Watching my watch

As many priests do these days, our pastor serves two parishes.  He is seventy-five years old and recently eliminated one Mass from the weekend schedule leaving four to be celebrated.  When it comes to Holy Days of Obligation, he likes to schedule a morning Mass at each parish one hour apart, plus a Vigil Mass and another on the Holy Day evening. 

 

Considering the seven-mile drive between the parishes and his penchant for long homilies, the second morning Mass seldom starts on time.  On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Father had an 8 AM Mass at our parish and a 9 AM at our sister parish that I attended, something I wouldn’t normally do but for some scheduling conflicts of my own.  I arrived about 8:55, knowing the Mass would likely be a few minutes late beginning.

 

Everyone sat in the pews waiting patiently.  By 9:10, still no priest.  I noticed several men, myself included, glancing at their watches.  I found myself getting a little perturbed, the same feeling one gets sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office well past the time of the appointment.  Doesn’t he value our time?   Why does he schedule a certain time when he knows he will be late?

 

Then, I came to my senses.  I looked around the church.  The average age of those in attendance was probably mid-seventies.  Here I was sitting in front of the tabernacle in the presence of Our Lord.  Instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to pray, I was thinking of what else I could be doing rather than waiting on a tardy priest.  Truth be known, I had nothing better to do.  What better is there to do than be in the presence of Our Lord?  I suddenly felt foolish.  

 

I wish I could say I spent the next few minutes totally focused on the tabernacle in conversation with Jesus.  I did make the attempt, but I glanced at my watch again when Father rolled in at 9:17 and again at 9:20 when Mass actually began.  What I got was a lesson in patience and humility.  Who am I to think my time is more important than anyone else’s, especially that of a priest?  I want to remember this next time I have to wait on anyone, be it a priest, a doctor or service in a restaurant.  Maybe they have a reason for being delayed.  Give them a break.  It’s okay.  Sure my time is valuable, but despite Father’s tardiness, I was only about twenty minutes late getting back to my recliner.

Magisterial mayhem

The outspoken Bishop of Tyler Texas, Joseph Strickland, was removed from office by Pope Francis after he refused to resign at the request of the Pope on November 9.   Bishop Strickland had been critical of Pope Francis in his social media posts.  Nonetheless, outright removal of a diocesan bishop is an unusual occurrence.  

 

Bishop Strickland may have sealed his fate when he publicly referred to Pope Francis’ “program of undermining the Deposit of Faith.”  That is a serious allegation, one better made inhouse behind closed doors rather than social media.  While Strickland may have justifiable concerns about the Pope’s stance on some moral issues, airing those concerns can cause needless divisions and polarization among Catholics.  

 

We trust the Holy Spirit to guide the Church to all truth in matters of faith and morals.  Even if Pope Francis should express ideas that would seem to challenge certain Catholic long-held beliefs, we should remain confident that his opinions are not infallible declarations. 

 

Bishop Strickland has a conservative following on social media that extends far beyond the boundaries of his former diocese.  Similar to the political climate in our nation right now, the Church has its conservative and liberal factions.  Some may call it traditionists and modernists. The traditionalists may call it orthodox versus heterodox.  I doubt that Pope Francis intends to undermine the Deposit of Faith.  I believe one can be orthodox and still explore conservative or liberal theological opinions.  This may be where Francis and Strickland clash.  

 

So, I blame both sides for this public dust up.  Strickland should have kept his problems with Francis out of social media and Francis should have handled his disciplinary actions privately. To Strickland’s credit, during his November 11 interview with LifeSiteNews, he encouraged those upset by his dismissal to pray for the Pope and not to leave the Church.  Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to wonder if we should be taking sides. 

 

That's an Order!

A few weeks ago, I was beginning to think we would not have anyone in our RCIA class this year.  There were no prospects on the horizon.  I was disappointed but also somewhat relieved that I might get a little break after doing this for a number of years.  Nevertheless, I posted an announcement on the sign in front of the church inviting people to explore the Catholic Faith and that classes would begin soon.  

