Deacon Dan Wright

Sunday Homily: What Goes Up Must Come Down

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension. As I was leaving work Friday afternoon I mentioned to a coworker that it was going to be a busy weekend for me, which included the homily today, and the fact of it's being Ascension. "What are you planning to say?" she asked me. I replied, "What goes up must come down. Amen." She told me, "Well, that sounds like a good sermon—stick to your plan."

Actually, I can't quite let you off that easy, though honestly I've sometimes appreciated a nice short sermon. However, even my coworker friend, who grew up as a strict Protestant in South Africa, told me that I needed to explore Ascension a little bit at least since in her tradition they need Pentecost to be ten full days from Ascension. Of course there is a long tradition of Ascension being celebrated on the fortieth day of Easter, which is, in fact, the Thursday ten days before Pentecost. However, as Catholics we're not at all fundamentalists about these kinds of things.

The important thing is that we are celebrating the Lord's ascension into heaven and we are reflecting about what it means to us. It's especially important that we reflect about what it means to us now in our times and in our lives. So the good news, at least in terms of my homily, is that I'm skipping the history lesson on the liturgical celebration of Ascension Thursday, but I do believe that you ought to take the time to look into it. We tend not to know enough about the traditions associated with our faith.

In the first reading from the book of Acts, we have the story of Jesus going up to heaven. The disciples were gathered with him, and he gives them a last word. He tells them to expect the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon them and to make them his witnesses. Probably he tells them good-bye too, we don't really know. I think of the picture—some of you are familiar with it—of the suntanned, smiling Jesus. He says one last farewell and then he disappears over the mountain. He goes away from the sight of the disciples leaving them gazing upward and longing for his presence. Immediately in the story two rather peculiar looking fellows show up and inquire what they're doing looking up at the sky. It's here that the disciples receive the instruction that they need to be prepared for something more—something greater and quite beautiful.

Being prepared, having the expectation for something more, may be precisely what the Solemnity of the Ascension has to say to us where we live today. This is probably especially true if our practice of the faith seems to have something missing in it. It's important that we be honest with ourselves about it. Perhaps we should be praying all the more to be full of a sense of excitement, anticipation, and expectation for the Lord's presence in our lives. Indeed, the image of baptism, which we find in the gospel account of the Lord's final moments with his disciples, is one that symbolically invites us to be immersed in the things of God, in the divine milieu where we find his presence permeating our lives altogether and making holy each of our daily common experiences. Thus we must ask ourselves to what degree Christ is priest, prophet, and king in our lives.

It shouldn't seem strange at all that the one who went up into heaven will send forth from heaven with the help we need most. Indeed celebrating Ascension is our way of recounting the faith that the Church has always maintained: that we look to heaven where Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father as his only begotten Son, and that we look to and believe in the power of the Holy Spirit to make our lives new and thus give witness to Jesus.

The Solemnity of the Ascension is a feast among feasts that celebrates the Holy Trinity and prepares us to receive God's help and comfort both in the gift of the Holy Spirit and in the promise of the Lord's everlasting presence. When it comes to the faith, it's okay to be looking skyward. As you may guess, I do it all the time. It's a given: what goes up must come down.

Well, it Says it in the Bible on Page 453

When I saw the story I'm featuring today I couldn't really resist it.  Not to pick on Italy--I know that I have regular readers in Italy, one of whom comments from time to time.  The fact is this piece speaks more to me of things I've experienced closer to home.  Anyhow, here's the story excerpt:

Italy professes to be a Catholic nation - but a majority of Italians do not know "even the most basic facts" about the Bible, according to a survey.

The international poll, conducted by Eurisko for the Catholic Biblical Federation, showed that in Italy only 14 per cent of those questioned were able to answer a series of questions about the Bible correctly. They included whether Moses or St Paul featured in the Old Testament, whether Jesus had written any of the Gospels, and whether the Gospels form part of the Bible. Another question which defeated most Italians was: which of the following - Luke, John, Peter and Paul - wrote the Gospels?

Among the respondents 88 per cent of Italians described themselves as Roman Catholics, three quarters said they kept a Bible in their home, and 79 per cent said they felt their lives were "protected by God". But only 32 per cent described themselves as "regular churchgoers", and only 28 per cent thought the Bible should be taught in schools.

