What are you doing?

I made a stealth trip to NYC. I always feel badly when I can’t see everyone, but some friends were in from Texas and they asked me to come on down, stay in their hotel room, and do the town. It was just an overnight and I have a great husband who says “have fun!”

There were a lot more words here, but I did not save them and something funky happened and they went away. *sigh* Oh well. Here are some photos of the trip.

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Then when I came home I just wanted to go walking with the dog. So I did. This is what we see when we walk around our ‘hood. It is not NYC, but this is my home now. I love it! That’s what I’m doing. What are you doing?

Enjoy the Silence

My mind has been a jumble with numerous thoughts. In fact, my “writing prompts” folder is fuller than ever. There seems to be a problem however.

I. Can’t. Write. A. Word.

There is no real reason that I can tell. I’m pretty happy, school has come to an end, and graduation is almost here. The other day I filled out a form and it asked for my level of education, and for the first time ever, I checked the box for having a masters degree. That felt good. But, no real writing has come forth. Who knows why? Not me!

Today I read this post, entitled Keep Speaking Like a Woman, which talks about women writing for the academy, but has elements that apply to any of us who write for any reason. If you are a writer and/or a woman, I think you will want to read the link; it is a big, big wow.

In the meantime, keep my place for me, I will return. Enjoy the silence. And this very favorite Depeche Mode song of mine!

A patron of the silenced, of science, of faith

Today marks the death of one of my heroes of the faith – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ. Although known today, he died in near obscurity, as he was largely silenced for his work during his life. Today is the anniversary of his death.

When I work with teenagers for confirmation preparation, they often tell me that science is the challenge between them, or one of the challenges, a belief in God. That is when I play the Teilhard de Chardin card, because when I tell them that he was a paleontologist, they are often surprised.

When I work with myself, at times frustrated with Church, I play the Teilhard de Chardin card for myself. He was silenced, I remind myself – and he was doing really important work. I am reminded of something I once read that said that turning up the oven does not result in a cake baked more quickly. Would Teilhard de Chardin be the giant that he is today, if not for the timing of how his work became known to the world?

Yes skeptics, I hear you thinking that this is a huge rationalization on my part. Maybe, but maybe not. Over 50 now, I have become more aware of how my own timing ins not usually in the best interest of anyone but me. And at this point in my life, I have lost most  of the interest in the supremacy of my own timing and interest. (Note: most of…)

Yesterday I had a good cry born out of frustration over a church related matter. Today I am still upset, but tempered by this as-yet-uncanonized patron saint of mine.

I love the words along with the picture above. It is good science, but it is great theology, great eucharistic theology. Such things are not incompatible – they never were, and they never will be.

God is very patient with us, may we be so patient with one another – and with our selves. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, pray for us!

Postscript: I have one final paper due for school; it is to be delivered at a colloquium on Saturday. Needless to say, I have not completed it, so it seems unlikely that any blogging will come from between now and then. Since I have to go out of town for said colloquium, it is unlikely that I will post anything else before Monday. I graduate, one month from today!

Good Friday

Today is a day of suffering and death. Whether we realize it or not, both suffering and death unite us; these are things we all share, whether we want to or not. And who wants to suffer or die? Or to watch those whom we love, suffer or die? And then there is betrayal.

Rich, poor, black, white, Catholic, atheist, Republican, Democrat, liberal, conservative. We all suffer, we all die. And most likely, we are all betrayed at some point in our lives; generally more than once, and in ways that shock and astound us.

What kind of God would want to come to be one of us and experience all of these things? I can’t imagine, but I am deeply grateful for a God who has done this for us. This is not about the hairshirt, making ourselves suffer, and other self-inflicted atonement related choices. I actually am not down with that, if you pardon my choice of phrase. Remember, we did discuss that at the beginning of Lent.

The two photos are from the blog, Jerusalem Hills Daily Photo, where Dina serves up photos, information, and wisdom. You can read more about what these photos are by going over there. Hint: only evidence of crucifixion. Not Jesus’ crucifixion though.)

Given that we are all faced with such things, I am grateful for a God that unites with us in suffering and death, and then offers the gift of eternal life. That all sounds nice, but the reality is that there is so much pain out there, I see it everywhere. And then I wonder , is there hope also? I can’t help but hold onto it, like a piece of styrofoam keeping me afloat on a tumultuous sea.

This day makes no sense in so many ways, no matter what I have just said. And yet, conversely, without this day, life as I understand it makes no sense at all either.

Pope Francis, a dangerous man

Pope Francis continues to amaze us, but I believe him to be a dangerous man.  Many people, myself included, can’t quite take it all in. Is this for real? God forgive my doubt, but a part of me keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop… and I pray that it is not a red shoe. How I prefer his worn, black shoes; the shoes of a man who has actually walked.

He is a dangerous man, but I will get to that in a few minutes. This dangerous man has captured my heart indeed.

Today I walked my dog, praying this over and over in my head and heart, “Lord, I believe. Help my disbelief!” This is a twist on the Gospel of Mark, chapter 9, verses 23 and 24, which say:

Everything is possible to one who has faith.” Then the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!”

