Saturday, December 29, 2012

Christ the King

God gave his only begotten Son, the spotless Lamb of God, to wash away our sins! He is coming again in great power and glory to bring His Kingdom into fruition. The fifth candle (white) is called the "Candle of Christ." It stands in the center and symbolizes the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the heart and reason of the season.

Father in Heaven, increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of His coming may find us rejoicing in His presence and welcoming the light of His truth.


On the first Sunday of Christmas, the father of the family prays: "O Lord, lift up our souls. Show us your paths and teach us your truth. May the Spirit of the LORD rest on us, we pray, and grant us the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel, and the Spirit of peace. Amen"

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
 
 
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Eve

"Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.
Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus."
Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."
 
 

"Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord."

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Advent Week 4

Christ came to radiate the truth and love of God and show us the way of righteousness. He came to be welcomed into our lives and into our hearts. The fourth candle (purple) is called the "Candle of Peace." It reminds Christians to "be ready" to receive God.
 
Gracious God, send us your grace so that we can prepare for your coming. Touch our hearts, with longing so that we can better love and serve you, and with hope so that transformed by your Spirit we can help transform the world. Amen.
 
On the fourth Sunday of Advent, the father of the family prays: "O Lord, stir up Thy power, we pray Thee, and come; and with great might help us, that with the help of Thy grace, Thy merciful forgiveness may hasten what our sins impede. The mother then lights the purple candles from the first three weeks, and the oldest child lights the fourth purple candle. Amen"

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Advent Week 3

Christ is the Light that came into the world to dispel the darkness of sin. He arrived into the world as a human being, fully God and fully man. The third candle (pink or rose) is called the "Candle of Joy." It recalls the angels joyfully singing about the birth of Christ.

Loving God, make room in our hearts for people who need us. We thank you for the friends and strangers who have received us in our need, and we ask for the courage to share that love with others through loving action. Amen

On the third Sunday of Advent, the father of the family prays: "O Lord, we beg Thee, incline Thy ear to our prayers and enlighten the darkness of our minds by the grace of Thy visitation. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen.” The mother then lights the purple candles from the first two weeks, and the youngest child lights the third pink candle. Amen"

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Advent Week 2

Advent represents our expectation, anticipation, and preparation for who Christ is and what He has done for us. He came to identify as one of us, as the Son of Man, as a baby born in a manger. The second candle (purple) is called the "Candle of Love." It reminds Christians that God loves them enough to send his only Son to Earth.
 
Loving God, let your light of peace and love shine in our world. Give us eyes to see the signs of your presence, and prepare our lives and our homes to receive the One who said, “I am the light of the world.” Amen.
 
On the second Sunday of Advent, the father of the family prays: "O Lord, stir up our hearts that we may prepare for Thy only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be made worthy to serve Thee with pure minds.” The mother then lights the purple candle from the first week, and the oldest child lights the second purple candle. Amen"

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Advent Week 1

Advent simply means coming, as in "Christ is coming". The wreath is made of evergreen boughs, symbolizing everlasting life. The circle represents the continuous love of God, and the immortality of the soul. The first candle (purple) is called the "Candle of Hope." It symbolizes His promise to humanity and our hope because God is faithful, keeping His promises to humanity.
 
Loving God, create in us a fountain of joy and stir your spirit in us. Kindle in us the fire of gladness, and loose in us songs of praise, for You come to us with healing and blessing. Amen.
 
On the first Sunday of Advent, the father of the family prays: "O God, by whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Thy blessing upon this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from Thee abundant grace. Who livest and reignest forever. Amen.” The youngest child then lights the first purple candle.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Catholic Social Teaching - Class 9

Tonight’s instructor was the Bishop from our diocese who began by telling us a little bit about himself. When he was ordained, and in fact for most of the 60s and 70s, California was considered to be a “mission” territory. Our Bishop was ordained between the opening and closing of Vatican II and so he is very committed to the council. He described the Second Vatican Council as “A very important moment for the Church”, and also called it “the largest meeting in the history of the world”.

Previous to Vatican II the church was envisioned to be like a pyramid, with the clergy at the top, the religious in the middle, and the lay people at the bottom. According to him there was very little interaction between the levels. After Vatican II the church was envisioned to be like a circle, divided into sections like a pizza. The clergy, religious, and laity are the sections but today there is constant interaction between those sections. We understand that all are equal in the sight of God.
 
It’s important to understand that we are all called, even though each of us has a different function. Life is a series of invitations, such as birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage, even death, and we all have the same mission. We are a work of God who has painted the face of Jesus on each one of us. The people we meet should know who we are even before we’ve had a chance to speak to them. The mission of the Church, our mission, is to be Christ to the world. The Second Vatican Council re-discovered the value of the laity, recognizing that we are all in the process of becoming and for us, like Vatican II where progress has been made, progress still needs to be made.
 
In 1999, soon after the Diocese of San Jose was created, our new Bishop asked the people “How are we doing”. The answer included various facts, such as the diocese was 1 of 4 in the United States that consisted of only 1 county, and that today it includes 53 parishes made up of 620K – 650K registered parishioners plus about another 30K unregistered parishioners. Of that total, about 33% are Latino, 31% are Asian, and 46% are others (which includes me). Today the largest group of worshipers in the diocese is Hispanic.
 
Like all businesses the Church has a business plan which defines a product, “To make known to all people the saving power of Jesus”. Unlike the business plan however, our Pastoral Plan is not bound as a book, but is instead contained in a loose leaf binder. Our Bishop wanted this to be a living document that could be constantly evaluated and updated. The original plan took three years to create, and bits and pieces of it have been updated along the way. Obviously, today’s needs are different than they were ten years ago, and it is due for a complete re-evaluation.
 
Creating the plan was a very complicated process, involving design teams, vision and mission statements, and the gathering and organizing of data. From this 400 priorities were identified which was way too many, so the Bishop organized something called Dot Sunday. On Dot Sunday large sheets of paper were hung up at all Masses that listed all 400 priorities, and everyone was given four colored dots to stick next to the four priorities they felt were the most important. This resulted in four primary concerns and four organizational issues, which today has grown to six concerns; Liturgy, Education, Youth, Young-Adults, Lay-Leadership, and Social-Justice.
 
Our Bishops crest (evidently all Bishops have a crest) includes a Scottish cross, a symbol of Mary the Mother of Jesus, a symbol of Saint Paul, and at the bottom is the motto “Together in Christ”, because we’re all in this together. It was very important to have input from others, which is why at the very beginning our Bishop refused to voice his personal concerns and issues for the new Diocese. He didn’t want to influence the Pastoral Plan by describing his own personal mission. He did ask some basic questions: Who are we: How do we see ourselves: How do others see us: Where do we want to be: How do we get there. He also provided a short list of guiding principles. The goal was to build a church where everyone feels welcome, and a church that is in-tune with the world around us. Sadly, he doesn’t feel that it has been accomplished. It’s not true yet because so many feel unwanted.
 
