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The Wisdom of Opposites
It seems to me that there is a lot of wisdom in opposites. As we have always heard, opposites attract. Why? We don’t know but it often seems to be true!
I am always fascinated by the famous passage from St. Paul in the Christian scriptures when he says paradoxically, “for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:10)” He seems to be saying that when we allow God to lead us, only then can we get in touch with the strength that only faith can give us. Similarly the Psalmist says: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Ps 73:26)”Many years ago I remember participating in a class about Carl Jung’s psychology. I remember reading that he speaks about persons being able to delve into the “dark (or hidden) side” of their life in order to uncover their weakness or lack and thereby bring it to light, allowing it to become their strength. In other words, in our faults we can discover our virtues; in our weakness we can find our strength.
The American contemporary author, Jodi Picoult writes in her book, The Tenth Circle, “You couldn't have strength without weakness, you couldn't have light without dark, you couldn't have love without loss.” She seems to be saying that in our ordinary daily living, risk-taking is necessary in order to grow and be happy. The good – perhaps in a relationship or event – can even contain some challenging aspects as well.
The New Evangelization and Us
Have you ever asked, “How do I get there from here?” Modern technology would tell you to use a global positioning system (GPS). I confess taking the technological plunge and acquiring a GPS. For someone directionally challenged, a GPS offers great guidance. Occasionally the GPS knows my location better than I do. When given a desired destination, the GPS plots a course and with words and signs tells me how to get there.For contemporary Catholics, the New Evangelization operates like a GPS. Building on a long tradition of evangelization where the Church introduces and proclaims Christ to those who do not know him, the New Evangelization instead addresses baptized Catholics who are absent, inactive, or alienated.
Thanksgiving Video
{vtubes}3,475,270{/vtubes}Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart
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| Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835–1910), American author and humorist |
I remember my father reading that quote on the wall in the downstairs bookstore of the Twain Mansion. He smiled and laughed and then looked at me, a mere boy in my mid-teens. Fortunately I laughed too, but afterwards I did wonder how much I would know when I finally reached the age of twenty-one.
As a person who went through twenty years of schooling, even my overhearing the word “exams”, my heart stars pumping more rapidly until I remember that I’m not in school any more. Or am I?
With my advanced years, I now have the luxury to read a book — even if I don’t have to. Don’t get me wrong, I love to read but my many years of “forced reading” for courses has not left me unscarred. Upon completing my formal schooling, I have taught religion to children of all ages, worked in Youth and Adult Retreats and given more homilies than I can remember. But the true miracle is that I still enjoy reading and learning. I think that I will eventually “know what I don’t know” — which is, in my mind, true knowledge.
Enthusiasm for Evangelization
Even in contemporary writing, it is generally true that the beginning and the end of a piece are points of great prominence. An author starts or concludes with the ideas he or she wants above all to communicate and emphasize. By that norm then, one must understand that Matthew made much of the missionary mandate Jesus gave to his disciples just before his Ascension. Matthew reports this at the very end of the Gospel. In the command of Jesus, as found in Matthew, one notes a glide from past to present to future: “All authority has been given” (past), “go therefore” (present), “make disciples of all nations” (future). We are confronted here with no less than the foundation of the Church by the risen Jesus. This mission to all nations rescinds the circumscribed mission to Israel. Earlier Jesus had directed them, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town” (Mt 10:5). The disciples are to extend the teaching ministry of Jesus.
This is a formidable task. That is why Jesus says by way of encouragement: “I am with you.” Jesus is Emmanuel (God with us) — a fact that is brought to our attention at the very beginning of this Gospel (Mt 1:23). The risen Christ is present continually with his disciples as they undertake to carry out his command. The Gospel sounds the very same note at its conclusion: “I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Mt 28: 20)” This is a guarantee deeply needed by disciples who had so shamefully abandoned Jesus at the time of his Passion. The risen Christ is present continually with his disciples as they undertake to carry out his command.
