Just a teaser quote… She said, “My reaction? I wanted to worship. Just worship. Give me a place to kneel and pray for a week or two, and let me worship. That was the reaction that the Triduum produced in me.”

Yeah. I remember that feeling. Nothing like it in the world.

Welcome home Erin!

Among the most important titles we have in the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary are Our Lady of Victory and Our Lady of the Rosary. These titles can be traced back to one of the most decisive times in the history of the world and Christendom. The Battle of Lepanto took place on October 7 (date of feast of Our Lady of Rosary), 1571. This proved to be the most crucial battle for the Christian forces against the radical Muslim navy of Turkey. Pope Pius V led a procession around St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City praying the Rosary. He showed true pastoral leadership in recognizing the danger posed to Christendom by the radical Muslim forces, and in using the means necessary to defeat it. Spiritual  battles require spiritual weapons, and this more than anything was a battle that had its origins in the spiritual order—a true battle between good and evil.

Today we have a similar spiritual battle in progress—a battle between the forces of good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, life and death. If we do not soon stop the genocide of abortion in the United States, we shall run the course of all those that prove by their actions that they are enemies of God—total collapse, economic, social, and national. The moral demise of a nation results in the ultimate demise of a nation. God is not a disinterested spectator to the affairs of man. Life begins at conception. This is an unalterable formal teaching of the Catholic Church. If you do not accept this you are a heretic in plain English. A single abortion is homicide. The more than 48,000,000 abortions since Roe v. Wade in the United States constitute genocide by definition. The group singled out for death—unwanted, unborn children.

May God grant us the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and counsel to form our conscience in accordance with authentic Catholic teaching, and then vote that well‐formed Catholic conscience.

1. By counsel.
2. By command.
3. By consent.
4. By provocation.
5. By praise or flattery.
6. By concealment.
7. By partaking.
8. By silence.
9. By defense of the ill done.

Gal 2: 19-20a  For through the law I died to the law,  that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me;

2 Cor 4: 6-11  For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of (Jesus) Christ. But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being given up to death for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

 While our circumstances are normalizing, my mind and heart are not.  It is as though I have undergone a very fundamental ‘sea change’ and, to mix metaphors, have not my sea legs as yet.  I wish I had the words to share what these verses are to me… but there seems to be a growing silence and stillness within that steals the words from me.  So I leave them here for you in the hopes that you will also find the treasure in them.

Having lived in three states in the past few years and visited many more parishes than our local ones as part of the job interview process in each prospective community, we had one really good parish.  The others were mediocre at best and some of them were down right scary.  I am not talking a lack of aesthetics, I’m talking teaching and homilies and treatment of the Blessed Sacrament that would wipe Papa Ben’s smile right off his face. In these parishes, we reminded ourselves that the Eucharist was still there and did what we could to continue growing in our faith even when the priest etc was letting the parishioners down, staying and praying for that parish and its priests…. but we grumbled.

Our parish here has been fabulous.  Talk about an on fire, dedicated, passionate, priest not only faithful to the magisterium but seriously dedicated to the souls in his care. The seminarian is an excellent complement to him and between the two of them it has been an incredible summer.  Our seminarian returned to school a few weeks ago and we are already feeling the loss keenly, particularly with Father gone. As I said, we have gotten spoiled… not complacent by any means, but spoiled none the less.

Yesterday, I was going over the Mass readings between Benediction and Mass.  The first reading was Numbers 21:4b-9.  I got stuck at the end of verse 5.

4b But with their patience worn out by the journey, 5 the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!”

It suddenly hit me, totally out of the blue, that I am guilty of griping about the ‘wretched food.’  I have been worn out in the past by the moves journey and complained to God saying, “Why have you brought us out from where we had it so good to this place with a spiritually anemic parish, a horrible priest, and unfriendly people wretched food?” Ouch. That was all BEFORE Mass.  Did I mention that Father is on vacation?

We had a visiting priest.  If I had thought the lesson was over once Mass began, I had another think comin’. It was case in point, or point in case rather, illustrated by the opening prayer.