Jesus taught us that love tops everything, so kindness, compassion and love should be our guiding principles: “Harshness is the ‘vice of barbarians”. Do we feed the hungry, cloth the naked, and welcome the stranger? Our mission is to create a church where everyone is in the service of others, a church that is joyful, a church that is not afraid to dream, and most importantly, a church that is witnessing the hope of Jesus Christ. The mother of our Pastoral Plan was the Second Vatican Council which asks each of us to take up our rightful place in the Church.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

One Day at a Time

I’ve always believed that, “Our greatest possession is health, our greatest gift is grace, and our greatest legacy is our children”. Here are some other thoughts for my list;
 
The greatest joy is giving
The most useless thing to do is worry
The most prized possession is integrity
The greatest loss is loss of self-respect
The most worthless emotion is self-pity
The ugliest personality trait is selfishness
The most satisfying work is helping others
The greatest problem to overcome is fear
The most important being in your life is God
The greatest "shot in the arm" is encouragement
The most endangered species is dedicated leaders
The most powerful form of communication is prayer
The most effective sleeping pill is peace of mind
The two most power-filled words are I can
The most contagious spirit is enthusiasm
The most dangerous past time is gossip
The most powerful force in life is Love
The worst thing to be without is hope
The most crippling failure is excuses
The deadliest weapon is the tongue
The most beautiful attire is a smile
The greatest asset is faith
 
Everyone needs a list to live by. Please feel free to comment with ideas for the list, and pass this one along to others.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Big Question

We called them Hobo’s when I was a kid. They weren’t tolerated by communities and governments of course, and so you never saw them on the sidewalk or begging at a street corner. They preferred to be invisible and they stayed on the move, mostly on foot I suppose despite the romanticized stories. I remember that occasionally we would see one walking alongside the road and my Dad would say, “There goes a retired ag-pilot”, which is what my Dad did for a living so it always seemed funny. Eventually we called them bums and today we call them homeless, but although the number and makeup of these people has changed dramatically, who they are hasn’t. We are they (or they are us) and we are all the children of God. In fact we are all just a couple of pay checks away from being them literally, so be especially thankful for what you have and for what you can share.
 
In my first class on Catholic Social Teaching, we were introduced to social justice (again) and presented with a historical look at the Church’s understanding of the poor, exploited, and underprivileged. All through this lecture I was nodding my head “yes” because I “get it”, while at the same time I was thinking “no” because so many people don’t “get it”. I have a difficult time understanding why there is so little being done about this problem given that we are commanded to love our neighbor as our self. Near the end of this first class I asked “why is it that so many seemingly bright people, many of whom are in every other way Christian so against the idea of social justice?
 
Those of us that get the message of charity are nodding our heads during the homily and those that are unsure listen carefully, but some quietly get up and leave. What scares me is that this isn’t just a small fringe group of miss-informed Catholics, but rather it's a large main stream group of Christians who firmly believe that it’s all a big lie created by liberals to force re-distribution of wealth and more big government. Since that first night my bewilderment has developed into a more complex question. Is it possible that we’ve been deceived by the messenger as some would claim? Are we our neighbor’s keeper, and if so who is our neighbor? What does Scripture really say about this? Our instructor suggested that I might try to understand the other view and present it as a paper for this class, which you can find in the Written Assignments section on the right titled Good Enough.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Food for life

Remember what your Mom always said, "Drink 8 glasses of water every day and eat plenty of fruit and vegatables". I'm sure that Mother Teresa would probably have agreed with your Mom, but she also had a different idea about the fruit in our lives which she expressed this way;

The fruit of silence is prayer
The fruit of prayer is faith
The fruit of faith is love
The fruit of love is service
The fruit of service is peace.
 
From Mother Teresa, Come be my light. The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta" Edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk, M.C.

 


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Catholic Social Teaching - Class 8

Tonight’s instructor preferred a more intimate setting and asked us to gather our chairs into a small circle. This always makes me cringe, even though we're a small group and I like the other people in my class; and despite my initial discomfort and the fact that I couldn't take notes on my tablet, I did learn something important. It turns out that like a lot of people, I suppose, I've confused social justice with charity. Wikipedia defines Social Justice as "justice exercised within society, particularly as it is exercised by and among the various social classes of that society". Not much help there, but it goes on to say that "A socially just society is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, understands and values human rights, and recognizes the dignity of every human being", which is much more helpful. Charity on the other hand is defined by Wikipedia as "the practice of benevolent giving and caring", and "the Christian theological concept of unlimited love and kindness". The Hebrew concept literally means righteousness (Genesis 18:19) but is commonly used to signify giving to worthy causes or people in need". Even within Islam, the concept of mandatory and voluntary alms-giving is often translated as "charity".
 
In general, Catholic Social Teaching is a body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state, which means that Catholic Social Teaching relates to matters dealing with the collective aspect of humanity. In particular, Jesus taught that on the Day of Judgment God will ask what each person did to help the poor and needy: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." One of the foundational principles is the sanctity of all human life and the inherent dignity of every human person. Specifically, we believe that through words, prayers, and deeds we must show compassion for and solidarity with the poor; but what does that really mean?
 
We've all heard or read that "The moral test of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable members", which brings most people back to the idea of charity; but this is not Social Justice. Social Justice may be based "on the concepts of human rights and equality" and it may "involve a greater degree of economic egalitarianism through progressive taxation, income redistribution, or even property redistribution"; but this is not Social Justice. Various policies may aim to achieve what developmental economists refer to as "more equality of opportunity than may currently exist in some societies, or to manufacture equality of outcome in cases where incidental inequalities appear in a procedurally just system"; but this is not Social Justice. If charity is feeding someone a fish, then you might think that social justice is teaching someone how to fish, but that's not right either. According to Pope John Paul II, the foundation of Social Justice rests on the concepts of human dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity. These concerns echo elements of Jewish law and the prophetic books of the Old Testament and recall the teachings of Jesus Christ recorded in the New Testament.
 
What I learned in tonight's class is that Social Justice isn't an action, like giving someone a fish or even teaching them how to fish, it's first and foremost an attitude. Pause here for a moment, and re-read Jesus' declaration, "Amen (or truly), I say to you, whatever you have done for one of these least brothers of Mine, you have done for Me". We've all heard or read this too, many times, but I think we're missing something very important. Jesus is directly connecting our treatment of Him in how we treat others: He isn't saying "it's like you treated me that way", or "what if you treated me that way", but rather He is saying "this is how you are treating me". While the action of social justice is charity, the attitude of social justice is solidarity. Jesus is intimately connected with everyone, especially the poor and disadvantaged, in a truly personal and deeply felt way. If we are to understand what Jesus is trying to teach us we must learn to connect with others (especially the poor and disadvantaged) in this same way. We are all called to love our neighbor as our self because (as I've said before) "we are them and they are us"! It may not be necessary to "give everything you have to the poor" but we must "follow" His example. We must recognize the dignity of every human person and become one with those less fortunate, whoever they are and wherever they are, internalizing their struggle in a personal heartfelt way.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Friendship

A friend is someone who ...

Accepts you as you are.
Believes in you.
Calls you just to say, "Hi".
Doesn't give up on you.
Envisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts).
Forgives your mistakes.
Gives unconditionally.
Helps you.
Invites you over.
Just wants to be with you.
Keeps you close at heart.
Loves you for who you are.
Makes a difference in your life.
Never judges.
Offers support.
Picks you up.
Quiets your fears.
Raises your spirits.
Says nice things about you.
Tells you the truth when you need to hear it.
Understands you.
Values you.
Walks beside you.
Xplains things you don't understand.
Yells when you won't listen.
Zaps you back to reality.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Papal Audience

My wife and I just returned from a pilgrimage to Italy that was called The Shrines of Italy Tour. We flew to Zurich and then to Venice where we spent the next 11 days following our tour guide. We visited several well known cities and spent our free day in Pompeii. In Venice much of the walking was done on raised platforms, called tables, because of the especially high tides and flooding in the streets and shops. People in rubber boots were checking in and out of hotels, shopping in stores, and going about their daily lives with 8 - 12 inches of water on the floor. It made sight-seeing a bit difficult, but we had a great time anyway. In Venice we walked and shopped along the flooded streets and visited the Doge museum, including walking across the Bridge of Sighs. We also did the obligatory gondola ride through the canals one evening, complete with Champaign, a musician, and a singer with a beautiful voice. In Florence we walked across the Ponte Vecchio bridge, shopped along the streets, and visited the Doge and Piti Palace museums. In Assisi we simply walked and shopped, and ate in a small restaurant, not wanting to leave until after dark. In Rome we visited the Vatican Museum, shopped along the streets of the Vatican, and sat and ate at the small sidewalk tables of tiny restaurants. We also ate dinner one night, and listened to traditional Italian singers, in a 2000 year old Roman Bath house.
 