Whereas in the US 75 per cent of Americans claim to have read a Bible passage recently, in Italy the figure is 27 per cent. Vatican officials said the survey, co-ordinated by Luca Diotallevi, a Rome University sociologist, offered "food for thought" for the Synod Bishops in Rome this autumn on the Word Of God, where its implications would be discussed.

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It was just this past weekend that I was invited to attend a parish youth religious education event with my older son who will start high school in August.  Overall I was impressed because I have been searching--even praying--for something to get my kid interested.  "These kids are really excited," I thought to myself. The excitement was truly evident, and the program is obviously a fantastic success.

My son has gone to Catholic school his whole life and he's gotten a lot of positive things out of it; nevertheless, it hasn't been all that long ago that he asked me, "Hey dad, are we Catholic or Christian?"  As a parent I sometimes blame myself but there are some gaps in his theological understanding.  However, let's give him a break--he's a typical 13 year old, right?  My hopes are that the parish program will get him into his faith.  Still, he's not alone in the world of not knowing much about what his Church teaches.

Some of the kids at the event on Sunday had made a home movie and showed it as a closing thing for the evening.  I got the feeling while watching that the adults in charge may not have previewed what we were watching--nothing really bad, just some teenage horsing around.  However, what caught my interest was that they were interviewing fellow teens about biblical topics.  They were asking those whom they were interviewing "Who was St. Lucifer?" When they asked the question I about fell down.  "Okay, it's only a joke," but some things can't be faked and these kids were stumped by the question.  Another kid was asked "Who was Moses?" She replied, "Wasn't he one of the disciples?"

Unawareness of the faith isn't all that uncommon, but we should expect folks who have had religious education and Catholic school not to be entirely ignorant.  I am reminded of years ago hearing a forthright young lady explain that God was against sin and that it said so right on page 453 of the bible.  This was before my conversion so I can't blame it on Catholic school or the shared praxis model of religious education (These days to utter the words "direct teach" is pure profanity in some circles--with the possible exception of special education).

Each year my mother-in-law invites family members to her home for major religious holidays.  In our celebrations the children of the family are always invited to read scripture.  I have been amused on several occasions to hear the highlighted chapter titles and footnotes of the NAB read as though they too were part of the sacred text.  Coming from children it's one thing, but let's face it there are adults too who don't know that page numbers differ from bible to bible or that the sacred authors were not John, Paul, and George, and that the footnotes and NAB headings were not written by the hand of Jesus.

At first I was going to classify this post under religion and culture, but really it belongs in my rants category.  I deserve a rant occasionally, but complaints should always be accompanied with suggestions for improvement.

So what's needed?  How about adult religious education on a wide scale--forgive me but it's a harp I've been playing for years.  Some direct instruction would be good too. Question and answer catechisms were mostly before my time, that is with the exception of Fr. John Hardon's notable work.  Maybe it's time to bring back something like that. 

Certainly a well planned approach to adult religious education is something that will go far.  What's keeping it from happening is often the trouble of logistics and dealing with committee differences (I'm really not thinking about anyone in particular--Well, okay, maybe I am).  Then there's the issue of training catechists.  Too often we feel that a catechist should have a degree--not true.  Forget it.  And the folks who say that you can't give answers but you have to allow people to find the answers on their own?  That's great, they should have their own bible study--maybe in their Small Christian Community.

The biggest success I ever had in teaching religious education was a class on the Catechism of the Catholic Church that I did before my ordination back in 1998.  We read through the Catechism in nine months and I stood in front of a chalk board and lectured for an hour and a half every Wednesday morning.  No one dropped out in the whole nine months and it changed several lives, including mine.  Perhaps it's time to do something like that again...Okay, now that I've presented the action, allowed for critical reflection, dialog, story, and vision--modeled the praxis--please go to page 453 for the answer.

Advocacy

Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father,
he will testify to me.
And you also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.

The Advocate--too we often fail to give sufficient attention to what it means to have the help of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives.  Yet, help is exactly what we should expect.  Divine advocacy is also exactly what we should seek.

