Sunday, March 15, 2015

My Hope and My Fidelity

My attitude regarding ecumenism is hope for souls. I have faith that God’s love and mercy are truly infinite and that the only limiting factor in our salvation lies in our own free will. I am reminded of this whenever I think on these verses from chapter 9 of the Gospel of Mark:

John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, who followeth not us, and we forbade him. But Jesus said: Do not forbid him. For there is no man that doth a miracle in my name, and can soon speak ill of me. For he that is not against you, is for you. For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ: amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.         -Mark 9:37-40
I do not believe that only those in full communion with the Catholic Church are certain of heaven. First off, I know that just because I am a Catholic does not make me assured of heaven. Thanks to the sacraments of Christ, I have greater hope of heaven. That is all. The rest is still up to me. I have the assurance that God will be with me and help me to follow Him, but I have to stay on the path. I am still free to deviate and go another way.

Even though I do not believe that one must be Catholic to follow Christ, I will remain a Catholic and I believe that the Church shines the brightest light on the path to heaven. While the man who performed miracles in Jesus’ name was permitted to continue doing so, it still remains that he did not follow Jesus with the apostles. Such is the way of the varied churches today. There is the sacramental Church (sadly divided into East and West) and there are the protestant churches. There are those who share a cup of water with you in Christ’s name and for that they are blessed and then there are those who walk in Christ’s presence. The Miracle of transubstantiation occurs every day all over the world as the Church’s priests say the Mass. Christ is with us still: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. For that we give thanks and thus we call it the Eucharist. 

Saturday, March 14, 2015

In an Imaginary Heaven

In the writing exercise below, a little angel of hope who is no more significant than a distant twinkling star asks if she may help her fallen brethren return to grace. Sometimes we meet people whom we want to call angels in the flesh. Catholics will call them living saints. In an imaginary world that holds the stories written by a dear friend of mine, where magic is everywhere and so is the love of God, just such conversation as this might have taken place:





“May I remind them?”

They have chosen to do things their own way.








“Father, may I remind them?”

Patience.








“Father, may I go tell them?”
What do you wish to tell them?
“I wish to tell them that they can come home.”
They know this.
“They are not mindful of it. They need to remember.”
Someone has already gone.
“But Father, He did not go for them. He went for the ones who did not know Him.”
They heard Him, regardless. They recognized Him. They fought Him.
“That is because they do not remember how much they love Him. They do not remember how good it is to be home. They do not remember that they want to be here.”
Why do you say they want to be here if they have chosen to remain below?
“They are unhappy. They have been unhappy ever since they left.”
Whom do you wish to tell?
“I wish to tell everyone.”
There are many.
“I do not mind.”
Where do you wish to go?
“I wish to go to them, where they are.”
They have made Hell to appear vast. Should you go, it will be a long and arduous journey.
“But they could hear if someone comes and they could remember if someone tells them.”
Hell is where I am rejected; to go there you must leave me.
“Your Spirit never leaves me, Father. Whither-so-ever I may go, You are with me.”
Then whither-so-ever you may go, Hell will not be there. Even the smallest of my angels is too bright. They will recoil from you.
“If I am too bright, then make me dim enough for them to see. If I am too great, then make me small enough for them to hear.”
To be that small you must be housed in flesh. You would cease to be what you are.
“When I have you, Father, what need have I for my self?”
Will you pour out yourself for the others who still may reject you?
“If I tell them, they could remember where they want to be and you may bring them home.”
Why did you not first go to Gabriel? He is your superior.
“You are my Father as you are his. I am one of your little ones as he is one of your big ones. You love me as you love him. You speak to me as you speak to him.”

Because you have asked this of me, I will give you a house of flesh with a voice both soft and sweet and I will fill you with a humble glory so that you may reflect my light for even the blind to see. You will not lose your inmost nature, nor will my Spirit ever part from you. 

Thursday, March 12, 2015

So There

Tonight, I was busy living out the things that give me good thoughts and enjoying time with my best friend.

Better than spending my time blogging.

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Rejoice in the Law

In Chapter 8 of Nehemiah, Ezra read the laws of Moses to the people of Jerusalem. For hours. Everyone assembled to listen and be educated in the Law. When he had finished teaching them, he told them not to be sad or weep on this day, for it is holy.