During our trip we were able to celebrate Daily Mass in some of the most beautiful churches we’ve ever seen. In Venice we celebrated in the crypts below San Marcos where Saint Mark is buried, and in Santa Lucia, where Saint Lucy can be found in a glass coffin. On our way to Florence we celebrated in La Basilica del Santo in Padua, and then again early the next morning in Santa Maria Novella, with frescos depicting scenes from the life of Saint Thomas Aquinas. In Assisi we visited both the upper and lower churches of the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, where Saint Francis is buried with a few of his followers, and we celebrated in a side chapel at the Basilica di Santa Chaira, that contains the remains of Saint Clare of Assisi. In Rome we celebrated in a side chapel in the Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura (Saint Paul’s Outside the Wall), where Saint Paul is buried, and in the Lithuanian Chapel below the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano (Saint Peters Basilica).
 
For me however, the highlight of the trip was attending the Papal Audience this morning, in the square at Saint Peter’s. There is something very comforting about being in a city where everyone around you is Catholic, knowing that everyone shares your faith and beliefs, and who also believe that faith itself is important. During the audience I was moved by the thousands of people sitting and standing in the square, waving small flags and listening to every word. It seemed to me that there were people from every nation, representing faith in all its variations, where I felt very connected to the community of saints throughout the world. Prior to the readings Pope Benedict XVI made his way through the crowds in his little white car and I found myself within about 10 feet of His Holiness.
 
He continued his series of teachings on faith by observing that although secularism is on the rise, everyone has a desire for God, and this can be seen in the experience of love. “Even in today’s secularized society, this desire for God continues to make itself felt, above all in the experience of love”, he said. The Pope quoted St. Augustine’s famous words about hearts remaining restless until they rest in God, and he noted that love is the way to begin satisfying that longing, which finds its fulfillment in faith in God. Love by its very nature means encountering others, noting that this can be another person or in God himself. The essence of love is “seeking the good of the other,” and by loving we “find ourselves by giving ourselves away.” Pope Benedict explained that when people go beyond themselves it nurtures their built-in sense of a greater reality beyond them, even beyond fellow human beings. “Thanks to this innate religious sense, we can open our hearts to the gift of faith which draws us ever closer to God, the source of all good and the fulfillment of our deepest desire”. Noting that this is the Year of Faith, he invited Catholics to pray for all sincere seekers of the truth, “that they may come to know the joy and freedom born of faith.”
 
The Pope delivered a greeting in Arabic for the first time as part of an effort to reach out to Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians in the Middle East. After acknowledging groups of pilgrims from different countries in their native tongues, including Saint Clare's from the Diocese of San Jose, the Pope sung the Our Father in Latin. We've each been strengthened and encouraged to return to our respective countries with a renewed mission to carry out God’s plan in our lives, as individuals and as part of His Church. Of course my new rosary was in my hands during the general blessing, which he extended to our family and friends back home.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Stuff Happens

I used to say, "If Life was easy everyone would want to do it". I was trying to acknowledge that things were "as they should be", while also trying to ignore the fact that the struggle itself was depressing. I couldn't understand why I had to struggle with absolutely everything. I'm not sure if I was trying to keep up with others, or if I was just trying to be what appeared to be normal. Now I understand that normal isn't normal and those imagined others are struggling just as much as I am. Today, probably because I'm a lot older and a little bit wiser, I also understand my own struggles better and see them in relation to the world around me. Some people have cancer, some have lost loved ones, and some have money worries. I realize that these are "not the same", but the point is life is not easy for anyone. Being normal means that I struggle, you struggle, we all struggle!

I've also been known to say (quite often), "Life is hard and then you die". I realize that it sounds a bit harsh, but it is one of my favorite sayings because what it means to me has changed over the years; for me it is no longer pessimistic, it's optimistic. Life wasn't intended to be easy and no one owes us anything; struggle is simply part of what it means to be alive. It isn't our fault, or God's fault, or our neighbors fault. When we realize that life isn't easy for anyone we can stop being negative, and once we accept that our struggle is in itself good for us, we are open to appreciate the gifts that we have been given. Everyone, or at least the 99% of us that are aware of what's going on around us, are doing the best that we can.

There is a popular song that says, "sometimes blessings come through raindrops" and "healing comes through tears". We humans are emotional creatures; we connect with the trials and joys in life, whether it's ours or our neighbors, and we must understand that God's mercy can sometimes be "disguised" as hard nights. We humans can also be slow learners, which is why it sometimes takes years for us to know that God is near. "Sometimes honest cries of heart felt pain are better than a halleluiah". Let us be thankful that while we pour out our individual miseries "what God hears is a melody": Take a moment to gather courage, accept the struggle, and know that He is near.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Art Appreciation

Tonight there is no class because of Halloween, and next week I'm going to miss my ILM class because my wife and I are in Italy. We're on a bus tour with about 30 people visiting Florence, Assisi, Venice, and Rome organized by a Priest who is a friend of ours. It's one of those "get on the bus" ... "get off the bus" sorts of trips, but we're both pretty excited about it anyway. Once we reach a city, we stay in the hotel until we leave that city, so we don't have to constantly pack and unpack the bags, or have them outside the door in the hall at 6:00 AM every day. We're pretty excited about visiting the Cathedrals, where we expect to be overwhelmed with the beauty and grandure, and where we'll be able to celebrate Mass just about every day. How cool is that!
 
We're also looking forward to visiting the tourist spots and spending time in the museums, where my wife and I hope to see some of the famous art that we studied in school and seen only in books and on TV. I recently read an article about a local Art and Wine festival and the writer mentioned his love of art; although he also admitted a sever lack of talent suggesting his stick figures were the worst he'd ever seen. Have you noticed how art seems to have taken a back seat to feelings? Today it's more about making the viewer feel something than it is about the art work. Unfortunately it's easier to make someone feel disgust or anger than it is to evoke a sense of beauty, truth, or grace. It doesn't require much artistic talent to disgust and anger viewers or a trained eye or skilled hand; it simply takes a willingness to please art critics.
 
It is much harder to create something beautiful, something lovely to look at and pleasing to the eye, something where we as viewers praise God for giving that person their artistic gift. The gift from God to create something beautiful, whether it’s on canvas with brushes, or in marble using hammers, or on paper using  a few crayons, it is a reflection of the beauty that God has created in the world. When art is properly used, we see it and bless God for giving someone that sort of talent. If you have artistic talent, use it wisely rather than crudely, and weather you do or don't have artistic talent look for art that reflects God's sense of beauty and creativity, because whatever is pure and lovely reminds us of God, and it reminds us for whom we live our lives.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Ordinary People

Have you ever wondered around in an antique store and checked out the boxes of old photographs? Most of these are ordinary photos of people in weddings, school graduations, family picnics, or people at work or play, etc. You can also find boxes of old post cards, from and to people who no longer exist, with messages about their vacations, vocations, personal thoughts, and daily lives. I have always found it sad that at some point these people have been forgotten, and that someone who no longer cares decided to donate these memories to strangers. The last records of these peoples lives are waiting in dusty boxes and will eventually turn to dust themselves; forgotten forever. Maybe it's because I've spent a lot of time wondering around in antique stores, but there was a time when I was concerned about whether anyone would remember me after I was gone. I'll be missed by my immediate family of course, but only until they have passed on. I am not going to be a talented actor, or a rich businessman, or a famous scientist. In fact, no matter how well any of us play a musical instrument, or play our favorite sport, or how much money we make or give away, most of us are not going to be the best at anything.

