And so it was

The end of the year is always a time for reflection especially at my advanced age.  I made the three-quarters of a century mark in September.  By three years, I have outlived my father who was born one-hundred-twenty-two years ago today as I write this.  Christmas has always been my favorite time of year and God only knows whether this will be my last one.  Even with that thought in mind, the excitement of the season is not like it once was.

We all seem to long for the way things used to be.  Movies like A Christmas Story remind me of my childhood.  The Christmas scenes depicted in the movie are just as I remember in this small town where I still live.  We loved going from store to store buying presents for our parents.  Multi-colored lights with real evergreen garland strung across the streets and Christmas music brought smiles to everyone.  It’s just not the same today. 

I still love the big C7 or C9 colored lamps on real Christmas trees.  The all-white lights look nice, but I like color.  What I do not care for are the programmed color-changing LED motion lights that seem to be popular now.  I also have a disdain for the inflatable figures people place in their yards.  Call me old-fashioned because I am.  

So many things seem to be better in the past.  Maybe that is just a product of growing old.  I want some things to stay the way they were, but that is not how life works.  I have been a baseball fan my whole life, but watching MLB games is not as enjoyable as it once was.  Greed is slowly ruining sports.  So much money is involved that the integrity of the game becomes compromised.  Pete Rose was banned for gambling, but sports betting is part of the major league business model now.  Free agency, sabermetrics and rule changes detract from the game we knew years ago.  Team loyalty is a thing of the past.  I could go on.

I grew up listening to music on AM radio.  We collected our favorite records and played them over and over.  Music is different today, as is the way we listen.  Pure talent is overshadowed by auto-tune. I like to hold the media in my hands where I can read the liner notes.  Vinyl, tapes, and CDs became part of my personal collection, much of which I still have.  Streaming makes me feel like I am paying for the privilege to listen, but I don’t own the collection.  I just rent it for a time.  

Some of us Catholics long for the return of the traditional Latin Mass.  I am not necessarily one of them.  I loved it growing up and agree some of the reverence is lost today.  We do need to bring back the beauty and reverence for the Holy Eucharist, but we can do it in the vernacular.  There is however a certain sense of unity when the entire Church speaks in one language. 

In our parish, the long tradition of Christmas Midnight Mass is ending this year.  Old age has caught up with our pastor and many of us.  Instead of 12 AM, our Midnight Mass will begin at 10 PM.  In these winter months, 10 PM does feel like the middle of the night, so I guess we can still call it Midnight Mass!

Despite my longing for the old days, I realize times change.  Things come into existence and go out of existence.  That is how God’s creation works.  Today’s children will have their own nostalgic memories someday.  At least, I hope so.  However, I do wonder if the best times peaked during my lifetime and we are in a gradual decline now.  The traditions that meant so much to my generation may seem mundane to young people today.  Kids who sit isolated in front of the computer for hours every day may lose appreciation for personal relationships and family traditions.  Perversion of ethical principles is just a click away.

Are there reasons for optimism?  I’m encouraged by recent reports of large numbers of college students entering the Catholic Church.  Modern society often portrays the Church as being old-fashioned and out of touch.  Maybe young people are beginning to recognize the need for moral direction and that bodes well for the Catholic Church.  Give some credit to Charlie Kirk.  May he rest in peace. 

John 6:53

I had high hopes for our OCIA class this year.  More inquirers expressed an interest than we have ever had in the past.  Keep in mind we are a small parish so even four is a big number for us.  A young man with a large family approached me a few weeks ago after a weekday Mass.  He had been reading the Church fathers and Scott Hahn’s conversion story.  He told me he was drawn to the Catholic Church.  He seemed so excited.  The only issue was his Protestant wife who stood in the way.  Just before our first meeting, he contacted me and said he had decided not to attend.  I told him that I would love the opportunity to address any theological concerns he may have.  I suspect he did not want to cause conflict in his marriage.  He has not replied, but I hope someday to see him again. 

A young woman who was baptized and confirmed at the Easter Vigil two years ago has a mother who has expressed interest.  Yet when time came for our class to start, “family issues“ prevented her from coming.  It seems some people know the right thing to do, but can’t find the courage to take the first step.  Another young couple attended their first Mass on a Sunday in July.  They talked to our priest afterwards, but he failed to get their names or contact information.  We never saw them again.  

