Nuts or Bolts
Our neighboring state, Illinois, recently joined a growing number of states to recognize same-sex marriage. Most media reports herald this move as long overdue. The Chicago Tribune article of November 5, 2013, quotes the bill sponsor, Representative Greg Harris as saying, “At the end of the day, what this bill is about is love, it’s about family, it’s about commitment.” While it may have something to do with love and commitment, I see no benefit to family.
Chicago has a terrible problem with street violence in some of its neighborhoods. Young people die most every day from gunfire mostly perpetrated by undisciplined youths who grew up in single-parent homes. The deterioration of the traditional family unit has played a huge role in the increase of violent crime. Boys need a strong father figure to teach them to behave responsibly in society. This idea that family can be whatever makes somebody happy only serves to further diminish structure that is so important in nurturing children.
I find it interesting that Pope Francis is being credited for helping to get the bill passed in Illinois. In July, the Pope was quoted as saying, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?” The Tribune article notes that several Catholic lawmakers, who had difficulty reconciling their religious beliefs with same-sex marriage, used the Pope’s comments to justify voting in favor of the bill. Of course, this is a cop-out. The Pope was not condoning same-sex marriage, and those lawmakers would have found some other justification for their vote had the Pope not spoken.
Secular society’s notion of marriage is much different from the natural covenant instituted by the Creator. Many people take a cursory view of the issue. They see no real problem if two people with same-sex attraction want to commit to each other in a relationship. The Catholic Church must take the view evident in natural law as revealed to us by God in Genesis 2:24 and reiterated by Jesus in Mark 10:8, where we are told a man shall be united to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. There is no natural way two men or two women can become one flesh.
A television commercial currently airing for the Ford Fusion car shows a man and woman discussing the dilemma of choosing between a great ride or great gas mileage. The man says, “It’s like choosing between nuts OR bolts.” The next scene shows a man standing next to an above ground swimming pool saying, “I wonder what these nuts are for?” About that time, the swimming pool walls burst forth, spilling the water and swimmers all over the lawn.
The commercial uses an example I have used in the past to demonstrate one of the problems with same-sex marriage. A bolt has to be married to a nut or it cannot be used for its designed purpose. A bolt will not bond with another bolt. A nut will not bond with another nut. Attempting to do so will result in failure. The resulting effort is disordered. A natural marriage requires a male and a female to form a bond, whether we are talking human beings or hardware.
We should not expect the Catholic Church to say the misuse of God’s creation is okay just because certain people find it desirable. As the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Pope is responsible for guiding all humanity in matters of faith and morals. Those having no regard for Church authority, view Church teaching on homosexual behavior as intolerant or bigoted. On the contrary, the Church is speaking out of love and concern for all souls created by God. Resisting temptation requires discipline, and from discipline comes discipleship. To be a disciple means to listen to those Christ left in authority. “Whoever listens to you, listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” Luke 10:16
Friday, November 15, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Public Err Ways
Our local radio station carries Christian religious programming on Sunday mornings. Although none of it is Catholic, I listen to it as I prepare to go to Eucharistic Adoration. At times, I am encouraged by how close we are as fellow Christians. At other times, I am saddened by our differences. While we all share a love for Christ, we have very different ways of showing it. Some of the preaching and singing has a very southern Baptist bend to the point where it can be difficult for us northerners to understand. The Lutheran program that follows would be most closely recognizable to a Catholic.
At the end of the Lutheran broadcast on a recent Sunday, they advertised a publication on the lost books of the Bible and why they were not included by the “early Church”. The commercial asked if we ever wondered why the Bible contains only those “66” books. I wondered if THEY ever wondered why the Bible does not contain all 73 books that the early Church actually included. By the way, that early Church to which they refer is the Catholic Church. Yes, I realize Lutherans may think they are the true early Church reformed by Martin Luther, but such cannot be the case.
Luther in effect denied the inerrant authority of the early Church to determine the canon of the Bible when he eliminated seven books. If the early Church erred in the inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books as we call them, doubt would be cast on the entire canon of Scripture. Who gave a German priest the right to overrule the God-given authority of the early Bishops of the Catholic Church? Only God had that authority to give and He did not give it to Luther. We know that from Matthew Chapter 16.
The Catholic Church gets very little respect these days. A restaurant in Chicago is offering a hamburger billed as a 10-ounce patty, chile aioli, braised goat shoulder, white cheddar cheese and two other special ingredients, "Red Wine Reduction (the blood of Christ) with Communion Wafer garnish (the body of Christ)." This description is according to Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. The Catholic community is in an uproar over this and rightly so.