 

Fast forward to the present and we have six people attending our weekly sessions.  That may not sound like a large number to most people, but for our small parish, it’s a record!  Calls began coming into the parish office from a variety of people from various backgrounds and circumstances.  We have a young mother who was baptized Catholic, but never raised in the faith.  We have a married couple, the wife who was raised Catholic some sixty years ago but fell away, and her husband who was raised Lutheran but has not practiced.  We have a widow who was raised Methodist and now has a grandson who is a Catholic priest.  We have a woman with a Baptist background who has many questions.  And we have a young college-age woman who has no faith background at all.  

 

I have never considered myself a good teacher and having to facilitate a group with such diverse experiences is especially challenging.  My wife has been a public school educator for some fifty years so I recruited her to help me.  She has never taught religious education, but she certainly knows how to organize a lesson plan better than I do.  Between the two of us, we hope to meet the needs of everyone in the class. 

 

One of the problems we face is how to make our sessions interesting for everyone involved when their faith backgrounds are so different.  Some are quite familiar with Jesus and the scriptures while others have very little knowledge of God at all.  We risk boring some or losing others.  I encourage everyone to stop me and ask questions at any time.  It is easy to assume someone is familiar with certain terminology when in fact they may not be.  

 

Although I have worked with RCIA for many years, I have never done it the same way twice.  It has been a constantly evolving process depending on the needs of those in the group, resources available, and my own experimentation.  Last year, I used the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  I might have done the same thing this year but I suddenly found copies hard to come by.  I did find a couple of used books on Amazon, but I needed six.  What I did have in abundant supply was Trent Horn’s book Why we’re Catholic.  Using it as a starting point for the inquiry phase is working well so far. 

 

Even the name of the program is actually different now.  RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, is now called OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.  This was apparently done to improve the English translation from the Latin word Ordo.  Aside from the name change, there is really no difference for us working in the trenches.  In fact, we tend to continue using the old term since it is common in much of our materials.  Old habits are hard to break.  

Matthew 16:13-20

 

The Gospel on the 21^st Sunday in Ordinary time  (Year A)  August 27, 2023

 

Mt 16:13-20

Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and
he asked his disciples,
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" 
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,
still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 
Simon Peter said in reply,
"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 
Jesus said to him in reply,
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. 
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. 
And so I say to you, you are Peter,
and upon this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 
Then he strictly ordered his disciples

to tell no one that he was the Christ.

 

In a world that rejects much of which the Catholic Church teaches, this is one of my favorite gospels because it tells us precisely where the Church gets her authority to speak for God.  Whenever our pastor speaks on Matthew 16:13-20, his emphasis is usually on Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Much of his homily consists of talking about various misconceptions about who Jesus was.   All well and good, as they say, but as an amateur apologist, I always feel like he is missing an opportunity to explain why it is imperative that we listen to and obey the teachings of the Catholic Church.

 

Today the Catholic Church is one of the few remaining institutions that takes a strong moral stand on the tough issues such as abortion or same-sex marriage.  A devout Catholic firmly grounded in the faith has no trouble accepting those beliefs.  We call these non-negotiables.  Yet, many non-Catholic Christians and even some Catholics, acquiesce under social pressure.

 

When it comes to seemingly less stringent teachings or disciplines imposed by the Church, many Catholics turn a blind eye.  Eating meat on Fridays during Lent, or using artificial birth control, or missing Mass every Sunday are all sins that many Catholics do not take seriously.  That brings me to the question that is answered in Matthew’s gospel.  Why should all Christians obey all of the teachings of the Catholic Church, even those that may seem inconsequential?

 

Matthew’s gospel documents Jesus giving Peter, the first Pope of the Catholic Church, the keys to the kingdom of heaven.  “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  As an analogy, I equate this to someone giving a babysitter authority over their household while being away, telling the children to do whatever the sitter says to do or not to do.  If the sitter says go to bed, you go to bed.  If the sitter says you can have a snack, you can have a snack.  The sitter is given complete control and the parents back it up.  

