Easy for us to forget, in our complaining about our parish priests, that theirs is the toughest vocation in the world. You try being a father to, say, 3000 people in a parish. Or two parishes. Or more.
Go and read Rocco's post from last week. Then go say a prayer for all of the priests we have and for all of those men who are discerning a call to the priesthood that they may answer it with a firm "yes."
Monday, February 27, 2006
Is fundamentalism really a dirty word?
Mark Mossa, SJ has posted something very interesting on his blog, and I though I'd take up space on my own page rather than in his comment box to ruminate (there I go-big word. you're in trouble now ;) ). It's in response to a blog post by Alan Creech, whom I was reading for the first time. Alan was talking about fundamentalism.
Mark invites us to: Read Alan's words and ask the question: Where do we see there the opportunity to invite, to celebrate and to build up in a way that will bring us closer to the unity that Christ prayed for? Mark was responding in his post to what he sees as what many Generation Xers feel as alienation from the Church.
Well, like Mark and Alan, I am a Generation X member, though on the late end of the generation, so maybe I'm a little out of touch with the whole stereotpyical angst of the generation. Truth is, I've never felt that the characterizations of my generation ever really applied to my friends and me, even when I was in high school and the whole "generation X" thing started to happen. Couldn't relate to "Reality Bites" or "Singles." Maybe it passed me by. On a personal level, I don't think I have ever really felt alienated from the Church. If anything, I have felt that it was I who needed to change, not the Church. I look at it this way, Holy Mother Church has been doing quite well for 2000 years. If she were not of God, she would have sunk 1800 years ago. If it ain't broke...
But to answer Mark's question, what are the things we need to emphasize to draw us closer to the untiy that Christ desires for those who follow Him? Well, let me take it in a Generation X perspective. There is a chapter of a nationwide (maybe worldwide) movement called Spirit and Truth which meets at our parish. It is a small Christian Community of young adult Catholics (ages 21-35) which meets every week for Eucharistic Adoration, teaching, and fellowship every Friday night. In the last year, the group at our parish has outgrown the small meeting room they started out in and moved to the school gym. They'll meet from 8 PM till Midnight (meeting is supposed to be over at 10).
The primary reason why this group is successful is because it holds the Eucharist at its core. The Eucharist is the "source and summit" of our faith. It is the foundation. It is fundamental. I think that for us as Church to achieve unity, we need to return to the fundmentals, to a simplicity of truth. I think our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, can lead us to that. It seems to be his style. Did you read his first encyclical? It draws us back to the basic: God is Love, Deus Caritas Est.
I also think that Catholics in general need to realize that being "on fire for God" is a good thing, not something to be suspicious of. Can we please go back and read the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles? Remember Pentecost? 5000 people do not get baptized in one day if the Apostles are not "on Fire for God." I know a couple who are coming back to the Church after spending a few years in an evangelical protestant community. They were drawn to it because of the fire that the evangelicals had. The husband was being trained to lead other Catholics away from the faith. Praise God, as he was reading the ancient fathers, he became more convicted that the Catholic Church was the True Church. He told me that when he tried to share what he had learned with his pastor, the man didn't want to hear it. I said, "Well, he didn't want to be converted." When confronted with the truth, one must either embrace the truth or continue to live a lie knowing that it is a lie.
It all comes back to the fundamentals. The Eucharist. The constant call to conversion of self, and the bringing of others with us. This is how we achieve unity.
Mark invites us to: Read Alan's words and ask the question: Where do we see there the opportunity to invite, to celebrate and to build up in a way that will bring us closer to the unity that Christ prayed for? Mark was responding in his post to what he sees as what many Generation Xers feel as alienation from the Church.
Well, like Mark and Alan, I am a Generation X member, though on the late end of the generation, so maybe I'm a little out of touch with the whole stereotpyical angst of the generation. Truth is, I've never felt that the characterizations of my generation ever really applied to my friends and me, even when I was in high school and the whole "generation X" thing started to happen. Couldn't relate to "Reality Bites" or "Singles." Maybe it passed me by. On a personal level, I don't think I have ever really felt alienated from the Church. If anything, I have felt that it was I who needed to change, not the Church. I look at it this way, Holy Mother Church has been doing quite well for 2000 years. If she were not of God, she would have sunk 1800 years ago. If it ain't broke...
