Christmastime Is Here!

'Tis the season of Christmas in the Roman Catholic church now.  Merry Christmas!  From yesterday until January 9th the Christmas decorations will grace the church and the priests' vestments will be white or gold- the colors of celebration- with occasional forays into red for martyrs' feast days such as today, the feast of St. Stephen, the Church's first martyr (read all about it in Acts 6:8 through Acts 7:60 ) and December 28th the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
So while in the secular world Christmas is over and done with, in the world of the Church- it's just beginning!

Explicit Instructions

One of my favorite Bible passages is 1Thessalonians 5.  This past Sunday we heard 1Thes5: 16-24, but if you read the entire chapter you get explicit instructions for how to conduct yourself as a Christian.  Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all, we hear these instructions Sunday after Sunday.  If we take these things to heart the world would be a much better place.  While you're circling the mall parking lot- pray without ceasing, be patient with all.  While you're waiting in line at the checkout counter- give thanks, cheer the fainthearted.  You'll feel better and you'll help those around you feel better.  It's so easy to get grumpy and impatient during the holiday rush, but try to make 1Thes 5 your plan of action and I think you'll find that your days are merrier and brighter!

'Tis Better to Give...

The second Sunday in Advent already?? Where does the time go?  Because of the economy I have to cut back my gift giving this year. I'm proposing that we all try to focus more on the "What did you DO for others this Christmas," and not, "What did you give to others/get from others this Christmas."  I'm sure I'm not the only one caught up in the holiday rush, but perhaps we could put most of our energy into doing something nice instead of purchasing something nice. Does someone need a ride somewhere, an errand done, something cleaned or fixed, children watched for an hour or two, a dog walked, a car washed, a cupboard organized,some laundry washed and folded?  It doesn't have to be expensive or huge.  Donating llamas (Project Heifer) or toys (Toys for Tots) or turkeys (Food drives) are all important and needed, but if your wallet has moths instead of money in it, then a kind deed paired with a prayer for the recipient (in the spirit of Holy Orders) would still makes someone's holiday bright!

Happy New Liturgical Year!

Yes, the First Sunday in Advent marked the beginning of the Church's new liturgical year.  Happy Cycle B readings!!! Yay!!!  With the new year came the new changes to the Mass, and I'm sorry to confess that I flubbed up through the entire Mass.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll have it down pat in thirty odd years or so!

Servant Song

In light of yesterday's Gospel, Matthew 25: 14-30, the Parable of the Talents, doesn't it seem to be a great time to  ask us to consider volunteering at our church or in the larger community?  Believe me, I like nothing better than to have an opportunity to go to Mass with no greater care in the world than, "Is the priest's Homily going to be interesting and will I catch a cold from the Sign of Peace?"  I was able to do that when we lived in San Diego for a couple years and it was terrific, but now that my husband and I are back home in San Jose where we are active volunteers, I have to say that I feel much more a part of this church family and less of a guest.  I can say from experience that it doesn't take a lot of talent to be a Eucharistic Minister, but it does call me to be more involved in the Mass.  Lector, usher, choir member, altar server, teacher's assistant for Catechism classes, sponsor for RCIA, there are lots of jobs in and around the church that you, yes you, can do.  Volunteering can bring a deeper sense of meaning and involvement to the Sunday Mass and might even reveal some hidden talents !

Times They Are a Changin'

I attended an informational meeting after Sunday Mass about the changes we will soon encounter in the Mass when we adopt the Roman Missal on the First Sunday of Advent.   Change is difficult for many people, and there was much griscorning (a kind of Gaelic word for griping- I doubt I spelled it correctly!) and gnashing of teeth.  Why did we have to change the Mass?  What did this all mean?  Why couldn't we have the bells at consecration any more?
Our religion is based on the greatest change agent in history, Jesus Christ.  What were the readings about this past Sunday?  Hey everyone!  Be ready, don't fall asleep at your post or get complacent.  Keep on your toes!
I'm not saying that the Mass changes are the "oil in the lamp" for us, but we do have to admit that things are never going to stay the same.  The Church will keep changing, and we need to roll with it.  I've been a Catholic for 52 years and have witnessed numerous changes in the Mass.  Some changes I like, some I'm not so crazy about, but out of obedience (and it's not blind obedience, believe me!) I change.  If I rebel and do what I deign are the 'right' words/ postures/ gestures at Mass (and who am I  to decide that, really?), then I am saying I don't want to be a part of the Church community.  We are called to worship Mass in community, not alone.  If our Pope and bishops ask us to adopt certain changes in the Mass- as long as those changes don't cause us to sin, which they haven't so far- then we should accommodate those changes.  Think of it as an exercise in obedience, but do go to the USCCB website and educate yourself on the whys and wherefores of the Mass changes.

