My favorite Priest, Father Riccardo, has quoted this homily many times. It was given to a small circle of priests by Fr. Walter Burghardt, a Jesuit who Father John studied under while in Washington, D.C. Fr. Riccardo uses it many times whenever he discusses the Eucharist, as in this short homily it allows for the depth, love, and appropriateness of the event to come through. There's no need for me to try to explain it when one could just read it for themselves.
http://www.olgcparish.net/resources/Files/frjohn/handouts/ParishMission2011TuesdayHO.pdf
There are also some interesting articles included after the homily.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
When Conversion Isn't Fun
Some days are not all flowers and roses. Some days, you want to push everyone you have met along your conversion path aside, and just cling to Jesus. I find myself weary, heavy hearted, and if not for the peace of who Jesus has become throughout this conversion, I am sure we would be hanging things up and looking back at this time with a good belly laugh of, "Remember when we almost became Catholic?!" Yes, some days are bad.
It's not that we have met a theological issue that we cannot find truth in, or a teaching of the Magisterium (Pope) that we just couldn't reconcile in Jesus. The depressing matter of the fact, is that we are still loving who the Church should be, and what her mission on earth looks like. It's just that for the last 50 years or so, some people of the Church have traded the mission of evangelization in exchange for tradition, rules, and procedures. The numbers are on my side, it has been proven, and the number of people within the Catholic Church who have been Evangelized into the Love of Jesus versus simply catechized into the traditions of the Church, are lacking.
With that said, however, I am convinced through my study, my searching, and my underlying PEACE, that this in no way means that the Church itself is not, actually, the Church. It just means that something is missing in the method in which the faith is being passed along and taught to an entire generation of people. Note: I have paused, at this very thought, many times. I have asked when it becomes no longer a wrong method of application, but rather a wrong set of truths in the first place. I am still searching that out. Yet three things remain true.
The Church has many incredibly faithful members who know and love and serve Jesus Christ
Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and that changes Everything.
Israel screwed up a lot. And they were still his people.
Catechesis is, and has been, horrible. People who are not equipped to teach the faith have taught it. Catholics are taught an incredibly contemplative, disciplined, private spirituality that while true and necessary for a basis of evangelization, is misunderstood by Protestants. It seems that many times this spirituality is held in higher regard than a deep personal knowledge of the Scriptures, which can then be detrimental in the ability to give a Biblical defense for the faith in a meaningful and intelligent way. Church nursery's are poorly, if at all, staffed, leaving young parents without focus and without aid every Sunday morning for their own personal growth. RCIA programs (the class to become a member) vary widely from parish to parish.. some focusing on a relationship with the Lord and a Biblically led teaching, while others simply list the small "t" traditions and rules; leading one to miss the heart of it all, Jesus; and to leave still unaware how their Bible drips with evidence for the Church. Classes can be vastly overshadowed with a call for community among fellow classmates rather than a calling to Divine reverence for Jesus in the Mass and personal spiritual growth.
This is where the daily readings for today come into focus. It was on Gideon. He's been called to mind a lot, lately. Maybe I should listen.
Judges 6
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have
and save Israel from the power of Midian.
It is I who send you.”
But Gideon answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel?
My family is the lowliest in Manasseh,
and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.”
“I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him,
“and you will cut down Midian to the last man.”
Here is my thought for Evangelicals. Does the Catholic Church need renewal? Yes. But so too does the Evangelical and Protestant church if separated from the original in which He founded. What if we blended that evangelical devotion and love for Evangelization with a historical faith that was absolutely true and beautiful, reverent, apostolic, and holy. What if we used the talents that God has shown us in our churches and brought them back into the original Church and actually became United, like Jesus prayed for in John 17. What if we were ONE, not just in a mystical sense but also tangibly; that the world could see for themselves. What if Christians came together and really decided to believe that the Lord was truly present in the Eucharist. That he was truly infusing our own bodies with his own. Not just in a "spirit" sense but in a physical sense. How would that grace transform not just a broken Church but a broken world?
Yes, it sounds like heroic dreams born on the couch of a mom writing in her pj's that will never come to fruition. The first half of that statement might be true. But do we believe Matthew 19 or do we not? He said it was impossible with man. But it was possible with Him. Gideon didn't think it was possible. Moses didn't think they would listen to him. Abraham and Sarah had no idea how God would make them into a great nation; they were barren, after all. Noah was told to build a huge ark, when it hadn't rained in forever. Mary was pregnant while still a virgin. The God of the Universe became man and came to earth in the form of a baby. He was killed, and conquered death. He rose again, and reigns on High. Impossibility is not a hurdle, for God.