But to answer Mark's question, what are the things we need to emphasize to draw us closer to the untiy that Christ desires for those who follow Him? Well, let me take it in a Generation X perspective. There is a chapter of a nationwide (maybe worldwide) movement called Spirit and Truth which meets at our parish. It is a small Christian Community of young adult Catholics (ages 21-35) which meets every week for Eucharistic Adoration, teaching, and fellowship every Friday night. In the last year, the group at our parish has outgrown the small meeting room they started out in and moved to the school gym. They'll meet from 8 PM till Midnight (meeting is supposed to be over at 10).
The primary reason why this group is successful is because it holds the Eucharist at its core. The Eucharist is the "source and summit" of our faith. It is the foundation. It is fundamental. I think that for us as Church to achieve unity, we need to return to the fundmentals, to a simplicity of truth. I think our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, can lead us to that. It seems to be his style. Did you read his first encyclical? It draws us back to the basic: God is Love, Deus Caritas Est.
I also think that Catholics in general need to realize that being "on fire for God" is a good thing, not something to be suspicious of. Can we please go back and read the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles? Remember Pentecost? 5000 people do not get baptized in one day if the Apostles are not "on Fire for God." I know a couple who are coming back to the Church after spending a few years in an evangelical protestant community. They were drawn to it because of the fire that the evangelicals had. The husband was being trained to lead other Catholics away from the faith. Praise God, as he was reading the ancient fathers, he became more convicted that the Catholic Church was the True Church. He told me that when he tried to share what he had learned with his pastor, the man didn't want to hear it. I said, "Well, he didn't want to be converted." When confronted with the truth, one must either embrace the truth or continue to live a lie knowing that it is a lie.
It all comes back to the fundamentals. The Eucharist. The constant call to conversion of self, and the bringing of others with us. This is how we achieve unity.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Down, but not out
The stomach virus which has been making its way through Primo's school finally made it to Casa Giglio this weekend. We were all well enough to make it to Mass this morning. Bubba came down with it on Wedensday night, Primo got it Friday afternoon, Mom and I got it Friday night, and my DH started it last night, but seems to have slept through it. I didn't even get out of bed yesterday and managed to only keep down about 1 cup of food and 1 cup of ginger ale all day. I ate today and *hooray* my morning sickness is back this evening!
I'd like to take this time to thank my friend Chris, who lent me her steam cleaner before thanksgiving. I only see her twice a week and haven't been able to return it to her. This enabled me to clean up the soiled living room couch this evening.
I'd like to take this time to thank my friend Chris, who lent me her steam cleaner before thanksgiving. I only see her twice a week and haven't been able to return it to her. This enabled me to clean up the soiled living room couch this evening.
Friday, February 24, 2006
More news on Renee
Renee and mom came home from CHOP yesterday. She's resting and doing well. She had her first chemo treatment on Wednesday which made her pretty sick and tired. She'll be getting her treatments at a local hospital. The chemo and radiation combo will last for 27 weeks. She will go for chemo once a week for 10 weeks and then go every three weeks. She'll have to go every day for radiation treatments, but they haven't scheduled that yet. It will be soon though. I just got off the phone with her mom and Renee has got lots ofenergy right now, she's just a little bit overwhelmed by the outpouring of love she's been getting, as well as the surgery. She's trying to take it easy, as much as a four and a half year old girl can. She's also very concerned about her hair falling out. She looks like Dora the Explorer right now (see above). She's worried about the other kids making fun of her bald head. I think she'll look like a rock star.
She'll be joining her preschool classmates for a tour of the local Shoprite store (It's letter S week) on Monday as long as she's feeling well and she'll be back in school as often as she can be. Thanks for your prayers for her. Please keep praying.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Update on Renee
Her mom says she's doing pretty good. She's making the nurses crazy, which is a good sign. She's up and moving around and playing. I think she's going to come home on Friday. Don't know when the raditaion/chemo combo will start. I think she's going to get it done up here rather than staying at CHOP to have it done. This way, she can sleep in her own bed and be at home.
Thanks for your prayers, everyone. Please keep it up.
Thanks for your prayers, everyone. Please keep it up.
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