Saint Therese of Lisieux, known as the Little Flower, was once asked about her meditation practices, and specifically what she said to God in prayer. She responded, "Nothing, I just listen". The followup question was, "What does God tell you?", and Saint Therese said, "Nothing, He just listens". Even in prayer, Saint Therese taught us the power of simplicity. She prayed from her heart as a child speaks honestly and trustingly to a parent they love.  "Everything is grace" would probably be the theme song of her spirituality. Her "Little Way" teaches us to do the ordinary things of life with extraordinary love. A smile, a note of encouragement, a phone call, suffering in silence, always having a positive word, a simple unnoticed task to brighten the life of another, and so many other simple deeds, done with love were the examples of her spirituality. The smallest action, done with love, is more important than greatest deeds done for personal glory, gratification or simply out of obedience. Saint Therese's life reflected her belief that Jesus is everywhere and is the power for love and goodness operating within us: Such is the power and presence of grace. Saint Therese saw herself as a child of God, and she liked to keep things as simple and focused as a child because she felt that trust, especially trust in God, is a childlike virtue.

Most of us will always be ordinary people doing ordinary things in ordinary ways, just like most of the people found in those antique store boxes. Over the last few years I've come to grips with the idea of being an ordinary person, and in fact I now embrace being ordinary. God doesn't favor movie stars and scientists, and although He needs leaders and people of action, it's the ordinary activities of ordinary people that He is using to build His Kingdom. Saint Therese believed that life presents enough challenges and opportunities for grace. She taught us that God is everywhere, in every situation and in every person, and in the ordinary simple details of life. God is calling us to respond to His divine love in a childlike relationship of love, trust, and confidence by doing simple things for others. Therese was faithful to the Gospel of Jesus and the core of his message, and she invites us to join in her "spiritual childhood" or "little way". It's comforting to realize that we are God's children too, and that how we live our lives is just as important as what we accomplish with our lives. In the end, you and I and the rest of the ordinary people in this world will not be remembered long after we're gone, but how we live, and how we worship, and how we impact the people around us is what gives our lives, and our memories, meaning. We may be forgotten, but even in the most simple of ways the good that we do in God's name will last forever.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Catholic Social Teaching - Class 6

This is the introduction to the text for Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good originated from the Domestic and International Policy Committees. It was prepared in consultation with the bishops' Committee on Doctrine and the Committee on Science and Human Values. The document was approved for publication by the full body of United States Catholic bishops at their June 2001 General Meeting. As people of faith, we are convinced that "the earth is the Lord's and all it holds" (Psalms 24:1). Our Creator has given us the gift of creation: the air we breathe, the water that sustains life, the fruits of the land that nourish us, and the entire web of life without which human life cannot flourish. All of this God created and found "very good." We believe our response to global climate change should be a sign of our respect for God's creation.
 
The continuing debate about how the United States is responding to questions and challenges surrounding global climate change is a test and an opportunity for our nation and the entire Catholic community. As bishops, we are not scientists or public policymakers. We enter this debate not to embrace a particular treaty, nor to urge particular technical solutions, but to call for a different kind of national discussion. Much of the debate on global climate change seems polarized and partisan. Science is too often used as a weapon, not as a source of wisdom. Various interests use the airwaves and political process to minimize or exaggerate the challenges we face. The search for the common good and the voices of poor people and poor countries sometimes are neglected.
 
At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest group pressures. It is about the future of God's creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both "the human environment" and the natural environment. It is about our human stewardship of God's creation and our responsibility to those who come after us. With these reflections, we seek to offer a word of caution and a plea for genuine dialogue as the United States and other nations face decisions about how best to respond to the challenges of global climate change.
 
The dialogue and our response to the challenge of climate change must be rooted in the virtue of prudence. While some uncertainty remains, most experts agree that something significant is happening to the atmosphere. Human behavior and activity are, according to the most recent findings of the international scientific bodies charged with assessing climate change, contributing to a warming of the earth's climate. Although debate continues about the extent and impact of this warming, it could be quite serious. Consequently, it seems prudent not only to continue to research and monitor this phenomenon, but to take steps now to mitigate possible negative effects in the future.
 
As Catholic bishops, we seek to offer a distinctively religious and moral perspective to what is necessarily a complicated scientific, economic, and political discussion. Ethical questions lie at the heart of the challenges facing us. John Paul II insists, "We face a fundamental question which can be described as both ethical and ecological. How can accelerated development be prevented from turning against man? How can one prevent disasters that destroy the environment and threaten all forms of life, and how can the negative consequences that have already occurred be remedied?"
 
Because of the blessings God has bestowed on our nation and the power it possesses, the United States bears a special responsibility in its stewardship of God's creation to shape responses that serve the entire human family. As pastors, teachers, and citizens, we bishops seek to contribute to our national dialogue by examining the ethical implications of climate change. We offer some themes from Catholic social teaching that could help to shape this dialogue, and we suggest some directions for the debate and public policy decisions that face us. We do so with great respect for the work of the scientists, diplomats, business and union representatives, developers of new technologies, environmental leaders, and policymakers who have been struggling with the difficult questions of climate change for many years.
 
While our own growing awareness of this problem has come in part from scientific research and the public debate about the human contribution to climate change, we are also responding to the appeals of the Church in other parts of the world. Along with Pope John Paul II, church leaders in developing countries—who fear that affluent nations will mute their voices and ignore their needs—have expressed their concerns about how this global challenge will affect their people and their environment. We also hear the call of Catholic youth and other young people to protect the environment.
 
Therefore, we especially want to focus on the needs of the poor, the weak, and the vulnerable in a debate often dominated by more powerful interests. Inaction and inadequate or misguided responses to climate change will likely place even greater burdens on already desperately poor peoples. Action to mitigate global climate change must be built upon a foundation of social and economic justice that does not put the poor at greater risk or place disproportionate and unfair burdens on developing nations.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Peanuts quiz

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the  creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions just ponder them briefly:

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
Name the last person to win the Nobel Prize.
Name the last person to win the Pulitzer Prize.
Name the last actor or actress to win an Academy Award.
Name the last World Series winners.

How did you do? These are not second-rate achievers, they are the best in their fields. But as the applause dies and the awards tarnish the achievements are forgotten, and the accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. The lesson is that none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. Here's the rest of the Charles Schulz quiz. See how you do on this one:

Name a teacher who aided you in school.
Name a friend who helped you through a difficult time.
Name a person who taught you something worthwhile.
Name someone who made you feel appreciated and special.
Name all the people you enjoy spending time with.

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, or the most money, or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most. The lesson is to be yourself because everyone else is taken! Pass this on to someone who has made a difference in your life, and take this opporutnity to make a difference in someone else's life.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Catholic Social Teaching - Class 5

A Catholic Framework for Economic Life envisions the “The dignity of the human person, realized in community with others, is the criterion against which all aspects of economic life must be measured. At the core, in matters of faith, economic life is one of the chief areas where we live out our faith, love our neighbor, and live our life. The 1986 letter on Economic Justice for All, written by the USCCB and presented here in summary, reflects a unique perspective for the United States. It is grounded in scripture and tradition, the fruit of three years of research, public feedback, and reflection, and it still has relevance for us today.
 