Faith. Belief. Such things do not come easily or cheaply. Oh, trust me – I do believe. But sometimes it is hard to truly, deeply believe. Like right now. It is eerily like falling in love; it feels great, but you know you will get hurt at some point.

That is when it hit me – we have to put our hearts out. We have to take the risk. That is what faith and belief demand from us. That is what Jesus asks of us, all the time.

Back to Pope Francis. Today he gave an audience to the media, in which he said and did really amazing things.

Lord, I believe. Help my disbelief.

Here is a snippet of video in which we hear the Holy Father speak about how and why he chose his name.

He is a dangerous man, indeed. And for that I am grateful. If Satan is the divider, Satan has had a great, great run. So how then is Pope Francis a dangerous man?

What could possibly be more dangerous than to have the Bishop of Rome who might unite us? Very little, if you ask me. And that is an amazing thing.

How we all like to run off to our little groups, like a bunch of bitter Pharisees plotting, sneering at “the other,” and trying to exclude. And how this Holy Father might be more like Jesus, kindly finding ways to speak to all of us.

Lord, I believe. Help my disbelief. Stay dangerous, unite us – please.

Pope Francis – A day of many firsts, a first day of many

A very special thank you to my dear and beloved friend and artist, Brother Michael O’Neill McGrath OSFS, and Bee Still Studios, for permission to use this copyrighted image here. The blog post may be shared, but please do not reproduce.

It was a crazy day. Once the white smoke came, it was so hard to focus on my work, while we waited for the announcement of who our new pope would be. When I heard the name of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, I had to stop and think about who he was, even if I had already considered him a good candidate in many ways. It was the kind of moment that kind of threw me without hurting me – which is a great metaphor for conversion and for the actions of the Holy Spirit! It was a day of many firsts, it was also the first day of what we hope are many.

There is just so, so, so much information, far too much to take in. That said, as I poke around, I find various nuggets to think and pray about. This one, from La Stampa, for example:

“His favourite priests are those who work in the ‘villas miserias’, the slums of the Argentinean capital. Instead of driving people away with rigid doctrinal preachings, he tries to look at all possible solutions in an attempt to embrace those who are the furthest from the Christian community. The Church, he insists, must show the merciful side of God. “

This is promising for me, his not driving people away with rigid doctrinal preachings. Now I can easily and see and read his stance on some social matters that weigh heavily upon me, but for the moment, I will hold that in hopeful reserve.

As I read the words of various Facebook posters, bloggers, or blog commenters, who want to overly praise, or castigate Pope Francis, in very narrow ways, and so quickly, too. I have seen him judged, because he is no friend of Latin liturgy; he is cheered for being “orthodox.” Whatever that means!  Some are happy that he rides the bus; I admit that I am one of them. Some others are upset because he “hates Liberation Theology,” and wonder why he is not a “third world priest.” To that, I want to reply, “Ummm… Argentina is not Brazil.“

All I can think of is this… it is your first day on your new job and everyone has judged you. Within minutes. *sigh* Yet, it is no surprise that everyone is trying to force him into a particular mold, but in my opinion, this is a man who will not easily (thanks be to God) fit into the simplistic kind of simplistic and ideological labels that are thrown around with such judgment and ease.

My blogging friend David Cruz-Uribe, over at Vox Nova wrote this, which I think is well stated:

“He will not fit easily into the conservative/liberal dichotomy that the secular media (and many Catholic commentators) will want to impose on him.  He is a strong defender of social justice and a harsh critic of the unequal distribution of wealth.  He is conservative on matters of sexual morality and a strong opponent of gay marriage; two years ago he got into a strong dispute with the president of Argentina on adoption by gay couples.  One interesting note:  he launched a blistering attack on priests who refused to baptise children born out of wedlock, calling it hypocritical and clericalist.”

That paragraph says it all for me. I see the great both/and before us, which causes me joy and which causes me angst. Are things like this supposed to be all to my liking? I think not!

Another good post came from the blog, Daily Theology, this particular post written by Amanda Osheim. In particular, I liked this:

Francis identified himself as the Bishop of Rome and accepted the warm welcome of “the diocesan community.”  He also described that community in a particular way, as a bishop and people journeying together.  This calls to mind one of Vatican II’s central metaphors for the church: the People of God on pilgrimage.  Lumen gentium, the council document that describes the church’s life, begins not with the church itself, but rather with the mystery of the triune God. Then, rather than turning immediately to a description of the church’s hierarchy, the council used the metaphor of the People of God to describe how Christ and the Spirit call the church to be one people, each of whom are priest, prophet, and king.  In these three characteristics the People of God receive their shared identity and discover their common mission. Further, a people on pilgrimage are “in process” and thus are marked by hope, trust, and prayer rather than by triumph.  It is only after describing the mystery of God and of God’s whole people that the document proceeds to articulate the particular roles of the church hierarchy.