50th of Opening of Vatican II
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| Nov. 19, 1958 edition of LIFE Magazine |
When we found a picture of this older, stocky man, we laughed. He looked like a benevolent uncle, far different from Pope Pius XII, the thin erect and stately man. When we read that he was 77 years of age, we also read that he would therefore probably be a “caretaker pope”, one who would last for a short time, presumably adding little to the history of the Catholic Church. Little did we know how wrong this assessment was!
With his pronouncement, calling for the historic Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church would have challenging and gifted times ahead.
Three Historic Paradigm Shifts for the Church
Just twenty years later, Fr. Karl Rahner (1904-1984), a German Jesuit and theologian one of the most influential and respected Roman Catholic theologians of the 20th century, listed three historical paradigm shifts (substantial changes) in the history of the Church’s self-understanding.
It’s Better to Let God be God
When we are born, psychologists say that we see our parents as God, or someone like them. Eventually as we grow up — especially during our teenage years — we begin to see that God is not our parents. We’re able to distinguish between our parents and God-who-is-our-Creator.
After that, one goal on the “to do list” of our life is to find out, figure out, experience who God is for us. The problem is that many people try to make God into what they want God to be — one who does their bidding. “Please get me a good job, a good spouse, a winning lottery ticket, a Red Sox season ticket.” God can be that but God is much more!Our life gives us the opportunity to discover who we are at the same as we discover who God is for us. In some social circles, people look for a “life coach” or maybe a therapist – someone who can listen to us and guide us. In Christian circles, this person is known as a spiritual director.
That person is not meant to be a friend but rather one who helps us listen to God. In fact God is not to be discovered as we would discover an island or find a lost object. We discover God by noticing that God is already present to us in the ebb and flow of our daily life.
At the time when we first fall in love, we begin to realize that life can look differently. Many parents say that when they have their first child, everything changes. They see themselves and their lives quite differently. In my experience as a Catholic priest, I have found that new parents have often expressed to me that they are coming back to active faith because they now have someone else (their child) who will depend on them for those important qualities of faith, love and forgiveness. They feel responsible for their child, as they should.
Are You a 3G Catholic?
Today we live in a society that is hooked on high-speed information technology. We get so excited about the amount of bandwidth our cell phone has and how fast we can get our e-mail. My iPhone is a 3GS, and now it is a dinosaur next to the new 4G. Yet, in our efforts to evangelize a greatly secularized and paganized culture, are we as quick to get out the Good News of Jesus Christ and his saving message? Are we, in other words, “3G Catholics”? I propose that, to get the Gospel message out to a culture that has eclipsed Jesus out of its vision, we need to:
•Get off the couch and bring souls to Christ
•Get reconnected to the mission for all the baptized to spread the Gospel, no matter what our age
•Get over ourselves; it is all about God’s grace.
The Power of Words
Hope Springs Eternal
Several years ago, at the birth of my darling cousin, I found a wonderful famed saying for the occasion, “The birth of a child is a sign that God has hope for us yet.” When we see all the challenges were are dealing with in our own lives and in our world, we can be tempted to lose hope. When the dark months of our New England winter have now yet grown into the crisp air and bright sunshine of springtime, we can feel down. But with the noted poet, Alexander Pope, we can still agree that: “Hope springs eternal in the human breast…”
Just look at the uprisings in the Arab world – they are signs to us that, despite decades of oppression, the yearning for true freedom still beats in our heart of hearts. Through the triple disasters still being borne by the people of Japan, they are deeply shocked and saddened, and they certainly need our help. But from their cultural determination, they will eventually put one foot in front of the other and almost stoically move on in hope. In times of personal challenges, we too can choose to see either an insurmountable problem or a challenging opportunity.
I’m sure many of us can readily recount a situation within the lives of our family or friends where they displayed strong determination and a hope-filled perseverance despite considerable odds.