 

A parallel passage from the Book of Isaiah was also read at Mass on the same twenty-first Sunday.  A steward over the household named Shebna has his authority taken away and given to another named Eliakim.  “And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David; he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” (Isaiah 22:22).  The job of the steward is to act as the prime minister, ordering the day to day operation of the kingdom.  The message seems clear that God-given authority is to be taken seriously.

 

Jesus is not someone who would say something and not really mean it.  He is the incarnate man of His Word.  He granted earthly authority to Peter and His Church, and therefore, we should all be listening to what the Church tells us.  When someone says to me, “Do you really think God would send me to hell for eating a hamburger on Friday or missing Mass to play golf on one Sunday?”, I remind them that the fall of man happened because someone ate a piece of fruit they weren’t supposed to eat.  God sends no one to hell.  We go there by the choices we make. 

 

Yes, we fail at times.  God is merciful.  That is why He gave His Church authority to forgive sins.  (John 20:23).  When judgement day comes, don’t be the one standing before Our Lord saying, “Gee, I didn’t think you were serious about that!  It didn’t seem like a big deal to me!  I didn’t know you were going to bind us to EVERYTHING the Church said.”  Listen to the Church and beware.

 

 

 

A Periodic Self critique

I first began writing these little monthly blogs in September of 2002.  I am sure my thoughts and ideas over the past twenty-one years have been repeated many times over the years.  Today, I decided to reread some of my early postings, many of which I don’t even remember writing!

 

The first thing I noticed was the length of my articles.  They are generally much shorter now than they were twenty years ago.  Am I running out of things to say or am I just getting lazy?  I may have been more passionate in my fifties than I am now in my seventies.  Have I mellowed in my old age?  My thought processes have slowed for sure.  

 

When this all started, I hoped it to be an evangelizing tool for friends and acquaintances on a local level.  Even though I have little evidence of positive results, I am not discouraged.  My hope has always been that someone someday might go through all of these monthly messages and edit them into a little book for publication.  I have no illusions that my message is unique in any way.  I do believe there may be some interest in local authors however.  Several people in our little town have had books published and some will read them out of curiosity.  

 

If you just hand someone a book on Catholic apologetics, you are probably going to get a cool reception if the person is not open to exploring the subject matter.  If you offer a book on the same topic written by a local acquaintance, they are more likely to give it a read.  That sums up my reason for doing this.  Everything I say has been said better by others worldwide.  But, there may be a couple of thousand people within a few miles of me who might be curious about what that guy they have seen around town wrote about.  If it has an impact on one person, maybe it is worth the effort.  

 

My grandmother, who died in 1962, wrote little poems that were published in a local newspaper and a tiny booklet.  Those writings are her legacy.  She speaks to me today in those words she put on paper long ago.  I see the world she knew in her time.  I envision someone reading my writings many years from now, learning about my faith experience in the early twenty-first century.  

 

I do wonder what form literary distribution will take sixty years from now.  Up until recently, I collected Catholic audio CDs to distribute to anyone willing to hear them.  Now, CD players are becoming rare.  Most car manufacturers no longer include them.  Digital downloads are the current trend, but not easy to hand out on the street corner.  I live knowing the possibility no one will ever see what I have written, or that it will have no positive impact if they do.  

 

Even so, doing this is also good for me personally.  It takes a certain amount of discipline to keep up the monthly routine.  I need to spend time thinking about my faith and deciding what to say.  Sitting quietly before the Blessed Sacrament once a week helps develop topics and organize thoughts. At times, my enthusiasm wanes.  Maybe I really am getting lazy or numb to the world.  It is easy to throw up my hands and think why bother?  I can’t be responsible for everyone’s soul.  But, there is always that chance that one of my descendants down the line will be cleaning out an attic and find something I had written many years ago about the Catholic faith.  Just maybe it will plant a seed that takes root a hundred years from now.  God only knows.  

