Catholic Social Justice- Part One ( and HABEMUS PAPAM!!!)

One of my pet peeves is the misrepresentation of Catholic Social Justice Teaching. Mostly because people either completely misunderstand Church teaching on the matter or they intentionally distort the truth and cherry-pick quotations to suit their purposes.

This is the first of a series of posts about this wonderful body of teachings given to us by the lord through his Church. It will not be an exhaustive treatment; I hope, rather, to break the larger concept into bite-size pieces and present them so that those of you who take the time to read will (hopefully) learn something new or gain a fresh perspective.

What IS social justice teaching?

Catholic social justice teaching refers to a collection of principles that guide a person in making decisions about their behavior in the world-specifically, behavior toward others and especially those less fortunate. It is an example of development of doctrine: the teachings have always been true, but they have not always been put to paper or formally taught as a single body.

Rerum Novarum (by Pope Leo XIII in 1891) and Quadragesimo Ano ( by Pius Xi in1931) are often cited as examples of early formal social justice teaching. In truth, social justice teaching goes back to Christ- and even reaches into the Old Testament. Social justice teachings remind us to be grateful for the blessings we have from the Lord, and to not be greedy about what we have.

Old Testament social justice directives include:
Deuteronomy 15- Loans to other Israelites must be interest free, and in the end of the seven year (sabbatical) cycle, those free loans are to be forgiven. The Israelites were called upon to help their countrymen who needed it- and to always be mindful of the debt that owe to the Lord, who provided the abundance they had to be able to share with those in need.  

Levitucus 23:22- When harvesting a field, you must leave some of the crop behind for gleaners. This allows the poor to work for their share of the grain, rather than begging for it...preserving their dignity. Remember, too-this gleaning was key in the story of Ruth...who becasme an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

I could go on and on. I won't right now, because there is much to say over the series.

In conclusion- I first celebrate and offer a prayer for Pope Francis I, who was elected only 2 hours ago. I had planned this series on social justice for some time and his election tells me the nudging came from the Holy Spirit!

Lord, strengthen your servant Francis I. Fill him with your Holy Spirit, that he may faithfully fill the shoes of the Fisherman and guide the world closer to Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Family- the Garden of Vocations

He's such a goof.
This is Saturday- night entertainment in our home. Two of our children have completely left the nest: the oldest (a daughter) is a nurse in Texas and our middle child ( 2nd oldest son) is in the U.S.Air Force, stationed in Alaska. Spring breaks overlapped for offspring numbers 2, 3 and 5- so I thought it would be fun to put together a care package for their brother, complete with home-made cookies. Everyone added something to the bowl- even GG- so we could say we ALL made them for Steven. We moms get silly ideas like that.

As I waited for the timer, I looked up and saw Joey (child #6, youngest son), with my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook  before him like the Roman Missal, raising a pizzelle as if he were elevating a host. A few minutes later, he added the collar made from an Aldi's receipt, and I snapped this picture.

It reminded me of Ash Wednesday a few years ago. Joey (then in maybe 2nd or 3rd grade) and I both had the flu and were snuggled up in my bed, content to be miserable together. At one point I mentioned something about being sad to miss Ash Wednesday Mass because it is one I always enjoy. When the rest of the kids got home from school, Joey disappeared for a while. When he returned- siblings in tow- they put together an Ash Wednesday Mass for me. They all had their liturgical assignments and brought the necessary vessels into my room. Joey was the priest (wearing my royal-purple nightshirt). My silver Paul Revere bowl functioned as a ciboria/paten. Glass salad cruets for the water/ Capri Sun. A white bath robe for the server. Linen napkins and tablecloth for the card-table altar. An old Worship hymnal for the Missal.  Apparently there was quite a conversation about an appropriate vessel to use as a chalice, since GLASS/ CRYSTAL is expressly forbidden by the rubrics for Mass (even though one parish continues to use them). Naturally, they had the traditional play-Mass smashed bread hosts.

We had music, readings, a homily (albeit brief), the consecration. Even ashes. Emily was very excited to be the server. They did a good job re-creating the experience.

