Fighting Mediocrity: Keeping the Soul Awake

In my personal reflections you may begin to piece together a theme. I will go ahead and reveal the theme; anxiety. I leave it up to you to confirm this theme. I am anxious to enter seminary and begin formation. I am anxious to go out into the diocese and shepherd souls (under the diocese's Shepherd the Bishop of course). I am anxious to get my life moving, yet I find myself stuck in this waiting period.

You may have read the introductory paragraph and thought, "He is quite awake." And if you have interacted with me in person, you may have thought, "He is filled with energy." Those two observances are correct; I am very energetic and excitable. However, I am talking about what is deep within every person; the soul. How we are in front of others may be completely different than what our soul is actually feeling. 2015 turned out to be very difficult for me after the Bishop said I am to wait until my military obligation is complete. Initially I said I was at peace with it, but this peace was manufactured by me so it wouldn't last long. It didn't. I entered a place close to depression. I simply sulked spiritually and my soul almost fell asleep.

As I was reading "Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week" by Pope Benedict XVI, I came across a condition of the soul that absolutely struck me. He discusses how the drowsiness of the disciples opens up possibilities for Satan (p. 153). What he says next is, what I believe to be, a nice affirmation of what I believe to be true about sin and righteousness. Of course Pope Benedict articulates it much more beautifully than I, "Such drowsiness deadens the soul, so that it remains undisturbed by the power of the Evil One at work in the world and by all the injustices and suffering ravaging the earth." (ibid). Sin and righteousness are opposing forces, always. The Church has discussed this in a more detailed format using vices and virtues, which are essentially a break down of the battle between the two.

Pope Benedict goes on to say, "In its state of numbness [when sin is beating righteousness], the soul prefers not to see all this [truly see evil for what it is]; it is easily persuaded that things cannot be so bad, so as to continue in the self-satisfaction of its own comfortable existence." (ibid, injects added). This is a profound reflection on the state of a drowsy soul! When we are spiritually tired, we become complacent. We turn inward and then seek to satisfy what we believe we need, which at this point is disordered (disordered, because God calls us to turn outward toward creation). When we turn inward, we go down a very slippery slope. It is as if we walk on ice. We have control at first, but we can begin to become too comfortable with our ability to walk on ice that we eventually slip and fall. Down we go!

I think it can be said of the rise of the secular society that it has slipped and is now sliding down the slope. At first society wrestled with the New Age thoughts and ideas, but it eventually became tired of seeing the evil in the world, and began turning inward. When turning inward, it embraced self satisfaction at all costs. We can now look at society and firmly say its motto is "It's all about me". We see this in business, marriage, relationships with peers, education, politics, etc. What is ironic is that society tells itself that all of this is for the greater good of society. I think we need not continue discussing the state of society in this article, but I do believe it is good to note when performing a self reflection of our soul.

After almost a year of struggle, I find myself beginning to accept where God wants me. God's peace is beginning to fill me versus me attempting to build peace. He has filled my life with people seeking closeness with the Lord. One of my faithful Catholic friends has challenged me to make 2016 not a year of mediocrity. So far 2016 has been an amazing year and I look forward to making the rest of it. The high point of the year will certainly be my trip to Europe where I will visit family in Nuremberg, Germany, go on a short pilgrimage to Rome, and see a friend in London. I am considering adding a trip to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp to get face to face with the evil that plagues the world. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to make this journey.

Do not let mediocrity grip your soul! You risk putting your soul to sleep. As Pope Benedict showed us, a drowsy soul is one that permits evil to take hold more and more. I believe the first step in fighting mediocrity sounds overly simple, but it is effective; prayer. Prayer is the foundation of a healthy spiritual life. I will discuss the beauty of prayer and my struggles to build a solid foundation of prayer in a future article. Pax.

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Sources:
1. Pope Benedict XVI Jesus of Nazareth: Part Two: Holy Week From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection. San Fransisco: Ignatius Press, 2011.

Morality In the Workplace And In The World

In today's secular society Catholic morality and modern societies are coming coming into conflict more and more. This increasing conflict has moved into the workplace of many people across America and in the world. In this article I will provide some catechetical back ground on our duties as citizens and followers of Christ, as well as tips to live life at work in accord with Church teaching. I pray that you'll be able to use this article to help you at work and in the world.


So, what does the catechism say? 
1900: in the CCC: "The duty of obedience requires all to give due honor to authority and to treat those who are charged to exercise it with respect, and, insofar as it is deserved, with gratitude and good-will."

1903: "Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned and if it employs morally licit means to attain it. If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order, such arrangements would not be binding in conscience."