It was written in response to tax cuts, anti-union policies, increases in military spending, and the growing gap  between rich and poor. The Bishops wrote Economic Justice for All to focus the US economy on the local and global poverty concerns. The letter called for new forms of cooperation between business and private enterprise, and was in-line with the UNs focus on the poor and vulnerable. No one can claim the name Christian and be comfortable with the homelessness and poverty in the world. We must share perspectives and raise questions as heirs to the Hebrew prophets and as heirs to Jesus' teaching. We must be in the service of all people - especially the poor.
 
Scripture provides an ample guide for a moral vision for economic life: The focal point of Israel’s faith provides the foundation for reflection. Humans are created in the image of God and are endowed with inalienable rights; through their labor they are unfolding the Creator’s work. Sin alienates humans from God and one another, but God always seeks out a sinful people.  God’s covenant with Israel spells out God’s promise of steadfast love for the people (hesed) and God’s faithfulness (emeth). In return, God calls for fidelity and loving justice which promotes the dignity of all. The Israelites were to “imitate God by treating the alien and slave in their midst as God had treated them.
 
Central to the biblical presentation of justice is that the justice of a community is measured by its treatment of the powerless in society, most often described as the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger. Jesus enters human history as God’s anointed son who announces the nearness of the reign of God. The reign of God has already begun in the life and teaching of Jesus and Judgment will be based on how Jesus was treated in the least among us. Being called to be disciples in community involves imitating the pattern of Jesus’ life by openness to God’s will in the service of others. Sharing in the same resurrection faith as the disciples contemporary followers of Christ can face the struggles and challenges that await those who bring the gospel vision to bear on our complex economic and social world.
 
The Gospel of Luke especially has relevance for our moral perspective on economic life today. Luke speaks concretely of the rich and poor and explains how material poverty is not “blessed”, it’s the poor who are blessed because they are not blinded by riches and can thus see God. Luke’s Jesus has a special predilection for the poor and lowly. The preferential option for the poor calls us to see things from the side of the poor and powerless and to assess lifestyle, policies, and social institutions in terms of their impact on the poor.
 
We are a community of hope. Our human history is unfolding between the first creation and the restoral of that creation. In union with all people of good will, Christians are called to shape history in the direction of the reign of God. Our action on behalf of justice in our world proceeds from the conviction that, despite the power of injustice and violence, life has been fundamentally changed by the entry of the Word made Flesh in to human history. Our quest is two-fold; it involves diagnosing those situations that continue to alienate the world from God’s creative love as well as presenting hopeful alternatives that arise from living in a renewed creation.
 
It’s a living tradition that draws upon both Scripture and tradition. Throughout history, Christians have in their own context made the option for the poor, and beginning with Leo XIII’s Rerum Hovarum, down to the writings and speeches of John Paul II, the popes have more systematically addressed the rapid change of modern society in a series of social encyclicals. Efforts have been strengthened by the Protestant tradition’s emphasis on vocations of lay people, ecumenical efforts in economic ethics, and by Catholics in developing countries. The concerns of this pastoral letter are not at all peripheral to the central mystery at the heart of the Church.  Instead they are integral to the proclamation of the Gospel and part of the vacation of every Christian today.
 
The ethical norms appeal to both Christians and non-Christians because they are grounded in basic respect for the dignity for the human person. The dual command for love of God and neighbor, in the social nature of persons, mirrors the Trinitarian relationship of Love.
 
Commutative justice demands that all persons receive their due, distributive justice demands a fair distribution of goods, and social justice calls for a basic level of participation in the life of the society.  Basic justice also calls for the establishment of a floor of material wellbeing on which all can stand. This is a duty of the whole of society and it creates particular obligations for those with greater resources, as extreme income inequalities threaten the solidarity for the human community. As Americans we must examine our way of living and patterns of consumption in the light of the needs of the poor, and resist the temptation to want more.
 
Basic justice demands the establishment of minimum levels of participation in the life of the human community for all persons. Patterns of exclusion are created by free human beings participating in unjust and oppressive structures and institutions. In this sense they can be called forms of social sin. Acquiescence in them or failure to correct them when it is possible to do so is a sinful dereliction of Christian duty. There is a basic floor of human rights which are necessary for basic survival and human dignity. Any denial of these basic rights violates the human person and destroys community. These rights include the civil and political rights to freedom of speech, worship, and assembly. A number of human rights also concern human welfare and re of a specifically economic nature. First among these are the rights to life, food, clothing, shelter, rest, medical care, and basic education.
 
The obligation to provide justice for all means that the poor have the single most urgent economic claim on the conscience of the nation. The fulfillment of the basic needs of the poor is of the highest priority. Increasing active participation in economic life by those who are presently excluded or vulnerable is a high social priority. The investment of wealth, talent and human energy should be specially directed to benefit those who are poor or economically insecure. Economic and social po9licies as well as the organization of the work world should be continually evaluated in light of their impact on the strength and stability of family life.
 
It is primarily through their daily work that people contribute to economic justice.  All work has a threefold moral significance. First, it is a principle way that people exercise the distinctive human capacity for self-expression and self-realization. Second, it is the ordinary way for human beings to fulfill their material needs. Finally work enables people to contribute the well-being of the larger community. Work is not only for oneself. It is for one’s family, for the nation, and indeed for the benefit of the entire human family. The principle of subsidiarity gives everyone, all individuals and social bodies the task of working for justice and the common good.
 
The way power is distributed in a free-market economy frequently gives employer greater bargaining power than employees in the negotiation of labor contracts. Such unequal power may press workers into a choice between and inadequate wage and no wage at all. But justice, not charity, demands certain minimum guarantees. The Church fully supports the right of workers to form unions or other associations to secure their rights to fair wages and working conditions. No one may deny the right to organize without attacking human dignity itself. Property owners, managers, and investors of financial capital must all contribute to creating a more just society. The Catholic tradition has long defended the right to private ownership of productive property. But this right is neither unlimited nor absolute and must always be at the service of the common good. It is constrained by a social mortgage.
 
Every citizen has the obligation to contribute to the common good. All who have more than they need must come to the aid of the poor. People with professional or technical skills needed to enhance the lives of others have a duty to share them. And the poor have similar obligations to work together as individuals and families to build up their communities by acts of social solidarity and justice. Charity will never be true charity unless it takes justice into account. Let no one attempt with small gifts of charity to exempt himself from the great duties imposed by justice (Pope Pius XI). Though the Church rejects all statist and totalitarian approaches to economic life, it nevertheless teaches that government has amoral function, protecting human rights and securing basic justice for all members of the common wealth.
 
The Christian vision of love, justice, peace, and grace gives us the strength and conviction to work toward a world that more fully reflects God’s reign of justice and peace, in spite of setbacks and obstacles.  This hop is not a naïve optimism that imagines that simple formulas for creating a fully just society are ready at hand. The Church’s experience through  history and in nations throughout the world today has made it ware of all ideologies that claim to have the final answer to humanity’s problems. Christian hope has a much stronger foundation than such ideologies, for it rests on the knowledge that God is at work in the world, preparing a new dwelling place and a new earth where justice will abide. Concrete solution to pressing economic issue will come as we communally engage in critical analysis, dialogue, experimentation, and imagination, undergirded by deep faith and courageous love.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

The Raven - Part 2

Our story teller had titled her talk, "On the Wisdom of the Community of the Beloved Disciples, A walk with Jesus", which she took from John 21. She is a noted author who works with indigenous groups and base Christian communities all over the world, and with justice and peace groups as well as parishes and dioceses. She is a native of New York City and has lived, visited, and gypsied through North and South America, Europe, and a collection of remote islands. She introduced her talk by expressing how important story is, and that at the end of the evening we "would either love everything she had to say or we would want to kill her". I thought that was a weird way to introduce her story telling style, and in hind sight I should have realized what I was in for. I had been looking forward to her talk, expecting to hear how her travels had deepened her Christian faith and how her faith had influenced her travels.