Yes, it is only bread, not consecrated, and the wine is just wine, but one must question the motive behind this offering. Certainly the unleavened bread offers no taste enhancement to the burger. If the purpose was to take a slap at the Catholic Church for shock value and publicity, they have certainly succeeded.
I am not so disturbed by the hamburger as I am by the online comments section following John Kass’s column. So many readers took this opportunity to express their disdain for the Catholic Church. A few of the comments: “They should worry about getting with the times and their criminal empire of pedophile priests not whats on a hamburger.” Another said, “Morons. This is one of the several reasons I abandoned the Catholic Church a long time ago, their inability to practice what they preach.” Many of the remarks were even more disgusting.
Sadly, this is the perception of the Church many harbor today. We have to acknowledge that we earned this reputation through serious sins of some of the Church hierarchy who will have to answer for their sins come the judgment. But, we also need to realize that many Church critics are simply seeking justification for their own shortcomings. The abuse scandal will not be forgotten, and therefore, Catholic evangelization will be more difficult.
A Chicago television newscast recently aired a report about the large number of Latinos leaving the Catholic Church for Protestant denominations. They say the church does not speak to their needs and concerns. They want to worship in their own way with livelier music and dancing. Is livelier music and dancing what we need to draw people to the Church? Of course not, but we do need a different approach to reach people who were never properly catechized.
In one his recent interviews, Pope Francis was quoted as saying, “The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the darkness with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. “
In the same interview, he was also quoted as saying, “The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently. Proclamation in a missionary style focuses on the essentials, on the necessary things. This is also what fascinates and attracts more, what makes the heart burn, as it did for the disciples at Emmaus.” “A beautiful homily, a genuine sermon must begin with the first proclamation, with the proclamation of salvation.” “Then you have to do catechesis.”
The interview caused quite a stir in the media with many trying to fit the Pope’s words into their own agenda. From my perspective, Pope Francis is in no way trying to lessen the importance of any teaching of the Church. Rather, he recognizes the importance of first touching people’s hearts with the gospel message that will in turn create a desire for spiritual enrichment through catechesis and prayer. If people first see the Church as a disconnected regulatory agency, they will never feel drawn to the message of salvation. A love affair has to start with courtship.
Our local radio station carries Christian religious programming on Sunday mornings. Although none of it is Catholic, I listen to it as I prepare to go to Eucharistic Adoration. At times, I am encouraged by how close we are as fellow Christians. At other times, I am saddened by our differences. While we all share a love for Christ, we have very different ways of showing it. Some of the preaching and singing has a very southern Baptist bend to the point where it can be difficult for us northerners to understand. The Lutheran program that follows would be most closely recognizable to a Catholic.
At the end of the Lutheran broadcast on a recent Sunday, they advertised a publication on the lost books of the Bible and why they were not included by the “early Church”. The commercial asked if we ever wondered why the Bible contains only those “66” books. I wondered if THEY ever wondered why the Bible does not contain all 73 books that the early Church actually included. By the way, that early Church to which they refer is the Catholic Church. Yes, I realize Lutherans may think they are the true early Church reformed by Martin Luther, but such cannot be the case.
Luther in effect denied the inerrant authority of the early Church to determine the canon of the Bible when he eliminated seven books. If the early Church erred in the inclusion of the Deuterocanonical books as we call them, doubt would be cast on the entire canon of Scripture. Who gave a German priest the right to overrule the God-given authority of the early Bishops of the Catholic Church? Only God had that authority to give and He did not give it to Luther. We know that from Matthew Chapter 16.
The Catholic Church gets very little respect these days. A restaurant in Chicago is offering a hamburger billed as a 10-ounce patty, chile aioli, braised goat shoulder, white cheddar cheese and two other special ingredients, "Red Wine Reduction (the blood of Christ) with Communion Wafer garnish (the body of Christ)." This description is according to Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass. The Catholic community is in an uproar over this and rightly so.
Yes, it is only bread, not consecrated, and the wine is just wine, but one must question the motive behind this offering. Certainly the unleavened bread offers no taste enhancement to the burger. If the purpose was to take a slap at the Catholic Church for shock value and publicity, they have certainly succeeded.
I am not so disturbed by the hamburger as I am by the online comments section following John Kass’s column. So many readers took this opportunity to express their disdain for the Catholic Church. A few of the comments: “They should worry about getting with the times and their criminal empire of pedophile priests not whats on a hamburger.” Another said, “Morons. This is one of the several reasons I abandoned the Catholic Church a long time ago, their inability to practice what they preach.” Many of the remarks were even more disgusting.