So, now we have only two attending OCIA.  One of them, an older woman with a Baptist background, had never been in a Catholic Church before.  The other is a man with young children, married to a Catholic that does not attend Mass regularly.  To complicate matters, the woman still goes to her family’s church some sixty-five miles away on Sundays, so she wants to meet on Wednesday evenings.  The man’s wife works on Wednesday evenings, so he wants to come while his children are in CCD on Sunday mornings.  Consequently, we are doing OCIA twice a week with one person in each session.  That’s okay.  I would meet every day of the week if necessary to help someone enter the Catholic Church.  

There are so many faith-filled Protestants in this country.  Why is it so difficult to bring them into the one true Church?  I keep coming back to one particular Bible verse, John 6:53.  53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”  How do you get past this verse without realizing you are missing something important in your relationship with Our Lord?  You can sing beautiful praise songs, hear wonderful sermons, and be slain in the spirit, but without the Eucharist, you have no life in you.  To fully participate in the Lamb sacrificed for our sins, the Lamp must be consumed.  Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Happy are those who are called to His supper. 

You said what?

When I was in Catholic school some seventy years ago, our teacher would occasionally have to be out of the room for a while.  We did not have substitutes.  Rather the nuns would send one of the eighth-grade girls down to monitor while they were away.  Their instructions were to write the names of any pupils who misbehaved on the blackboard.  When the sister returned, the troublemaker would face the consequences.  

One afternoon, a girl named Diane was to watch over us first and second graders for an hour or so.  Diane was a nice responsible girl, but she happened to have a rather large nose.  Kids that age can be cruel and I was no exception.  I whispered a comment about Diane’s appearance to one of my friends who giggled out loud.  Now, my observation was not intended to be shared with anyone else.  I certainly would not have made my remark to Diane.

A short time later, the principal stopped in to check on our behavior.  Debbie, our class tattletale, stood up and in front of Diane said, “Richard said she has a nose like a banana.”  In my defense, that is not even close to what I said, not that my actual comment was any more flattering.  The principal made me come up in front of the class where she stared me down.  Through weepy eyes, I denied the accusation.  Sister looked me in the eye for a few seconds without saying a word.  Then she told me to go sit down, and told Debbie she needed to keep her mouth shut.  

I can look back on things I said to others during my early years that were hurtful, and deeply regret those words today.  Discretion comes with maturity, or at least it should.   Maturity means keeping all those immature thoughts to oneself.  They will still happen.  Our minds are constantly forming opinions.  As responsible adults, we should know when to speak up and when to be quiet.  Unfortunately, that is not always the case especially when it comes to social media. 

We base our opinions on facts that we believe to be true, or want to believe are true.  But we seldom have all the facts, and when we don’t, we fill the gaps with assumptions that may or may not be factual.  Keeping that in mind, we must acknowledge that our opinions may need adjustment from time to time, and would be wise to keep most of them to ourselves.  The anonymity of the internet has made voicing opinions a preoccupation for many, especially those lacking the wisdom to be quiet.  

Before the internet and social media, people generally had to take responsibility for their own words.  Anonymous letters were tossed in the waste basket.  Newspapers would not print unsigned letters on the editorial page.  Occasionally names would be withheld, but the publisher still required a signature.  Messages from those hiding their identity were generally disregarded with the possible exception of ransom notes.  

Today, anyone can create a username and say anything they want to the whole world. They call it free speech, but it should come with accountability.  Hiding one’s identity to avoid backlash from unpopular comments is cowardly.  The advent of artificial intelligence further complicates the matter.  Much social media commentary today does not have a human author to take responsibility.  

Seems to me that people should be required to stand behind any comments they make publicly.  Just as editorial boards once required signatures before publishing a letter, people who post on internet public forums should be named.  Any posting generated by artificial intelligence should be labelled as such with the instigator identifiable.  Postings that are monetized should be designated as such.  Say what you want, but show your face. 

Some Mass Confusion

When new converts come into the church, I always encourage them to get involved.  It seems that people who are active in the parish are more likely to stay connected.  But that got me to wondering how many would remain good Catholics if there was no social interaction at all.  What if you came to Mass every Sunday and everyone ignored you?  What if you were the only one present besides the priest?  Would you still come to Mass?  If the only thing keeping us coming to Mass is our horizontal relationships, are we coming for the wrong reasons?

