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This morning on TV there was a commercial for a retirement community out in Virginia. You know, the ones where seniors can be found playing golf, swimming, reading, laughing, etc. in a carefully manicure and controlled environment? Nothing out of the ordinary really…but a sinister thought struck me.

Has anyone read C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters?

Ever since reading that book and seeing the play two years ago, I look at the world differently…as a place where a spiritual battle is truly being fought.

What does this have to do with retirement communities? Well, let me give the genre a crack.

Dear Wormwood,

With age comes wisdom. All humans know that. Life experience is often the best teacher, and every year a human lives, he or she gets wiser. They can’t help themselves; it’s just written in their souls. Through every relationship, hardship, success, experience of death, experience of new life, they see clearer glimpses the one who calls himself love. Ugh! Unfortunately, we can’t stop this revelation, but we can certainly try! Wise, old people are our worst enemy, especially if they are happy!

Our goal is to do everything in our power to keep these wise, old, happy from sharing their wisdom with anyone, especially children! So, what can we do? Seclude them of course! Get them far away from their families and neighborhoods.

It’s particularly helpful if these retirement communities are smelly or dimly lit or unattractive in any way. That way children will not want to go talk to the old people, even if they are family. Consequently, they won’t receive any of the wisdom these happy, old people have to offer.

Now, a word of caution. We must be vigilant about young people who work at these retirement communities, school groups who volunteer there, and families who for some reason force their children to visit their grandparents. Do everything you can to distract them, confuse them, interrupt them, etc. All conversations, story-telling, and letter-writing must be blocked.

Silence and seclusion. That is the key.         

Signed,
Screwtape

Today is the feast of St. Matthias, who was elected to replace Judas as one of the Apostles. In his homily for the feast, Archbishop Wuerl pointed out that before Matthias became an apostle he was a disciple and so all of us have that in common with him. If we are disciples than we are people with a mission and all of us share the same mission–to bear Christ to the world. What makes discipleship so beautiful is that all of us do that in quite different and unique ways.

Sharing in the teaching ministry of Christ

A few months back I wrote about nominations for the Golden Apple Award which recognizes excellence among Catholic School teachers. Last night I was able to join the celebration of the ten educators who received 2010 Golden Apples.  Each of the recipients are pretty impressive, from the  twenty-two year veteran in the kindergarten classroom to the former volunteer with Blessed Theresa and the Missionary of Charities who now teaches Catholic social teaching at Archbishop Carroll High School. All of the winners spoke of their job as a vocation and Archbishop Wuerl commented on a second common characteristic–they all share in the teaching ministry of Christ.

Chipping away until there is nothing but Christ

Archbishop Wuerl told the story of the students of Michelangelo who asked the great master how, when he faced the huge block or marble that became the Pieta,  did he ever imagine the figure of Christ. He is said to have replied, “I chipped away until I had nothing but Christ.”  The Archbishop suggested that the teaching vocation is in part the work of forming disciples by chipping away all that is not Christ.

The universal call to holiness

This “chipping away” is not just the work of teachers, but of all who take seriously the spiritual life. Some of our un-Christ-like attitudes and habits can seem as impenetrable as a piece of marble and yet if we can carry in our minds an image of the Christ who lives within us, we may be more brave about picking up the chisel.  Chipping away also reminds us that the spiritual life is a work in progress, we ought not to rush it by seeking that “big moment of conversion” or become complacent that we have arrived. Imagine if the Pieta was just the figure of our Blessed Mother?

Read more about our Golden Apple winners

 

You know that blog I wrote last month about bikinis? The one that started an in-depth conversation about modesty? No one wants to be a hypocrite…but until last weekend I kind of was. Let me explain.

I was doing some spring cleaning in my closet last weekend and came across a little black dress that I own. I purchased it about a year and a half ago while shopping with a non-Christian friend of mine who convinced me that it looked “hot” and that I should buy it. So I did, though I had never worn it.

Last weekend I tried it on again and stood in front of the mirror. My conversation with myself went something like this:

“Hm, it certainly is fitted. Do I look a hooker? Well, I would never wear it in public. But my future husband might like it! He might…or he might think I look like a hooker. Do I really want to present myself to him like this? I mean, I don’t feel very feminine. In fact, I kind of feel like a hooker. Well, maybe I should give it away to charity. Geez, it was $109! Bummer. Well, at least it’s going to charity. Wait, do I really want someone else to look like a hooker?? Not really. So do I just throw it away? Geez, I’ve never even worn it! But I guess that’s the best thing to do.”

