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Have you ever heard of the todah? No? Neither had I until last night! I was reading “Graced and Gifted: Biblical Wisdom for the Homemakers Heart” by Kimberly Hahn, and while discussing the importance and significance of the Eucharist in family life, she explained the todah.

I did a little more research on the internet today and…check this out!

“A todah sacrifice would be offered by someone whose life had been delivered from great peril, such as disease or the sword. The redeemed person would show his gratitude to God by gathering his closest friends and family for a todah sacrificial meal. The lamb would be sacrificed in the Temple and the bread for the meal would be consecrated the moment the lamb was sacrificed. The bread and meat, along with wine, would constitute the elements of the sacred todah meal, which would be accompanied by prayers and songs of thanksgiving, such as Psalm 116.”
(from Catholic Education Resource Center)

Does that sound like the Eucharist or what?! The article goes on to explain the todah, the Eucharist, and The Last Supper Passover meal, and is definitely worth a read.

So this Holy Thursday or Easter Sunday when your non-Catholic friends or Catholic friends who haven’t been to church in a while ask, “Why do you do all that stuff? What does it mean?” teach them about the todah!

USCCB NATIONWIDE BULLETIN

As long-time advocates of health care reform, the U.S. Catholic bishops continue to make the moral case that genuine health care reform must protect the life, dignity, consciences and health of all, especially the poor and vulnerable. Health care reform should provide access to affordable and quality health care for all, and not advance a pro-abortion agenda in our country. Genuine health care reform is being blocked by those who insist on reversing widely supported policies against federal funding of abortion and plans which include abortion, not by those working simply to preserve these longstanding protections. 

On November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed major health care reform that reaffirms the essential, longstanding and widely supported policy against using federal funds for elective abortions and includes positive measures on affordability and immigrants.

On December 24, the U.S. Senate rejected this policy and passed health care reform that requires federal funds to help subsidize and promote health plans that cover elective abortions. All purchasers of such plans will be required to pay for other people’s abortions through a separate payment solely to pay for abortion. And the affordability credits for very low income families purchasing private plans in a Health Insurance Exchange are inadequate and would leave families financially vulnerable.

Outside the abortion context, neither bill has adequate conscience protection for health care providers, plans or employers.

Congressional leaders are now trying to figure out how the rules of the House and Senate could allow the final passage of a modified bill that would satisfy disagreements between House and Senate versions.

TAKE ACTION: TODAY!   Contact your Senator or Representative. Find their contact info at these sites

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW_by_State.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm 

SEND THIS MESSAGE – HOUSE”

“I am pleased that the House health care bill maintains the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion. On the other hand, the provisions on abortion funding in the current un-amended Senate health care bill are seriously deficient and unacceptable. I urge you to work to uphold essential provisions against abortion funding, to include full conscience protection and to ensure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. I urge you to oppose any bill unless and until these criteria are met”

SEND THIS MESSAGE – SENATE

I am deeply disappointed that the current un-amended Senate health care bill fails to maintain the longstanding policy against federal funding of abortion and does not include adequate protection for conscience. I urge you to support essential provisions against abortion funding, similar to those in the House bill. Include full conscience protection and ensure that health care is accessible and affordable for all. I urge you to oppose any bill unless and until these criteria are met.”

Last evening, the Office of Young Adult Ministry hosted Conversations. Unlike Theology on Tap, which invites a guest lecturer to speak on some matter of faith, Conversations is an evening of Q&A with two expert panelists where we discuss some practical yet controversial aspect of living a moral life.

“[Young adults] said that they need a forum not only where misgivings and doubts can be expressed but also where the teachings of the Church can be clearly articulated in response…much of what young adults feel regarding the institutional Church arises from a misunderstanding of what the Church actually teaches.”
-Sons and Daughters of the Light, USCCB

The topic being discussed last night was “Is the Catholic Church out of date when it comes to same-sex attraction and same-sex marriage?” and there are certainly lots of misgivings and doubts among the faithful on this topic. Some people came to Conversations because they knew someone with same-sex attraction, and some came because they had questions about the Archdiocese’s response to the DC government’s law recognizing same-sex “marriage”. (See last month’s blogs for more on this.)

Our two panelists were David Morrison, former gay activist and author of Beyond Gay, and Peter Murphy, Director of Family Life for the Archdiocese of Washington. David was able to speak from his experience as a Catholic convert with same-sex attraction, and Peter reinforced the teachings of the Church on chastity and marriage.

In order to keep the conversation as open, honest, and comfortable, we did not record the evening. However, I want to share an interview called “The Homosexual Reality” with Melinda Selmys (self-described as a former secular lesbian) and Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons (a psychologist who has counseled many people with same-sex attraction). The interview hits on many of the same themes that were discussed at Conversations.

http://www.lhla.org/tv-shows/14476-the-homosexual-reality.html

For more information on upcoming Conversations, email [email protected].

I was away over the weekend and when I returned home last night I was delighted to see that my garden is filled with lots of bright green shoots. Even under the dead brush, there are signs of new life.

A Lenten metaphor

I think the present state of my garden serves as a metaphor for Lent. We are just past the half-way point of Lent and our penance and practice should begin to bear fruit in daily living. For many of us, we made a decision to do some pruning of actions and habits that are not expressive of who we are as disciples of the Lord and of who we want to be.  The disciplines we adopted this Lent–more prayer,  fasting and abstinence, a more generous spirit ought to be revealing some shoots in an outward and visible way.  Can you see where the practices have taken root and the shoots are becoming visible?