Sadly, this is the perception of the Church many harbor today. We have to acknowledge that we earned this reputation through serious sins of some of the Church hierarchy who will have to answer for their sins come the judgment. But, we also need to realize that many Church critics are simply seeking justification for their own shortcomings. The abuse scandal will not be forgotten, and therefore, Catholic evangelization will be more difficult.
A Chicago television newscast recently aired a report about the large number of Latinos leaving the Catholic Church for Protestant denominations. They say the church does not speak to their needs and concerns. They want to worship in their own way with livelier music and dancing. Is livelier music and dancing what we need to draw people to the Church? Of course not, but we do need a different approach to reach people who were never properly catechized.
In one his recent interviews, Pope Francis was quoted as saying, “The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the darkness with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials. “
In the same interview, he was also quoted as saying, “The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently. Proclamation in a missionary style focuses on the essentials, on the necessary things. This is also what fascinates and attracts more, what makes the heart burn, as it did for the disciples at Emmaus.” “A beautiful homily, a genuine sermon must begin with the first proclamation, with the proclamation of salvation.” “Then you have to do catechesis.”
The interview caused quite a stir in the media with many trying to fit the Pope’s words into their own agenda. From my perspective, Pope Francis is in no way trying to lessen the importance of any teaching of the Church. Rather, he recognizes the importance of first touching people’s hearts with the gospel message that will in turn create a desire for spiritual enrichment through catechesis and prayer. If people first see the Church as a disconnected regulatory agency, they will never feel drawn to the message of salvation. A love affair has to start with courtship.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
The Box
After arriving home from work one day this week, my wife handed me a box. In it were nine rosaries and two beautiful crucifixes. They were given to her by a co-worker who said they belonged to her now-deceased in-laws. Knowing we were Catholic, she thought we might know someone who could use them. If her in-laws were Catholic, isn’t her husband Catholic, I asked? He may have been at one time, but apparently not anymore.
I can only imagine his father and mother looking down from heaven at the sight of their precious sacramentals being given away to strangers rather than being handed down to Catholic grandchildren as holy heirlooms. How often did grandma and grandpa pick up those rosaries at critical times in their lives? They probably prayed for their children and grandchildren in sickness and times of trouble. The two crucifixes were identical, the kind often displayed in the casket of deceased Catholics. Having them in my possession saddens me.
I remember my elderly grandmother praying her rosary in her small first-floor bedroom. She faced much difficulty in her life, the loss of her husband and a son, and a devastating Christmas fire that destroyed the family business. She died in 1972 and was probably buried with that rosary in her hands. How wonderful it would be to pray on that rosary today, a relic of my grandmother who loved her Catholic faith so much.
Many Protestants look at sacramentals as Catholic superstition. They see no value in them, and may even view them as forms of idolatry. I suspect they are uncomfortable having them in their possession, and at the same time, reluctant to destroy them too, just in case. Play it safe, and just give them away.
A description on the EWTN website says, “the myriad of little things that are sacramentals are the parts of catholicity that jostle against us in our everyday life, those little extras that often tell others we are Catholic.” The rosary, as we know it today, probably dates back to the thirteenth century, but may have originated in some fashion as early as the second century. When praying the rosary, we meditate on the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption in the history of our salvation.
One might wonder why non-Catholic Christians object to the crucifix. Protestant denominations generally do not display the corpus on the cross. In response to the crucifix, they will say they instead worship a Risen Christ. Well, so do we, but our salvation comes not from the cross itself, but by the God-man who hung on it. The crucifix is a stark reminder that Jesus suffered and died for our sins.
Parents bear the great responsibility of raising their children in the faith. The priest can’t do it. The CCD teacher can’t do it. And in some cases, even parental guidance is not enough. How many future generations will never know the Catholic faith because one person decided to abandon the Church? How many rosaries will never be prayed?
So, what will I do with these staples of catholicity? I would like to eventually see them go back to the family. Perhaps one of the children will someday be inspired to investigate the faith of their grandparents. How wonderful it would be to make that connection and be able to present them with rosaries that once guided the prayers of grandma and grandpa. For now, I will place a note in the box and keep them in a safe place.