I have to admit that I have sometimes failed in my consideration of the gift of spiritual advocacy.  I have not sought the help that is available.  Anyone who ever felt bogged down in work, or with life in general, knows what I am talking about.  Nevertheless, in each and every mundane moment of our lives, we have access to supernatural assistance.  Every situation presents an opportunity for the divine to be present in our world.

Recently I experienced just the kind of "bogging down" that I am talking about.  It was something so pressing at work that I scarcely had time to do anything else--I'm referring to the state-mandated assessments that I mentioned in last week's post.  However, I knew that I would get through it and be able to return soon the regular routines of work and life.  Nothing really is too mundane to seek God's assistance with it.

Really, it's not work that typically challenges me the most, though it often has a way of taking time that I'd rather spend doing other things.  The greatest challenges I find are in being a husband and father, in having a teenage child, in meeting the responsibilities of the ordained ministry, and like everyone else, in facing the challenges of living in today's world with it many voices and influences.

The lesson to be learned is that God will provide us with the help we need when we ask, but we must ask.  I think it's important to ask frequently as well.  Honestly no two situations in our lives are identical, and each day--each situation--is such that we should pause and say "God help me.  Send the Holy Spirit to assist me.  Fill me afresh with the power of your presence."

Although in our need for divine advocacy most of us can relate best to everyday life, we shouldn't forget the second part of today's gospel reading.  It presents us with a grave context for seeking the help of the Advocate:

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away.
They will expel you from the synagogues;
in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you
will think he is offering worship to God.
They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me.
I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”

Dangerous times have certainly been a part of the history of being a Christian.  In too many ways western Christianity--American Christianity in particular--has been shielded and isolated from the fact that having faith could be easily be ticket to life in prison or even a death sentence.  Yet even in the gravest situations it is not the Lord's will that any of us fall away.  Just the help we need is present always.

Spiritual advocacy comes to us in a variety of ways.  Perhaps studying the word of God and seeking Christ in it is one way to invite God's help; being faithful to the Liturgy of the Hours might be another.  Daily prayer and devotion to the Mother of God is yet another way that we might invite the advocacy of the Holy Spirit.  When we put our minds to it, when we make a spiritual effort, many ways open that will allow God's power to help us.

As we begin our work week, we might pause for a moment and give thanks for the help that is available.  If you are anything like me, God's help is something that you will  welcome in each moment and not just in those times when things seem--or perhaps are--somewhat dire.  The key is remembering to ask for help.  When we ask, we are sure to receive.

 

Not Gone Forever

While it may seem as if I packed my things and left the blogosphere, it's really only a momentary hiatus.  For the past couple weeks I've been stuck in the yearly spring ritual of state-mandated assessments.  Of course the assessment I administer is an alternative to the day or two that general ed teachers do.  Basically I will have little time for much else until the end of next week.

Unfortunately, I have missed a lot of good news to blog about--not to mention the papal visit--and some of my best spiritual thoughts and images have been replaced with nightly dreams, or I should say nightmares, of the online assessment tool with its endless drop-down menus and links (who knows why) that will delete the whole show, which are placed precariously close to the ones used to make a simple edit.

So tonight, I thought I might take just a moment to say hello to whomever may be wondering if I had decided to blog no more.  Indeed not.  Give me a week or so and I'll be back again.  Summer is near, and with it I have blogging inspiration.  Inspiration that will begin taking shape hopefully before the summer break.

Part of my inspiration comes from the last homily I posted.  I'd like to do some close-up reflections on scripture from the viewpoint of Catholic doctrine.  Part of it springs from a desire to revisit the enthusiasm for biblical studies that I had as a youth.  Perhaps at this point I'm simply longing for life after the alternative assessment (quickly becoming something between an explicative and a euphemism for death--at least in my mind).

No, I am not gone forever.  However, it may be a week before you see me here again.  Surely with your prayers I will return sooner.

Sunday Homily: The Twofold Movement

"Were our hearts not burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scripture to us?"

Today we're presented with a wonderful Easter season opportunity to reflect on the power of scripture to reveal Christ to us, and on our opportunity to know him as the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread.

The story of the two disciples meeting Jesus on their way to Emmaus is one that we're all likely to know well. It's one with which we have likely grown to be familiar over the years. However, as well as we may know it, we might view it quite differently if we put ourselves in the story, if we view it from the inside and let it tell us something about our daily walk with Jesus.

