Psalm 11 and June

While listening to the "Bible in a Year" podcast, the psalm for today was Psalm 11. It seemed like a well timed reading for today, considering what many celebrate in the month of June, being Pride Month. In the opening verses, we read:

"In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,

'Flee like a bird to the mountains; for lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string, to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?'" (Ps 11:1-3)

This struck me, because recently Christians, especially Catholicism, has been under persecution and literal attack from various groups here in the USA. From attacks on pregnancy centers after Roe v Wade was overturned last year to ludicrous arrests and treatment of people "violating" the FACE act (see: Mark Houck), to the various displays of sin during "Pride month", it could be easy to see the words of the Psalmist being echoed by us. The wicked have taken their aim at the upright for many years, slowly eroding the foundations of faith and family, which seem to be nearly destroyed. What can we as followers of Jesus do?

It is encouraging to see parents, families, and other Church members speaking out against these injustices. As the beginning of the Psalm says, "In the Lord I take refuge." This is our hope: as Christians, we know how the story ultimately ends. The Psalmist echos this in the second half:

The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids test, the children of men. 
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates him that loves violence. 
On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and brimstone; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 
For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face. (Ps 11:4-7)

Throughout the gospels in the New Testament, Jesus continually echos the fact that persecution will happen in this life. In the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew, we see Jesus call those who face this blessed:

“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matt 5:11f)

While it is certainly difficult to speak out, especially in this month of June, we cannot cease in proclaiming the gospel. For Catholics, it can be an encouragement to know this is the month we celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This seems a fitting counterpoint to the rest of society which chooses to celebrate the chief of the seven deadly sins. Even if we cannot do anything directly, we can always pray and offer penance to our Father through Jesus, knowing that in the end, God's will shall be accomplished no matter what the enemy hurls our way. The gates of hell will not prevail over the Church and its assault. Amen.

Thoughts on Epiphany

Today, January 6, the Church celebrates the Epiphany, or when the Magi came to visit the child Jesus.  It's a celebration of the foretelling of Jesus being the Messiah not only for the Jewish people, but for the whole world.

Of course, the gospel reading is taken from Matthew 2.  What struck me today during the priest's homily was the focus given on the reaction from Herod and Jerusalem when the magi appear telling him that they are seeking "the one who has been born king of the Jews.  We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." The following verse reads, "When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him." (Matt 2:3).  Why are they disturbed though?  Weren't the majority of Jews looking forward to the Messiah to supposedly liberate them from Roman rule?

Here, we need to backtrack to the Old Testament.  The star mentioned is prophesied in Numbers 24 by Balaam.  In verse 17, he speaks:  "I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skulls of all the people of Sheth." Another prophesy about the magi is made in Isaiah 60:  "Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Median and Ephah.  And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord," (Isaiah 60:6).

Clearly, good Jews would be quite familiar with these prophecies. In fact, even the chief priests and teachers of the law are aware of where the Messiah would be born when Herod asks them, referencing the prophecy from Micah (Matt 2:4). But again, why are these people disturbed? We can understand Herod's concern as he was the ruler of the area, but why the general populace of Jerusalem?

I have a suspision that those in Jerusalem were relatively well off within the Roman Empire compared to those who lived out in the country, those on the fringes of society.  They too would be concerned for their status and having the status quo shaken to the core. This makes sense given Jesus' lamentation over the city later, shortly before His passion, found in both Matthew and Luke:

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." (Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34)

My own thoughts on this give me pause, because how much can we be like those in Jerusalem? Generally, we as "western" Christians face little, if any, persecution for our faith. We do not know what it means to struggle and rely on God for our daily bread. I'm not saying no one knows these pains, but in a general sense, we are comfortable.

As this Christmas season ends and a new yea begins, may we be like the Magi, seeking Christ and offering our own gifts to him throughout this coming year.