Most of the excuses people use to avoid attending Mass are indefensible.  Sunday Mass attendance should not take a backseat to anything.  We should be there to worship God and receive Jesus in the Eucharist.  Nothing else should matter.  Bad homilies, lousy music, even bad liturgy should not keep us away.  Maybe one might want to find a different parish, but as long as we have access to a valid Eucharist, nothing else should get in our way. 

A friend from our parish told me of a woman who was received into the Catholic Church at another parish last Easter.  Since then, she has changed parishes twice because she feels other parishioners were unfriendly toward her at the first parish, and rude to her at the second.  This coming weekend, she is planning to attend our parish on a trial basis.  I know nothing of her background before becoming Catholic, but I wonder if she was accustomed to non-denominational communities where social interaction is the norm.  

I should think that independent churches where people choose to attend because they like the preacher or the services would have more camaraderie among members.  It makes sense because they attend there because of similar interests and beliefs.  They are more likely to see the same faces each week and would be quick to notice any new faces coming for the first time.

Catholic churches are different.  Catholics can go to any Catholic church on Sunday and receive the same Eucharist, hear the same readings, and see some unfamiliar faces.  We think nothing of it because travelers or visitors commonly stop in for Mass.  Before Mass, we are focused on the Real Presence of Jesus in the tabernacle and preparing ourselves in prayer.  One might enter the pew a few feet away from a parishioner friend and not even acknowledge that person.  There should be no conversation that would distract others who might be praying.  It is typically a quiet time that non-Catholics might mistake for being ignored or rudely treated.  

OCIA leaders should address these differences for those who may be accustomed to a more social experience so they understand what to expect upon entering a Catholic church for the first time.  They also need to realize they are encountering the real presence of Jesus in the tabernacle when they enter, and that He should have their undivided attention. 

Too often we see Catholics drift away from the Church.  Maybe they miss one weekend when on vacation or when a conflict arises.  They start by skipping occasionally at first, and then more frequently.  They think they are doing just fine without going to Mass and eventually stop going altogether.  This is what happens when people lose their focus on the Real Presence of Jesus when they enter the church.  They become indifferent.  Once a person walks away, it makes it even harder to go back.  

When I was going to Catholic school eons ago, the nuns told us it was a mortal sin to miss Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.  They said if we skip Mass to go fishing and get killed in an accident on the way home, we would go to hell.  Were the nuns just trying to scare us?  Not necessarily.  If we die in a state of unforgiven willful mortal sin, we have severed our relationship with God and our salvation is jeopardized.  Today we seem to be reluctant to make such a blunt statement.  Would God really send us to hell for skipping Mass one Sunday?  God doesn’t send us to hell; we send ourselves there by our disobedience.  Yes, we can go to hell for committing a mortal sin.

The caveat here is the three conditions that must be present for a sin to be mortal.  It must be grave matter, we must know it is grave matter, and we must do it deliberately.  Does everyone who blows off Sunday Mass realize they are committing a mortal sin?  They should.  If not, whose fault is it?  Is it their own fault for not taking Church teaching seriously, or is it the fault of those who were responsible for their faith formation?  Did all my Catholic school classmates heed the nuns warning?  No.  Many of them drifted away later in life.  Will they end up in hell?  God will ultimately decide their culpability. 

Soul searching

A few Sundays ago, our Society of Saint Vincent DePaul conference held our annual pork chop dinner fundraiser.  It has become a popular event in our town and is well attended.  We season the meat and grill the chops ourselves in the church parking lot.  I am usually in charge of baking potatoes and running the drive-thru pick up area. 

Just before our 11 AM Mass, a car pulled up and parked by the drive-thru which is behind the church in the alley.  A young couple with a baby got out, said it was their first time here, and asked how to get into the church.  It happened at one of our busier moments, but I welcomed them and directed them to the front of the church.  

I watched for them when Mass was over, hoping to exchange pleasantries.  The pork chop line was busy but I started to walk toward them as they were putting the baby in the car seat.  Before I could approach, they hastily got into the car without making eye contact and drove off.  

Later that evening, our priest called me and said he met a couple with a baby for our OCIA class.  They expressed interest in becoming Catholic.  He was surprised to learn I had already encountered them briefly that morning.  He told me he gave them a parish registration form, told them to fill it out, and bring it back the following Sunday.  He did not get their names or contact information. 