Unfortunately, I failed to consider one important, and critical, fact. This presentation was being sponsored by the Thomas Merton Center for Catholic Spiritual Development. I am not familiar with most of their belief and teaching, although I can say that because of my few encounters with this group, I strongly believe this to be a fringe group within Catholicism. After telling the story about the raven the elder in our midst continued to explore the idea of failure, and sin, and the shadows that follow us around most of our lives. For her the American Indians represented a time in which myth and truth, were inseparable from nature and religion. According to her, this way of life existed for thousands of years and was an example of where we as Catholics should be headed.

Evidently she usually speaks to "invitation only" groups, which gives her the freedom to speak ... "freely". Her comments concerning the quality of leadership within the Church were not positive or even intended as suggestions for improvement (and as evidence this Thomas Merton group refuses to contribute any portion of their collections to the Church). This group would prefer to simply remove anyone (from the Church) that isn't a lay person (from all deacons and up), and start over. Her agenda was that Peter was not supposed to have been given the keys to the kingdom and that from there (and since then) things have been going downhill. According to her, a view probably supported by this group, Christianity should never have read or canonized the writings of Saint Paul.

Remember Harold Camping, the personality from the Family Radio program that predicted the most recent rapture date? Here is another opportunity to pray for those who are completely misguided, and for those they are leading astray.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

An Evening of Prayer

Tonight we didn't have the usual class, instead we gathered together for an evening of prayer. At the beginning of every year all of the students in the ILM program take this opportunity to be attentive to their spiritual formation, and this year the Mass was held at Saint Joseph Cathedral Basilica in down town San Jose. The multi lingual service lasted just over two hours during which we also celebrated the opening of the Year of Faith and the 50th anniversary of Vatican II. The theme was, "Members of our region call us to share our diverse gifts in praise of God", and it began with music from the various cultures in the various communities in the San Jose Diocese, including a small group of Vietnamese drummers and a larger Samoan choir. The Gathering Song was Laudate, Laudate Dominum which is sung in Latin, but the second verse was, "In the faith of Christ we walk hand in hand, light before our path as the Lord has planned; shinning the torch of faith in our land". As always the music was beautiful!

The Year of Faith is all about ordinary Catholics and what ordinary Catholics do. Pope Benedict laid out the purpose for this Year in his letter Door of Faith, stressing that the door of faith is always open for us, ushering us into a life of communion with God and offering us entry into his Church. The Pope believes that if only all of us lived more clearly the faith that is given to us in the Scriptures and professed at our Baptism and renewed every Sunday, then more people would be inspired to enter that "door of faith" to be one with God. "We want this Year to arouse in every believer the aspiration to profess the faith in fullness and with renewed conviction, with confidence and hope. It will also be a good opportunity to intensify the celebration of the faith in the liturgy, especially in the Eucharist, which is "the summit towards which the activity of the Church is directed, and also the source from which all its power flows". At the same time, we make it our prayer that believers' witness of life may grow in credibility. To rediscover the content of the faith that is professed, celebrated, lived and prayed, and to reflect on the act of faith, is a task that every believer must make his own, especially in the course of this Year." (Pope Benedict XVI)

One of the most important events in modern history of the Catholic Church has reached a historical milestone. Fifty years ago, with the opening of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John XXIII confidently threw open the windows of the Church trusting that the Holy Spirit would blow through it a fresh breeze of renewal. During this worldwide ecumenical council the 2500 bishops approved 16 documents to enliven Catholic spirituality; one of which, Guadium et Spes (Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) insists that the Catholic Church must be at the service of all humanity, especially those most in need. Another development of that council is the ecumenical proclamation for the Gospel and the defense of Gospel values. Bishop Brian Farrell recently said, "The challenges facing religious belief itself and church life are common, no church, no religion is an island, and we need one another and can learn from one another. The mission that the Lord entrusted to the Apostles, to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth, has not been fulfilled", and ecumenical cooperation is crucial when trying to transmit the faith in the modern world and to re-propose Christianity in areas becoming more secularized.

Near the end of the evening we sang the song Praise God from Whom All Blessing Flow which is one I used to sing with my Mom on Sundays. After that, representatives from all of the Parish's (including me) were called forward to receive a candle during which everyone sang, The Litany of Saints. Once again our evening of prayer was a personal blessing to me and an inspirational evening for all.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Raven - Part 1

According to American Indian mythology, the raven can be many things; a bird (flying freely in the air), or a trickster (stealing things it finds pretty), and even a god (looking down upon the earth). Imagine this story being told by the first Americans, to a group of children gathered in a small circle around a fire, with the dim light of the fire dancing on the faces of the children, and on the faces of the adults standing in an outer circle. A large elder is moving around the children, between them and the adults, interrupting the dancing light with shadows cast outward toward the wall of adults; her arms waving, her body turning and stooping as she makes faces to illustrate the story of the raven. After a similar short introduction, our story teller for the evening began this story.

"Every day the black raven took to the sky and flew high above the earth, surveying all that he saw. One day, while flying over the sea, the raven saw an island that was not there the day before, and becoming very curious he flew down closer. Near the shore was a small hut and the smell of smoked salmon was too much of a temptation for the raven. He wanted some of that delicious salmon, and he landed near the hut and walked in. The hut was unguarded and empty except for the smoked salmon that was hanging everywhere; large fish on one rack, medium fish on a second rack, and small fish on a third rack."

"He chose the biggest fish he could find and carried it to a table, but before he could take a bite, it shot back up onto the rack. So he chose a medium sized fish and carried it to the table, but before he could take a bite, it too shot back up onto the rack. He tried again, choosing a small fish, but just like the first two times, before he could take a bite the fish shot back up on to the rack. This was too much for the raven to understand, so he left the hut and took to the sky again."

"Almost immediately, he noticed something following him and becoming frightened he began to swerve, and dive, and climb, but he just couldn't lose that smooth black object. Terror overwhelmed him as he suddenly realized that what was following him was his shadow. He cawed and cried loudly that it wasn't fair; he never had a shadow before and he certainly didn't want one now. Realizing his mistake he looked back, but it was too late, for the raven saw that the island was gone."

Here the story teller in our midst abruptly ended the story, pointed to her audience and accused each of us of being ravens. The raven, you see, was given a shadow because it was trying to steel something that didn't belong to it. The moral of the story is that because each of us has a shadow, then we too have stolen something that didn't belong to us. In my modern re-interpretation of this story Satan is the trickster, the accuser who opposes and challenges our faith, the island represents the kind of opportunities that pop up out of nowhere presenting us with temptations that are sometimes difficult to resist, and our shadow is … well … just a shadow. Nevertheless, although our shadow isn't a telltale sign of failure, we might see it as a reminder of our past mistakes.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Catholic Social Teaching - Class 4

Tonight our instructor discussed Faithful Citizenship and the Formation of Conscience in responding to the call to political responsibility. As a nation, we share many blessings and strengths, including a tradition of religious freedom and political participation. However, as a people, we face serious challenges that are clearly political and also profoundly moral. We are a nation founded on “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” but the right to life itself is not fully protected, especially for unborn children, the most vulnerable members of the American family. We are called to be peacemakers in a nation at war. We are a country pledged to pursue “liberty and justice for all,” but we are too often divided across lines of race, ethnicity, and economic inequality. We are a nation of immigrants, struggling to address the challenges of many new immigrants in our midst. We are a society built on the strength of our families, called to defend marriage and offer moral and economic supports for family life. We are a powerful nation in a violent world, confronting terror and trying to build a safer, more just, more peaceful world. We are an affluent society where too many live in poverty and lack health care and other necessities of life. We are part of a global community facing urgent threats to the environment that must sustain us. These challenges are at the heart of public life and at the center of the pursuit of the common good.