It wasn't their first time playing Mass. They did it a lot when my our oldest were younger. Steven was always the priest (his insistence). One of my favorite times they played Mass was when we were at our summer home in South Carolina. The little boy who lived next door was over to play- and they included him. He had no idea what was going on, but he played along.

Here I am going to see who really reads theses posts, just because I am curious... I get 30+ views on each one, but rarely are there comments... so check in below. Are you really reading this? :-) Humor me!

As an only child in a marginally Catholic family, I didn't get to play Mass, although I understand it has long been a spontaneous staple of play-time in homes with enough children to pull it off. Watching my children re-create the Mass at home over the years has made me realize a few things.

First- the children do pay attention during Mass. Of course, it helps that we sat in the front row to keep them from being distracted. This is the #1 mistake parents make when taking children to Mass- they sit in the back. When you are all of 3 feet tall, that means the only thing you can see is the tushes of the people in front of you. Not a very interesting way to spend an hour! As our children became old enough to serve at the altar and in other liturgical ministries, they jumped right in because they were intimately familiar with the rituals. Two priests told me they liked having my children serve for them because they knew when something was missing- and would go ahead and fix it without being told. That's pretty cool. Of course, there was also the advantage of getting an entire serving team with ONE phone call.

Second- children do not waste time "playing" meaningless games. Play is a child's work. It how they learn. What do children play? School. Doctor. House. Hot Wheels. Through their play, they are internalizing significant ideas about life. The doctor will always tell the child that the shot might hurt a little- but it will keep them from getting sick. They realize their teachers want them to grow and learn. They see that moms and dads work hard to make a home for their children. And Mass? They see how many people work together to help us all worship the Lord in the highest way possible: the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

Third- children get to try on the liturgical ministries. Would I like to read at Mass? Am I brave enough to cantor or sing in the choir? Would I like to be an altar server? What would it be like to be a priest? We don't ask that question enough of our young men, you know.  About 15 years ago, I did ask a teen if he had ever considered the priesthood. He said he was discerning; he was ordained four years ago. Another young man I asked explored religious life and is now a chaplain. About eight years ago I told one of my 7th graders I wanted the seat next to his mom when he is ordained. Still waiting on that one :-)

When we ask young men if they have considered the priesthood, we are planting an important seed. We should also ask young women about religious life. It is the duty of every Christian to plant those seeds- in our own children, in our grandchildren, in our children's friends, in every young person we have the opportunity to influence. It is never wasted- the thought will return to them, and if they are wise, they will spend time discerning God's will in their lives. The Lord will speak to them and lead them. Just because we think we see something in a young man to lead us to ask the question of him doesn't mean that is his call. But we can never disregard the fact that when we see a guy and think, "He'd make a good priest," that perhaps the Holy Spirit has planted the thought within us- and needs us to plant the seed in that young man.

The family truly is the garden for vocations. And in any garden, we plant the seeds- the Lord decides how they will grow. Married life, religious life, single life- or the priesthood- all are vocations. Our children watch how we live the faith, how it is a part- or not a part- of the decisions we make, the way we behave, our attitudes about Holy Days and Mass attendance in general,  and our attitudes toward the Church and how she hands on the faith as the Lord has established.

If we prattle on about this thing or that being wrong with the Church, if we consistently miss Mass in direct opposition to what God has asked of us, if we don't show any regard for fasting and abstinence....or if we tacitly approve what is objectively wrong (or sinful) by simply saying nothing... we are sowing weeds in the garden. Those weeds can strangling the gentle shoot of a vocation to the priesthood by bad-mouthing celibacy or the all-male priesthood. They strangle vocations by saying women join the convent because they can't find husbands. They strangle vocations by encouraging unchastity and artificial contraception- and artificial CONCEPTION- thus denying God's primacy over our lives and raising smaller families where children hesitate to pursue God's call...because their parents want grandchildren or need someone to carry on the family name.

Will Steven or Joey one day put the Roman collar around their necks? Time will tell. More than anything, I hope my children each actively and prayerfully discern what the Lord is calling them to do with their lives, because thenI know they will be happy.