I haven't asked all of you, but it's probably a common experience among Christian believers everywhere that we frequently find ourselves feeling somewhat like the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. We have heard, at least from others, that Jesus has been raised from the dead—and we take it, at first, as a matter of testimony on the word of others, not having seen the risen Lord for ourselves, but we desire more. It is not enough for us simply to have testimony of the Resurrection. Our faith itself creates in us a sense of longing and an anticipation of something more.

Because we have faith, that is because we value and cherish our belief in Jesus, we also desire the experience of his presence as a tangible reality, though at first his resurrected presence is something we believe only by listening to stories from a great distance in time. Those behind us on the road, back in Jerusalem, saw the empty tomb, and we take it on their word for now. Nevertheless, deep within we have the expectation of coming to know him all the more and as all the more real.

Although the moment of the Resurrection is separated from us by the millennia, the Resurrection event also has the power to transcend time. Jesus has the power to enter our lives now even at this moment as we listen to the word being opened—the power at work is his in-breaking presence seen throughout salvation history; it is what makes the ancient scripture speak of him.

If we treat the message today as though it were a spiritual roadmap, it contains the necessary ingredients to point out the path of coming to experience, to recognize, the resurrected Lord in our lives. It presents us with a simple message of faith that we should attempt to keep clear and to cherish always as the "how to" of knowing Jesus. The message today is one that should also inspire us to search the scriptures for they reveal his presence to us.

Through scripture we come to assimilate the Lord's presence in our hearts—in the word he is every bit as real as if he were walking along the road beside us. To know him we first listen and allow him to open the scripture for us. It is only when we have walked along the way with him—listening and receiving him in the word as he opens it to us—that we come to know him in the breaking of the bread.

The reality of the risen Christ comes to us in a twofold movement, that of word and table; it is also the twofold movement of the Liturgy of Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist that we as Catholics have come to know in the Mass. Word and sacrament is the way given to us that we might come to know Jesus better, indeed that we might come to know him truly as the resurrected Lord.

It is also in the world of our hearts—in our everyday lives—that we come to assimilate the twofold movement of word and table, of receiving Jesus daily in scripture and in living out a Eucharistic reality of allowing the real presence to shine forth in the world of our relationships with others.

Years ago as a young Christian, before my conversion to Catholicism, I recall first discovering the New Testament proclamation that the Old Testament scripture reveals the person and work of Jesus Christ. For me at that time, not yet being a Catholic, scripture and the proclamation of Jesus revealed in it was the best I could find in my search for his presence. Although it gave me much, at the same time I found myself longing for something more, and intuitively it seems I began to look in the direction of breaking bread with the Lord.

It wasn't that having the bible and understanding it as the word of God was somehow lacking, but it was partial in the sense of the whole truth available. There was still something else to be seen and experienced. The second part of the twofold movement of word and table was missing. The Emmaus experience was not yet complete.

The story of the walk to Emmaus is an invitation for us: we're invited to walk with Jesus, to open scripture with him, and finally to dine with him. In many ways it's what waits at the end of the journey that's most intriguing. We're looking for the Lord being made known in the breaking of the bread—to seeing him in his resurrected glory.

Although we can interpret the story as an allegory referring to our whole life in Christ from birth to death, it doesn't hold that we have to wait until the very end of life to dine with the Lord—to be in his presence and see him face to face. Quite the contrary, the true importance of the Emmaus journey is about learning how to see Jesus in the word we have been given and in our daily bread. The importance of the message is ultimate for hearts that long to see Jesus on the journey and come to dine with him as a friend.

Hope Springs Eternal

Okay, I borrowed the title for the post today; however, this is truly a story of perhaps an unusual realization of hope, and, in ways that not everyone will get, a story of freedom:

CINCINNATI (CNS) -- Ten inmates at Lebanon Correctional Institution north of Cincinnati experienced the sense of hope and promise of new life that accompanies the Easter season when they were welcomed into the Catholic Church March 23.

Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk of Cincinnati celebrated an Easter Mass at the prison during which the men received the sacraments of initiation.

