Parking the Bus until September

http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/

Parking the Bus

"...So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work he had done in creation..." Gen 2.3

The "School Bus on the Road to Emmaus" is ready to park until September, and while this blog is meant for anyone seeking deeper connections with God in their day to day living, I've been trying to give special attention to those who have been called to a life in Catholic education. And so we will pause.

Take time

Renew

Refresh

Partake in Sabbath

 

 As educators, we often go racing through our days (and nights) at breakneck speed, until we hobble to the finish line in June and take at east two weeks to recover and feel normal again. But, if we follow God's example, 1/7th of our time should be spent in Sabbath!!!

There's something very wrong with the pace of our lives. If you find you experience exhausting overdrive, take some time this summer to reflect on how you can change the pattern. Perhaps you need more exercise? A better diet? Less coffee? 

When God finished all of creation, God didn't collapse in a heap. God looked at it all and blessed it, then God rested.

Was your school year a blessing or a curse? If it was the latter, take some summer Sabbath to discern God's presence even in the shadow times of the past year.

Because he was there as well. He is always there for you.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As you move into the peaceful days of summer, I thought I would give some suggestions for some hammock reading. Yes, I know, it  is usually meant for mind popcorn- light, airy reading with very little nutritional impact.  I promise my suggestions will not be too heavy, but will beB a faith lift. Here are some of my favorites, and one I'm currently reading...

The Power of Pause

 I'm a big fan of Terry Hershey, and his book,

I have it as an audio book as well, and will listen to a chapter before bed. If you find that life seems too busy and you don't seem to have time for the "spiritual life", this is the book for you! To get the book or the audio cd, go to Terry's website at www.terryhershey.com.

Believing in Jesus

If you are looking for a book to help you understand what it means to be a Catholic Christian, but don't want to tackle something like The Catechism of the Catholic Church, then I suggest this by Leonard Foley. With over a half a million sold (wow!), Fr. Foley presents the tenets of our faith in "plain English". Fr. Foley was the editor of the very popular Catholic Update, and continues to write some of the issues. Not only a good read, Believing in Jesus will become a handy reference for you as well. You can get Believing in Jesus at Amazon.com

The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

This is my current read, and I am thoroughly enjoying it! This was a New York Times best seller (who knew?) written by a very popular speaker, and a Jesuit himself, Fr. James Martin. A gifted story-teller, Martin demystifies Ignatian spirituality, and invites his readers to find God in the everyday...

Pray-as-you-go

Here is one more gift for your summer Sabbath. Anyone who has attended one of my workshops or courses will have heard me recommend "Pray-as-you-go". This is a website from an English Jesuit community that has created daily downloads for your MP3 player. It follows the "lectio divina" style of prayer, where you listen to music (sometimes ancient, sometimes modern), one of the readings of the day, and questions to enhance your prayer time. Perfect for the holiday traveler! Click on http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/

Finally, as you break from the everyday busyness, avoid the temptation to "break" from Sunday Eucharist. It is easy to think that "I'm finding God by the campfire", but as Catholic Christians, our encounter with the Risen Lord is at Mass. This is our nourishment. In Christ we find rest. He is our true Sabbath.

Blessings and Peace for a safe and restful summer Sabbath!

Michael

If you have any thoughts for future blog postings, contact me on Facebook or mmarien@me.com.

  

Proper Posture

Proper Posture

"...her sins, which were many, have been forgiven,

 hence she has shown great love..."

Gospel for the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time:

Luke 7.36-8.3

David Wells, a Catholic religious educator, and well-known conference speaker, tells the story of how, as a young man, he was at the local cinema,and had to get up from his seat. After many "excuse me's" and "pardon me's" he finally gets to the end of the row...

And genuflects.

So much of our Catholic way of life, and especially the way we pray, is caught up in our "limbic system"- that part of the brain which is on automatic pilot. So it shouldn't surprise us when many struggle with the recent changes in the Mass. Some of the responses, such as "It is right and just", or "And with your spirit", are not quite automatic, and the using the pew cards for the Creed is common practice.