 

 

Prepping for Final Exams

Yesterday (July 11), we celebrated the Memorial of Saint Benedict.  Coincidentally, I just read a prayer attributed to Saint Benedict that was printed the Holy Hour, a meditative book published by Word on Fire that I use during Eucharistic Adoration at my parish.  The author of the prayer pledges to do the Lord’s will in all things, and goes on to list the many ways he intends to honor the pledge.  

 

Among those listed, he promises to honor all persons, and not to do to another what he would not want done to himself.  Sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament after I read this, I started thinking about how I treated a few people when I was a youth.  Young people can be downright rude at times, and looking back, I realize I may have said some things that hurt my friends and fellow classmates.

 

I was never what would be considered a bully, but there were a couple of boys that I likely insulted because I didn’t particularly like them hanging around.  Reflecting on this some sixty years later, I realize they could have been outcasts who were just looking for friendship and acceptance.  The fact that I might have been rude to them haunts me now.  I can remember once making fun of one boy’s weight.  Another tried to befriend me and I basically ignored him.  

 

I am reminded of the Movie of Your Life evangomercial put out by Catholics Come Home that depicts people watching moments of their lives being shown on a movie screen as we might envision happening on judgement day.  The time will come when I have to relive those moments when I disrespected someone unjustly.  Trying to right those wrongs today is impossible.  Of the two individual incidents that I remember, one of my victims is no longer alive and the whereabouts of the other is unknown.  I also wonder how many others I may have hurt that I don’t remember.  I can only ask God for forgiveness now. 

 

At the time, I did not realize or care that I was being hurtful.  Now, at age 72, I have to ask myself if I am hurting anyone now.  I speak poorly of others at times, not to their faces, but still say things that should be left unsaid.  Is there anyone reaching out to me today that I am not responding to?  Is there someone I know who needs my help, but I tend to avoid?  Are my actions or inactions in accordance with the Lord’s will?  These are all questions we should ask ourselves from time to time. 

 

What is Honor?

When you give honor to someone, you are giving them recognition for service above and beyond the norm.  It may be for heroic action or length of service.  Some distinguishing quality or achievement has set them apart.  We have honor societies, scholarships, halls of fame, medals, trophies and statues.  Those so honored become part of a special class of peers. 

Among those honored by the Los Angeles Dodgers are Jackie Robinson who broke the major league baseball color barrier with the Dodgers in 1947, and Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully, a Catholic considered by many to be the greatest baseball announcer of all time.  This year, the Dodgers have also chosen to honor the Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, an anti-Catholic hate group of blasphemous perverts dressed as nuns.  Move over Jackie, Vin and anyone else the Dodgers have honored over the years.  You have company.  

Groucho Marx once quipped that he would not want to belong to any club that would accept him as a member.  No respectable human being would want to belong to a club that would have the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as a member.  An honor bestowed by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization is now an honor devoid of any significance.  If they honor a group that mocks God and all of Christianity, their recognition carries no weight. 

It’s not just that the so-called sisters lack respect for the Church and Christianity, where is their own self-respect?  Why would anybody put themselves out there for ridicule except to shock people?  Yes, they are a hate group, but they unknowingly hate themselves.  They do nothing to help their cause, whatever that may be.  How far has our society devolved?  As appalling as this is, we can have confidence that the Sisters, the Dodgers, and everyone else will face judgement someday.

May I ask you a question?

The non-denominational pastor on the local radio station this morning was talking about the Bible being our only guide to what is true.  Whether the book is opened or closed, he said the Bible should affect everything we think or do.  As a Catholic, I won’t argue with that statement, but I do have questions I would like to ask him.  I may not have that opportunity, so I will make a list just in case.  