Ghoulies and Ghosties

Since today is Hallowe'en I thought it would be a perfect time for me to throw out my theories about what happens to us after we die.  The Catholic church does not endorse what I am about to write, and I will admit that some of my theories come from watching John Edwards (the medium, not the candidate!) and the Long Island Medium on TLC. (and this gives you a chance to skip today's blog if either of those people or the possibility of ghosts makes you snort in derision--move on to your next blogger and I'll see you next Monday!)
So take this all with a grain of salt.  If I am so off the mark that I am being heretical, please inform me, but I don't think my theories (and they are just theories- we won't know until we die what truly happens!) are all that bad.
My first theory is that we have a choice after we die when we stand before the face of God to either say to God, "Thank You for accepting me into Heaven by Your grace and love. Your love is immense and You are a forgiving God,"  OR,
"God, You don't know what an unworthy being I am.  You say I'm welcome in Heaven, but I've done so many bad things that I couldn't possibly be worthy of Your love.  I'm choosing to separate myself from You and decline Your invitation to be with You always."
I know it seems silly, but I think some of us would truly decline God's invitation to Heaven.  To paraphrase Scott Peck in May I Have This Dance?: God is like the lover who says, "Come to bed, I love you," and we say, "I can't, I'm too fat, I'm too ugly."  Still God says, "I don't think you're too fat or ugly, I think you're beautiful. Come to bed," and still we say, "No."
Who knows better? Could we possibly know better than God if we are worthy or not? Aren't we letting pride get in the way when we think we can tell God that we're less worthy than He thinks we are?
This leads to my second theory that ghosts are people who have died and have separated themselves from God.  Since I also think that Hell is being separated from God for all eternity- I think ghosts are in Hell.  It's a leap, I know, but if someone accepted God's invitation to be with Him in Heaven when they died, why would they be wandering the Earth floating after earthly pursuits?  The ghostly state doesn't have to be eternal, many a ghost has eventually gone towards the light.  I like to think that God in His infinite love and wisdom eternally gives us a chance to be with Him, it's just that some of us are just too stubborn to ever take Him up on it.
So today, have fun with the ghoulies and ghosties and long leggedy beasties, but don't forget to stop a moment to thank God for seeing you as a beautiful being who is worthy to spend eternity with Him.
That's a Treat!

Man Plans, God Laughs

This past weekend the end of the world didn't happen- for the second time this year, no less!  A local preacher told his congregation that the end of the world would be May 21, 2011.  Obviously nothing of  Earth-shattering proportions happened on May 21st.  The preacher claimed he had miscalculated and that the actual end of the world was supposed to be October 21, 2011.  Well, the world is still here- yay!  Now there's a cautionary tale if there ever was one- don't ever think you have God's plan figured out.   Jesus said we would not know the time or the day, just be ready.  Isn't that our call?  Be ready- God has a perfect plan for us, but we don't have the minds to figure it out, nor should we try to figure it out.  Someone once said, "If you think you understand God, you don't."  As stated in the Desiderata, "... and whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should."  I know the Desiderata was not talking about God specifically, but it is true, none the less- God's plan is unfolding as it should.  All God asks of us (to paraphrase Micah 6:8 and the song, "This Is" by Liam Lawton) is to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God.

State of Confusion

I am so confused!!!  What is Cesar's?  What is God's?  Some things are obvious, but most things are subtle and difficult to decide.  The Gospel this past Sunday not only brought up the question of "Death and Taxes" but also the question of social justice for me. (maybe not for you, but my mind jumps all over the place!)
I read an article on the internet by Mike Daisey that says Apple products are made in sweatshops overseas and that threw me for a loop.  Do I stop buying Apple products?  Do I rationalize this by saying that these sweatshop employees at least have jobs and are probably happy for the opportunity to earn money?  Do I lobby Apple to shut down their production overseas, bring it here to America and then not be able to buy their products because the price would be too astronomical?  Then do I (and those like me...) run the risk by my 'good intentions' of causing Apple to lose so much money that they have to close, thus putting everyone out of a job?  When Jesus was confronted with beggars outside of the synagogue did He find them a place to sleep, a meal, and get them a job?  How far do I go?  I am linked to so many corporate entities in my daily existence that it seems impossible for me to keep track of or even discover which ones are socially just and which aren't.  While that doesn't give me a 'pass' to throw up my hands and say, "Corporate exploitation will always be with us..." it does call me to try to educate myself and see if I can push for a socially just change.  Perhaps I can write to Apple and ask them to consider improving conditions in their overseas factories.  The confusion continues...  