After arriving home from work one day this week, my wife handed me a box. In it were nine rosaries and two beautiful crucifixes. They were given to her by a co-worker who said they belonged to her now-deceased in-laws. Knowing we were Catholic, she thought we might know someone who could use them. If her in-laws were Catholic, isn’t her husband Catholic, I asked? He may have been at one time, but apparently not anymore.
I can only imagine his father and mother looking down from heaven at the sight of their precious sacramentals being given away to strangers rather than being handed down to Catholic grandchildren as holy heirlooms. How often did grandma and grandpa pick up those rosaries at critical times in their lives? They probably prayed for their children and grandchildren in sickness and times of trouble. The two crucifixes were identical, the kind often displayed in the casket of deceased Catholics. Having them in my possession saddens me.
I remember my elderly grandmother praying her rosary in her small first-floor bedroom. She faced much difficulty in her life, the loss of her husband and a son, and a devastating Christmas fire that destroyed the family business. She died in 1972 and was probably buried with that rosary in her hands. How wonderful it would be to pray on that rosary today, a relic of my grandmother who loved her Catholic faith so much.
Many Protestants look at sacramentals as Catholic superstition. They see no value in them, and may even view them as forms of idolatry. I suspect they are uncomfortable having them in their possession, and at the same time, reluctant to destroy them too, just in case. Play it safe, and just give them away.
A description on the EWTN website says, “the myriad of little things that are sacramentals are the parts of catholicity that jostle against us in our everyday life, those little extras that often tell others we are Catholic.” The rosary, as we know it today, probably dates back to the thirteenth century, but may have originated in some fashion as early as the second century. When praying the rosary, we meditate on the mysteries of the Incarnation and Redemption in the history of our salvation.
One might wonder why non-Catholic Christians object to the crucifix. Protestant denominations generally do not display the corpus on the cross. In response to the crucifix, they will say they instead worship a Risen Christ. Well, so do we, but our salvation comes not from the cross itself, but by the God-man who hung on it. The crucifix is a stark reminder that Jesus suffered and died for our sins.
Parents bear the great responsibility of raising their children in the faith. The priest can’t do it. The CCD teacher can’t do it. And in some cases, even parental guidance is not enough. How many future generations will never know the Catholic faith because one person decided to abandon the Church? How many rosaries will never be prayed?
So, what will I do with these staples of catholicity? I would like to eventually see them go back to the family. Perhaps one of the children will someday be inspired to investigate the faith of their grandparents. How wonderful it would be to make that connection and be able to present them with rosaries that once guided the prayers of grandma and grandpa. For now, I will place a note in the box and keep them in a safe place.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Massaging the Message
As summer draws to a close, many parishes are beginning their RCIA programs. For the uninitiated, RCIA stands for Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, a process where people interested in the Catholic Faith can ask questions, grow spiritually, and come into the Catholic Church if they so desire, typically at the Easter Vigil. For the second year in a row, it appears we will have no one attend the class at our parish.
Before he left his pontificate, Pope Benedict invited all Catholics to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. This New Evangelization calls us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel and proclaim it to the world. This past week, our faith enhancement class got into a discussion of why so few Catholics in our parish attend Eucharistic Adoration. Even Sunday Mass attendance is down. If Jesus Christ really becomes present on our altar each week, why do so few people seem to care?
The hunger for Christ is evident in our community. In a small town where the main street is beset with empty buildings, a number of storefront ecclesial communities have sprung up. Other non-denominational groups in the area seem to be doing well, judging by the number of cars in the parking lot. What are we Catholics doing wrong?
Perhaps it is not so much that we are doing something wrong. We are not doing enough. In many ways, our parish is the lamp under the bushel basket. Despite having the most conspicuous edifice in town, we attract little attention. Our faith expression is introverted. We display little enthusiasm for the Church in our community. As a faith-based family, our parish is somewhat dysfunctional. Some members have become disgruntled for one reason or another, choosing to attend Mass elsewhere. Some committees have become inactive.
A Catholic who truly understands and appreciates the office of the New Testament Priesthood, realizes that personality or homiletic talent are secondary traits of a good priest. His God-given power to confect the Holy Eucharist trumps all human character flaws that may make him less personable than one may like. Yet the reality is that likability of the priest can impact the viability of the parish. This is true not only of Catholic parishes, but most ecclesial communities. Dynamic non-denominational pastors can attract large numbers strictly by their charisma or preaching style. The delivery can mean more than the message when it comes to filling the pews. Catholics cannot choose their pastor based on his likability. In fact, they have no choice in the matter at all.