Daniel Horan, OFM, a Franciscan friar and priest, who writes for America, the Jesuit magazine, said this about a “Jesuit pope with a Franciscan heart,” on his blog, Dating God, including a quote from James Martin, SJ:

First Pope from the Americas, First Jesuit Pope, First Pope “Francis.” I am personally moved by the decision to set the tone of the next papacy after the example of the poverello, the little poor man from Assisi — St. Francis. It has long been my dream that a pope would symbolically select the name of the most popular saint in all of Christian history (after Mary, of course). To see this in my own lifetime is quite startling in a positive way. As Fr. Jim Martin, SJ, wrote on his public Facebook page: “We have a Jesuit pope with a Franciscan name. What a beautiful combination!”

I like that Fr. Dan and Fr. Jim both frame this in such a positive way. As the Jesuits would say, AMDG!

Friend, publisher and collaborator, Deacon James Knipper had some good thoughts on his blog, Teach What You Believe:

Personally, I tend to be a person who focuses not so much what one says, but what one does.  So, there was something that immediately caught my eye today when the Pope was first introduced. As he stepped out onto the loggia balcony of the Basilica overlooking St. Peter’s Square all he was wearing was the papal white cassock and a simple cross…and no other ornamentation.  Did you notice how this contrasted with the robes worn by Benedict XVI when he was first introduced in 2005?

Finally, author of the newly published (and HIGHLY recommended) The Vatican Diaries, John Thavis, who covered the Vatican for 30 years, gave us this on his blog. His point of view, so intimately aware of Vatican doings, speaks volumes for me:

Wow.

The first Jesuit pope. The first Latin American pope. The first pope to choose the name Francis.

And already there are signs that he will find a new way of being pope. Asking for the people’s prayers for God’s blessing before delivering your own, for example, was a pretty eloquent act of humility.

Within minutes, the Vatican had announced that Pope Francis’ first major audience will be on Saturday, when he meets the more than 5,000 journalists covering his election.

My go-to “saints” for intercession on this matter (and on the matter of my own diocese, where our bishop, Howard J. Hubbard will soon reach retirement age) have been John XXIII, Oscar Romero, and Cardinal Bernadin. I think of them as clerical men of transformation and change. I will continue to pray for their intercession for our new Pope Francis.

Ultimately I have to wonder this; if we are not fixed on transformation and hope, as opposed to holding the ground that suits our own particular desires, what are we doing as Catholic Christians?

There are things about him that I absolutely and thrilled about, and things that worry me… but he is now the Bishop of Rome and our Holy Father. I am grateful and will keep praying, for the integrity of the Body of Christ, which is to pray for the transformation of every heart, for each and every one of us.

AMDG!

Habemus Papam! Pope Francis I

Because I have a day job, a demanding one, at a church, this is all I have for you…

From Whispers in the Loggia:

The College of Cardinals have elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 76 year-old Jesuit archbishop of Buenos Aires, as Pope Francis I.
By choosing the name of the founder of his community’s traditional rivals, the 266th Roman pontiff – the first from the American continent, home to more than half of the 1.2 billion-member church – has signaled two things: his desire to be a force of unity in a polarized fold, and his intent to “repair God’s house, which has fallen into ruin”… that is, to rebuild the church.

Habemus Papam! We just don’t know who yet… to be updated.

Well those bells are ringing away… to be updated when we know who it is.

Conclavian blogging – the Holy Spirit edition

If you think that I am being a little irreverent here, perhaps I am. I did post that YMCA video of Cardinal Tagle yesterday. It was fun – and it was not making fun of, that I can promise you. The temptation to post Papal peeps is strong, but alas, I shall only link.

So,what then is so serious and for real here today? I have started off shakily for some, I’m sure. Here’s the thing… Mock me if you wish, but it is the truth. I truly believe in the Holy Spirit’s presence and power at the conclave. Well, the Holy Spirit everywhere!

Conclavian blogging – The I know that song edition

The world, which often seems to revile the Roman Catholic Church, is oddly (in my opinion) focused on the conclave. That brings up all sorts of questions, none of which will be addressed here today.

I decided to do some of what I call “conclavian blogging,” although I have no official information to share with anyone.

We Catholics do know how to have more fun than you might think. Today, a very funny, but also strangely wonderful video crossed my path. One of my “favorite” papabili is Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, known as Chito Tagle, of the Philippines. He is young, very humble (rides  a bike, lives simply) and has a good record on the “challenging matters,” (ahem-clears throat), and has been a great student of Vatican II. (I do not see the world divided into some pre-and-post-Vatican-II battle for good or evil, by the way. But again, that’s another blog post.)

So I like Tagle a lot. He is 55, just like me. Am I old enough to have a pope my age? *sigh* Imagine my generational surprise when I saw this, which you may have seen, but I am showing it anyway.  And by the way, he is young, he studied the Council, but make no mistake – none of the contenders are likely to make big changes. That does not stop me from asking Bl. Pope John XXIII to intercede with the Holy Spirit on this matter. I do like to remember that there is no accounting for the Holy Spirit.

Try getting that song out of your head after you watch! And while you’re at it, go to Pope Alarm to sign up to get the sign that we “habemus papam“!

Enjoy the video of Cardinal Tagle… and stay tuned!