Since last fall, they have been part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, along with their sponsors, many of whom are also incarcerated at Lebanon, a state prison known as a "close-security" facility, which is one step down from maximum security.

The men wrote letters to Archbishop Pilarczyk petitioning him to celebrate an Easter Mass at the prison and confer the sacraments, and along with the volunteers and Lebanon staff they were thrilled to welcome him.

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It seems with all the negativity in the news, especially where religion is concerned, that a story emphasizing hope will make for an appropriate Easter season reflection.

I don't believe that it is unusual for the incarcerated to get religion, though probably there is less to doubt about jailhouse conversions than skeptics would have us believe.  Often what it takes to find God is to lose everything else.  It's the way of conversion that the majority of us will--quite thankfully--never have to know.

Still, conversion entails surrender and certainly some situations lend themselves to it much easier than others.  In many ways I believe that prison conversion has much the same to do with discovering the power of God as does finding God through recovery from addiction.  I have had many people tell me that it was necessary for them to bottom out entirely before finding the power to be healed.

Indeed conversion is all about healing, though perhaps not in the way that inmates or alcoholics or addicts might understand healing--or even those who have chronic illnesses.  It's a common experience among us that we need to be healed in the area of relationships.  I've given thought to this recently, and I believe that we do a lot for others, in terms of sharing the love of God, when we work to facilitate healing in the area of relationships.

I'm no relationships guru, so I don't have the answers or advice that can make things right.  In fixing your relationship I'd likely fail if I attempted it alone.  I'm sort of a team player in it (that's me in outfield), and really all that I've learned is that someone has to take the initiative and offer reconciliation.  I keep in mind the words of a sermon I heard when I was 12 years old.  The preacher said that compromise is the key ingredient of good relationships.  I've kept that close to my heart all these years.

It may not look like it at first glance, but the prisoners in the story above are healing relationships.  In a similar manner when you and I go to confession or receive Eucharist, we too are healing relationships.  In a wedding homily recently I said that the sacramental marriage has the power to restore friendship with God, and the reality of that too gets its meaning from the involvement of people in each others lives.

Hope is where I started today, and hope where I want to end.  On the surface of things we may not see much hope, but we must be believers.  Now, like any good teacher I'll give a homework assignment: offer reconciliation to someone, either directly or indirectly--play outfield if you'd like--but be sincere in offering an overture of love.

NB-I'd like to thank Sister Eileen Connelly, who wrote the excerpt quoted above from CNS.  Though she may never set eyes on this blog, her overture should not go unrecognized.  A simple prayer goes a long way.

Not yet treated as a hate crime

As the story below states, the acts of vandalism described therein are "not yet being treated as a hate crime" although the slurs left behind by the offenders clearly reveal their sentiment.

A 63-year-old Virgin Mary statue was one of two religious monuments vandalized outside a Catholic church in the Heights during Holy Week.

In one case, vandals also spray-painted a religious slur on church property.

The incidents, which occurred during services on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday at All Saints Catholic Church, 201 E. 10th, are being investigated by the Houston Police Department's burglary and theft unit. Police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Ortiz said it is not known whether the incidents were related. He said they are not yet being treated as a hate crime, but officers are trying to determine whether people were specifically targeted because of their religion.

Regardless, the vandalism has outraged members of the 100-year-old All Saints parish.

"Everybody is so angry," said pastoral assistant Cary Ann Nunn. "It is very hurtful."

Parishioners noticed the first incident after the 12:30 p.m. Mass on March 16. A statue dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and displayed in a parish grotto since 1945 was pulled from its pedestal during the service. Nunn said the 4-foot-tall marble statue was knocked to the ground and likely struck with an object. Fingers and part of the face and back were missing, she said.

The grotto, which was dedicated to veterans of World War II and is closed for renovation celebrating the parish's centennial, is in the front of the church, Nunn said. Worshippers are using a parish hall in the rear.

After the vandalism, All Saints pastor Monsignor Adam McClosky had the Lourdes statue stored to await a costly restoration, Nunn said. It was replaced with a 3-foot-tall statue of the Lady of Guadalupe.

During the Easter sunrise Mass at 6:30 a.m., the Guadalupe statue was placed on its head and streaked with black paint, Nunn said.