A local radio station airs a weekly sermon by an area preacher who happens to be a very good speaker. I enjoy listening to him on Sunday mornings while getting ready to go to Eucharistic Adoration. His parking lot is probably full. A couple weeks ago, he spoke about how to successfully share the gospel. He used the example of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well in John, chapter 4. He asked how Jesus engaged this woman in conversation. He did not begin by telling her she was going to hell. Instead, He asked her to give him a drink of water.
The preacher’s point is well taken. We gain converts, not by talking down to them or being blatantly critical. We need to treat people as if they were created in the image and likeness of God, which of course, they were. If we conduct our lives joyfully as Catholics living their faith, people will naturally follow. Taking the opportunity to share our faith when the opportunity arises can bear much fruit. The Holy Spirit will do the heavy lifting if we simply open the door.
Being able to share our faith requires us to know our faith and know it well. That takes study and continuous formation. Simply attending Mass once a week and daydreaming through a perhaps not so good homily is insufficient. We need to lift that bushel basket, allowing light to shine throughout the community. Accomplish this by taking advantage of all the different types of media we have available today. Be visible by participating in local events, such as festivals or public service. Get priorities in order. By all means, work to heal divisions within the parish. Uniting all Christians begins with uniting our own households.
Last week, one of the regulars at our faith enhancement class lamented the fact that she felt ill-equipped to pass her faith on to her seven year-old son. Having been away from the Church and poorly catechized as a child, she wondered how her son would ever learn to love the Catholic Faith when his only religious education comes from a ninety-minute weekly CCD class. Today, she texted me saying she and her son would not be able to attend Mass or CCD this Sunday because he has a Pop Warner football game.
When I was growing up, no organizer of kid’s sports would have ever considered scheduling games on Sundays when they could interfere with church attendance. My mother let me know at a very early age that going to Sunday Mass took precedence over everything else. All Christian parents should take a firm stand against organized sports on Sundays. If enough parents placed God above football, the organizers would get the message. To do otherwise sends a terrible message to our children.
As summer draws to a close, many parishes are beginning their RCIA programs. For the uninitiated, RCIA stands for Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, a process where people interested in the Catholic Faith can ask questions, grow spiritually, and come into the Catholic Church if they so desire, typically at the Easter Vigil. For the second year in a row, it appears we will have no one attend the class at our parish.
Before he left his pontificate, Pope Benedict invited all Catholics to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. This New Evangelization calls us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel and proclaim it to the world. This past week, our faith enhancement class got into a discussion of why so few Catholics in our parish attend Eucharistic Adoration. Even Sunday Mass attendance is down. If Jesus Christ really becomes present on our altar each week, why do so few people seem to care?
The hunger for Christ is evident in our community. In a small town where the main street is beset with empty buildings, a number of storefront ecclesial communities have sprung up. Other non-denominational groups in the area seem to be doing well, judging by the number of cars in the parking lot. What are we Catholics doing wrong?
Perhaps it is not so much that we are doing something wrong. We are not doing enough. In many ways, our parish is the lamp under the bushel basket. Despite having the most conspicuous edifice in town, we attract little attention. Our faith expression is introverted. We display little enthusiasm for the Church in our community. As a faith-based family, our parish is somewhat dysfunctional. Some members have become disgruntled for one reason or another, choosing to attend Mass elsewhere. Some committees have become inactive.
A Catholic who truly understands and appreciates the office of the New Testament Priesthood, realizes that personality or homiletic talent are secondary traits of a good priest. His God-given power to confect the Holy Eucharist trumps all human character flaws that may make him less personable than one may like. Yet the reality is that likability of the priest can impact the viability of the parish. This is true not only of Catholic parishes, but most ecclesial communities. Dynamic non-denominational pastors can attract large numbers strictly by their charisma or preaching style. The delivery can mean more than the message when it comes to filling the pews. Catholics cannot choose their pastor based on his likability. In fact, they have no choice in the matter at all.
A local radio station airs a weekly sermon by an area preacher who happens to be a very good speaker. I enjoy listening to him on Sunday mornings while getting ready to go to Eucharistic Adoration. His parking lot is probably full. A couple weeks ago, he spoke about how to successfully share the gospel. He used the example of Jesus speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well in John, chapter 4. He asked how Jesus engaged this woman in conversation. He did not begin by telling her she was going to hell. Instead, He asked her to give him a drink of water.
The preacher’s point is well taken. We gain converts, not by talking down to them or being blatantly critical. We need to treat people as if they were created in the image and likeness of God, which of course, they were. If we conduct our lives joyfully as Catholics living their faith, people will naturally follow. Taking the opportunity to share our faith when the opportunity arises can bear much fruit. The Holy Spirit will do the heavy lifting if we simply open the door.