1. How do you know the Bible is true?

2. Who decided the Biblical table of contents?

3. By what authority did they do so?

4. What criteria did they use to select or reject writings?

5. How do you know they did not make a mistake? 

6. Was this authority passed down?

7. If the Bible is our only guide, how do you resolve conflicting interpretations?

8. Is it possible the same inerrant authoritative body still exists today?

We Catholics know the answers to these questions, or at least we should.  These are just a few and there are hundreds more.  I wonder how many protestants ever think deeply about them.  It must be easy to get comfortable in your non-denominational family and not ever consider what might be missing.  Devin Rose wrote a book called The Protestant’s Dilemma that might be helpful.

I came across a story today titled After 15 years away from the Church, why I decided to go back.   Oh boy, I thought, another great reversion story.  Not so fast, I learned.  What the author went back to was not “The Church.”  He went through twelve years of Catholic education and was an altar boy up to seventh grade.  Quoting from the article, “a combination of lousy religion teachers, creepy priests, being scolded for not following silly rules, and the overall boringness of Catholic masses had utterly turned me off to the church aspect. My religion teacher would tell us we were going to hell anyway for petty sins, so by age 13, I figured why even bother with church or God?”

The author goes on to tell his story of what eventually led him back to church, but the church he went back to was not the Catholic Church.  He says, “It is a non-denominational church, which means they believe in the Bible and not all man-made rules created over the years. For example, not eating meat on Fridays during Lent or not allowing pastors to marry.”

And a couple more quotes to get the gist of the article, “Some religions worry more about not eating meat on Fridays during Lent than treating people with love and respect.”  “After two months, I found the messages relatable to everyday life. The music was modern and energizing. And most intriguing was the diversity of the attendees.”

And that brings me to the Catholic’s dilemma, one that we encounter all too frequently.  Despite getting a good Catholic education, so many Catholics never come to appreciate the great gift of their Catholic faith and choose the more comfortable path.  Comparing religions is not like comparing apples to oranges.  It is more like comparing spinach to ice cream.  One is the optimal way to spiritual healthiness, but the other may be more appealing to the palate.  Choose wisely.

Faith and Doubt

After more than a year of talks with a young man at our parish, he was baptized, confirmed, and made his first Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil.  We seldom have more than one person inquiring at any one time.  Part of that is due to the fact that we are a very small parish in a very small town, but also may be an indicator that we are not very good evangelizers. 

I have never felt comfortable heading an RCIA program at our parish.  Getting deeper into the Catholic faith is a humbling experience.  The more I learn, the more I realize how much I do not know.  This leads to a feeling of inadequacy.  I should not be the person teaching this class.  Yet, I don’t trust turning it over to anyone else either.  It’s a conundrum.

I try to present the Catholic Faith as accurately as possible.  Apologetics is my strength, if I have a strength.  The woman who assists with the program is stronger spiritually and not so interested in doctrinal matters.  Maybe we complement each other in that sense.  Despite our shortcomings, we have a new Catholic in our parish.  We will continue to support him as we all grow together in our faith. 

Speaking of faith, the gospel on Divine Mercy Sunday was about doubting Thomas who refused to believe in the Resurrection of the Lord without proof. 

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”  But he said to them,  “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them.  Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.”  Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” - John 20:24-27

Sitting during my holy hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament today, I thought about this passage and how I can relate to Thomas.  I profess my faith during Mass every Sunday, but at times, doubts can still creep into my mind.  I’m sure many others feel the same way.  We are always looking for that proof.  

Thinking about this as I gazed at the monstrance, I wondered what kind of proof it would take to assure me and everyone else that Resurrected Jesus was truly present appearing as a piece of bread.  If the host were to bleed right in front of me as some have reportedly done in other places, would I then be totally convinced?  Or would I look for another explanation?  Would I be able to convince others who had not witnessed what I had witnessed?   Would our nearly empty church become filled with pilgrims from all over country seeking to experience the Holy Eucharist?

It is not likely that such a miracle will take place here in front of our very eyes, nor should we desire it.  True faith means believing without having seen.  Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”  We are blessed!