So today was a low point. But the Church is still good. Because Jesus created it. Humans can do nasty things to the greatness that he made. But they can't destroy it. Matthew 16:18 told us that. So I will chose to power forward with the peace and grace he gives me for each day. And I will continue to believe that he has called me into the Church because it is in his will. And if his Will is to come on earth, like it is in Heaven, then who am I to argue with that?
Book suggestion: Forming Intentional Disciples: The path to knowing and following Jesus
http://www.amazon.com/Forming-Intentional-Disciples-Knowing-Following/dp/1612785905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377052173&sr=8-1&keywords=forming+intentional+disciples
It's not that we have met a theological issue that we cannot find truth in, or a teaching of the Magisterium (Pope) that we just couldn't reconcile in Jesus. The depressing matter of the fact, is that we are still loving who the Church should be, and what her mission on earth looks like. It's just that for the last 50 years or so, some people of the Church have traded the mission of evangelization in exchange for tradition, rules, and procedures. The numbers are on my side, it has been proven, and the number of people within the Catholic Church who have been Evangelized into the Love of Jesus versus simply catechized into the traditions of the Church, are lacking.
With that said, however, I am convinced through my study, my searching, and my underlying PEACE, that this in no way means that the Church itself is not, actually, the Church. It just means that something is missing in the method in which the faith is being passed along and taught to an entire generation of people. Note: I have paused, at this very thought, many times. I have asked when it becomes no longer a wrong method of application, but rather a wrong set of truths in the first place. I am still searching that out. Yet three things remain true.
The Church has many incredibly faithful members who know and love and serve Jesus Christ
Jesus is present in the Eucharist, and that changes Everything.
Israel screwed up a lot. And they were still his people.
Catechesis is, and has been, horrible. People who are not equipped to teach the faith have taught it. Catholics are taught an incredibly contemplative, disciplined, private spirituality that while true and necessary for a basis of evangelization, is misunderstood by Protestants. It seems that many times this spirituality is held in higher regard than a deep personal knowledge of the Scriptures, which can then be detrimental in the ability to give a Biblical defense for the faith in a meaningful and intelligent way. Church nursery's are poorly, if at all, staffed, leaving young parents without focus and without aid every Sunday morning for their own personal growth. RCIA programs (the class to become a member) vary widely from parish to parish.. some focusing on a relationship with the Lord and a Biblically led teaching, while others simply list the small "t" traditions and rules; leading one to miss the heart of it all, Jesus; and to leave still unaware how their Bible drips with evidence for the Church. Classes can be vastly overshadowed with a call for community among fellow classmates rather than a calling to Divine reverence for Jesus in the Mass and personal spiritual growth.
This is where the daily readings for today come into focus. It was on Gideon. He's been called to mind a lot, lately. Maybe I should listen.
Judges 6
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have
and save Israel from the power of Midian.
It is I who send you.”
But Gideon answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel?
My family is the lowliest in Manasseh,
and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.”
“I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him,
“and you will cut down Midian to the last man.”
Here is my thought for Evangelicals. Does the Catholic Church need renewal? Yes. But so too does the Evangelical and Protestant church if separated from the original in which He founded. What if we blended that evangelical devotion and love for Evangelization with a historical faith that was absolutely true and beautiful, reverent, apostolic, and holy. What if we used the talents that God has shown us in our churches and brought them back into the original Church and actually became United, like Jesus prayed for in John 17. What if we were ONE, not just in a mystical sense but also tangibly; that the world could see for themselves. What if Christians came together and really decided to believe that the Lord was truly present in the Eucharist. That he was truly infusing our own bodies with his own. Not just in a "spirit" sense but in a physical sense. How would that grace transform not just a broken Church but a broken world?
Yes, it sounds like heroic dreams born on the couch of a mom writing in her pj's that will never come to fruition. The first half of that statement might be true. But do we believe Matthew 19 or do we not? He said it was impossible with man. But it was possible with Him. Gideon didn't think it was possible. Moses didn't think they would listen to him. Abraham and Sarah had no idea how God would make them into a great nation; they were barren, after all. Noah was told to build a huge ark, when it hadn't rained in forever. Mary was pregnant while still a virgin. The God of the Universe became man and came to earth in the form of a baby. He was killed, and conquered death. He rose again, and reigns on High. Impossibility is not a hurdle, for God.
So today was a low point. But the Church is still good. Because Jesus created it. Humans can do nasty things to the greatness that he made. But they can't destroy it. Matthew 16:18 told us that. So I will chose to power forward with the peace and grace he gives me for each day. And I will continue to believe that he has called me into the Church because it is in his will. And if his Will is to come on earth, like it is in Heaven, then who am I to argue with that?