As the pile of black satin sat at the bottom of my trashcan, all I could see was $109 going down the drain.

I called this blog “Spring Cleaning” though “Virtue in Progress” would also have been appropriate. In every season of our life, we are called to reflect on who we are and who we want to be. As Christians, we want to more and more closely resemble Christ. Little by little, we make changes to live a more authentic Christian life.  For me, this has meant fine-tuning the virtue of modesty.

Quitting bad habits that we’ve nurtured for years is tough. Ending destructive relationships that we are so comfortable in is tough. Plugging up the venomous words that come out of our mouth is tough.

What do you have in the “closet” of your life that needs to be thrown out?

Or, what tools do you have in the “toolbox” of your life that don’t work anymore or need their edges sharpened?

“No one pours new wine into old wineskins.” – Mark 2:22

Spring is here so get cleaning, and allow the Risen Christ to draw you to Himself!

 When I first arrived in Rome to do my doctoral studies, I would test how my Italian was coming along by seeing how long it would take me to recognize the Gospel that was being proclaimed at Mass. Because the Scripture is so familiar, even my rudimentary Italian was god enough to help me place the passage. I clearly remember the day the Gospel was the Beatitudes, three or four sentences into that and I was on board!

The practice of Lectio Divina is another way to come to Scripture with fresh eyes and ears. Last week the Gospel was John’s discourse on the vine and the branches and it is one of those passages that makes it so easy to stop listening because we know how it goes. I used this passage in my Lectioand I heard verse 5 in a way I had never heard before. It reads”by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit AND(emphasis mine) become my disciples.”  It implies that discipleship is dependent on bearing fruit or in more contemporary language:discipleship is dependent on doing something by way of building the kingdom of God!

Baptized into the priestly, prophetic and kingly mission

We speak of entering into Jesus’ life though baptism. It is here that we are claimed for Christ and become disciples. Jesus suggestshowever that though the seed of discipleship may have been planted, it needs to bear fruit in order to really claim discipleship. My prayer led me to ask the question where am I bearing the fruit of my discipleship? A second question– given my job as Executive Director of Evangelization and Family Life– is how are the disciples of the Archdiocese of Washington bearing fruit. I saw some evidence this in action in a really powerful way in Prince Georges County.

On a Mission in Prince George’s County

Throughout the archdiocese we have Justice and Advocacy Councils that are made up of  lay Catholics who bring the Gospel to bear on issues affecting the counties in which they live. I was invited to speak at the monthly meeting of the advocacy council that serves Prince Georges County. Fifteen of its members gathered for Mass, working groups and reflection. The working groups are determined by issues the group feels are critical to the county and represent an opportunity to give witness and testimony to the Gospel and the church’s concern for the world.

Pornography, Housing and Domestic Violence

At present the three working groups are addressing issues related to pornography, affordable housing in the Langley Park area and awareness on resources and funding to help victims of domestic violence. I can’t tell you how impressed I was with the commitment, seriousness and breadth of knowledge with which they are working. The group working on pornography is focused on an adult book store that is open 24/7 and certainly not making a positive contribution to community life. The group has coordinated a prayer vigil in front of the store and it is researching commercial codes to see if it may be in violation of local law. At the same time it is building support for federal funding for an Internet safety program for local schools(both public and private). Each of the other groups are also working a number of different angles related to their issues.  I think this is what Jesus has in mind when he speaks about glorifying his Father by bearing fruit and becoming disciples.

Gaudium et Spes

The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World begins “the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the men of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted in any way, are the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the believers of Christ as well.” The Justice and Advocacy Councils make this real. Members of our councils testify locally and in front of the state legislature.  Another action item at the meeting was the preparation of a list of questions for an upcoming candidates forum. The coucnils and with them, the archdiocese carry  alot of weight with local and state officials and leaders, certainly not because they always find themselves on the same side of an  issue but rather that the officials recognize in many cases these lay people are advocating on issues that don’t directly affect them. In many, many cases they are advocating on behalf of people who have no voice.  This is a powerful witness and testimony. Though I was asked to educate, inspire and inform, I think I was the one who left the meeting most inspired. 