I will admit that there is much about this period in history and about the Jewish traditions in general that I do not know and I could easily be overlooking a blatant textual clue that Ezra was reading the Law to the people on that day because it was a holy day. This chapter begins a section of the book in which the Feast of Booths, during the seventh month, was celebrated for the first time in many, many generations. Likewise, these chapters explain that the people who were living in Jerusalem in this period of return from the Babylonian Exile were not educated in the Laws of Moses. The reading of the Laws was a significant part of the holiness of the day, whether that alone made the day holy or the reading of the Law was the proper way to observe that holy day.

Many lessons can be taken from a given Scripture passage. Today, I am drawn to the thought that the Law is a gift from God. We should rejoice in this gift rather than presume it is burdensome. At the beginning of last school year, some of the high school girls complained to me that the rules and dress code were so long and detailed that they felt it was a burden. In response, I asked them if they preferred to have the school's standards and expectations spelled out so precisely or if they would rather be subject to each teacher's personal opinion of what constituted modest and civilized conduct and dress for the whole year. Thinking immediately of a couple teachers in particular who were by nature very prim, the girls quickly changed their tune and answered that they would prefer to have the school rules available to use in their own defense should someone ever take issue with something they have done.

In a perfectly free society, Heaven, the Laws of God will still be in place. It is a mistake to think that the Laws will no longer be needed. We will rejoice when we can not only perceive God's great and orderly creation, we will be able to freely participate in that order without the burden of temptation or sin. We will perceive and obey God's divine Law of our own free will because our wills will finally be perfect. There the Law will not need to be enforced from without because the citizens of Heaven disobey the Law. Nor will the Law be needed for a person to defend themselves from an authority abusing its power because the Authority of Heaven is the Father, who is perfect. The Law will simply be. We will know it in our hearts and it will be a part of the truth and beauty of all things in which we will rejoice with the angels.

On Earth, we are not so lucky. Even in what we would like to call a free society, temptation and sin prevent the truly free use of our will to do as we ought and as we want. The wisest attempts at structuring human governments have always sought to limit the power any particular man or men may have because our fallen nature has proven itself time and time again. Without the rule of Law, life is nasty, brutish and short. Crime is a despot all its own. And yet, when we men come together to form societies and governments, political despotism is a valid fear. Law limits not only the citizen from becoming a criminal, it limits authority from ruling by whim.

Taking into account the proper definitions of reason and of free will, we must acknowledge that all men are governed by consent, regardless of the name of the political structure under which they live. God's Law is written in our hearts so that we may recognize right from wrong in our own actions and in human laws. It is a divine gift in which we should rejoice.

The Oroboros of Success and Failure

Regardless of the title, this post is not a complaint.

That aspect of my life seems to have returned to normal. That's where my danger lies. My own cessation of complaint was my first goal with this blog and for Lent. Those aren't my only goals, but it is very tempting to be satisfied when that alone is no longer a serious problem.

The relief I felt as soon as committing to fill my complaining time with good thoughts that I would share has been sustained and for that, I am truly thankful and remember to be thankful for that every day. I am able to have good thoughts throughout the day, though they are usually little things along the regular themes of my life, so if I shared most of them, I would be writing about the same thing in the same way often. My evenings are no longer consumed with venting about work. I am attentive to my husband and to friends. I am able to contentedly settle into the night.

Those comfortable nights are my most forgetful. I am living in the moment and do not think about evaluating my day. I think it is time for me to set a next goal, a goal that will compliment and continue my first goal, both for this blog and for Lent. At Easter, we will see what this project become next. In the meantime, be prepared for some Scripture comments from the non-authority, Yours Truly. I think I can make writing thoughts about that a daily habit.

Pray for me. I will pray for you.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Keats' Ontology... or was that Tautology?

The Keats poem tells us that "Truth is beauty and beauty truth." Modernists call that a falacy while Christians would welcome you to one of the many mysteries of God.

I wanted to fit a bad joke about Greek etimology in that last line above, but my jokes are rarely funny and it would have taken too much explanation anyway. You see, the Greeks have a word, kalos, which means both beauty and goodness. It describes those things that posess a wholesome beauty. To be kalos, a thing must be good as well as pretty in appearance. It also implies that good things are pleasant to behold. 