2242: "The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel. Refusing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political community. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 'We must obey God rather than men'"

This applies to the workplace as well. God comes first. Morality belongs to God, and therefore when an earthly institution acts counter to morality we are no longer obliged to follow the earthly institution's directive.


What to do at work
I work in retail, which is challenging enough as it is, when sales are a priority over the employees (that's another article). On top of that working at a place where Church teaching is often confronted can have its challenges. To give you an idea of what I am trying to convey I will be using my place of employment as an example, while not disclosing which company I work for. I work at a modern day drug store that is a part of a national chain of drug stores. At this drug store I find myself entering into moral conflict quite often. Conflicts include theft, extreme couponing,  contraceptives, etc. When I first started working for this company I looked into its policies. What are its coupon policies, Plan B policy, theft policies, etc. I was pleased to learn that the company decided to protect my religious freedoms. 

Tip #1: Look at the policies. Every company has a number of work policies that govern it like our government has laws that govern the nation. Getting to know the policies is the best way to prepare for moral decision making. For example, my company allows me to not sell Plan B or other contraceptives due to my firmly held religious beliefs. According to the policy, I am to walk the customer to someone who will sell it.

Tip #2: Discuss policies with your colleagues. The best way to avoid awkward situations and customer frustrations is to know who specific policies also apply to. For example, I have shared the Plan B policy with my coworkers and know who also objects to its sale. This allows me and my colleagues to quickly and easily avoid confrontation when someone wishes to purchase Plan B.

Tip #3: Present any points of confusion to a spiritual director or a priest. Sometimes there are instances when our participation is not necessarily sinful. There are certain contraceptive medications that are prescribed for medical reasons. It is certainly not my job to identify the specific reason someone is taking a certain contraceptive medication that has other medicinal purposes. So, when I am helping in the pharmacy I needn't concern myself with that a person is using a certain pill for and can in good conscience fill their medication. One should use common sense to figure out which contraceptive medications or devices have the singular purpose of being a contraceptive (condoms were created to be used as a contraceptive so I do not sell them). Spiritual direction and confession have helped come to this conclusion.

What to do as a citizen
Tip #1: Look at the laws. Get to know laws that have a negative impact on living as a Catholic, such as the HHS mandate. Many Church organizations have not complied with this mandate due to its violation of God's Law.

Tip #2: Discuss the laws with others. Fellowship is huge in Christian living. Discusses certain laws with good Catholic friends can bring you to a greater understanding of the laws and of Church teaching.

Tip #3: Vote. Involvement in society is certainly good. If we want a society that is in line with Church teaching, then we should work to put in place a government that will work toward this. Knowing where candidates stand on important issues (life, marriage, religious freedom, social justice, etc.) is very important. We should enter the voting both after having done some research.


While the world and the Church are growing farther apart (it shouldn't be a huge shock), we can still be assured of God's superiority over what is happening today. We can remain confident that we can still live Catholic lives even if it is painful at times. At this time I feel that it is good to remind myself and the reader that we should pray for the persecuted in other parts of the world that can live a Catholic life, but at the cost of their livelihoods or even their lives all together. Credo Domine. 



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Pope Benedict XVI on emergency contraception

Catechism Wednesday: Sin and the Last Things

Below is the outline of my lesson. Certainly my weakest, but I think it's important to reflect on during Lent, so I figured I'd share. Pax.

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Catholic Uniqueness: Catholicism is Weird

"It's weird being Catholic. It really is." Jimmy Kimmel is on to something here. When we compare Catholic practices and teachings to our surroundings in the post modern society they are becoming more and more different. Especially when looking at Catholicism without any context or knowledge of it, does it come across as some strange cult. We go to Mass on Sunday to consume the body and blood of a man that was killed almost 2000 years ago. We don't eat meat on Fridays. The Catholic Church preaches no sex before marriage. Catholics get ash on their foreheads on a random Wednesday known as Ash Wednesday in late winter. There is no meat on Fridays in lent. Catholics have to confess their darkest of secrets to a man in a dress (as George and Jimmy call liturgical attire), and so on.

As you read the introduction you probably concurred with my analysis of society's ignorant view of Catholicism; and it certainly doesn't help when Catholics or former Catholics contribute to the ignorance. What is becoming more and more difficult is being comfortable with being Catholic. What I mean by this is being comfortable with embracing the fact that we are called to be different or "weird". The name of this blog is actually based on the reality that being Catholic is to be set apart for the rest of the world. We are to be in the world and not of the world.

1 John 2:15-16 states, "Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but from this world." The author in 1 John makes a clear distinction. James in James 4:4 is a bit more aggressive, "Adulterers! Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God." This distinction is found else where in Sacred Scripture. I think it is good to reflect on the words of Christ Himself in John 15: 18-21, "18 If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."