For me, this is not a bad thing. Because in our Eucharistic celebrations, we as Catholics can take the Mass, and essentially, Jesus, for granted. Are we, as the Church declares, "full, active and conscious" participants? IS what we SAYand DO at Mass really expressing what we believe?

One aspect of the new General Instruction in the Roman Missal (GIRM) that has not been taught, at least in my experience, are some of our physical actions.

During the Creed when we profess, "and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary",we are to bow. We are also to bow at the Eucharist prayer when we ask that we may join Mary and the saints in our "heavenly inheritance".

The GIRM also makes it quite clear that kneeling during the Eucharistic prayer is the norm, but if health   issues prevent it, sitting is appropriate. Every diocese is different- in most of the U.S. dioceses, participants kneel from the "Holy Holy" to the "Great Amen", while in the Edmonton archdiocese, we rise at the Memorial acclamation.

I was glad of this recommendation by the GIRM. I've always viewd the liturgy as an intricate dance of love between God and his people, and it behooves us to make sure we know our steps. Both kneeling and standing are of equal theological "value" as postures- after all, our Orthodox brothers and sisters have no pews, and stand for the entire liturgy.

As Roman Catholics, it is so important to understand what we are doing and saying, so we can be "full conscious and active" in our response to God's love.

Which brings us to today's Gospel. Here we have a Pharisee who does provide some hospitailty to Jesus. (Don't let that slip by you- not all Pharisees were out to get Jesus, and to invite someone into your home for a meal was very honorable and respectful.) 

While he certainly was being respectful, the Pharisee was not being authentic. He was so busy being scandalized by a sinner toucing the feet of a Rabbi, that he failed to offer genuine hospitality- feet washing, the kiss of peace, anointing with oil. The sinful woman did so to the maximum- she was certainly "fully, consciously and actively", demonstrating her love. The Pharisee was going through the motions.

Why such a contrast between the woman and the Pharisee? the biggest difference is summed up in one word: repentance. The sinful woman recognized her sinfulness. Jesus knew this and forgve her, and the result was this incredible outpouring of love. The Pharisees saw themselves as keepers of the law, but never breakers of it.

Is part of our problem at Mass is that we take the love and forgiveness of Jesus for granted? We are called today to express our love for Christ by turning to him in humilty and gratitude, to recognize our sins and ask for his mercy. Through the sacrament of reconciliation, and our full active and conscious particpation in the Eucharist, we will show great love.

For this week...

Take the time to slowly and reverently read the prayers of the liturgy.  If you don't subscribe to "Living with Christ", there are many websites that you  can access. Here's one:http://catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm

Think about the actions that your are invited to do at the Eucharist, Awaken for yourself the meaning of what you are doing..."

Prophet Among Us

Prophet Among Us

"The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother."

Gospel for the 10th Sunday of Ordinary Time:

Luke 7.11-17 

What comes to mind when you think of a "prophet"?

For some, it might conjure up cartoons of gloomy men with long beards, carrying signs that say "The end is near"...

 

Or what about this guy???

I'll bet old Nostradamus has been on more covers of the National Star than Elvis!

Even among certain Christian circles, prophesy tends to mean figuring out the end of the world in the images of the Book of Revelation, despite repeated warnings by Jesus that "you do not know when the hour is coming..."

True Prophets

Authentic prophets, in our Judeo-Christian tradition, have very little to do with the future, and everything to do with the present. 

So we have the prophets Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Elijah, and many others from the Old Testament.

Yes, they would look to the future in a "big picture" kind of way- "If you don't change your ways, and come back to God, expect the worst..." OR

"Fear not, God has heard your pleas and witnessed your suffering- things will get better..."

Prophets in the Bible tend to "comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable" ( I wish I could tell you who said that to give them credit- it is not one of mine!!)