Plant good seed in the garden of vocations, as much as you can. Nurture those young plants, feed them well with the Eucharist and be sure they have plenty of time in the light of the Lord's presence. Above all, don't plant weeds!

Conclave-related Photos/Memes/Humor: UPDATED REGULARLY!!!

 

 

 

 

We'll see what kind of form this ends up taking, but I have seen some pretty funny- if irreverent - memes and editorial cartoons, and thought it would be great to assemble them.

***** IF YOU FIND SOMETHING, PLEASE EMAIL IT (WITH THE LINK) TO: ROSARIESBYIRENE@AOL.COM*******

 

 

 

 

 The following is the Coat-of-Arms representing sede vacante...now hanging in the USCCB offices:
























Pope Benedict's tweets have been archived... his Twitter is now empty, awaiting the next Holy Father!







Only images of sitting popes may be displayed in Catholic institutions, so at the moments his reseignation became official, Pope Benedict XVI's portrait was removed from the USCCB office..

My Amazing Grandmother

 

Thanks, Pope Benedict XVI: The Interregnum Begins

All forms of media have been saturated with items and news about Pope Benedict XVI’s retirement. Which is why- except for a few words after the announcement- I have avoided the subject. The topic has not been far from my mind, however.

As we enter the interregnum, I’d like to reflect on a few things that some people get, and most people will never understand.

Pope Benedict XVI was exactly the Pope we needed after John Paul II. A Pope usually reigns for about 10 years, so JPII’s reign was extraordinary. I vaguely remember Paul VI’s passing- then John Paul I so soon after. Like many people under the age of 60, JPII was the only Pope I remembered even caring about. Benedict XVI was a lot like him; they were both scholarly, fatherly figures who loved Jesus Christ with their entire being. Sounds like the job description for Pope, actually. Now we may return to the old way- shorter reigns, more of turnover in the job.

The media acts as though this is a big deal. It is- but not for the reasons they push. It is a big deal because the Church is saying goodbye to her beloved Papa. The upside is we are not mourning, as would normally be the case.

The Church is not a business or an organization. She is a family. She operates as a family, not a democracy. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church; the Pope is his vicar. The Pope’s role is to lead the Church as a father- which is why he is called “Papa.” The respected parent is not the one who bows to every whim of the child, letting him do whatever he wishes. The respected parent upholds the rules- and takes time to explain why the rules are necessary. In this case- they are necessary if we see them in view of our eternal destiny.

The body of writings BXVI leaves us is amazing- and more is likely on the way. ( I hope!) Encyclicals and apostolic letters have been the primary writings of most popes- including JPII.  Benedict gave us full-length books, written to be understood by lay Catholics. Not long after he was elected, we were on vacation. I sat by the hotel pool reading The Spirit of the Liturgy, written while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger. (I have read it twice since then- it never gets old) My husband was on the chaise next to me. Enthusiastic about the text, I proclaimed, “Yes. Yes! YES!” Tim asked, “WHAT are you reading?!” “A book by the POPE!” His reply…. “Oh. You sound like an Herbal Essences commercial.” At the time, I was just beginning to delve into the rich treasury of Church writings we have at our fingertips. Spirit was so easy to understand- yet so rich, deep and eloquent. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to understand liturgy in a new and exciting way. I promise, you will never look at the Mass the same!

A newspaper article asked if having “two popes” was going to be a problem for the Church. See? That’s the kind of ignorance in the media. Any Catholic will tell you- there is only one Pope. Benedict will enjoy the honor and respect he deserves in his retirement, but he is no longer our Pope. That makes me a little sad. I will miss him!

Another article suggested a nun be chosen as Pope. Sigh. If you need a refresher on why that will not happen, see HERE.

By far, the most aggravating pundits have been those who insist that the Cardinal- Electors choose a Pope “more with the times,” “more forward- thinking” or “not in the dark ages.” Another example of how people simply do not understand. It is not the Church’s job to bow to the times or the whim of a few people. It is the Church’s role to uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ. Her constancy and consistency and faithfulness to that role have kept her intact for 2000 years. He promised that, you know- when he made Peter the first Pope…and Christ himself promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church.

