On The Way To Church…

Nuns’ Beauty Pageant - What Next?

JGaston August 28th, 2008

According to a report in the news services this week, a priest in Rome, Fr. Antonio Rungi, had planned an online beauty pageant for nuns that he called off. Now there’s one for you! For the story, check here.

Fr. Rungi may be more imaginative than prudent, but the story raises questions about what we believe true beauty really is. Beauty pageants obviously focus on physical beauty. If a person’s beauty is more than “skin deep” — and we believe it is — how do we identify it? How do we judge it? And, then, how would we showcase it in a pageant?

Thinking minds want to know!?!

Pastor Rick Warren: Church vs. State

JGaston August 24th, 2008

We experienced an interesting phenomenon recently when Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren of the Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose-Driven Life, interviewed Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain on prime time television. It has gotten mixed reviews.

Thinking people wonder about these things. One of them is Kathleen Parker who gives her own spin on this in a recent article in the Baltimore Sun. This question is being asked by others as well.

In a country where Church and State are supposedly separated by a “wall of separation” (historically to protect each from the control of the other), what religious figures or groups are entitled to interview political candidates? And whom do they represent? Christian Churches have a wide spectrum of views on many issues. Does one Evangelical pastor speak for the entire Christian Church? I think not.

So how much have we really learned in these interviews? Candidates going before a faith-based audience at Saddleback are smart enough not to say too much lest they offend their listeners whose votes they are seeking. So, what is the point of it all? My gut feeling is that it is more about the interviewer than the interviewees.

What do you think?

Batman 2: God and ‘The Dark Knight’

JGaston August 23rd, 2008

As human beings and, even more so, as people of faith, we are constantly looking for meaning in the events of our lives and the world around us. A fundamental question is the on-going conflict between good and evil and which side will win in the end. Every generation is troubled by this concern and volumes are written about it.

Margaret Stahl (a student at Yale Divinity School) and Daniel Cosacchi (a student at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry) reflect on this issue as they examine God and ‘The Dark Knight’ in the September 1 edition of the magazine America.

I recommend the article because it illustrates a few important things. First, it shows the importance of media literacy and critical thinking about the messages we receive daily in the culture. As students of theology, both authors help us to “connect the dots” and understand our faith in the stories we see and hear. This is an important aspect of faith formation today. We need help in understanding how God’s saving presence continues in the chaos of the world today. Even if we intellectually understand various truths of our faith, we need to develop the skills to see these truths at play in human stories. Everybody loves a good story, they say. But why? Because we’re looking for truths to live by. And why do we go to movies? For the same reason.

Stahl and Cosacchi may not have the last word on God, Batman, and the characters of that film, but they give us a wonderful example of going deeper into the human story to find truth, wisdom and, ultimately, God.

Enjoy the article.

The Canaanite Woman & Faith

JGaston August 18th, 2008

In preparing a homily for this past Sunday, I read an interesting reflection by Fr. Ron Rolheiser entitled In Exile on the Center for Liturgy at St. Louis University website. It is a brief piece on the way we fall into the trap of equating faith with mere pious thoughts or consoling feelings.

Fr. Rolheiser’s example helps to clarify some misconceptions that we can all have. There is a lot of struggle, dryness and confusion along the journey of faith — all of which requiring the grace of persistence and patience. The occasion for his reflection, of course, is Sunday’s gospel of the Canaanite Woman whose persistent faith Jesus seems to only reluctantly acknowledge.

Forgiveness

JGaston August 15th, 2008

The need to forgive and be forgiven is part and parcel of every person’s life. It is an important aspect of our emotional and spiritual lives, for sure. The Summer 2008 issue of Human Development is devoted to the theme of forgiveness and reconciliation. In one article , co-authored by Carroll Juliano, SHCJ, Bishop Gregory Aymond, and Loughlan Sofield, ST, six “MYTHS of Forgiveness” are outlined. They are worth sharing in brief form:

Myth #1. Forgiveness and Reconciliation are the same.