Liteature throughout history contains plots that explore the irony or the tragedy that comes from only one of these traits being present in a thing. Victor Hugo gave us the tragedy of Quasimodo with his good heart and physical deformity. Oscar Wylde horrified us with the corruption of Dorian Gray. Professor Tolkein whispered to us the mystery and wisdom of the Cross when Strider laughed that he seemed foul but felt fair. 

My 8th graders will have to take some time tomorrow to try figure out why they think love is an emotion when we are told that God himself is love and Christ has commanded us to do it rather than feel it.  I look forward to hearing what they come up with.

[Another oops. I did not realize that when I wrote this one on my phone that I had only saved it as a draft rather than publishing it. Here it is, for the record...And the kids discussion was very interesting to watch. They were impressive.]

Getting Settled

Getting settled into new routines often means that I have gotten to the point where I am familiar enough with something that I am tempted to cut corners.

My husband's new morning routine is getting that familiar. It is very tempting to wait until morning to fix the lunches, even when we take time in the evening to plan out the next day. These evening planning sessions are not really anything more than brief conversations that start with something like, "Tell me again what your schedule is for tomorrow..." For someone like me who is completely willing to roll with the punches and take things as they come, such conversations are all it takes to completely revolutionize my life. There are two blessings held within them. My husband and I are making a more deliberate effort to face our days together and God is giving me a very simple and recognizable way to resist temptation.

This little fight with temptation, prep meals tonight vs. waiting until the morning, will equip me to face a much more difficult temptation in the morning: get out of bed early and put on workout clothes and exercise for the second day, or give up and sit on the couch in my jammies for half an hour sipping coffee. If I get off the couch tonight and win this fight, it will be that much easier not to sit on the couch in the morning.

That being said...

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Wanting to Give a Gift Well

I'm doing a favor for a friend. He is reenacting a Fulton Sheen presentation for a charity fundraiser. His costume is amazing... because it's real. Our archbishop lent him his own cassock, pellegrina and fascia to use for the show. It fits remarkably well save that it is far too long.

My friend asked me if I could put in a temporary hem. I was happy to do so, but am torn about how good a job to do. I put in a quick tailor's stitch without pressing it because I don't want the archbishop to be stuck with a crease at the bottom of his cassock the next time he has to wear it. At the same time, I want the garment to hang well while my friend is wearing it in his performance.

It is tempting to worry over such a conundrum. Thankfully, my guardian angel reminded me of how grateful my friend is for the help in the first place and of how fond I am of both my friend and my archbishop. They are both good men and I was mindful to stitch love for both of them into the garment with my thread. With that, I can trust in the generosity of both of their spirits and know that the work I have done, whatever the outcome, was done with the intent to please both of them.

ON A SIDE NOTE, how cool is it that I got to work on a real archbishop's cassock? Who gets to do that? I love living in a small remote diocese. It's cool enough that I know my archbishop and what a kind and personable man he is.

Oops

Yesterday evening, my thoughts we so full of doing things for others that I did not remember to post. It looks like Saturdays will be my particular challenge.

Friday, March 6, 2015

Joy is Contagious

By no means was I having a bad day today. I would easily call it fruitful and productive.Even if I brought some of my own baggage into it, it was a good day. Nothing to complain about.

My just happened to end very, very well. Tonight is Game Night in the upper school building. About once a year, the seniors will organize a campus game night social a fund raiser for prom. The kids were about an hour into their play when I wandered in to get my coat and leave. My husband, who is rather fond of my students, came in with me when he came to pick me up from work. It was delightful chaos. Everyone was having fun. One classroom had been cleared out for barefoot soccer and knee-hockey. The tables of another room had been rigged with a ping pong net. Video games were squirrelled away in a back classroom that was reasonably full. Board games were not nearly as popular, but the group playing "Say Anything" were having fun together. Best of all, Nerf gun wars were dominating the hallways and the junior high was holding its own pretty well against two of the teacher chaperons.

Seeing everyone play makes me so happy. They were relaxed and joyful while taking their games so very seriously. Their whole selves were devoted to what they were doing. They were truly alive... well, I have some doubts about the video game room but everyone else was.