Let's Clean Up Our Act

The Gospel yesterday dealt with the wedding guest who didn't wear a wedding garment to the feast and was "cast... into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.". (Matthew 22:1-14)
Sounds dismal, doesn't it?  If someone who wasn't expecting to go to the wedding feast can be thrown out for not wearing the right clothes, what chance do we have?  It makes getting to Heaven sound random and completely at the whim of God (see below for a sidebar).  It may sound that way, but my pastor said yesterday that the wedding garment meant clean clothes and that not wearing a wedding garment meant not cleaning up your act. That made me feel better.  When the man was asked why he didn't wear his wedding garment, he didn't have a reply.  I almost imagine him shrugging and mumbling, "I dunno."  His passivity was a choice- not making a choice is still a choice.  If we choose to be passive and 'let' life happen to us, then we will have to accept the consequences.  If we choose to be active and clean up our act, then we can hope to reap the rewards.

Sidebar:  "...completely at the whim of God..."  A week ago our associate pastor told this joke:
A man died and was at the gates of Heaven.  St. Peter said to him, "Tell me why you should get into Heaven.  You have to score 100 points, so make it good!"  The man thought for awhile and  began, "Well, I was a good Catholic, I had all my sacraments, I went to Mass every Sunday, I went to Reconciliation at least twice a year, I observed Holy Days, I said Grace at every meal, I said my prayers every day, I read the Bible and meditated on the readings every day, I honored my marriage vows and I was a good father to my 12 kids, grandfather to my 42 grandkids, and great grandfather to my 6 great grandkids."  St. Peter said, " That's wonderful! One point, you have 99 more to go."  The man was surprised, but continued, "OK, I volunteered at my church, I was a Lector, a Eucharistic Minister, I took Communion to the sick, I helped at the soup kitchen, I donated money and clothes to the poor, I gave 10% of my income to the Church, I took Communion to prisoners, built houses with Habitat for Humanity and I worked for Catholic Charities."  St. Peter smiled and said, "That's fantastic! One point, now you have 98 to go."  The man was reeling now, what more should he have done to get into Heaven?  He exclaimed to St. Peter, "Goodness!  At this rate I'll only get in by the grace of God!"  St. Peter cried, "That's right!  100 points- you can enter Heaven now!"  It isn't at the whim of God, but it is by the grace of God that we can enter Heaven!!

Where Do We Go From Here?

Can anyone dispute that one of Jesus' message to us is that God loves us so much we will have a place in Heaven if we try to follow Him? (You can dispute it if you want, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!)  I began to ponder (yes, I ponder from time to time- it sounds so much nicer than brood ) what do I think will happen when I die?  I don't like to think about the act of dying (Will it hurt?  Will I go in my sleep?), but what I might encounter after I've gone through the tunnel of light and popped out into the after-life. (If you are someone who doesn't believe in an after-life why are your reading a Catholic blog?)  What I like to think will happen when I die is that I will stand before the face of God (which will be a loving experience, not a scary experience) and review my life with Him.  I think that we human beings have the choice to stay with God or to separate ourselves from Him.  It seems that it would be an easy choice, but pride or fear or even arrogance can cloud that decision.  After seeing everything you did and didn't do in your life, would you really think you deserved to be with God?  You might be afraid of possible consequences, penances, God's anger or scorn.  I'd like to think that after a life review and my petition for forgiveness and willingness to be a messenger for God and help others still on Earth, that God would welcome me into His arms and into His Kingdom of Heaven.  I just hope I have the good sense to accept His invitation!

Is This Heaven??

Sunday's gospel was Matthew 20: 1-16a about the landowner who paid his workers the same wage regardless of the number of hours they worked.  This gospel and the Prodigal Son gospel always evoke, "Hey! that's not fair!"  emotions in me.  Gut reaction.   "The 'good' son/workers did the right things, but the bad son/late workers get the rewards too!"
What I forget in these gospels is that Jesus is talking about Heaven-duh Karen!  I remember in religion class in the third grade, Sister Raymunda (God rest her soul) explaining to us that if a criminal repented of his sins on his deathbed and converted to Christianity at the moment before he died, all would be forgiven and God would welcome him in Heaven (it was implied that he would probably have to spend some time in Purgatory for his sinful ways, but he wouldn't be going to Hell at any rate...).  Of course the sinful person would have to be sincere (But hey! I think God would be able to tell how sincere someone is!!), but s/he'd have the same shot at redemption as the rest of us God-fearing folk.
Is that fair?  Sure it is, and as a matter of fact I find it very comforting.  Even up to my last minute here on Earth I can sincerely tell God I'm sorry for my sins and God will welcome me.  Does that mean I can live a hedonistic life until the minute before I die?  No, of course not!  If I truly am a Christian I want to live as godly a life as I can out of love for God, but for those workers who arrived late in the day, those brothers and sisters who come to Christ later in their lives, the opportunity is there for them to share God's love in Heaven.  What a wonderful, hope message!  God isn't out to zing us for our mess ups- God just wants to welcome us into His arms.