God our Father, in obedience to you your only Son accepted death on the cross for the salvation of (hu)mankind.  We acknowledge the mystery of the cross on earth.  May we receive the gift of redemption in heaven. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

That red bit above was added courtesy of the visiting priest and it didn’t get better.  Sigh. It was like our wonderful new parish had been invaded by the ghosts of parishes past… and I had just been told I was a whiner.  Did I say ouch? Yeah. I hear ya Lord, no more complaining about the ‘wretched food’.* 

Father gets back on Wednesday and we are incredibly grateful.  He has been sorely missed.  Still, I will not forget this lesson and will continue to pray daily as a result for an increase in vocations, both to the priesthood and religious life, of those who will be like my priest.  Men and women faithful to the magisterium with a passion for both the people and the details which make up our Liturgy and the Deposit of Faith we have been given, people who encourage others to greater holiness by their example and their presence. Praying not with an attitude of complaint but of gratitude… for the GOOD priests out there and that God would give us MORE of them.

If you are like me and have been in the past, or still are, stuck in a parish that seems to hurt more than it helps, I ask you to join me in prayer.  I encourage you to offer up the suffering you experience on behalf of vocations, begging God for a priest after His own heart – not only for your parish, but for all parishes like it in the world.  Instead of complaining about the “wretched food,” let us turn to God in thanksgiving for what we have and pray that He will raise up holy, godly young men and women who will ‘feed’ the generations to come well.

*Just noting that ‘no more complaining about wretched food’ doesn’t mean no more speaking out about abuses and failings generally which need to be corrected.  That we are required to do as an spiritual work of mercy.

She is, understandably, anxious to return home and yet the reality of her own good fortune and hours upon hours of media coverage has not inured her to the misfortune of others.  She is currently at Home Depot, loading up on supplies and tools so that she is more able to help others, neighbors and strangers  who are less fortunate, upon her return.

Yes, I am grateful… not only that my friend’s home was spared… but for my friend as well.

Not exactly.  Rick Warren and the debate are a good example but not of how good Christians are at evangelizing.  Those philosophies I mentioned having been embraced by our country were individualism, hedonism, and minimalism.  These have permeated not only the secular culture but have ‘evangelized’ Christians as well… so well  and so subtly in fact, that many Christians who’s lives and attitudes are very much ruled by these philosophies would argue that they are not guilty of holding such anti-Christian philosophies at all. 

The fact that our individualistic, hedonistic, and minimalistic country is so comfortable with Rick Warren hosting a secular debate tells me something… but it isn’t so much about our country as about Rick Warren. 

I am guilty of these sinful philosophies myself and am working at rooting them out of my own life. 

I had no idea that the ‘rugged individualism’ that was held up as a virtue  when I was growing up was in fact a vice more often than not.  I did not realize that the desire to protect the rights of the individual could become such a ferocious and ungodly monstrosity that any godliness in the effort had long been cast by the wayside. I did not anticipate the rights of the individual taking precedent over the good of society as a whole or even over right and wrong.   Freedom to do what is right, that which we once held so precious, has become freedom to live a Burger King life… ‘your way, right away’ no matter who it hurts while all the while buying the lie that (especially if private) it hurts no one.

Christ calls us to die to self. He calls us to give up not just small things but even our very lives for others.  We can not serve two masters.  We can not embrace self and die to self at the same time. There is a place for the individual in that death to self, but not to the detriment of others and not when right and wrong must be redefined in order to satisfy the wants or perceived needs of that individual.

I did not realize that I had bought into the pleasure seeking greed of hedonism… no idea that my tendency to laziness, to indulging in things that pleased my senses, to over-indulging in things that tasted good, were indicators of a philosophy in direct opposition to the godliness I sought in my spiritual life. 

Christ calls us to take up our cross.  He does not call us to health or wealth or pleasure in sensuous (think 5 senses here please – not just or even primarily sexual) things.  He calls us to embrace suffering.  Christ suffered.  He suffered not only in His Passion, but during His life as well.  So too, in being transformed into Christ-likeness, are we called to suffer.  This calls us far beyond the shallow pleasures of hedonism into a deep and lasting joy.

It never occurred to me that the ‘least necessary’ wasn’t ‘good enough’.  I was not only settling for, but SEEKING mediocrity in every area of my life without ever realizing I was doing so.  In fact, I would have argued vehemently with anyone suggesting the Truth. 

Christ calls us to give our very best, to give everything we have.  Even if our work involves changing diapers or emptying bedpans or picking up garbage in front of homes or along the highways, regardless how dirty or anonymous and unrecognized the job, Christ calls us to give our best… We are called to excellence. Our best may not be the same as someone else’s… but we aren’t called to be the best, only to give OUR best. ‘Good enough’ isn’t an option for us.