Book suggestion: Forming Intentional Disciples: The path to knowing and following Jesus
http://www.amazon.com/Forming-Intentional-Disciples-Knowing-Following/dp/1612785905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377052173&sr=8-1&keywords=forming+intentional+disciples
Friday, August 2, 2013
Matthew 25
I just spent most of nap time (for the littles, not me today), trying to make sense of a response by a New Perspective on Paul guy, to a John Piper book.. who is anti - new perspective, and wholeheartedly in agreement with imputed righteousness. Just writing that sentence has me confused again. And while I'm sure I could fumble my way around the basic argument of the two men, I most definitely could not intelligently do it for anyone else's understanding, or learning. My head began to hurt at page 6 out of 38, and therefore I resigned that I was not a scholar and there were more important things to concern myself with.
This does not at all mean that I do not care for the study of doctrine or theological beliefs. I'm becoming a Catholic, for crying out loud. They formed an entire Catechism to explain their doctrines. I believe that searching for historical accuracy and truths are important. But dissecting the grammatical usages and intentions of a word by Paul are not as high on my priority list as making sure whether or not I am kneeling before a lay piece of bread, or the Body of Christ.
It hit me, after a few 'Lord Help Me Get This' prayers, reading over the argument, that although these discussions are probably needed, and it is good for Biblical scholars, who do this for a vocation, to be the best at what they do... that might not be my calling, as a lay person. Because all I could think about as I fumbled through it, was Matthew 25.
When I reach the Hope to which I am striving; Heaven, and I gaze on my Savior, I could not imagine his first question being,
"So Kim, what did you come to believe about imputed Righteousness.. I would like to know what you thought when Paul used the passive voice with indirect objects concerning his phraseology for certain terms."
Yep, nope. I don't think the Lord will ask that.
Yet, he will probably ask me the same questions he asked his followers. Who did you say that I am? Did you believe me when I said it was my Body? Did you do anything for the least of these, thereby doing it for me?
In short. He will ask me if I loved him, and if I did, what I did to show it. Matthew 25. It's been burning in my mind for a while now. And it is a terrifying passage.
"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me. Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, What you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. And these will go off into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Terrifying, correct? No matter what your views on salvation theology.. once saved, always saved, the ability to lose salvation, ect.. that verse has to make you stop; and think, and then act.
C.S. Lewis had a great quote:
"Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."
The Body of Christ is the sacrament, it is Him. Your neighbor is a soul within a body, created by the Living God, therefore serving them is serving God.
Mother Therese also said,
“I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.”
I think she got Matthew 25. And I'm sure that talking to her about it in Heaven will be a lot more interesting than discussing the verbage of words. Now I've got to go and prayerfully figure out what that is, so that when I get there, it's not a one sided conversation.
This does not at all mean that I do not care for the study of doctrine or theological beliefs. I'm becoming a Catholic, for crying out loud. They formed an entire Catechism to explain their doctrines. I believe that searching for historical accuracy and truths are important. But dissecting the grammatical usages and intentions of a word by Paul are not as high on my priority list as making sure whether or not I am kneeling before a lay piece of bread, or the Body of Christ.
It hit me, after a few 'Lord Help Me Get This' prayers, reading over the argument, that although these discussions are probably needed, and it is good for Biblical scholars, who do this for a vocation, to be the best at what they do... that might not be my calling, as a lay person. Because all I could think about as I fumbled through it, was Matthew 25.
When I reach the Hope to which I am striving; Heaven, and I gaze on my Savior, I could not imagine his first question being,
"So Kim, what did you come to believe about imputed Righteousness.. I would like to know what you thought when Paul used the passive voice with indirect objects concerning his phraseology for certain terms."
Yep, nope. I don't think the Lord will ask that.
Yet, he will probably ask me the same questions he asked his followers. Who did you say that I am? Did you believe me when I said it was my Body? Did you do anything for the least of these, thereby doing it for me?
In short. He will ask me if I loved him, and if I did, what I did to show it. Matthew 25. It's been burning in my mind for a while now. And it is a terrifying passage.
"Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me. Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me. Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, What you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. And these will go off into eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Terrifying, correct? No matter what your views on salvation theology.. once saved, always saved, the ability to lose salvation, ect.. that verse has to make you stop; and think, and then act.
C.S. Lewis had a great quote:
"Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."
The Body of Christ is the sacrament, it is Him. Your neighbor is a soul within a body, created by the Living God, therefore serving them is serving God.
Mother Therese also said,
“I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy or gangrene; I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.”
I think she got Matthew 25. And I'm sure that talking to her about it in Heaven will be a lot more interesting than discussing the verbage of words. Now I've got to go and prayerfully figure out what that is, so that when I get there, it's not a one sided conversation.
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