Being able to share our faith requires us to know our faith and know it well. That takes study and continuous formation. Simply attending Mass once a week and daydreaming through a perhaps not so good homily is insufficient. We need to lift that bushel basket, allowing light to shine throughout the community. Accomplish this by taking advantage of all the different types of media we have available today. Be visible by participating in local events, such as festivals or public service. Get priorities in order. By all means, work to heal divisions within the parish. Uniting all Christians begins with uniting our own households.
Last week, one of the regulars at our faith enhancement class lamented the fact that she felt ill-equipped to pass her faith on to her seven year-old son. Having been away from the Church and poorly catechized as a child, she wondered how her son would ever learn to love the Catholic Faith when his only religious education comes from a ninety-minute weekly CCD class. Today, she texted me saying she and her son would not be able to attend Mass or CCD this Sunday because he has a Pop Warner football game.
When I was growing up, no organizer of kid’s sports would have ever considered scheduling games on Sundays when they could interfere with church attendance. My mother let me know at a very early age that going to Sunday Mass took precedence over everything else. All Christian parents should take a firm stand against organized sports on Sundays. If enough parents placed God above football, the organizers would get the message. To do otherwise sends a terrible message to our children.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Rock of Ages
Those of us on the cusp of geezerhood often wonder where the years have gone. The world has changed so much in my lifetime. Though I don’t feel old, I find myself out of step with my co-workers, and contemporary society in general.
Growing up in the 1950’s and ‘60s, the generation gap separating me from my parents was expansive. Rock-and-roll music was something they did not appreciate. Transistor radios were new and we listened to WLS day and night to get the latest hits from the likes of Dion, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Four Seasons, and Beach Boys. I remember my cousin Greg appearing to study intently at his desk in Catholic School, his chin resting on his hand to hide the earphone wire protruding from his shirtsleeve.
The sixties were a time of innovation. Technology was improving. Stereo was the new thing and record producers broke new ground, with new sounds, new instruments, and some great songwriting. When Beatlemania swept the nation, the generation gap widen even further. Ford and Chevy were the popular cars in my town, since those were the only two dealerships we had. Each year, we looked forward to the new models coming out in October. It was a big deal. The new cars arrived under covers so no one could see them until the highly anticipated unveiling. We kids knew our cars, especially the Chevys. We could all tell a ’62 from a ’63, a Biscayne from a BelAir, and even a 283 from a 327 by the badges on the fender.
Now I know how my parents must have felt. Today’s music on the radio all sounds the same to me, as it probably did to them fifty years ago. From my perspective, all the good music has already been done. There is nothing left to say in song. Oh, I realize I am out of touch. Good contemporary music is likely out there, but not worth my time to seek it. Most bands I see on television have two or three guys jumping around the stage shouting words I can’t understand. The songs all sound alike, the cars all look alike, what more can I say? Yeah, I know I sound like my dad.
This week, we will be traveling to celebrate our granddaughter’s second birthday. I wonder how much the world will change during her lifetime. The music, transportation, and technology are minor concerns when we realize our society’s moral compass has become an unreliable navigational instrument. We are becoming less civilized. Neighborhoods are not as safe as they once were. Inner city children cannot play outdoors for fear of being shot. Violence punctuates conflict, and not with a period.
Evil has existed throughout history, but a strong faith in God served to keep it in check. With little regard for Jesus and His Church today, we are sailing on a ship without a captain. What will the world be like when my granddaughter reaches my age? I don’t know. She could easily live into the twenty-second century. We must do all we can to instill a strong faith in our children and their children. The second coming will be a shock to many.
Those of us on the cusp of geezerhood often wonder where the years have gone. The world has changed so much in my lifetime. Though I don’t feel old, I find myself out of step with my co-workers, and contemporary society in general.
Growing up in the 1950’s and ‘60s, the generation gap separating me from my parents was expansive. Rock-and-roll music was something they did not appreciate. Transistor radios were new and we listened to WLS day and night to get the latest hits from the likes of Dion, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Four Seasons, and Beach Boys. I remember my cousin Greg appearing to study intently at his desk in Catholic School, his chin resting on his hand to hide the earphone wire protruding from his shirtsleeve.