Thoughts on the recent scandal

As many are aware, this past week a report was made public detailing sexual abuse in Catholic churches across Pennsylvania.  I’ve read and heard many responses from lay people, priests, and our own bishop here in Harrisburg. Reactions range from anger to disappointment to sorrow. Many feel they can no longer stay in the Church because they feel a trust has been broken. I empathize, especially as someone who chose to join the Church as an adult.

Earlier, I had made a small post on Facebook. I share it as a preface:

“I’m still working on my own response to the scandal that has consumed the Church, but this morning I was greatly moved by the priest’s homily and also having a PACKED sanctuary loudly proclaim the Nicene Creed. It was a sobering reminder that the Church is more than its priests, more than its bishops, and certainly not about any mere man. Our faith, our trust is in our triune God who loves us and keeps his covenant, despite our failings. Praise be to Him that our faith is not in men!

I am also reminded of James’ letter and the opening verses:
‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’ — James 1:2ff

And so, I choose to persevere and not lose faith. Saints in heaven, pray for us.”

Another verse that has come to mind is Jesus when asking his disciples who people think he is and who they think he is.  This is his response after Peter says he is the Christ:

“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” —Matthew 16:17ff

Jesus gives his assurance that as the cornerstone, he will build the Church, and that despite the powers of hell, it will never be overcome. The Church is not new to scandals; they have been occurring since its formation.  Paul’s letters show us that clearly as does the book of Acts in the Bible, and Church history is riddled with heresies and schisms.  The early Arian controversy had the Church split before the councils of Nicene and Constantinople settled the issue.  The great schism of 1054 split the western and eastern churches (now Catholic and Orthodox respectively).  And nothing more needs to be said about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in 1500.  Despite these and many more, the Church still stands as a beacon of faith and hope.

There’s a small story I’ve heard twice now recently regarding the steadfastness of the Church.  Supposedly, during the French Revolution, Napoleon had a conversation with a cardinal.  During this, he reportedly said, “Your eminence, are you not aware that I have the power to destroy the Catholic Church?”, to which the cardinal replied, “Your Majesty, we, the Catholic clergy, have been done our best to destroy the Church for the past 1,800 years.  We have not succeeded, and neither will you.”  While somewhat humorous, it shows that Christ’s promise stands true.

The Jews also tried to dismantle the Church early on.  In Acts 5, some of the apostles have been brought before the Sanhedrin for performing miracles and proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.  The Jews are ready to stone the apostles for what they consider blasphemy, but a man named Gamaliel speaks up:

“Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.  Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” —Acts 5:35b-39

Here we see the wisdom of this man.  He knows, based on recent history, that if what the apostles are doing is of their own volition, it will fail. Again, we see the truth of Jesus’ words proclaimed earlier to the apostles.

My encouragement to all Catholic believers is this:  Persevere. We know we are sheep among wolves, but our Shepherd is there to guide us, protect us, and nurture us. That is who our faith is in, not our priests or bishops, but in the One who gave us the promise that he would never forsake us.  Sisters and brothers in Christ, pray for our Church.

Non-practicing Catholics

“I’m a non-practicing Catholic.” As Catholics, we may hear these words at some point from people we encounter, or even friends and people we know fairly well.  I have heard it from a few people in my life, including family members.  But what does this term exactly mean and what are its implications?

Generally, non-practicing Catholics are people who received early sacraments, such as baptism, first communion, and maybe even confirmation, but do not regularly attend Mass nor hold strongly to Church teaching. They identify as Catholic because of these early sacraments, and most of the time, in my experience, are “cradle Catholics”, those who were born into a Catholic family.  Depending on the person, they may still believe that because of receiving early sacraments, they are destined for heaven. Chreasters, those who come to church for only Christmas and Easter, may also fall into this camp.

When I think about these people, I’m reminded of the letter in Revelation to Laodicea (3:14-22).  In it, John writes to these people, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (3:15f).  Some pretty harsh words for these folks!  This is the situation for non-practicing Catholics, and really, those who claim to be Christian but do not show it in their lives, either by word or deed.