They kids (and chaperones) played the way we are supposed to live. We are supposed to live joyfully, giving it everything we are. Live wholely in the moment, even when you plan for the future, for our end will come like a thief in the night. What a shame if the thief found nothing there to steal.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

He's a Keeper

I want to brag about how lucky I am to have the husband I do. It amazes me that so many people are willing to live as if they were sharing their lives with another person whike all they are really doing is sharing living space.

The difficulty is not in finding the right person but in wanting to be the right person and then finding then finding the one with whom you are. Do you find your mate interresting enough to pay attention to things you are not inclined to notice on your own? When you care about them enough to learn about their interests in a real way, you become a greater person while truly suporting them. That is the kind of thing love is made of.

I am blessed in that I share that with my sweet, attentive and generous husband.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Dinner with Friends

Casual friends can be a blessing, just as close friends are a blessing. Tonight we had dinner with friends that we rarely hang out with. It was a great evening. The kind of evening that leaves you wondering why you don't do these things more often.

I can't really say why we don't. Sure, I can describe what we normally do with our weekday evenings but an efficient cause is not a final cause. I don't know why I gravitate toward quiet nights at home and rely on social obligations or requests for help to get me to be sociable. I like the company of others, at least in small groups. I can also talk your ear off. Out of habit, I hang out with my husband and my best friend and don't get out much.

I am grateful for the reminder of how many friends I have.

Monday, March 2, 2015

With week 2, we start to see whether I can turn this into a habit. Ironically, it was easier for me to sit down and focus on deliberately finding something good to say when I had the same old things to complain about. Filling the void really was an apt description of what this blog is meant to be for the first six weeks. The odd thing is that I have a harder time sitting down to write about one good thing when my whole day was pleasant and I don't have much to complain about.

Sure, I could find things to complain about if I wanted to. I have even lapsed in my goal since last Monday, but I have been much happier and more at ease since starting this project. Now that things are easier to deal with, it is not as easy to focus on doing this.

I find that most of my faith practices are like this. It seems that there are two general faith responses to extreme situations. I am aware that many people have lost their faith when tragedy or severe struggles come their way. Hardship can lead some to question and doubt. Pain can lead someone to blaming God for misery because He is the author of fate. On the flip side, there is the old expression, 'no atheists in a foxhole.' This expression addresses the natural human tendency to look to a higher power when things are beyond your control. My faith is my life raft in times of difficulty. I do not falter because I doubt. I falter when I get comfortable. I get complacent and lazy. Perhaps I can convince myself of the dangers of complacency and fight it as if it looked like the grave and pressing danger it is.

I pray for the protection of my guardian angel and for the intercession of the saints. Oh, dear saints, while you are at it, please pray for everyone who has asked for my prayers and for whom I have said I would pray. I mean well but I forget. Please remember for me and pray for them as I intended.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Happy Lent

I am filled with wonder over the gifts I am being given this Lent.

Ever since resolving to make this blog, I have felt as if a load has been lifted from my shoulders. My spirits have lifted and I have had much more energy with which to face the normal demands of my day. This weekend has been no different. I have enjoyed quite the leisurely weekend, I assure you. At the same time, my focus has been more on preparing for the coming week than recovering from the last one. This is a huge change and it feels wonderful! Some of this is rooted in my husband and I being more on the same page in this regard than we used to be.

My sweet husband and I are very compatible and do more mundane tasks together than most couples would ever admit to considering. We are, however, born with opposing body clocks. I am a morning person while he is a night owl. For his birthday in December, he started exercising in the mornings and losing weight quite successfully. Gone were my quiet private mornings and the funny looks over my weirdo foods. He has been packing lunches the night before in stead of eating out so much. He has been looking up ideas for fresh foods that he could eat rather than the old stand-by's that his southern grandparents taught him. We are enjoying more of the same foods, spending a few minutes together in the kitchen each evening, and sharing our mornings in the living room with him exercising while I review for my classes that day. I really enjoy these changes.

We are so very blessed.

A Lazy Day

Ironically, yesterday was so pleasant and relaxing that I forgot to make my post about some good thing.

As always, I am grateful for my dear husband. Yesterday was so nice because we were together all day, just running errands and hanging around the house.