The sixties were a time of innovation. Technology was improving. Stereo was the new thing and record producers broke new ground, with new sounds, new instruments, and some great songwriting. When Beatlemania swept the nation, the generation gap widen even further. Ford and Chevy were the popular cars in my town, since those were the only two dealerships we had. Each year, we looked forward to the new models coming out in October. It was a big deal. The new cars arrived under covers so no one could see them until the highly anticipated unveiling. We kids knew our cars, especially the Chevys. We could all tell a ’62 from a ’63, a Biscayne from a BelAir, and even a 283 from a 327 by the badges on the fender.
Now I know how my parents must have felt. Today’s music on the radio all sounds the same to me, as it probably did to them fifty years ago. From my perspective, all the good music has already been done. There is nothing left to say in song. Oh, I realize I am out of touch. Good contemporary music is likely out there, but not worth my time to seek it. Most bands I see on television have two or three guys jumping around the stage shouting words I can’t understand. The songs all sound alike, the cars all look alike, what more can I say? Yeah, I know I sound like my dad.
This week, we will be traveling to celebrate our granddaughter’s second birthday. I wonder how much the world will change during her lifetime. The music, transportation, and technology are minor concerns when we realize our society’s moral compass has become an unreliable navigational instrument. We are becoming less civilized. Neighborhoods are not as safe as they once were. Inner city children cannot play outdoors for fear of being shot. Violence punctuates conflict, and not with a period.
Evil has existed throughout history, but a strong faith in God served to keep it in check. With little regard for Jesus and His Church today, we are sailing on a ship without a captain. What will the world be like when my granddaughter reaches my age? I don’t know. She could easily live into the twenty-second century. We must do all we can to instill a strong faith in our children and their children. The second coming will be a shock to many.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Small Medium at Large
Our house is quiet again. My granddaughter and her mommy and daddy have moved to Kansas, taking with them their barking dog with the bladder control problem. I have regained possession of the tv remote and could sit around in my underwear if I so desired, which I don’t. The anticipation of their move was stressful for me and I still dread the upcoming nine hour drives when we want to visit them. People deal with anxiety in various ways, and I have never handled mine well.
There are no atheists in foxholes. The often-cited proverb notes the human tendency to turn to God in times of fear or stress. Many of us give little thought to prayer when things are going well, but immediately seek divine help when facing trouble. Life isn’t always easy. In fact, it isn’t supposed to be. Like seedlings being readied for the garden, we must be hardened off by limited exposure to harsh conditions. We come through adversity feeling stronger by the experience. No pain, no gain.
In Catholic belief, suffering is redemptive. Joining our suffering to the suffering of Our Lord is efficacious. It remits the temporal punishment due for our sins. Doing so before we die is much preferred than doing so afterwards. In this way, we can actually find joy in suffering. That does not mean we welcome suffering or should not take measures to alleviate it.
I take medication to help me deal with anxiety, stress, high blood pressure and other ailments. I seek comfort wherever I can find it, spending an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament on Sundays when our parish has Eucharistic Adoration, or lighting a candle before the Divine Mercy painting. I pray for relief from my anguish over worldly problems that plague my peace of mind. I feel guilty at times knowing that my worries are so minor when compared to those of others.
When life’s troubles seem too much to bear, people often look for reassurance that God is in control and all of this worldly pain will be rewarded in the end. A woman in our faith formation group recently raised a question about Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium, who has a show on cable channel TLC. Theresa claims to have the ability to communicate with the spirits of those who have died. The show depicts her relaying messages from departed loved-ones to people she encounters in her everyday life. The question involved how we as Catholics view someone claiming to be a medium.
The catechism tells us conjuring up the dead and recourse to mediums should be avoided. (CCC 2116) The admonition is not so much because to do so is bunkum, but rather to avoid the possibility of demonic influence. Catholics do believe souls are immortal. We ask those in heaven for their intercession, and God in His infinite power could certainly allow our departed ones to communicate with us if He so desired. The catechism directive seems to refer mostly to divination for the purpose of foretelling the future, though it does specifically warn against “recourse to mediums.”
In the case of Theresa Caputo and others like her (John Edward, James Van Praagh, et. al.), they are not typically fortune-tellers. They claim to receive messages from departed spirits which they relay to family members still living. An Internet search will turn up many claims that all of these so-called mediums are fakes, basically using an old trick called a cold reading where subjects are led to reveal information by responding to certain questions. Some are accused of employing researchers who obtain inside information about people who will be in attendance for shows. Obviously television programs can be carefully edited to make the star look good.
