholic parish life.  What is at the center is a Person.  A Divine Person.  God.  And not in the way that He is generally available to all at all times in a sunrise, in the flight of a bird, or in the firmament.  And not in the way we should see Jesus in every human face.  And not just in the way in which any of us could close our eyes and call on Him and He is there.

Rather, for the Catholic, his parish is centered on Christ is wholly and substantially present as he was 2,000 years ago.  This Divine Person is present in a specific locale and is immediately present to the senses.  And not just to be seen, but touched and brought into our very bodies.  It is an intimate relationship with this Divine Person that is the heart and engine of a parish.  It gives life to and flushes out everything else from what Scripture means to what the parish dance will look like.

If you want a healthy parish, it begins there.

A GREATER HISTORY THAN FROM A SHELF AT KMART

One time I went to an (I am embarrassed to say this) Engelbert Humperdink concert.  (It was free and really good seats and accompanied by a great dinner.)  Anyway, at a certain part of the concert, Mr. Humperdink would swipe sweat from various parts of his anatomy with a red handkerchief and ladies of a certain age would crowd the stage and he would toss the handkerchiefs out causing a mad frenzy of grabbing.

 

I would like to tell you it is not my thing, but it is.  Not Mr. Humperdink's used hankies exactly, but i think humans tend to like things with connections.  I just took a clock to the clock shoppe (no, not that one) to have it repaired.  It belonged to my grandparents and because of that it means more to me than simply going out to Bob's Discount Clock Shop and buying another one.  Besides, it makes the story better.  Go to a flee market and the price goes up sharply when something has an interesting history.  "This once belonged to . . . "  Have two sailor's caps, one used by a sailor in WWII and another brand new - which do you think will be the greater purchase?

 

So we like things with history and Catholics are especially atuned to this, which is what made last Monday so special.  We came into possession (very temporarily) of St. Padre Pio's chalice.  As you can see below, it is a very simply piece but with some good weight to it.

We used to for Mass.  I was suprised that meant as much to me as it did.  My pinky caught on something on the bottom and a thought flashed through my head, "How many times did the saint's finger pass over the same familiar spot?" 

I was a little concerned about the authenticity of the chalice.  After all, what would his chalice be doing in Akron, Ohio?  "What good ever came out of Nazareth" right?  But it was sealed with all the proper seals and had a certificate "Certificato" of authenticity.  I spent some time trying to translate it (not too shabbily I might add) before I found an English translation on the reverse.  "This is a cup used by Fr. Pio in 1960 and shared with his brothers.  It was donated to the museum on 1977." 

So who knows how many times he actually used it.  Maybe once.  Maybe a thousand times.  It appears as though it was also used by the community.  I tried looking up an image of him using it but failed to do so. 

 

So afterwards we had an opportunity for people to come forward and venerate this second class relic.  But as absolutely cool as it was to hold onto what the saint did - to have that tie - what really gave the chalice worth is that it held, just moments ago - and at least since the 1960s, the precious Blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  In that way, every chalice should instill in us a certain amount of awe.

 

(But it was still cool.)

SO YOU THINK YOU DON'T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A HOLY HOUR?

What in the world are you supposed to do for an hour before the Blessed Sacrament?  It is a question that would have plagued my father.  When we asked him to go to New York to see his daughter the question that kept nagging his was, “But what would we do?”

“Visit with your family.”

 

“Yes, but what would we do?”

 

“Visit.”

 

“And do what?”

 

We didn’t go.

 

In this age we need never not be distracted.  If the radio and computer can’t fill the space, the ever present television should do the trick.  They are installed now in cars, check out lines, and increasingly, much to my chagrin, in non-sports bars restaurants.  But should even that fail you, get out your magic phone and it can adequately distract you from thinking or being with yourself in just about every way the above gadgets could do for you.

 

Then after that, we are expected to sit in a church for an hour with Jesus present to us as the Blessed Sacrament.

 

“But what are we supposed to do?”

 

There is a parish close by that has had perpetual adoration since I was a little kid.  Late at night I would stop there from time to time and most of the time people simply prayed but there were some odd things.  Once there was the student that brought a typewriter (tells you how long ago this was) to work on term papers with Jesus.  Clearly there are some things that are more appropriate than others.  How would you like someone coming over to spend time with you and then become wholly occupied with texting?