Forgiveness is an act of the will and is a choice to surrender the desire for revenge against another. Reconciliation is beyond one’s control and involves the disire of both parties to repair the damage done. We cannot control the desire or ability of others to meet us, even if we want it.

Myth #2. Forgive and Forget.

This is not helpful and, actually, is impossible. The choice to forgive is one’s own — based on a decision to rediscover peace and healing. It is because we do have a memory that Jesus’ mandate to forgive “seventy times seven times” is so challenging.

Myth #3. Forgiveness is Easy.

Forgiveness is not completed in one act. It is a slow process and requires time and patience to work through the layers of hurt and suffering that have been experienced.

Myth #4. Forgiveness must be COMMUNICATED to the Other.

Sometimes it is impossible to communicate forgiveness to the other, e.g. death. It may not be in the best interest of and, in some cases, is possibly dangerous for the person offended to communicate forgiveness.

Myth #5. Forgiveness is a Gift to the One who has Offended.

Forgiveness is in the best interests of the forgiver. Research quoted shows that the happiest people were those who were forgiving individuals.

Myth # 6. Forgiveness Approves the Behavior of the Offender.

Forgiveness is not a dismissal of the gravity of the actions of the offender. Forgiveness does not address the behavior of the offender. It speaks to the courage, compassion, wisdom and mercy of the forgiver.

Along with the authors, I suggest that we examine these and other possible “myths” about forgiveness so that we can move forward in a realistic, wholesome, healthy and holy way of dealing with this major life issue and find peace.

“The Dark Knight”

JGaston August 14th, 2008

I recently joined the millions of people who saw the summer Batman blockbuster film “The Dark Night.” What an exhausting 2 1/2 hours! I am highly ambivalent about the film and have been reacting to the storyline and its convoluted message about good and evil for over a week.

The show stopper is not Batman, who seems highly conflicted in the film, but the bad guy, The Joker. Did the late Heath Ledger lose himself in The Joker? Hollywood continues to revel in portraying the dark recesses of this villain’s heart (?) and soul. We are so easily seduced by the attractions of evil.

Sister Helena Burns shares some insights on this film on her July 25 blog if you want to explore it further. While the battle between good versus evil will continue until the end of the age, why is it that we find evil more intriguing than the power of good which, faith tells us, will be victorious in the end?

Go figure!

Person of the Week - Daniel Green

JGaston August 2nd, 2008

ABC News’ “Person of the Week” on August 1 featured Daniel Green, a 16 year old from Atlanta, Georgia. This young man saw the news reports of flooding in the midwest and decided to respond. He spent his summer helping to do clean up work in 122 homes. The story and video can be found here. An interesting quote:

Volunteers like Greene empty homes of waterlogged possessions, rip out soaked drywall and insulation, and power-hose the mold.

Though the work is hard, hot and smells of mildew, Greene loves it. Along with a group of volunteers, he works from sun-up to sundown, devoting his time to two or three houses a day.

After just four days on site, his devotion did not go unnoticed: Hands On Disaster Response made him a team leader. It also awarded him the Golden Sledgehammer of Excellence Award.

Hands On Disaster cleaned out 122 homes and removed 10,000 cubic yards of debris in 30 days. It has developed a network of more than 770 volunteers.

“You get a feeling for who the people were by searching through the debris,” Greene said. “Just really trying to understand what’s going through their mind — you kind of see what their life’s been like and how it’s destroyed now. It’s tough.”

In this weekend’s gospel (Matthew 14:13-21) Jesus says to the disciples: “Give them some food yourselves…” When Jesus’ disciples do this “in memory of Him” amazing miracles of transformation happen.

Daniel Green is a great example of how God’s care for us takes place: ordinary people doing extraordinary things for each other everyday, only rarely reaching the evening news. These are the true miracles of God’s providence.