Angels

The Church doesn't have clear job descriptions for angels and saints.  You can look them up in the CCC (Catechism of the Catholic Church), but it seems much is left to interpretation.  So I'm going to give my own interpretation, not sanctioned by the Roman Catholic church, but, I think, in line with the Church's teachings.
It's pretty much established that angels are messengers of God (think Gabriel), who bring us God's messages which can guide us on the right path if we are willing to accept/listen to those messages and act on them. The angels are whispering in our ears, guiding us, telling us what God wants us to know.  Why doesn't God speak to us directly?  God does, but we're not always willing to accept His directions, so God may call in a helper, a messenger to repeat the message, or perhaps sometimes the angel is the advance team, preparing us for God's message, "Hey, get ready!  Listen up! You're going to receive a message soon..."  I don't think angels petition for us as the saints do, and that is a key difference in my interpretation of angels and saints.  Angels can also help protect us (think St. Michael the Archangel, or your Guardian Angel).  I love the prayer for St. Michael and I know I make my Guardian Angel work overtime (hey, I drive in California!!).  The key difference between angels and saints for me is that saints lived on the earth, died, and were canonized while angels didn't go through all that. The CCC says angels are non-corporeal beings- no earthly body.  Imagine that your sole existence is to glorify God and bring His message to Earth.  That sounds wonderful to me!


  

Hello?

One of my sisters was facing a potential crisis this past week, so I pulled out the big guns and started my two favorite novenas, one to St. Joseph (my favorite saint!) and one to St. Therese of Lisieux.  Faithfully I petitioned day after day with no response.  No news from my sister, and no rose from St. Therese.  I felt as though the saints had turned a deaf ear.  Hello?  Anybody listening???
I finally heard from my sister, and wouldn't you know it, the silence from the saints wasn't so much of "La, la, la, we're not listening," as it was, "No problem! It's already been taken care of!"  So this is my public apology to St. Therese and St. Joseph for doubting that they weren't listening.  Even if the answer had been a flat out, "No!" from God- I should know by now (How old am I?? Still learning this stuff!!) that everything will be fine.

May the Saints Preserve Us!

I've had to call on the angels and saints a lot for a number of issues lately.  Since my Catholic up-bringing wasn't saint heavy, it's still a little surprising to me that I have come to rely on their support as much as I do. I have gone from a "straight to the Top" person to a "networking" person these last few years.  What has changed?
Over the years as I watched my husband use his friends and resources for support for all kinds of challenges he's faced I began to consider that perhaps I wasn't using my saintly resources as much I as could.  Sure, I have God's ear, and God will listen, but it couldn't hurt to get some saintly friends to plead my case to Him also.  I am careful to be clear that I'm asking my saint friends to ask Jesus to grant my petitions, I'm not asking the saints themselves to move mountains or perform miracles.  God alone grants our requests.  But the saints can guide us, be our cheerleaders and extra petitioners for us when we need them.
If you go to the Catechism of the Catholic Church you find that the saints are defined as "...models and intercessors.." (CCC 828)  I find that asking saints for their help can be very encouraging. When I ask them to intercede for me I begin to notice small, positive changes that help me see how Jesus is really working in our lives.  Even when it seems nothing at all is happening, I'm comforted by the fact that the saints are petitioning for me when I'm pooping out.  Saints don't get tired, they have enormous faith, and they are eager to help any time of the day or night- what a fantastic support group!

Tip For The Week

One of my favorite resources is The Word Among Us , a website that offers "Daily Meditations For Catholics."  The articles are always thoughtful and thought provoking.  We get the monthly magazine (which has all the online articles and meditations) and I often find myself snipping out paragraphs and entire articles to tuck in my prayer book.  If you don't already subscribe I highly recommend that you try it out- it is more than worth it!  

Something About Mary...