I like to believe that the Jubilee Year of Mercy is a year where we approach others with verse 21 serving as a lens of sorts. The New Evangelization has taken a look at how the Church as a whole communicates with the world. If we seek to evangelize using only James 4:4 we are doing the Lord no service. James 4:4 was written to an audience that knew either Church teaching or Jewish teachings. In our post modern world the general audience knows neither, and therefore James 4:4 will only alienate the world more than it already is. Meeting someone where they are, "because they do not know the one who sent [Jesus]", is the loving approach needed to properly evangelize.

In seeking to evangelize properly, however, a few things have happened in recent history that have hurt our efforts to engage the world no matter the good intentions behind them. This leads me to discuss the three liturgical corrections that need to be made as written in the article, Three Liturgical Changes We Need Now, found in Crisis Magazine. In short the three corrections are; moving the tabernacle back to the center, celebrating Mass Ad Orientem (facing "east"), and restoring the reception of the Eucharist on the tongue.

Full disclosure, I agree with all three corrections proposed in the article. The first correction has a very literal and direct purpose; to put Christ back in the center of the church. Sure during the Liturgy of the Eucharist Christ certainly is the center of the Mass, but in many places (including our Cathedral in Cleveland) outside of Mass Christ is literally off to the side. If we truly believe in the True Presence, then should Christ not be the center piece of the church? The center where our body is naturally positioned and our eyes focused? I think the article puts it perfectly when it states, "Mysteriously, the Presence is offered to the glance; the person, whether stranger, or child, or wanderer, apprehends holiness. Many have been converted by this Presence alone. Seeking shelter in a place he vaguely perceives as other, as set apart, the pilgrim finds what he didn’t know he was looking for."

The second correction is one that before Vatican II literally set us apart from the rest of Western Christianity. Before Vatican II the Church (for starters celebrated in Latin) celebrated Mass with the Priest joining the faithful in facing Ad Orientem (toward the east). In the spirit of Vatican II, through which sadly many things are permitted, the Novus Ordo is celebrated with the priest versus populum (facing the faithful) as in Protestant churches. In my opinion and the opinion shared by the author of the article is that facing Ad Orientem places the focus in the proper place; toward God. It is easy for humans to get into what the priest is doing, how he is doing, and the other human mannerism. This takes away from the true purpose of the Mass, which is to praise and worship God for revealing Himself to us. To which, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says, "Only for this reason [God's revelation to us] do we know him; only for this reason can we confidently pray to him everywhere. And precisely for this reason is it appropriate, now as in the past, that we should express in Christian prayer our turning to God who has revealed himself to us." (The Spirit of the Liturgy, p. 75-76). Benedict XVI ultimately resolves the issue stating, "Where a direct common turning the east is not possible, the cross can serve as the interior "east" of faith. It should stand in the middle of the altar and be the common point of focus for both priest and prayer community." He goes on to say, "This mistake should be corrected as quickly as possible; it can be done without further rebuilding. The Lord is the point of reference." (p. 84).

The third correction is one that will take humility. I have come to the point in my personal piety that I feel it absolutely necessary to kneel and receive the Blessed Sacrament on my tongue. I firmly believe in the true presence of Christ, and therefore concluded that, "Who am I to stand before the presence of God?" Every knee shall bend before the Lord and mine are included. Kneeling and receiving on the tongue are physical ways that we can remind ourselves of the Sacredness of the Holy Eucharist. It helps in feeling how holy this Sacrament truly is. I like how the article ends this point, "Once communion on the tongue is restored, we’ll find that it’s more practical to distribute it if the people kneel. Soon, we’ll rediscover the efficiency of the communion rail. We will better understand the priest’s irreplaceability. We’ll find that we are fostering the priest’s fatherly, pastoral intimacy with his flock as he feeds them."

Catholicism is supposed to be weird in the eyes of the world! A good and faithful Catholic will embrace the uniqueness of our Faith. We are set apart from the world through Christ who came to save us from the trappings of it. It is very dangerous to seek normalcy with the world or to make Catholicism less weird. We are supposed to be unique, because Christ is unique. Ultimately what we do is for Christ and through Christ. So I challenge you to find ways to embrace the uniqueness of Catholicism. Credo Domine.

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Resources:
1. The Catholic Bible (New American Revised Edition), Oxford University Press.
2. "The Spirit of the Liturgy" by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Ignatius Press.
3. "Three Liturgical Changes We Need Now" by Leila Marie Lawler, crisismagazine.com.