The most afflicted in Jesus' time were the poor- no different than today. The poorest of the poor, next to the lepers, were widows and orphans. With no one to support them, they were at the mercy of the community.

That is why we read so much from the prophets that widows and orphans are the ones who need our care.

 Who are the "widows and orphans" in our world?

Imagine the Scene....

If you have not already done so, click on the link to the Gospel at the top of the page. If you did, read it again...

Imagine the scene. Jesus is being followed by a large crowd- disciples, curiosity seekers, and probably some looking to trap Jesus. He comes to Nain and encounters a large crowd coming towards Him. A different crowd altogether.

A crowd of mourners. A widow of the town has lost her son, who is about to be buried. Not only has she lost her flesh and blood (who can imagine the pain of losing a child?) but now she has lost her means of support.

She is hopeless. And the large crowd that follows her? We imagine mourners, curiosity seekers. and even some who mock her pain. (There have always been bullies).

The two crowds meet. And in the center is Jesus, the widow, and the dead son.

And love

What is so wonderful in this scene is that there is no conversation between the widow and Jesus. Jesus didn't ask her if she prepared for this, or why is she so destitute, or why can't the community take care of her, or what's wrong with government anyway...

"When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her..."

 This is not a miracle story where the widow shows great faith. This is not even a wondrous "sign" that we find in John's Gospel, although clearly the miracle was a sign for the crowd.
This is a story of the marvelous love of Jesus for those who are most in need. In his words and actions, Jesus gives life to the son, and "gave him to his mother", giving life to the widow herself.

 The best part

Then comes the best part of this Gospel passage. First, "Fear seized all of them, and they glorified God." The "two large crowds" are now one, dumbstruck by God's glory and showing "fear of the Lord" ( not scared, just in awe!). They proclaim that a great prophet has "risen among us" ( don't miss that- Jesus just finished saying, "Young man, I say to you, rise!") So not only do the son and the widow receive new life, but the crowd as well- they have come alive in God's glory.

WHAT? ME, A PROPHET?

We might come away from this Gospel making connections with those in the story who have been given new life. But I invite you to pray and discern a different meaning for your life. In a very real way, we are invited to be  prophets.

Why? Quite simply, it is through our baptism into the life of the Trinity that we have been made "priest, prophet and king." Through our baptismal call, we are prophets as Jesus was- proclaiming the Good News of the Reign of God

So what does this look like?

For a parent, it is raising your children to be sons and daughters of God, giving them the spiritual food they need to sustain them throughout their lives.

For a teacher, it is to be a model of discipleship for you students and your peers, creating an atmosphere of genuine love for Christ and His Church,

For a Christian, it is tending to the widows and orphans in your community, your province, your world (no need to choose- tend to them all!)

For a Catholic Christian, it is to become what we receive in the Eucharist- bread for the world, Blessed. Broken. Shared.

Pray this week that you might fulfill your baptismal call.

Be a prophet among us.

 

Nothing Much to See

Nothing Much to See

But Jesus said to them, "You give them something to eat..."

Luke 9.15

Gospel for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ:

Luke 9.11-17  

A few years ago, I was attending Sunday Eucharist and being pleasantly distracted by the interaction between a little girl of about six or seven, and her mother. Yes, I know my focus should have been somewhere other than the pew in front of me, but as it turns out, there was an important Gospel message unfolding there. 

The little girl was quite intrigued by all the things that were going on in front of her, and her mother was getting more and more frustrated by all the questions.

Then, it came time for the consecration. This was a few years ago, so in this particular parish we were all standing. The girl could not see.

She asked, "Momma, what is happening?"

Her mother replied, "Never mind, there's nothing to see..."

My heart broke.

"So when someone says, 'Look, there's nothing out there, what we are really saying is, 'I cannot see.'" (Terry Tempest Williams)

Why Corpus Christi?