Today is the feast of the Assumption of Mary (Not a holy day of obligation this year because it falls on a Monday as Monsignor explained to us at Mass.  No Monday Holy days- it seems!) While some Catholics embrace Mary with a fervent devotion, I have never been one of those people.  I remember feeling shocked (Shocked! I tell you.) when my first grade teacher, Sister Inella, announced to the class that Mary was our mother.  What??  What about my mommy?  Who was she then?  For a few years after that I viewed Mary as someone who was trying to take my attention and love from my mother. (Thanks Sister Inella!)  As I matured I realized that Mary wasn't trying to 'horn in' on my affection for my mother- that's not what Sister Inella meant (sorry Sister!), but that Mary is our heavenly mother who would help us as much as she could, who would plead our case to Jesus for us, and who, most important of all, is constantly pointing the way to Jesus and asking us to follow Him.
Read this, Our Lady of the Lost and Found, by Diane Schoemperlen (a non-Catholic no less!) for a wonderful week-long visit with the Blessed Mother.

Reference Points Two,Three and Four

Reference point Two:  My interpretation of God is: God is a loving parent who gives us free will, who sent Jesus (who is God) to save us from the fear of death, promise us eternal life, asks us to be kind to one another and who sends us the Holy Spirit (also God) to inspire us and further guide us.  I don't believe God is in Heaven waiting to pounce on us and punish us for every tiny sin we commit.  I believe that God just wants us to be kind to one another, watch out for and care for each other, and praise and thank God for the opportunity.
Reference point Three: I believe the Roman Catholic Church is run by human beings who often try to follow God's plan, but because they are human- often misinterpret or ignore God's message, superimpose their own human message, get half of it right and muck up the other half- in other words act HUMAN, but I think, are still trying to follow God's plan. While I may have a more positive view of the Church than the general public, do not think for one minute that I am absolving the Roman Catholic church hierarchy for every terrible thing they have done in the name of God.  I realize the Church has sanctioned some mighty unChristian behavior in its time, but I also realize that the Church is run by HUMANS who may have been blinded to God's message by their human foibles.  Even the messes that the Church is in today I believe are a result of humans who I pray will see the light and make appropriate reparations.  The Church moves slowly- hundreds of years slowly, but I have a founded hope that it is moving in the right direction.
That leads to Reference point Four:  In my opinion the Roman Catholic Church should not bow to the whims of society. (This next scenario is an far-fetched example to illustrate my point, please do not think that this is an actual issue facing us today- I do not think we should cut off our right pinky toes!)  If society said that everyone should cut off their right pinky toe because it's useless, antiquated, we're holding on to it for no good reason, we're not showing solidarity with those who've cut off or lost their pinky toes due to injustice in the world, harvesting pinky toes would feed the hungry, clothe the naked, solve the economic crisis, etc. and the Church said it was a sin because it was self-mutilation, I wouldn't think the Church was wrong in that judgement. Society doesn't approach issues with "How does this affect our relationship with God and is this in God's plan?" in mind. The Church is supposed to be concerned about spiritual matters, no matter what society thinks is OK or not OK.
These are all short answers to issues I'll be tackling in future posts.  What are your major Reference points?

A Blogger's One Foundation

These first few posts will fill in some background and probably be reference points for future blogs.
Reference point One:  I'm a product of the transitional Church- I started school as the Church was launching Vatican II reforms.  When our pastor said Mass in English for the first time, I was young enough to think that Jesus was speaking to me because I could understand what was being said at church. My elementary school religion books all began with the question, "What is freedom?" (I'm also a product of New Math and our math books all began with the question, "What is a set?")  No doubt about it, we were putting the Baltimore Catechism behind us and eagerly launching into the Sixties.  My Catholic school had progressive nuns who shed their long habits and veils as soon as they were able and loved having guitar Masses on the lawn of the school when the weather permitted.  While you might assume that this was happening in "Hippie Land California" it was all taking place in the middle of Nebraska.  My father was one of the first lectors in our church, and six years later my sister was one of the first female altar servers.
We embraced the changes of Vatican II with enthusiasm thanks to the encouragement of our religious leaders.  While my religious education was heavy on discussion and light on doctrine it did give me a positive picture of God and of the Church.  So with this foundation I am trying to navigate my way in this world as a Catholic.  I hope you join me on this journey.

First Blog in Ordinary Time

This blog is one Catholic's opinion on what's going on in the world and the Church.  While I don't think I'm the only Catholic in the world with my views, I don't see my views out there in cyber-space.  So I'm putting my musings out there to invite a conversation with my readers (to be).  Comment on the musings to come.  I will read whatever you write, so if you have something to say to me- don't hold back.  HOWEVER, I reserve the right to withhold your posting if you are too mean, off topic, or just plain wacky.  A good debate is always respectful and I look forward to future exchanges of ideas. Go forth and serve!