Getting a handle on scandal

I came across an article today by Ruth Dudley Edwards titled, Joe Biden must be the world’s worst Catholic.  Referring to Biden, she says, “He is, in fact, an appalling Catholic who publicly flouts the church’s most cherished teachings and is about as authentically Irish as a leprechaun hat in a St Patrick’s Day parade.”  I don’t know whether he is the world’s worst Catholic.  Even some priests and bishops, especially in Europe, may challenge him for that distinction.  I will go out on a limb and agree he is probably the worst Catholic in the United States by virtue of his status as President.

A few days ago, members of our RCIA group were preparing for their first confession experience by going through an examination of conscience based upon the ten commandments.  One of them asked me to explain the sin of scandal.  Many think of scandal as something one reads in the tabloids about a celebrity’s indiscretion.  The sinful scandal we are need to understand is more nuanced.  The Catechism defines scandal as an attitude or behavior that leads another to do evil.  

The sin of scandal often rides on the back of another sin.  As Catholics, we are expected to set an example for others.  That example should be a positive one that inspires others to be virtuous.  When our actions as Catholics are seen in a negative light, we may be inadvertently causing others to follow suit.  In trying to cite an example for the class, I brought up Joe Biden who proclaims to be a Catholic in good standing, and yet publicly professes support for abortion.  Lukewarm Catholics may look to him as the model Catholic he proclaims to be and think they can hold similar views without a problem.  So, Joe Biden is not only guilty of the sin of promoting abortion, he also may be guilty of scandal.  

I made a hypothetical example of myself as a leader in a class studying Catholicism.  If I affirm the teaching of the Church that we must abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, and then proceed to be seen intentionally eating a hamburger in public by the catechumens on a Lenten Friday, I would be guilty of not only violating the obligation to abstain, but also guilty of potential scandal.  If a Catholic sees me sinning and decides it is okay to do it because I am doing it, I have led them to sin.  I have committed scandal.  

Some Catholics may not realize they are committing scandal by attending weddings where a Catholic is getting married outside the Catholic Church without a dispensation.  Doing so is acting as a witness in support of another’s sin.   Attending any wedding ceremony that the Church would consider invalid is problematic.  Sometimes we need to take a stand out of love and concern for our souls and theirs.  This can be difficult when family is involved.  There are no easy answers.

As Catholics, we always need to be aware that the way we conduct ourselves can reflect positively or negatively on the faith of others.  We talk about the need to evangelize but struggle finding ways to do it.  Maybe the best way is to be that faithful Catholic role model others will wish to emulate.  

Grandparents Day

Having my 5 year-old grandson in a Lutheran pre-kindergarten class presents a few challenges for this Catholic.  I am happy he is getting a religious education every day.  Of course, I wish it were in a Catholic school, but we have none available in our area.  Recently he brought home a spiritual exercise for family devotion as part of their National Lutheran Schools week observance.  The exercise is titled Light to My Path and the opening sentence states what they refer to as the main point.  “The Bible is the source of guidance and truth about God, ourselves, and the world we live in; it lights our path for life.  Psalm 119:105.”

Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.”  Agreed the passage supports the theme of the exercise, but allow me to nitpick a little.  The Catholic in me takes issue with their opening sentence stating the Bible is THE source (my emphasis added) of guidance and truth.  I want to ask the Lutheran author what 1 Timothy 3:15 says about the source of truth.  Certainly the Bible is a source of guidance and truth, but that source is transmitted by the Church, the pillar of foundation and truth.  The Catholic Church assembled the Bible with the infallible authority given by Jesus Christ under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Sadly, Luther rejected that authority of the Church leaving only the Bible as his guide.  The contents of the Bible cannot be infallible if the authority that compiled it is not.  The position is untenable. 

Last week, my wife and I attended Grandparents’ day with our grandson at the Lutheran school.  The school has an impressive enrollment for a small town in Pre-K to eighth grade.  At the end of the program, they held a chapel service in their beautiful church building.   There were scripture readings, prayers, and singing plus an energetic sermon by their pastor.  During his talk, he posed some rapid-fire questions directed at the students who were sitting with their grandparents.  Dozens of hands went up with children enthusiastically offering answers to each question.  Even my little 5 year old grandson raised his hand at one question and answered correctly when called on.  The impact of their religious education was evident.