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ is also known as the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, which translates from Latin to "Body of Christ." This feast originated in France in the mid-thirteenth century and was extended to the whole Church by Pope Urban IV in 1264. This feast is celebrated on the Thursday following the Trinity Sunday or, as in Canada, on the Sunday following that feast.
Why was it necessary to have such a feast? A couple of reasons. While we do celebrate the Institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, The Church recognizes that there is a lot going on in that celebration, and so there was a need to focus solely on the mystery of Christ's presence in the bread and wine transformed (or more correctly, transubstantiated) into his body and blood.

The other reason is that it gave the regular folk of the Middle Ages a chance to get "up close and personal" with Jesus. You see at that time, regular reception of the Eucharist was not happening like today. Jesus, for most, was seen and not received. It was at this time in our history when adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was more predominant. The Feast of Corpus Christi included processions with the Blessed Sacrament through the streets. This is still practiced in some parishes today. 

From Nothing to Something

The Gospel yesterday may cause us to ask, "Why the feeding of the 5000? Shouldn't we proclaim one of the Last Supper accounts?" But if we look deeper into the story, we can see the Church's wisdom in the selection.

While we can be transfixed by the wonder and awe of 5000 being fed by five loaves and two fish, the miracle is not the message. The real story here is the interaction between Jesus and his disciples. Jesus has just "fed" the five thousand, as he "spoke to them about the kingdom of God." (Lk.9.11) The disciples want to send the crowds away so they find something to eat- basically saying to Jesus that these people can fend for themselves.

Jesus says no, they can't. "You give them something to eat." At this point the disciples, figuring they need to do this on their own, rustled up their meager resources of five loves and two fish.

Impossible.

But not with God.

Jesus feeds the people again. 

The feeding of the 5000 points the way to Eucharist, "the source and summit" of our lives.

Only after Pentecost will the disciples get Jesus' command, "You give them something to eat".

Although the command changes to Give them me.

"Become what you receive" 

If all we were celebrating was Christ's presence in the bread and wine, Deyenu, in Hebrew - "that would be enough!"

But there's more, much more.

St. Augustine said it best when he told the Church, "In the Eucharist, we become what we receive."

Perhaps when the priest or Eucharistic minister says to us "The Body of Christ", we heard "Become what you receive."

I think our "Amen!" might have a little more conviction.

And it is not that we are taking into ourselves a little bit of Jesus like Popeye getting spinach. This great mystery is not about me as a single person. It is about my "incorporation" into the Body of Christ! It is why I was baptized!

And, paraphrasing Fr. Ron Rolheiser, if the only thing that is changed at Mass is the bread and wine, then something is wrong.

A short rant.

There's a song being sung in some of our Catholic parishes that does not come from our tradition, that on the surface, is quite pleasant:

Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary

Pure and Holy, tried and true

With thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary for you.

 Quite pleasant. And quite wrong!  A sanctuary is a place of protection, safety. It is a place to hide. 

No, as a disciples, we receive the Body and Blood (don't get me started on people refusing the cup!) to say to the world: We proclaim your death O Lord, and profess your resurrection, until you come again.

It is a solemn profession and proclamation.

More often than not, it will bring us suffering, and we'll get crucified in the public arena.

And we will rise in glory with Christ Jesus. 

For this week

For Catholic educators

Think about ways that you can help the families in your school to be truly part of the Body of Christ. Pray that those students who are receiving First Communion and Confirmation will return again and again and again and again and again. Maybe it's tine that we look at how we can mentor families into the Catholic way of life, the center of which is regular attendance at the weekend Eucharist.

For all of us

Pray this week that the Holy Spirit help you to become what you have received. Recommit to Sunday Eucharist. If you are from a different Christian denomination, recommit to your community and worship with them as many Sundays as you can.  

Let us all open our hearts to recognize that there is indeed something... NO, someone to see, and that He comes that we might be fed with his very Life.