The Church will not change- cannot change- God’s standards, meaning no change on homosexual so-called “marriage,” ordination of women, or artificial contraception/abortion. Sorry, liberals. It ain’t gonna happen.

So, no matter WHO the next Pope is, no matter where he was born, no matter his political views,  I am confident that he will be elected by the influence of the Holy Spirit. He will uphold the teachings of Jesus Christ. And the One, True Church of Jesus Christ will continue until Christ returns in glory.

Lord, thank you for giving your Church the gift of Pope Benedict XVI. Bless him in his retirement, comfort him in his afflictions, and fill his heart with the gratitude we, your people, have for his service to us. We ask you to send your Holy Spirit to fill the hearts and minds of the Cardinal-Electors as they prepare to enter the conclave. May the man who enters as Cardinal and leaves as Pope be strengthened by our prayers and by your Spirit dwelling within him as he takes the helm of the Barque of Peter. Amen.

How to Get People to Leave Your Parish in 10 Easy Steps

The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis is a favorite of mine. For those unfamiliar with the book, Screwtape (a devil) sends a series of letters to his nephew, Wormwood ( an apprentice devil), offering advice on wooing the patient (a nominal Christian) away from the enemy (God).

     As you can imagine, the book is awkward reading at first- especially if you are unaware of what Lewis is doing. It is, however, quite insightful- and really gets you thinking!

     In that vein, I offer you…. “How to get people to leave your parish in 10 easy steps.” An effective tool for maintaining the integrity of your parish life and ensuring it doesn’t suffer from the onslaught that newcomers bring.

1.       Discourage ministry participation by anyone new. You really are not in need of any new Extraordinary ministers, lectors, servers, ushers, funeral dinner workers or –gasp!- cantors/choir members. It is rather presumptuous for someone to offer to serve in those ministries without being asked (and you will not ask them). This also applies to helping in Religious Ed, parish festivals, bingo and other events and fundraisers. The parish has managed quite nicely without the newcomers, and will do just fine without them. The nerve!

2.       Never, ever, ever let someone sit in your pew! Arrive early for your spot. If you happen to get there at the same time as someone new (because your fellow parishioners KNOW where you sit), simply keep scooting down the pew until you push them right out. I saw this one expertly executed on February 24, 2013. It was beautiful! The trespasser didn’t even realized what had happened. Flawless!

3.       Be sure the ChriEasters know they are not welcome back. You’ll take their money in the collection basket for the holiday, but let’s not push it. Don’t share hymnals and- for crying out loud- be sure you hug the end of the pews! Scooting toward the middle of the pew so there is room for more people to sit is ridiculous- and might be perceived as welcoming, which can’t be allowed. Besides, it looks good if people are standing for Mass.

4.       If your parish does the Protestant “welcome those around you” bit (shudder!), and you see someone new/ from another parish say something like, “ Oh, are you slumming it today?” or “What are you doing on this side of town?” That way, they get the idea they don’t belong.

5.       Kill creative and/or innovative ideas as soon as they are offered. “We have always done it this way” effectively shuts down most people.  Especially when offered by a new member- or one who rarely offers input- new ideas are a way for them to try to weasel into parish life. Next thing you know, they’ll think they run the place, and that cannot be allowed. Shoot it down quickly. Then, some time later, you can re-present the idea as your own- which is acceptable, since you are an established parishioner. Ideas to draw in young people and young adults must be stopped. You cannot tolerate even more people being invited to the parish, as this is counter-productive. However, you must push “progressive” liturgical ideas- always test the limits on those! If the rubrics don’t specify not to do something, it must be allowed. Try hand washing on Holy Thursday, ribbon-waving processions for Pentecost, so-called liturgical dance in a non-ethnic parish. This will keep away newcomers who are stuck pre-Vatican II.

6.       Criticize any contribution by the young people of the parish. Expect them to be better than adults at any ministry they try. Be sure they hear you. This leaves those spots open for the adults, no matter how poorly those adults fill those ministries.