Once again, I am reminded what we lost when our Catholic school closed years ago.  These children are getting to know Jesus more every day.  Our weekly CCD program cannot compete with a daily religious education where the pastor is engaged with the students and prayer happens throughout the day.  They have over a hundred students in their program compared to about a dozen in ours.  Yet as Catholics, we know they are not getting the fullness of the faith in the Church Jesus Christ established.  

The question becomes, are we Catholics better off enrolling our children in a Lutheran school than relying on solely on our own CCD program?  I believe they are as long as they eventually come to know the significant advantages we have as Catholics.  Lutheran teaching is about as close to Catholic teaching as you can get without being Catholic.  One of the main points of the talk given by the Lutheran pastor was the importance of Christians becoming disciples and taking every opportunity to share our Christian faith.   For us Catholics, that becomes even more important to teach our own children the beauty of our Catholic faith. 

We cannot effectively share the truth of our Catholic Church if we are spiritually lukewarm.  Spending just a few minutes a day reading or listening to Catholic publications can make a huge difference in our religious zeal.  The enthusiasm we possess in our faith flows and ebbs from time to time.  It is so easy to be distracted by our daily routine to the point where we give little thought to our true purpose except perhaps on Sunday morning.  Even then, random thoughts can creep into our minds at the most inopportune times when we should be focused on our participation in the Mass.  

With Lent approaching this month, this is a good time to plan a spiritual tune-up.  We usually give up something for Lent, maybe certain foods or a thing we enjoy doing.  What about giving up something that you routinely do that normally takes up part of your day, and use that time to read a passage from Scripture or some other Catholic material.  Most of us probably spend way too much time looking at our phones or computer screens.  Giving them up completely might be too much to ask, but I am sure we could all give up some part for forty days.  Maybe stay off of social media, or take a rest from youtube.  Use that time to read one of Scott Hahn’s books or listen to a Catholic podcast.  You still have time to find one you like before Lent.

You will likely find these sacrifices to be enjoyable.  I love to listen to Catholic Answers Live each day.  The guests are always interesting and I learn something new even when the questions are often familiar.  More importantly, the shared love of our faith helps reinforce my desire to learn more and share that knowledge with others.  It is like a religious pep talk.  Get that enthusiasm for the faith flowing again and share it with your family and friends. 

Days are getting shorter!

 

I spent much of the Christmas Octave thinking about end times.  One of St Thomas Aquinas’ proofs of God’s existence talks about how things come into existence and go out of existence.  It was never more apparent to me that much of what I have experienced in my life is in its latter stages of existence.  

The flu bug struck me on the Wednesday before Christmas.  As lousy as I felt for a few days, I always assumed it would pass.  At my age however, returning to good health after a bout of illness comes with diminishing certainty.  Our family Christmas was minus a nephew who we lost several months ago after a compromised immune system from cancer treatment met Covid pneumonia and eventual kidney failure.  

Our church decorating for Christmas was challenged when one of our dear parishioners who owns a flower shop became hospitalized before she could get the poinsettias ready.  Now, we are praying for her recovery from what are very serious health issues.  

The once robust church choir for Midnight Mass was down to two singers this year, again due to various health problems and diminished numbers from some who have passed.  An annual post-Midnight Mass reception was prepared and hosted by two couples, both in their eighties who have their own health issues.  Our seventy-five year old pastor also got sick and barely made it through the five Christmas Masses he celebrated.

Everywhere I looked this Christmas, I saw ends coming.  Not to sound depressing, after all we welcome death as Catholics, but a certain sadness arises when there is no one on the horizon ready to take over.  We know the end is inevitable for what exists now.  What does it mean for those we leave behind?  Will our parish survive much longer?  How many of us will not be here next Christmas?  We will keep praying and leave it in God’s hands.