I have to acknowledge the possibility that God could allow certain people to have this ability. Criticism would naturally come from atheists trying to debunk anything that could point to an afterlife or the existence of God. In the case of Caputo, she often presents messages that would seem to support Catholic belief. She purportedly sees souls of aborted or miscarried babies in the arms of departed loved-ones. Yet, she also brings up ideas contrary to Catholic belief, such as talking about her previous lives with her spiritual advisor, who incidentally has the Divine Mercy painting hanging on her wall.
I am going to reserve judgment regarding Caputo. It would take an extremely cruel person to prey upon someone mourning the loss of a family member for the purpose of financial gain or notoriety, and Caputo does not come across as someone so heartless. Is it all real? I don’t know, probably not, but it is entertaining and causes us to think seriously about what happens after we leave this world. For those seeking reassurance during a trying time, her messages can bring comfort, but approach cautiously with feet firmly planted in your Catholic faith.
Our house is quiet again. My granddaughter and her mommy and daddy have moved to Kansas, taking with them their barking dog with the bladder control problem. I have regained possession of the tv remote and could sit around in my underwear if I so desired, which I don’t. The anticipation of their move was stressful for me and I still dread the upcoming nine hour drives when we want to visit them. People deal with anxiety in various ways, and I have never handled mine well.
There are no atheists in foxholes. The often-cited proverb notes the human tendency to turn to God in times of fear or stress. Many of us give little thought to prayer when things are going well, but immediately seek divine help when facing trouble. Life isn’t always easy. In fact, it isn’t supposed to be. Like seedlings being readied for the garden, we must be hardened off by limited exposure to harsh conditions. We come through adversity feeling stronger by the experience. No pain, no gain.
In Catholic belief, suffering is redemptive. Joining our suffering to the suffering of Our Lord is efficacious. It remits the temporal punishment due for our sins. Doing so before we die is much preferred than doing so afterwards. In this way, we can actually find joy in suffering. That does not mean we welcome suffering or should not take measures to alleviate it.
I take medication to help me deal with anxiety, stress, high blood pressure and other ailments. I seek comfort wherever I can find it, spending an hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament on Sundays when our parish has Eucharistic Adoration, or lighting a candle before the Divine Mercy painting. I pray for relief from my anguish over worldly problems that plague my peace of mind. I feel guilty at times knowing that my worries are so minor when compared to those of others.
When life’s troubles seem too much to bear, people often look for reassurance that God is in control and all of this worldly pain will be rewarded in the end. A woman in our faith formation group recently raised a question about Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium, who has a show on cable channel TLC. Theresa claims to have the ability to communicate with the spirits of those who have died. The show depicts her relaying messages from departed loved-ones to people she encounters in her everyday life. The question involved how we as Catholics view someone claiming to be a medium.
The catechism tells us conjuring up the dead and recourse to mediums should be avoided. (CCC 2116) The admonition is not so much because to do so is bunkum, but rather to avoid the possibility of demonic influence. Catholics do believe souls are immortal. We ask those in heaven for their intercession, and God in His infinite power could certainly allow our departed ones to communicate with us if He so desired. The catechism directive seems to refer mostly to divination for the purpose of foretelling the future, though it does specifically warn against “recourse to mediums.”
In the case of Theresa Caputo and others like her (John Edward, James Van Praagh, et. al.), they are not typically fortune-tellers. They claim to receive messages from departed spirits which they relay to family members still living. An Internet search will turn up many claims that all of these so-called mediums are fakes, basically using an old trick called a cold reading where subjects are led to reveal information by responding to certain questions. Some are accused of employing researchers who obtain inside information about people who will be in attendance for shows. Obviously television programs can be carefully edited to make the star look good.
I have to acknowledge the possibility that God could allow certain people to have this ability. Criticism would naturally come from atheists trying to debunk anything that could point to an afterlife or the existence of God. In the case of Caputo, she often presents messages that would seem to support Catholic belief. She purportedly sees souls of aborted or miscarried babies in the arms of departed loved-ones. Yet, she also brings up ideas contrary to Catholic belief, such as talking about her previous lives with her spiritual advisor, who incidentally has the Divine Mercy painting hanging on her wall.
I am going to reserve judgment regarding Caputo. It would take an extremely cruel person to prey upon someone mourning the loss of a family member for the purpose of financial gain or notoriety, and Caputo does not come across as someone so heartless. Is it all real? I don’t know, probably not, but it is entertaining and causes us to think seriously about what happens after we leave this world. For those seeking reassurance during a trying time, her messages can bring comfort, but approach cautiously with feet firmly planted in your Catholic faith.
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