This miracle will continue as Daniel returns to his senior year in high school and continues his work building homes with Habitat for Humanity. A touching and hopeful story indeed!

ABC Feature on Randy Pausch

JGaston July 29th, 2008

For more on Randy Pausch, check here.

Randy Pausch (1960-2008)

JGaston July 26th, 2008

Randy Pausch died yesterday of pancreatic cancer. He was the Carnegie Mellon University professor who became an international figure after his “last lecture” on September 18, 2007 caught the attention of the media and since then has received over 10 million hits on the Internet. His story has captured the imagination of the world, literally.

His story is bittersweet. It is a wonderful story of courage and optimism in the face of insurmountable odds. Unfortunately it is a reminder of the mystery of suffering and death that we must face every day of our lives. Along with others, I was deeply touched by the heroic testimony he gave in embracing his terminal illness. He touched a universal chord about human vulnerability. At the same time, I find it interesting that he seems to have done so without reference to religious symbols or language in discussing his condition or his attitudes about life. What is clear and most inspiring is his unequivocal and total commitment to his wife and three children. Isn’t this at the heart of it all?

According to the news story, Randy belonged to the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh. That may explain his lack of specifically Christian or explicitly religious language in his reflections.

Isn’t it fascinating that one person’s story and personal testimony can have such impact on so many people? This gives us pause to look again at the mission of the Church to evangelize and give testimony about the meaning of life revealed in Jesus’ death and resurrection. We gather each weekend at the Sunday Eucharist to enter into this mystery once again, to live it daily, and to share its meaning for our lives in this world and for the world to come. After all, death is not the end! If this is true, how is it that Randy’s testimony was so touching to the world, while the Church’s proclamation of Jesus Christ (and the way we live each day) comes across as unconvincing?

Something to ponder?

May Randy and all our faithful departed enter into the peace of God’s everlasting kingdom. We were created and redeemed in Christ for nothing less!

“Backyard Brides”

JGaston July 19th, 2008

VS

The Trib Total Media’s July 19-20 weekend edition of “House to Home” (I accessed it in the local Valley News Dispatch) has a front page feature entitled “Backyard Brides.” As soon as I saw it, my radar went up. The writer Misty Chybrzynski begins the article:

The glitz, glamour and tradition you want for your wedding can be found in your very own backyard, making garden and outdoor events a trend for brides-to-be. Of the 2.4 million weddings to be held this year, 20 percent will be conducted outside of the traditional venues…

Here we go! I can hardly wait for the phone calls to come in requesting an outdoor Catholic wedding! This is nothing new, and I am sure every pastor has had numerous requests for weddings in various places over the years. It is the rage! Of course, the invariable (and painful for some) answer is “NO.” We are not permitted to witness a wedding outside of a church. The sacredness of the sacrament and vocation of marriage is symbolized in the place where it takes place. This meaning is critical for us as Catholics and is reflected in the Church’s directive.

We are a highly secularized culture and the trend is only continuing. Religious events and symbols run the risk of being trivialized in the popular culture. “Backyard Brides” is cute and trendy, but this article makes no mention of the spiritual reality undergirding the social event on the lawn.

It is for us to do this in the way we work with couples in preparing them for the sacrament of marriage. It is an awesome pastoral task, but one well worth every minute we put into it. Some of my most wonderful experiences have come in converations with engaged couples as we discuss their relationship with each other, Christ, and the Church. God’s altar is a critical symbol, in a way. It represents the fact that marriage is not just a human choice or event, but a part of the providence of God in the lives of a couple. Their vocation and mission is to figure out what it is that God is asking of them. This most important aspect should never be lost for those who believe.

So, folks, if you are interested in a backyard wedding ceremony, don’t call the Catholic Church expecting a “yes!” The wedding must take place in Church. Where you celebrate the reception, well, that is your business.

PS I would appreciate my brother priests weighing in on this topic. I know the issue of weddings is always a spirited conversation when we gather and compare notes with each other.