 

If you are gearing up to start doing a holy hour but the “what am I going to do” monster is making you nervous, start with a holy 10 minutes.  Pay attention to any positive effects after having completed the time.  Notice that you neither died nor went insane.  Next time add a few more minutes. 

 

But as far as what you are to do, ideally it would be to contemplate.  Did you ever spend a lazy afternoon staring out the window?  Here too, “just be still and know that I am God.”  When you find yourself very distracted there are two options: 1) Gently bring yourself back contemplation.  2) See if whatever it is that you think is distracting you is God trying to talk to you about something.

 

If you need to have an agenda consider praying the Liturgy of the Hours.  Do a Rosary.  Read next Sunday’s readings and come up with your own homily – listen to ideas from God.  Get a hymnal out and sing to God in your head.  If things get rough, stand up, shake it off (discreetly) and move to another spot.

 

If you want more ideas, look here or here or here.

 

But most importantly: GO!

TOLERANCE IS A TWO WAY STREET

I received a short letter from a lady who was quite distressed that reception of Communion in the Catholic Church is limited to Catholics.  The implication was that Catholics thought of her as an inferior Christian.  (How she got that interpretation I am at a loss.  But there it is.)  Her letter begins by saying that she is, “a baptized and confirmed Lutheran who believes in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church . . .” but ends the letter with, “Justification by faith said Martin Luther.  He got it right.”  The first part of the letter makes it sound as though she sought unity between the Churches, but her last line strikes a strong note concerning our differences and how she is glad for them.

 

I would assume that in naming the Christian Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, words with which we resonate, underneath we would mean very different things.  And therein lays the problem:  Communion means we are “in union” and we are not.  When someone approaches to receive Communion we say, “Body of Christ,” and expect the reply, “Amen.”  What does “Amen” mean but “Yes!” or “So be it!” or “I agree!”  As Catholics we believe, of course, that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ and that the bread and wine has ceased to exist.  But that belief assumes so much more.  It assumes that Jesus founded a Church with authority, and that it is the one true Church under the leadership of His vicar, the pope, that the way we are redeemed and saved is how it has been understood by the Catholic Church for 2,000 years, that the Catholic priesthood is what we say that it is, that works matter, and, well, I could go on and on.  To make this person say, “Amen,” then means one of two things: She denies her Lutheran belief and has chosen to make a public pronouncement that what the Catholic Church teaches is correct or, it doesn’t matter what the Catholic Church teaches which is silly anyway and therefore I may do as I please.

 

But here is the good thing that happened:  Part of Jesus’ mission was, “That they may all be one.”  But respecting each other and not receiving Communion at each other’s churches, we paid homage to the fact they we are indeed not in union.  So then rather than superficially looking like we are all the same page, we were able to actually address something here that would otherwise have gone under the radar and solved nothing.  This person was drawn to ask the question and I was able to respond.  There is the road back to unity.  Not ignoring it.

FRIDAY POTPOURRI: FANTASIZING ABOUT REALITY

 (Continuing Lumen Gentium)

Why are shows such as Game of Thrones (despite the acres of skin that is shows – really – I think I can get the point without so much detail – I’m a celibate, not dense) or Harry Potter so popular?  There is something about sacrificing for some greater good.  There is something about being born of noble birth or attaining a noble position.  To quote Shakespeare, “Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”  (Twelfth Night.)  It is a great fantasy right?  The Church says it is not a fantasy but a reality.  It is just difficult to see in this life.

 

(Paragraph 11)  We (you) are incorporated into a kingly, prophetic, and priestly family through baptism.  In it you are reborn and are now sons and daughters of The King.  This life is brought into operation through the power of the sacraments and through the exercise of virtue.  And unlike many royal families, the object is not to insulate and protect ourselves from upstarts who want to infiltrate the family but to boldly go out and announce to others the story and how they may be a part of it.  Dissimilar from earthly royal families we do not gain strength and distinction from exclusivity but through a great invitation to all to go through the initiation and the living of the life of this “people set apart.”

 

Our greatest unity comes about when each of us, performing our own role, participate in the Eucharistic liturgy.  In Penance we reconcile this great family.  In the anointing of the sick we pray for healing and encourage our ill brothers and sisters to redemptive suffering.  Those with Holy Orders strengthen the family for their labors and married persons live out radically the unity that we are to achieve with each other, encouraging each other to holiness, and build up the body of the Church with their young.  With so many witnesses, so many different states, we are called to build each other up toward perfection as our Father is perfect.

 

(Wow.  What a paragraph.)