7.       Question their piety, especially if it falls outside the norms of the parish… and especially if it comes from the person trying to learn more about liturgy/ Catholic faith.  A perfect tool here is to call someone who wants to follow established rules and traditions a Pharisee. They understand this is an insult straight from Jesus! He berated the Pharisees for their exterior observance of the law, without having the love of God at their heart. This, of course, is how these interlopers are- and you know it, too!

8.       Criticize Mass attire- She is overdressed for Mass, he is underdressed for Mass. This one is very easy. Nit-pick. Go ahead. The stability of your parish is at stake. That skirt is a tad too short, his jeans have a spot on them. That young man is wearing a T-SHIRT? Well, I never! See how simple it is?  And don’t forget- head coverings or chapel veils on a woman are a sure sign she needs to be drummed out quickly. That kind of negative influence on the parish cannot be good. She’s a Pharisee, I’m sure! (see #7)  

9.       Gossip. Make it good and juicy so it is good fodder for the rumor mill.  Lies are the best route since in gossip, a person is guilty until proven innocent- and they have no way to prove themselves innocent, because by the time they get wind of the gossip, their reputation has been completely destroyed.  This is one of the best overall methods for parish size reduction, because once they do discover the gossip, they will be embarrassed and humiliated into leaving. This is where the lies are most effective: the innocent person is more embarrassed then a guilty party would be. It is easy prove someone DID do something, impossible to prove they did NOT. Don’t worry about it not being true- God understands you are doing it for the good of your parish. Besides, it might possibly, somewhat, in some small way  be true and you can confess it, anyway. Then you are off the hook AND mission accomplished. What a deal!

10.   RCIA. This is a dicey one. You need RCIA participants, because the Easter Vigil would be so boring without the Baptisms and Confirmations. But you certainly don’t want these people thinking they belong to your parish. Don’t make any effort to introduce yourself to them. Do not attend the welcome reception after the vigil Mass. Resort to starting at #1 above if necessary if the RCIA members actually show up for Mass after Easter. Most of them will quickly become ChriEasters if you are efficient.

There are other avenues to keeping people away. You may need to tailor these to your specific situation. But these are tried-and-true and will keep your parish just as it is for many years to come… or until there is no one left.

Is Catholic What You Do, Or Who You Are?

( Another class paper, presented in December of 2010; the assignment limited me to 1500 words... the topic- How can apologetics increase lay participation in the liturgy?)

A young man genuflects before entering the pew- but the tabernacle is at his back. A young woman eats breakfast in her car in the church parking lot minutes before Mass begins. A young family consistently misses Mass because the daughter plays club volleyball on the weekends. Unfortunately, these are all common occurrences in Catholic churches. Catholics have lost the meaning behind the postures and rituals of the liturgy and in the process have lost an appreciation for the entire experience of liturgy. Apologetics can contribute to bringing Catholics to a full, active and conscious participation in the liturgy.

Liturgy is the work of the people. In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (CSL), the fathers of the Second Vatican Council expressed the ideal that, “Christ’s faithful…should not be there as strangers or silent spectators; on the contrary, through a good understanding of the rites and prayers they should take part in the sacred service conscious of what they are doing with devotion and full involvement.” (48) Paragraph 30 of CSL encourages the faithful to participate in “acclamations, responses, psalmody, antiphons and songs, as well as by actions, gestures and bearing” in addition to sacred silence.

These are not enough, however. The actions, gestures, and postures are externals and the faithful often go through the motions without any consideration for the meaning behind them either because they have forgotten or were never properly catechized in the first place. They are no different than a child who is repeatedly told to look both ways before crossing the street. The child does exactly as he has always been taught and carefully looks both ways- then darts in front of an oncoming vehicle. Mother never told him WHY he was looking: observe if cars are coming, then make a judgment about whether it is safe to proceed across the street. In much the same way, this generation has been taught what to do but not the meaning behind those actions. With the loss of a sense of purpose behind the actions and gestures of the liturgy something more is lost: the ability to enter deeply into the liturgy.