In the Easter incident, a slur was spray-painted on a wall that is part of a handicap ramp.

"Don't let them worship idols," was painted in black. In red were painted the words, "You are warned."

Nunn said Catholics believe there is a heaven that is peopled with Mary and known saints. Catholics often pray to saints to intercede with Jesus on their behalf.

"We don't worship idols at all," said Nunn. "It is like a picture of your mother."

Source

The story reminds me of years ago at the parish where I went though the RCIA that a new statue of St. Francis of Assisi was vandalized almost as soon as it was erected.  Outside of acts of the mentally deranged, it was my first real exposure to vandalism against the Church.  I wondered at the time whether it was a juvenile prank or if something else was going on.  Since then I've come to know that hate can be the real inspiration for such actions.

Certainly hatred and ignorance are revealed in the spray-painted slur, but there is also something else revealed--a prevalent attitude perhaps--in the hesitation of the local authorities to see the act as a crime of hate.  Hatred and violence will continue to exist for as long as they are overlooked or tolerated as being something other than what they actually are.

Lived-Communion

Many years ago as a university student I came to understand the value, from a purely philosophical point of view, that lived-experience holds for revealing the deepest truths of life.  Experience is such, I learned, that approached the right way--with suspended judgment concerning one's presuppositions--it has the ability to offer a view into being-itself.  At least this method or approach shed light for me on the depth of experience that often goes unnoticed.

It is quite possible, I learned, to apply such an approach to all areas of life, say religion, mysticism, literature, and even to the events that unfold in the news.  Perhaps this is why something that has recently appeared as newsworthy gives a glimmer of hope:

Interfaith dialogue has become an important exercise in finding the right words to overcome both extreme violence and ordinary misunderstanding. True progress, however, is best measured in deeds. The inauguration last week of Qatar's first Christian church — a small Catholic chapel bearing neither bells nor visible crosses — has been hailed as a welcome step forward in relations between Catholicism and Islam. But an even more dramatic development is under discussion just across the border: The Vatican has confirmed that it is negotiating for permission to build the first church in Saudi Arabia. (source)

However, hope often comes with an accompanying feeling of foreboding, or perhaps with the sense of a warning included with it.  Part of the suspension of judgment required to see into the reality of the situation demands that we take notice of our deepest feelings as well as what happens on the surface.  Given that, we must take heed that

Presiding over the cradle of Islam and home to its holiest sites, the Saudi monarchy has long banned the open worship of other faiths... (see source above)

I'd like to think that I'm just being paranoid about the reaction and the implications, the wave of indignation that would surely result from the Catholic Church being established in Saudi Arabia.  I want to think and go on believing my deepest sense of the matter, namely, that we are perhaps being given the possibility for lived-communion on a grand scale.  Yet I recognize and see the dark side lurking nearby:

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden threatened the European Union with grave punishment on Wednesday for publication of cartoons mocking Islam's Prophet Mohammad.

In an audio recording posted on the Internet coinciding with the birthday of Islam's founder, bin Laden said the drawings, considered offensive by Muslims, were part of a "new crusade" in which Pope Benedict was involved.

"Your publications of these drawings -- part of a new crusade in which the Pope of the Vatican had a significant role -- is a confirmation from you that the war continues," said the Saudi-born militant leader, addressing "those who are wise at the European Union".

You are "testing Muslims ... the answer will be what you shall see and not what you hear." (source)

Nevertheless, in the spirit of Holy Thursday, and in the spirit of communion--gathering together the deepest possible meanings of the word and its corresponding experience--hope must be allowed to shine forth as real, and as a given in the world of things that have true meaning.  Fear cannot be allowed to surface--it cannot be allowed to have being, for in reality fear has no real being of its own because it arises from nonbeing.  It is as unreal ultimately as the evil from which it issues forth.  Fear is no-thing, and thus it cannot be allowed to acquire being in experience.  It arises from the envy and jealously of true Being, which is love entirely.

It's not really my intention to enter into a long existential meditation today.  It seems years since I've spent time with that type of endeavor.  Somewhere along the way I learned that the faith--that is, Catholicism--held the key for me.  However, there is a good point to be made here on the Thursday when we recall the Lord's Supper; when we Catholics around the world remember God's gift to us of Eucharist, which we still have with us today--which we have as a sure promise always.