Spotlight on the Parish

I have been wanting to start a regular series on parish life and what great work is being done in our parishes and this is the perfect place to start. Please let me know what kinds of things you might like to learn about our parishes and don’t hesitate to send me good ideas and leads.  

Recently, I had invited a friend of mine who had fallen away from the Church to come to Mass. It was probably the first time he had been to Mass in three or four years. After Mass, he said to me, “I probably won’t come back – This did nothing for me.”

I am out of shape – It takes time to get back into shape

As it turns out, this friend and I are training together for a 5K race in July. We have been diligent about keeping a workout schedule and holding each other accountable. When he said that church does nothing from him I helped him to recall the beginning of our training a few weeks prior. I said, “Neither of us had run a yard in 10 years. What if we tried to run 3 miles in 24 minutes, failed miserably and then concluded ‘running does nothing for me?’” Really, if I haven’t run in years, how can I expect to be able to benefit from the sport in the first workout?  Can I run around my neighborhood for five minutes and get on a scale and lament – “I haven’t lost any weight yet!”?

Spiritual Workout

The practice of our faith is a spiritual workout.  If you only go to church on Easter and Christmas, how could you possibly expect to be in good spiritual shape?  If you don’t make prayer a habit, how can you expect to benefit from the exercise?

I have NEVER in my life run a 5K race. I thought it was out of my reach. But, by running only a mile for the first week, then a mile and a quarter the next and so on, I slowly learned that completing a 5K is attainable. On occasion, I dare think that perhaps a marathon is somewhere in my future.

Even a marathon starts with a small step

For those who have fallen away from the Church, I imagining returning to spiritual shape is a similar process. I image that for some, the process of turning one’s life over to Christ is a process that starts with one mile, then a mile and a quarter and so on……

I am still working on my friend. I would love to hear how some of you are working to get some of our brothers and sisters back into spiritual shape.

My sister was telling me that a few weeks ago she was at Mass with her 4 year old, Nora. When they began to sing the Holy, Holy, Holy Nora said “This is my favorite song!”

My sister said, “Why?”

Nora replied, “It about my favorite food! The one that I eat aaaaall up whenever you make it!”

My sister was confused and asked her to clarify.

“Lasagna in the Highest!!”

🙂

What is your favorite [Catholic] kids say the darndest things moment?

I imagine that for parents one of the most difficult teaching moments is helping a young child understand death, particularly the death of someone they love. Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant (if you are of a certain age, you may remember her from her 10,000 Maniacs days) found herself in just this position with her young daughter. Natalie’s closest friend who spent a lot of time with the Merchant family died and in the midst of her own pain she was looking for ways to talk about death with her daughter. She used Spring and Fall, a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins and her music to create a hauntingly beautiful song. Take a listen. *

 Márgarét, are you grieving

Over Goldengrove unleaving?

Leáves like the things of man, you

With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?

Áh! Ás the heart grows older

It will come to such sights colder

By and by, nor spare a sigh

Through worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;

And yet you will weep and know why.

Now no matter, child the name:

Sórrow’s springs áre all the same.

Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed

What heart heard of, ghost guessed:

It ís the blight man was born for,

It is Márgarét your mourn for.

 Priest and Poet

Gerard Manley Hopkins, a 19^th century Welsh poet “discovered” Catholicism through the writings of John Henry Newman and it was Newman who received him into the Church. He then entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained a Jesuit in 1877. Hopkins the priest and poet wrote what some call the best poetry of the Victorian era. Hopkins believed “that the world is charged with the grandeur of God” and has gift for looking at life through the eyes of God.

Merchant has produced an album called Leave Your Sleep that uses children’s poetry to help youngsters make sense of life’s most vexing challenges. In Hopkins’s poem she finds both the right feeling and the right images to guide a child through the loss of someone they love.

The Timelessness of the Catholic Tradition

I don’t know how Natalie found her way to Hopkins or whether she is a person of faith. I do know that the wisdom of the Catholic tradition is a wisdom for the ages. Catholic poetry of the Victorian era can find a home in religious books and in the music of a rocker turned Mom. Stories like this remind me of the evangelizing power of our faith which has always used art, music, poetry and drama as tools for evangelization. We need to take every advantage through preaching, teaching, faith sharing, storytelling, book groups and personal reading to acquaint ourselves with Catholic artists and be proud about pointing out when they or their work comes up in conversation that it is the work of the Catholic mind and spirit.

*(unfortunately, I can’t find a complete copy of the recording on-line.)