Part of the beauty of Catholicism is that it engages the entire human being. When a 7^th grader asked if he liked his job, the priest answered, “This isn’t my job. It isn’t what I do. It is who I am.” In much the same way, Catholics must grow to understand that being Catholic is less about what they do and more about why they do it.  In turn they will grow in their understanding that their Catholic faith should involve every part of their lives. Even with the sincerest of intentions, lack of understanding of the liturgy deprives the faithful of the richness of the liturgy and opens the door for well-meaning Protestants to mislead them about the liturgy and their Catholic faith. But how does one reach the average Catholic? A small column in the parish bulletin can offer bite-size catechetics on the liturgy.  That would reach those who actually attend Mass, but how many would actually read it?  A parish mission or educational series is another possibility. The drawback of these lies in asking people to return to church during the week, adding another event to the jam-packed schedules of 21^st century America.  Also, the people most likely to attend such sessions are the ones already actively engaged in both their parish and their faith. How does one educate the marginal Catholic who manages to get to Mass, but is otherwise not engaged in her faith? One priest facing a crisis in his community developed a solution. In the February 1995 issue of This Rock (online at http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1995/9502fea1.asp), Fr. Edward Petty describes how his parish dealt with the aggressive arrival of a Fundamentalist sect bent on luring the predominantly Catholic town to their ecclesial community. Fr. Petty lamented that many of his parishioners were Catholic merely because their grandparents were Catholic. They were cultural Catholics lacking any understanding of what they believed or why. This, he felt, made them “ripe for the picking” by the Fundamentalists who were ready to harvest.

The CSL states that “preaching should draw its content mainly from scriptural and liturgical sources” (35.2). With the consent of his archbishop, however, Fr. Petty and his associate began a homily series wonderfully timed to coincide with both Lent and a door to door campaign by Bible college students from the fundamentalist group. As the homilies progressed through the Lenten season, they covered anti-Catholicism in the United States, the origin of the Bible, proper use of scripture and common accusations and arguments used to lead Catholics away from their faith. The priests heavily pirated and admittedly plagiarized well known apologetic works, with the retroactive blessing of the authors. The parish secretaries churned out over 500 copies of each homily in tract form by the Wednesday following the weekend liturgies.  Members gave these to fallen away family, friends…and the Bible college students knocking at their doors.

One of the most remarkable things about the whole situation happened in the 5^th week of Lent when the parish held their annual 40 hours celebration. They pulled out all the stops for adoration and included longer homilies on the Eucharist. Rather than a blip on the parish schedule, the 40 hours devotion became what it should always be- a celebration of the centrality of the Eucharist in the Christian life. The 1400 seat church was filled to capacity all three nights for the evening services. What an amazing way to take the parish into Holy Week! With the help of their priests, guided from the pulpit, the people learned what they had either forgotten or never knew: God gave us His best when He gave us the Eucharist.

That Midwest parish of 5000 had 75% plus Mass attendance at the time Fr. Petty wrote the article.  The Fundamentalist community had all but disappeared, gaining not one member from the ranks of the town’s Catholics. That says so much, doesn’t it? These were average Catholics, no different than those filling the pews of most Catholic churches today. Had their pastor not been proactive, they easily could have been led away from the one true Church of Jesus Christ by the flashy preaching, contemporary music and warm fuzzy Jesus offered by the Fundamentalists. Their pastor literally shepherded them, guiding them into understanding and appreciation for their Catholic faith. He taught them the background behind the actions and beliefs they had taken for granted for so long. He challenged them to take it to heart, to truly enter into the mystery….and they rose to the challenge.

The Catholic Church as a whole cannot afford to ignore what Fr. Petty encountered and how he reacted. While preaching must remain faithful to the directives established by the Magisterium in her wisdom and authority, there is no reason apologetics cannot be judiciously introduced into Catholic preaching.  It is the most effective way of remedially catechizing the average Catholic and can, as shown by Fr. Petty’s experience, successfully engage the parish. As taught by St. Augustine, fundamental understanding of Catholic teaching leads to a better capacity to believe. Together, they give the faithful the foundation they need to fully enter into the liturgy which in turn will lead to a deeper and more rewarding faith life, one that is not a succession of rote and meaningless actions, but the experience of the presence of Jesus Christ it is meant to be.