Rick Warren moderating a presidential debate is far from evidence of how well we Christians have evangelized our society… it is rather evidence of how well some of us have been evangelized by it… and we don’t even realize it.

God have mercy.

As he briefed me on the packet he showed me a page which detailed the rearrangement of the topics on subsequent days and the added materials recommended for our use.  He pointed at the first day which covered love using John 15: 1-17.  Beside this was an admonition in all caps, bolded, and underlined, which stated “DO NOT SKIP VERSE 6!”  He took care to point that out to me.  I said to him that I was not in the habit of skipping verses when I read scripture.  He said yes, but don’t skip verse 6.  I said WHY would I skip verse 6?? He said well, the original materials tell you to skip verse 6, but we do not want the teachers to skip verse 6.  I said ooooooooooooh ok then, thinking to self ‘not a problem because I DON’T SKIP VERSES WHEN READING SCRIPTURE.’

Today I sat down to work on VBS lesson plans and, remembering the ‘skip this verse’ exchange, dug out my little booklet to see if that verse was skipped on what I had.  Sure enough, it was.

With the lovely new packet of materials the Priest and Seminarian had put together, I started my prep at the top, opening my Bible to the scriptures in John.  As I began to read, I looked forward to that verse with great interest, wondering what on earth needed to be ‘cut’ from the scripture being studied by the children.  Then I began to laugh and thought, ‘Of. Course!’ What can I say, it was either laugh or cry.

Remember now, this is a verse in the gospel of John.  In fact, if your Holy Bible has the words of Christ in red, THIS verse would be in red.  In fact, there are red verses before it and red verses after it so THIS verse being in red wouldn’t be a printing error.  So WHY would we be advised EVER to ‘skip and not read’ the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Well, let’s take a wee peek at what those words are and see, shall we? (I’ll even give you a little context.)

5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.

6 Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.

7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

That verse might be kind of hard to reconcile with the Once Saved Always Saved theology to which so many Protestant denominations adhere. Still, wow.  It’s one thing to know that people have stripped out scripture that they don’t agree with (ie the Deuterocanonical books and those pesky bits in Daniel and Esther).  It’s one thing to know that people still strip away and deny the truth of the scripture they’ve kept by twisting and misrepresenting the teachings therein. After all, it’s somehow detached from us, historical or theoretical.  It’s something else entirely to see it done so blatantly, in practice, and in order to deceive children. 

What was that Christ said about letting children come to Him?  I think He said something about causing children to sin and a millstone as well (Luke 17:1-2) or are we skipping that scripture too? Skipping scripture is a dangerous thing… sort of like giving a mouse a cookie… skip one and you have to skip another… and another… like this one in Matthew (4:4)…

4

He said in reply, “It is written: ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.’

(Emphasis mine.) Interesting how all those scriptures you’d have to skip to be comfortable skipping the first one are ALSO straight from the mouth of our Lord (and in a Holy Bible those are all in red). Wonder if that is why so many Protestants I talk to quote Paul more than they quote Christ.

Dunno about you, but I don’t skip verses when I read scripture… It isn’t life unless it is lived by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God… and He came that I might have life, and that more abundantly (John 10:10)!

Oh, and about not having enough material? Not a problem anymore… Now I don’t have enough time!

By Believing in Christ (Jn 3:16; Acts 16:31)?

By Repentance (Acts 2:38; 2 Pet 3:9)?

By Baptism (John 3:5; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet 3:21; Titus 3:5)?

By the work of the Spirit (John 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6)?

By declaring with our mouths (Luke 12:8; Rom 10:9)?

By coming to a knowledge of the Truth (1 Tim 2:4; Heb 10:26)?

By Works (Rom 2:6, 7; James 2:21, 24-25)?

By Grace (Acts 15:11; Eph 2:8)?

By His blood (Rom 5:9; Heb 9:22)?

By His righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Pet 1:1)?

By His cross (Eph 2:16; Col 2:14)?

“Can we cut any one of these out of the list and proclaim it alone as the means of salvation? Can we be saved without faith? without God’s grace? without repentance? without baptism? without the Spirit? These are all involved and necessary; not one of them can be dismissed as a means of obtaining eternal life. Neither can one be emphasized to the exclusion of another. They are all involved in salvation and entry into the Church. The Catholic Church does not divide these various elements of salvation up, overemphasizing some while ignoring others; rather she holds them all in their fullness.” (forum post quoting author Stephen Ray, Catholic.com)