The handout was prepared by the Catholic Bishops of the United States as a guide for the exercise of our rights and duties as participants in democracy. Their statement lifts up our dual heritage as both faithful Catholics and American citizens. We are members of a community of faith with a long tradition of teaching and action on human life and dignity, marriage and family, justice and peace, care for creation, and the common good. As Americans, we are also blessed with religious liberty which safeguards our right to bring our principles and moral convictions into the public arena. These Constitutional freedoms need to be both exercised and protected, as some seek to mute the voices or limit the freedoms of religious believers and religious institutions. Catholics have the same rights and duties as others to participate fully in public life. The Church through its institutions must be free to carry out its mission and contribute to the common good without being pressured to sacrifice fundamental teachings and moral principles.

The Catholic Bishops statement remains a faithful and challenging call to discipleship in the world of politics. It does not offer a voters guide, scorecard of issues, or direction on how to vote. It applies Catholic moral principles to a range of important issues and warns against misguided appeals to ignore fundamental moral claims, to reduce Catholic moral concerns to one or two matters, or to justify choices simply to advance partisan, ideological, or personal interests. It does not offer a quantitative listing of issues for equal consideration, but outlines and makes important distinctions among moral issues acknowledging faithful citizenship that some involve the clear obligation to oppose intrinsic evils which can never be justified and that others require action to pursue justice and promote the common good. In short, it calls Catholics to form their consciences in the light of their Catholic faith and to bring our moral principles to the debate and decisions about candidates and issues.

The Church's teaching about issues affecting public policy and our obligation to participate in shaping the moral character of society is a requirement of our faith. It is a basic part of the mission we have received from Jesus Christ, who offers a vision of life revealed to us in Sacred Scripture and Tradition. To echo the teaching of the Second Vatican Council: Christ, the Word made flesh, in showing us the Father’s love also shows us what it truly means to be human (see Gaudium et Spes, no. 22). Christ’s love for us lets us see our human dignity in full clarity and compels us to love our neighbors as He has loved us. Christ, the Teacher, shows us what is true and good, that is, what is in accord with our human nature as free, intelligent beings created in God’s image and likeness and endowed by the Creator with dignity and rights.

What faith teaches about the dignity of the human person and about the sacredness of every human life helps us see more clearly the same truths that also come to us through the gift of human reason. At the center of these truths is respect for the dignity of every person. This is the core of Catholic moral and social teaching. Because we are people of both faith and reason, it is appropriate and necessary for us to bring this essential truth about human life and dignity to the public square. We are called to practice Christ’s commandment to “love one another” (John 13:34). We are also called to promote the well-being of all, to share our blessings with those most in need, to defend marriage, and to protect the lives and dignity of all, especially the weak, the vulnerable, the voiceless. In his first encyclical letter, Pope Benedict XVI explained that “charity must animate the entire lives of the lay faithful and therefore also their political activity, lived as social charity".

Some question whether it is appropriate for the Church to play a role in political life. However, the obligation to teach about moral values that should shape our lives, including our public lives, is central to the mission given to the Church by Jesus Christ. Moreover, the United States Constitution protects the right of individual believers and religious bodies to participate and speak out without government interference, favoritism, or discrimination. Civil law should fully recognize and protect the Church’s right, obligation, and opportunities to participate in society without being forced to abandon or ignore its central moral convictions. Our nation’s tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups and people of faith bring their convictions and concerns into public life. Indeed, our Church’s teaching is in accord with the foundational values that have shaped our nation’s history: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Catholic community brings important assets to the political dialogue about our nation’s future. We bring a consistent moral framework, drawn from basic human reason that is illuminated by Scripture and the teaching of the Church, for assessing issues, political platforms, and campaigns. We also bring broad experience in serving those in need, educating the young, caring for the sick, sheltering the homeless, helping women who face difficult pregnancies, feeding the hungry, welcoming immigrants and refugees, reaching out in global solidarity, and pursuing peace. Building a world of respect for human life and dignity, where justice and peace prevail, requires more than just political commitment. Individuals, families, businesses, community organizations, and governments all have a role to play. Participation in political life in light of fundamental moral principles is an essential duty for every Catholic and all people of good will.

The Church is involved in the political process but is not partisan. The Church cannot champion any candidate or party. Our cause is the defense of human life and dignity and the protection of the weak and vulnerable. The Church is engaged in the political process but should not be used. We welcome dialogue with political leaders and candidates; we seek to engage and persuade public officials. Events and “photo-ops” cannot substitute for serious dialogue. The Church is principled but not ideological. We cannot compromise basic principles or moral teaching. We are committed to clarity about our moral teaching and to civility. In public life, it is important to practice the virtues of justice and charity that are at the core of our Tradition. We should work with others in a variety of ways to advance our moral principles. In light of these principles and the blessings we share as part of a free and democratic nation, we must respond to the call for a renewed kind of politics: 1) Focused more on moral principles than on the latest polls, 2) Focused more on the needs of the weak than on benefits for the strong, and 3) Focused more on the pursuit of the common good than on the demands of narrow interests. This kind of political participation reflects the social teaching of our Church and the best traditions of our nation.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Who's Your Neighbor

I know this guy, and I'm pretty sure you know someone like this guy, who can be very negative at times. Especially about those he considers as outsiders who in this case is just about everyone; it's an embarrassment to his wife. I really like this guy, and so in the past I tolerated his occasional negative statements and I tried to slowly direct the conversation to something less negative. Unfortunately, he's getting older and he may be experiencing the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, which may explain why his negativity is getting worse. He's beginning to repeat these ideas over and over during every conversation, easily circling back after being re-directed by me. His fears and concerns about whom he considers responsible for the condition of America, and I suppose the world in general, are way off base. Nevertheless, it makes sense to him and in some way is probably very real to him.

Like I said, I really like this guy, he's my Dad. When I was a kid I didn't realize that he was so opinionated, but after going away to college I quickly learned that my Dad was a bit of a racist. There was never anything objectionable that I remember; he wasn't the kind of guy to loudly proclaim belief or spout unkind rhetoric. It was never anything overt, but in a subtle kind of way he separated everyone into us vs them categories. Because he's my Dad I would like to continue "giving him some slack", but as I said it's getting worse. I've begun a campaign to help him whenever I can, first of all by praying for him often, and secondly by letting him know that I don't agree with his statements and assessments about others. I'm learning to say things like, "No Dad, I don't believe "they" are responsible for what's happening in America. America is in trouble because the politicians won't stop arguing with each other."

In Jesus' teachings, our relationship with our fellow men, women and children is inseparable from our relationship with God. Love of God and love of our neighbors are two aspects of the same calling. We commonly think of neighbors as the people who live near us, but the parable of the Good Samaritan makes it clear that to "love your neighbor" means to love all persons, everywhere; not just our friends, allies, and countrymen. Jesus used this parable to extend the rule of love to even our enemies! Like the unselfish Samaritan man of Jesus' parable, we are called to extend our love and concern to all persons everywhere, as our neighbors. Although it may be easier to do if we exclude those we are confident Jesus would not have included, His reminder to us is that absolutely no one should be excluded for any reason. Help me pray for those with mental health concerns like my Dad's, and pray that everyone learns to extend Jesus' rule of love to all persons, everywhere, including their enemies!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Catholic Social Teaching - Class 3

This Framework for Parish Global Solidarity seeks to help parishes explore how to better integrate the international responsibilities of Catholic faith in local communities of faith. It is drawn from Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish. The framework is complemented by a parish global solidarity resource, which offers suggestions to parish leaders in assessing and strengthening their parish commitment to global solidarity.