Where the real fruit is found

Those of us who are experts at Lent know that any change that happens will become permanent only if we continue to keep the disciplines that we practiced in Lent in place after Lent and beyond. I was reminded of this over the weekend at  Mass with Sean Cardinal O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston.  I had the privilege of presenting two workshops at the Diocese of Providence Annual  Catechetical Day. More than 1200 catechists and parish ministers gathered for Mass and workshops. It was a terrific conference. During his homily Cardinal O’Malley preached on the relationship of prayer and work and quoted this very famous teaching of Mother Teresa:

The fruit of silence is prayer
the fruit of prayer is faith
the fruit of faith is love
the fruit of love is service
the fruit of service is peace.  

I think that the shoots we should be seeing in the garden of our souls are indeed silence, prayer, faith, love and service.  So, how does your garden grow?

This Saturday, the Office of Young Adult Ministry is hosting our Argentina Missionary Reunion and Information Session. 

Young adults who are interested in going on our mission trip in December will have the chance to meet and hear stories from the young adult missionaries of 2008 and 2009! The afternoon will including Mass, a potluck lunch, reflections on the mission work of the Church, testimonies from missionaries, and photo-sharing.

I want to share with you the reflections of Michael Paris, a seminarian that went on mission in 2009.

One of the things that struck me the most was seeing the great healing power of family. We hear that whatever happens to you in childhood sets you for life, that you can be permanently messed up based on your early experiences. Yet in these homes [for foster children] they live as true families, with the priests, sisters and volunteers as fathers and mothers. Many of the residents have had the most terrible things happen to them as little children. Yet with the love of God, the fathers, the sisters and the other residents they can find healing and strength. The faith is passed down and many of these people experience genuine happiness and go on to live good lives. Some even embrace the priesthood and religious life. Love and relationships can heal even the most deep seated wounds.

For more information about this Saturday’s event and our mission trip in December, please email [email protected]. All are welcome!

I’ve been thinking about friendship a lot recently, both same sex and opposite sex.  In the past, I’ve shared blogs on What is Christian Friendship? and Having a Diversity of Friendships. But when I wrote the blog Marriage and Womanhood, one of the “rules” that people had a hard time agreeing with was #3 “Do not have an intimate friendship with a man who is not dating you.”

A few weeks back, I came across this blog from Damian Wargo of The King’s Men, and I am reprinting it here with permission. It certainly challenges us to look at our opposite sex friendships in light of marriage:

Not too long ago, on a train ride to my hometown of Altoona, PA,  I met a very friendly woman from Texas who was headed on a trip to Pennsylvania’s Amish country about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.

“You know the Amish don’t have Honky Tonk,” I joked.
“But, they may have more trackers than Texas,” she joked right back.

Joking with a talkative stranger is one of the best ways to guarantee a nonstop conversation straight to your given destination. My work was going to have to wait a few hours.

It doesn’t take Texans long to get into deeper conversation. “He was my best friend. We did everything together,” the woman confided in me. Sadly, she had recently lost her husband. He was only 59. She shared with me her heartbreak and deep of loss of her companion for life. They had been an “item” since the 8th grade and were married for nearly four decades. That’s longer than I have been alive, I thought!

We talked for about an hour more about a wide variety of topics until the train pulled up alongside a few horse-and-buggies, a sure sign we were in Amish country.   “My name is Theresa, by the way, but everyone calls me Tessy.” Texas-appropriate, I thought.

Not too long after meeting Tessy, I met another woman, Janet, who was much younger than Tessy and had never been married. But Janet shared something in common with Tessy. Her best friend was also of the opposite sex. His name was Brian. Brian and Janet met in college and had been best friends ever since. They talked about everything under the sun and spent quite a bit of time together. Like a number women I had met, she said she enjoyed being around the guys a lot more than the girls.

On many levels, I can relate to this kind of friendship. Yet, at the same time, something about it just doesn’t seem right.

First, a close opposite sex friendship could be keeping a person from close same sex friendships. Both men and women benefit greatly from strong same sex friendships. For instance, men need other men as a support with common struggles, a firm challenge when necessary, and a summons into the noble battle to protect women and children from the many dangers they face in today’s culture.  Inordinately prioritizing a close friendship with woman, a man may not develop completely into manhood.

Second, a close opposite sex friendship could be keeping a person from pursuing an opposite sex romantic relationship that could eventually lead to marriage. This could be true on a practical and emotional level.

Third, as much as it may be denied, in almost every close opposite sex friendship, one of the parties is romantically interested in the other and wants more. This can lead to lots of frustration.

Finally, how desirous would it be for a spouse to have a best friend of the opposite sex? Can you imagine being out with both men at the same time? “This is my husband, Mike and this is my best friend, Javier.” If one of the parties is in a romantic relationship, a close opposite sex friendship is no longer appropriate.

Of course, there is a period in a romantic relationship prior to the courtship stage when men and women should become close friends. Certainly, this stage of courtship is appropriate, good, and holy.

It’s beautiful that Tessy and her husband  became more than just friends – they were best friends. The life-long companionship she had with her husband is something I long for with my future wife, God-willing!