It's important to look into the meaning of communion on a big scale: it's important to look at what living out Eucharist means to us globally.  I believe that we should hope and pray for the Catholic Church to be established where the Word of God is forbidden, where lived-communion lies waiting in hope and expectation like the coming of spring.  We should welcome dialogue with Muslim scholars, and even sit down to meals with Muslim men and women in our communities and offer peace, even in the face of persecution, and even when such persecution reaches an unfathomable degree of inhumanity in places that are outside our immediate sight but never outside of our seeing.

Remember that it is by our love that we will be known as Christians.  For me that says a lot more than one might find on the surface.  It is a statement that demands to be uncovered layer after layer, for truly it is a many-layered reality.  We are Christians, that is we are of Christ--of his Body and his Blood--we are in lived-communion, and our call and responsibility is to carry that same lived-communion into every corner of the world.  We must welcome every overture of love into our world, a world which grows ever smaller.  Only in Christ, the meek and mild, can we somehow begin to enlarge this ever shrinking globe and let its true horizon show forth the bounty and greatness--the expanse--of the Kingdom of God.

Holy Wednesday Anticipating

Holy Wednesday arrives as a midweek
Moment of anticipation born of waiting
For the most special three days of the year.

We take this moment as a passive pause to
Reflect while readying ourselves for the torrent
Of Spirit that comes only with the celebration

Of Easter. We call the week holy though too
Often we are so pressed by the duties and
Responsibilities of the week that we fail to

Consider its special contemplative giftedness.
In a week that is sacred we expect that God
Desires for us to open our hearts to his voice.

Surely the sound of God’s own voice, a sound
Uncommon to human ears, transcending
Man and woman’s language reaches within to

Find the deepest recesses of the human
Heart this week, and  he speaks to us in words
Rich and full of meaning. So full that they

Hold the power to push us forward--following
The Galilean even to what awaits him on Friday
Afternoon--our hearts unspoken desire being

To unite with him as one. Yet do we realize
That to unite with him means that we must
Follow him all the way to the Cross on which

He gave his life’s blood that we might call such
A day good? Most of us are quite unable to answer
Affirmatively in a truly knowing manner.

Wednesday arrives amid the busyness of the week.
Work and life do not rest, yet you and I take this
Moment to anticipate the great Triduum.

BBC Exonerates Judas, Pilate, and Caiaphas

I have chosen to categorize this story under "Religion and Culture."  In our present cultural climate it seems more and more that interest in religion mostly goes toward nonsense.  Strangely such fiction holds a powerful appeal.  It must be the spirit of the times:

London, Mar 17, 2008 / 01:21 pm (CNA).- The BBC of London is set to air a mini-series on the last week of the life of Christ which will exonerate Judas, Pontius Pilate and Caiaphas of responsibility for the death of Jesus.

The series presents a Judas who anguishes over his loyalties to Jesus and to Caiaphas and a Pilate who struggles to manage his wife’s social aspirations and his career while trying to keep a lid on tensions in Jerusalem.

The creators of “The Passion,” which will be aired in four installments, said they wanted to “understand the motives of characters.”

Frank Deasy, the series writer, said he wanted to discover the motives behind Judas’ betrayal “I’ve always had a problem with Judas in ‘Passion’ stories in that he suddenly and inexplicably betrays Jesus,” he said. “I was keen to develop a psychological reality to Judas’s portrayal.”

Nigel Stafford-Clark, who produced the BBC series, said he wanted to put the characters’ actions in context “so you can see it from their point of view and realize that what they did felt legitimate”.

In an interview with the Radio Times, Stafford-Clark said, "By such accounts as there are from the time, Caiaphas was reckoned to be a fair man and a good high priest. [He was] a man doing a very difficult job and doing it well."

A BBC spokesman said, "We are not seeking to subvert or rewrite the Gospel narrative – we are just retelling it to bring it alive for a contemporary audience."

Source

This comes as no real surprise from the BBC--they're not seeking to subvert or rewrite, just to make a quid.  However I have my doubts that exonerating Judas, Pilate, and Caiaphas will bring much alive for contemporary audiences, or make much money either.