Anchoring Solidarity: Prayer, Worship, and Preaching
One of the most important ways to focus on the Catholic call to solidarity is through prayer and worship. In our parishes, the Eucharist represents a central setting for discovering and expressing solidarity. Gathered around the altar, we are reminded of our connection to all of God’s people through the mystical body of Christ. The Eucharist makes present the sacrifice of Calvary in which Christ’s blood is shed for the redemption of the world. Our call to solidarity has its roots in this mystery and in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which we proclaim every time we gather for Eucharist.

While care must be taken to avoid ideological uses of liturgy, the Eucharist and the Gospel call the Church to proclaim and express the global solidarity of the people of God. International concerns can be reflected in the introduction to the Mass, general intercessions, and music. There is no greater opportunity to help Catholics understand the social dimensions of our faith than in the homily. Preachers can connect the gospel message of love for our neighbor and the biblical values of justice and peace to the real struggles of people in other lands that we see on the evening news. Inviting returned missionaries or relief workers to preach or speak to the congregation can provide examples of faith in action that can lead to concrete acts of solidarity. We can also use various collections for missions, development, and relief as opportunities to raise awareness and promote action on the needs of people in other lands. Through prayer, worship, and preaching we can deepen our understanding of the call to build greater justice and peace.

Teaching Solidarity: Education and Formation
Education and formation are key arenas for teaching global solidarity. We should strongly support Catholic educators who consistently integrate international concerns into their curricula and programs such as geography, history, and science classes, as well as religious education and formation. Many Catholic educators are finding creative ways to reflect and act on the call to global solidarity, from principals and teachers who encourage their students to participate in Lenten relief programs to adult educators who host speakers on missions or international issues.

While much is being done, too many educational programs still neglect or ignore the global dimensions of our Catholic calling. We urge all Catholic educators to share the Church’s teaching on the global dimensions of our social mission more intentionally, more explicitly, and more creatively. We encourage the incorporation of the call to global solidarity into our schools, religious education programs, sacramental preparation, and Christian initiation programs. We need to match efforts to share the principle of solidarity with opportunities to act on it—to share our financial and material resources, to search for the structural causes of poverty, to promote development, and to advocate for human life, human dignity, and human rights.

Living Solidarity: Work, Family, Citizenship
Many choices about international concerns are made in economic and public life. American corporations shape the world as much as government action. Business, union, and government leaders make decisions every day that enhance or undermine human life and dignity around the world. How believers invest and consume, and the choices we make as voters and citizens, can shape a world of greater or lesser justice, more or less peace. The Church’s commitment to global solidarity belongs especially to lay people. It is reflected at least as much in the choices of lay Catholics in commerce and politics as in the statements and advocacy of our bishops’ conference. How U.S. businesses act abroad sets standards that advance or diminish justice.

Catholics should bring their awareness of global solidarity to their diverse roles in business and commerce, in education and communications, and in the labor movement and public life. As teachers, broadcasters, journalists, and entertainers, Catholics can awaken a sense, not only of the world’s problems, but also our capacity to respond. As citizens, we can urge public officials and legislators to seriously address the problems of the world’s persecuted, poor, and displaced. In today’s complex world, the demands of solidarity cannot be filled simply by an occasional gift or contribution, although generosity is required of each of us. Solidarity demands responses and initiatives that are as rich and varied as our relationships, responsibilities, and lives.

Investing in Solidarity: Stewardship
Catholics in the United States have given many millions of dollars to reach out to brothers and sisters in other parts of the world. In three decades, Catholics in our country have contributed more than $80 million through our Latin America collection alone. Through the annual Propagation of the Faith collection, we support missionaries who share the faith in every part of the world. Through parish collections and other activities, Catholic Relief Services provides not only emergency food to the hungry but also long-term support for development, health care, and sustainable agriculture in 2,000 projects around the world. In our collection for Central and Eastern Europe, Catholics in the United States help to rebuild churches and communities torn apart by years of repression. This is an impressive record of generosity. One particular example of family stewardship is Operation Rice Bowl of Catholic Relief Services. This Lenten program suggests that families skip a meal or eat only rice. The money saved from these “sacrificial” meals is shared with the poor through CRS. We endorse this and other family signs of solidarity.

While we are proud of and encouraged by the generosity of our people, we know we can do even more. We’ve seen it so often in our own dioceses. When we see clearly the suffering of others—down the block or half a world away—we respond with remarkable charity and compassion. Our Church calls us to see more clearly the suffering, needs, and potential of our sisters and brothers and helps us respond with even greater generosity and sacrifice.

However, stewardship is about more than how we use our money and resources. All we have comes from God. We are stewards not only of our money, but also our time, our energy, and indeed our whole lives. Stewardship for global solidarity means that we share what we have and what we are to make life better for those who are poor and vulnerable at home and around the world. It means that we take time to work for just policies and a more peaceful world and that we give even more generously to these international collections.

Practicing Solidarity: Outreach and Charity
Parishes are called to help those who suffer in our own communities and in situations of poverty and pain around the world. Turning the human struggle we see on the nightly news into effective parish outreach on a global level demands initiative and creativity. It most often starts with building relationships, sometimes with members of the parish who are from countries where there is war, famine, and human suffering, or the relationship may begin with our own mission efforts, Catholic Relief Services, or a diocesan resettlement office.

One special way parishes have reached out in solidarity is through a process known as twinning, in which a parish in the United States develops an ongoing relationship with a parish in another part of the world. Our Secretariat for Latin America reports that more than 1,700 parishes in the United States have connected in special relationships with Catholic communities in Central and South America. We welcome “twinning” relationships and encourage the development of these relationships in ways that avoid dependency and paternalism. These bridges of faith offer as much to U.S. parishes as their partners. We are evangelized and changed as we help other communities of faith.

Promoting Solidarity: Advocacy and Political Responsibility
True parish commitment to global solidarity will not stop with financial aid or compassionate service efforts. Pursuing justice is at the core of the call to solidarity. Parishes can promote a broader, truly universal sense of political responsibility by calling Catholics to be informed and involved in international peace and justice issues, responding to the leadership of the Holy Father. Parishes have special opportunities to develop leadership, to promote citizenship, and to provide forums for discussion and action on global issues. Legislative networks and state Catholic conferences are effective tools for helping believers act on the international dimensions of our faith.

Active citizenship by Catholics is also required if U.S. policies are to reflect our best values and traditions. The voices of parishioners need to be heard on behalf of children who are being destroyed by abortion, starvation, landmines, or lack of health care. We need to be heard as we approach the jubilee on how international debt transfers wealth from poor nations to rich societies and diminishes the lives and integrity of so many. We need to be heard especially on behalf of women, who bear the greatest burdens of poverty and injustice. We need to be heard on behalf of the millions of child laborers in the world. We can insist that U.S. corporations eliminate child laborers in all their assembly operations.

Parishes should offer nonpartisan opportunities for members to register to vote, to become informed on international issues, and to communicate with legislators. We can help convince our nation that building peace, combating poverty and despair, and protecting human life and human rights are not only moral imperatives, but also wise national priorities. We can help shape a world that will be a safer, more secure, and more just home for all of us.