Wednesday Catechesis: What Jesus Said

Just a quick post today. Below you will find my lesson outline for RCIA regarding what Jesus said. The underlined verses are ones we actually discussed, while the others are for reference. The lesson was well received. Hopefully you received it well also. Pax.

Discernment and Weddings

     Weddings are beautiful. Most people I speak to enjoy going to weddings and witnessing a couple full of love enter into the Sacrament of Marriage. However, weddings can also be a source of confusion to a man discerning his vocation. From the question of bringing a date to ultimately questioning his vocation, a wedding can be the source of inner turmoil if a man is not grounded.
   
     Let's dive into the first question. Should a man discerning the priesthood bring a date to a wedding? To answer this question we have to establish some basic ground rules. First, to discern properly one has to be free to discern. Dating can infringe on discernment, especially later on when seminary is looking more like a realistic step toward the priesthood. So, the answer to the question is, "it depends". Is the woman you are taking someone you could see things moving along with? Or is this simply a friend you wish the share the occasion with? If you are vulnerable to confusion, even simply taking a friend could infringe on your freedom to discern. This introduces the second rule; know thyself. A person discerning the priesthood will eventually realize that they to have built a great sense of self. This is very important, because discerning the priesthood involves seeking out God, and realizing God given gifts. Knowing yourself involves knowing what whether you are in a state of consolation or desolation (I will list resources below). If you are in a state of desolation and seem far away from God while discerning the priesthood, I would advise not bringing a date to a wedding you are attending. A spiritual director is a great person to help you answer these questions.
   
     Weddings are a good place to discern, because you are in a grace filled environment (the mass). Mass is a great place to discern. I like to utilize the sacraments (and sacramentals) to aid in my discernment. What I like to do at weddings is try to picture myself as one of the players in the ceremony. It is important to note that I do not attempt to force myself on a particular player. I ask God to open my heart and mind to enable myself to reflect on being either the groom or the priest. After the wedding and the reception are over I like to enter into a time of reflection. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my reflections on who I was. Personally, I have established a pattern of being the priest who helps the couple enter into the Marriage Sacrament. I reflect on preparing the couple, engaging with them on the teachings regarding marriage, ultimately serving as the official witness of the Church, and of course presiding over the celebration of the Mass.

   
     Being Catholic in the world doesn't mean simply attending Mass and fellowship groups (which should be done!), it also involves using experiences to build ourselves spiritually. We can use many different experiences to build our relationship with God, His Church, and the word. In this case we can even use wedding ceremonies to help us discern a particular vocation. It is also important to take thoughts and feelings and dig deeper. Below you will find some resources that have helped me along the way. Pax.

Resources:
1. "Discerning the Will of God" by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV
2. "The Discernment of Spirits" by Fr. Timothy Gallagher, OMV
3. "To Save a Thousand Souls" by Fr. Brett A. Brannen


   

A Reflection on Jesus Cleaning House... His House.

Today's Gospel reading comes from the Gospel of St. Luke chapter 19. Glory to you, O Lord.

"Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, 'It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.' And every day he was teaching in the temple area. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile, were seeking to put him to death, but they could find no way to accomplish their purpose because all the people were hanging on his words."

The temple is the central place for the Jewish worship of God. It had a place of prominence in the city of Jerusalem. It was the place where God touched Earth, the Holy of Holies. So what does God find in this place of worship? Christ finds disorder and chaos. He finds a place that is more conducive to human wants and greed than to the worship of the Almighty God. So what does Jesus do? He cleans house. His house.

What is the significance of Jesus cleaning His house? First, it is frees it from the distracting chaos. It reestablishes a place of peace and order. Second, it allows us to truly be free to worship God. By casting out the distracting chaos, the unfair merchants, the junk we don't necessarily need, we can experience God fully. While God is bigger than the biggest spectacle, He presents himself to us in profound silence. Cleansing the temple allows us to see the true purpose of the temple, God.

So let's expand on this then. We hear often that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. This is certainly true since we have a soul, and God seeks union with us. As Jesus cleansed His house, allowing for us to freely experience God, we too must cleanse our temple. By allowing Christ to enter our hearts, we too can clean house. When our souls are clean, we are free to experience God more fully. We are more in tune to God's call for us.

The Church is to be the road to Heaven. Christ founded the Church to lead people to God. There is more to it though. While the road is neatly paved and maintained, it does no good if the car driving on it is not in good condition. The Church is our path to Heaven to meet our Maker. To travel on this path requires us to be in good condition also. Praise be to God that He is seeking to keep us in good condition. He is seeking to clean His temple, His rightful place in our hearts. Amen. Credo Domine.