Now three weeks later, they have yet to return.  As the OCIA leader, I would have contacted them if I knew who they were.  The form our priest handed them was not for the OCIA class.  The form is for new parishioners.  It asks for information about what sacraments have been received, what name to appear on offering envelopes, and what organizations they may be interested in joining.  If the couple had never attended a Catholic mass before, they may have been overwhelmed.

That initial contact with anyone considering the Catholic faith is so important, whether it be in person or in a phone call.  This is especially true if they are walking into a Catholic church for the first time not knowing what to expect.  If their only experience has been at some non-denominational community, they are encountering something quite different.  They may feel that they are being ignored.  They see people kneeling, standing, and responding in unison.  My fear is that this couple may have been intimidated and frightened off.  

As Catholics, we are accustomed to seeing strangers at Mass.  Catholics can attend Mass anyplace they happen to be.  We also tend to focus on the Eucharistic presence in church more than the people around us.  We remain quiet as to not disturb others who are praying.  Unfamiliar faces may get a nod or a wave.  Ideally. we should have greeters equipped to direct new inquirers if they appear at the door.

I have exhausted all my ideas in trying to locate the couple.  I am giving it to the Holy Spirit hoping that he can lead them back to us.  In the meantime, we need to do better, from our pastor on down, to make sure we are a welcoming parish.  Who knows how many souls could be lost because we missed one opportunity to share our faith?

Feeling Foolish

I don’t pretend to understand modern technology.  Today for the first time, I had to sign in at my doctor’s office on a computer terminal rather than speaking to the receptionist.  I figured out how to enter my name and birthday.  Then up popped a series of yes or no questions.  One asked if I had “multiple births?”.  I’ve been asked if I was born again, but I don’t think that is what they were asking.  I just checked no.   

I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago when I attempted to order a pizza at a gas station convenience store.  Another older woman walked in the same time I did and we both stood by the pizza counter expecting the server to take our order.  After standing there for about five minutes looking like a couple of idiots, the guy at the cash register asked if we were waiting for an order.  The woman said no. We want to place an order.  He pointed us to a little screen where we could enter an order, despite the fact that the pizza lady behind the counter could have much easier listened to us tell her what we wanted on our pizzas instead of us fumbling with the touch screen.

The other customer, who I had never met before, helped me enter my order and then I helped her enter hers.  The options offered on the menu did not provide exactly what I wanted, but I got something close.  Having been humiliated enough, we both went outside to our cars to wait for the pizzas to be done.  I never saw her again after that, but when I went back in to collect my pizza, they gave me mine and hers too.  The pizza lady was surprised that we did not know each other.  Anyway, we got it sorted out and I left with my pizza sort of like I wanted.  

It seems to be that we are relying on computers much more than necessary or desirable.  Especially concerning to me is artificial intelligence.  I have heard fears expressed about AI taking over in ways that are troubling although I do not fully understand all the implications.  I always thought computers could never be smarter than the person who programs them.  But I am becoming very aware of information fabricated by artificial means that is completely fictional.

So many stories that show up on Facebook or Youtube appearing to be factual are not.  We often hear the expression “fake news” where a writer purposely distorts the facts for political gain, but I suspect many postings in social media are now generated by computers via algorithms sourced from no individual human mind.  As these capabilities grow and improve over time, how long before we can no longer discern truth from fiction?  I am already skeptical of much I see on the internet.  Stories that seem ordinarily plausible may or may not be based in actuality.  Even photos are concocted.  With uncertainty comes distrust and that isn’t healthy when misplaced.  Our society, especially young people, are often confused and led astray.  Where are we headed?

I see well-meaning friends sharing articles that I know are not true.  Often the accompanying text is obviously constructed in a tone that seems incompatible with the subject manner.  The author does not speak like a human and probably isn’t.  The language sounds embellished.  A pattern I have noticed lately is postings about celebrities or famous athletes donating huge amounts of money to certain causes or recent tragedies.  Trying to corroborate many of these stories is impossible.  I can only imagine the reason these messages are generated.  There must be a monetary benefit in collecting hits.  I can block clickbait sites that post manufactured stories, but detecting them is becoming more difficult.  It now takes more than common sense to avoid gullibility. 

The internet is a wonderful tool, but it is being muddied by people (and now machines) that misuse it.  I would not want to go back to the days when my World Book Encyclopedia was my go-to source for information, but at least I could be fairly certain that some teenaged hacker sitting in his bedroom didn’t insert a fabricated paragraph.  I want to cite sources I know I can trust and verify.   And just so you know, I am not a robot.