Now, people read this and think that we should either be fully for or against God, hot or cold respectively.  But God does not desire that we should be against Him.  Instead, this passage would be better illustrated with beverages.  Depending on any given situation, a hot or cold beverage is refreshing.  A cup of hot coffee or tea can be soothing, while a nice cold glass of water is refreshing.  No one prefers to have a lukewarm drink!  This is why this letter is written:  the believers in Laodicea had become complacent, and therefore were going to be spit out unless they repented.

The same is true for all of us today. We need to be mindful of our own faith journey.  It can be very easy for us as Christians to merely go through the motions and do the minimum that is asked of us.  But this is not what God desires!  He wants us to stand out, to be hot or cold in a room temperature world.

The Temptations of Jesus and Church

The gospel reading this past Sunday (and typically every 1^st Sunday of Lent) was of Jesus’ temptations in the desert.  For those unfamiliar with the story, read the first verses of Matthew 4 (1 – 11 I believe).  It was noted in the priest’s homily that the three temptations of Jesus are categories of temptations we all face.  The first temptation was physical (satisfy a guilty pleasure), the second spiritual (seeking mystical power), and the third civil/political.

An interesting point that was made was in relation to the third temptation.  Here, Jesus is offered the whole world if he worships Satan.  In a sense, it would fulfill Jesus’ mission.  He would save the world, but the means to that end are severely perverted and twisted.  Of course, Jesus rebukes Satan, using scripture to thwart his temptations.

This got me thinking about how various Christians and churches have gotten caught up in the whirlwind of a “market driven” model a la Willow Creek, Joel Osteen, or almost any other “megachurch”.  Seemingly at these kinds of churches, there are coffeehouses, cafes, and some even have chain restaurants like McDonald's or Subway within their walls!  The church where my wife works has also become swept up into this mode of “quantity beats all”, with a goal of having 250 guests enter their doorstep over the course of 2014.  Mind you, this particular church has roughly 350 members, a far cry from the thousands a megachurch typically has.

I have always had my own qualms with churches that operate like this, but in thinking about Jesus’ temptation, it gives me new pause to how we do Church.  Could we be feeding people a lie and not the whole truth by luring them in with flashy lights, projection screens… material fluff?  It also gives me pause when I think about Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21ff:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!”

It’s a sobering thought to be sure!  How can we know we are doing it right, that we are serving God’s true purpose?  Look at Jesus’ example; he used God’s Word.  For me as a Catholic, this includes not only the Bible, but the teachings of the Church (aka Tradition).  One particular passage that has always been with me when thinking about market driven churches is Matthew 28:19f, which many refer to as the Great Commission:

“Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching to obey everything I have commanded you.  And sure I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus does not command us to “go and bring people into the synagogues,” he just says “GO.”  He puts the burden not on our pastors or priests, but on us.  We are the disciples, the teachers, the ones told to go out, the literal meaning of apostle.  We don’t need to be great speakers, just great disciples of Jesus.  As St. Francis of Assisi famously said, “Preach the gospel always.  When necessary, use words.”

Anointing of the Sick

A friend and good follower of the blog asked me about “Last Rites” due to the coverage of the anniversary of JFK’s assassination.  “Last Rites” or “extreme unction” include a celebration of three sacraments:  Reconciliation, Anointing, and Eucharist.  Since Eucharist was covered previously, this is a good tie in for the sacraments of healing:  Penance (aka confession) and Anointing of the Sick.

Most anyone when they are ill or suffering will react in multiple ways.  Some will curse God, like Job’s wife wanted, while others will use it as a means to draw closer to God and seek His strength, like the Psalmists or the apostle Paul.  Christ himself performed many healings to the blind, the deaf, the mute, and on the list goes on.  What He also did in many cases was forgive those people of their sins and credited their belief and faith for the healing.  This is the basis for the sacrament of Anointing.

“Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but he makes their miseries his own:  ‘He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.’ (Matthew 8:17)  But he did not heal all the sick.  His healings were signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God.  They announced a more radical healing:  the victory over sin and death through his Passover.  On the cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away the ‘sin of the world,’ of which illness is only a consequence.  By his passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering:  it can henceforth configure us to him and unites us with his redemptive Passion.” (CCC 1505)

Not only did Christ heal, he also charged his disciples with this command as well (Mark 6:12f).  We see also after his ascension into heaven the disciples still performing healings.  There are those who have the gift of healing, which Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 12.  However, even Paul was not relieved of a physical ailment despite his petitions.  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,” was the response given (2 Cor 12:9).  We cannot expect physical healing in every case, much as Jesus did not heal every person (CCC 1506-1509).

We see an early version of the sacrament in the letter of James, who wrote, “Is any among you sick?  Let him call for the elders (presbyters) of the Church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven,” (James 5:14f) (CCC 1510).

Up until recent years, this sacrament was typically celebrated on a person’s deathbed, hence where “Extreme Unction” came from.  After Vatican II, the Church clarified the meaning of the sacrament:

“The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given to those who are seriously ill by anointing them on the forehead and hands with duly blessed oil—pressed from olives or from other plants—saying, only once:  ‘Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.  May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.’” (CCC 1513)

As we see, this sacrament is celebrated in similar ways among Protestants.  Those who are gravely ill or advanced in years would celebrate this.  Also, those who might be undergoing a major medical procedure would consider receiving this sacrament (CCC 1514f).

With “Last Rites”, the anointing is followed by receiving Eucharist before a person dies.  As mentioned previously, the Eucharist is considered the “Sacrament of sacraments” due to the belief that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.  Christ himself said, “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day,” (John 6:54) (CCC 1524).  Just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist begin our journey, so do the sacraments of Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and Eucharist bring a close to our earthly journey (CCC 1525).

Why Catechesis?

I’ve been mulling for a while how “easy” it is for people to become Christians, primarily in the Protestant world.  Megachurches like Saddleback, Willow Creek, and Lakewood garner much attention and followers, and even where I live, there are a handful of “mini-megachurches” like Christian Life Assembly and West Shore Evangelical Free Church. What I strongly dislike about these places is the methodology used to bring people in (which itself is a problem).

A big problem I have with much of Protestantism (primarily “low liturgy” folks) is the whole “being saved” concept.  Recently, I finished reading Karl Keating’s book “Catholicism and Fundamentalism”, in which Keating defends accusations levied against the Church while at the same time raising questions of fundamentalism.  One chapter is devoted to salvation and the notion of “being saved.”  All one has to do is simply accept Jesus into their heart and their ticket to heaven is punched.  That’s all there is to it, say the fundamentalists.

This is highly contrary to what the early Church did and what Catholicism still does today.  People interested in becoming Christians went through a period of education, or catechesis, before deciding that yes, this is what they wanted.  This process today takes months, starting in the fall and ends at Easter, a stark contrast to a five minute prayer.  Persons are presented with what Catholicism teaches and believes and are essentially asked, “Do you accept this?”  I find it saddening that far too many Christians know little about the beliefs of the denomination they belong to and how they differ from others.  Far too much is based on the “feel” of a particular church, which is where megachurches come in.

Places such as this attract people with their many programs and activities so that in a sense, your life becomes entrenched in that one place.  This promulgates the “bring people in” model of evangelism, which is not what Jesus said.  “Go out into all the world and preach the Gospel” is the command given by Jesus before his ascension (Matt. 28:19, Acts 1:8).  The Church should be what attracts seekers, not a church.  In other words, it’s our job as Christians to lead by example, to “preach the gospel always and, when necessary, use words” as St. Francis of Assisi said.  Along with that though, we also need to educate and have good catechesis so that maybe, just maybe, we can develop Christians with a deeper understanding of the faith, whose roots are deep in the Gospel, and those who can defend the faith well.