This ones for you dad!

The weekend of the 12th Sunday OT was also fathers day. While unlike mothers day I was not able to attend a special fathers day mass, more over Fr. Bernard who as always gave a kick ass homily he did not talk about dads at all. Instead he did his job and focused on the readings for that day. Well this threw me into a panic, what am I going to write for this blog post. I wrote a kick ass post for mothers day, now its fathers day what am I going to do!?!?!?!

Taking the extra time to write this blog because, if you read the last post I was lost in the trees, and ultimately still unsure of what to write proved to be most beneficial. This weekend, to be specific, Sunday my dad and I set out on the road at 5am to go to Pittsburg for a ball game. We drove there, went tot he game enjoyed all that baseball has to offer, and drove back getting home just before midnight.

We laughed we yelled at other drivers, we had high hopes for the Bucs to win, and had a great time making fun of a security guard who was Gods gift to baseball, and specifically PNC park (he took his job way to seriously and looked hilarious doing so), we rocked out to some jazz, and some great oldies. This past Sunday enjoying a long ass drive and some baseball was exactly what being with dad meant.

This lead me to think about what else it means to have a dad in your life. This invariably brought my attention back to the readings for that 12th Sunday.

First we heard about Job, that poor bastard. Nothing but shit came his way yet he resolved and was persistent in his faith. He was steadfast. He was a father. What really struck me next was in the gospels, here we see Jesus and his apostles on the sea, the apostles terrified, they looked to Christ.

"Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? 

He woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, Quiet! Be still! 

The wind ceased and there was great calm. 

Then he asked them, Why are you terrified? 

Do you not yet have faith? 

They were filled with great awe" (MK 4:38-41). 

Now as much as I wish I could say that my dad had power over the sea, in this gospel reading I think Christ is very easily portrayed as a father. His children are scared and they call out time him, he answers and teaches them something. Is this not exactly what fathers do? Do children not run into their fathers arms for comfort? 

Each and every father child relationship is going to be different and that is the beauty of it. An adult male, even a dad could not be the perfect dad to every child, rather there is a unique bond between each child and their father. From being a timid child filled with fear like those ever foolish apostles in the boat, or a child afraid of the dark, and looking for monsters under the bed. We are filled with great awe. 

Now as a last note, here is a video of an awesome dad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OR8bmWyDHc

Ok here is another one too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vkVHijdQk

Peace and Blessings Always

~M

"You can't see the forest for the trees" (11th Sunday OT)

Yes this is extremely late. yes three weeks has gone by and I missed posting this. I must apologize, my only excuse is that I must have been lost among the trees.

On the 11th Sunday of Ordinary Time we heard from he Gospel of Mark (4:26-34) and are giving this beautiful image of the mustard seed:

"It (kingdom of God) is like a mustard seed, that when it is sown in the ground 

is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 

But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants 

and puts fourth large branches" (MK 4:31-32)

This image is not new for anyone who has done anything with the New Testament. It is very frequently quoted in regards to Christ, faith and the religion he left for us. Today however I want to talk about it in a new light. I want to spend time among the trees (full disclosure, i just finished my last week of work at Aquinas College, anyone who has not had the opportunity to spend time on the campus wouldn't truly understand how beautiful it is and how much of that beauty comes from the trees. I really was lost among the trees).

The mustard seed often looked at for its small size that produces greatly, like faith planted in our hearts. These little seemingly immeasurable things that can produce thins of such magnitude (trees are huge! spend time walking in a forest and really look at the trees). 

Looking at a tree, what is it? is it just a seed that is planted? is it just a large plant that shoots out of the group? or is it something so much more than that? Is a tree not at first a seed and then suddenly roots and a trunk, branches and leaves? Does this not then provide room for more growth? 

YEs our faith is like a mustard seed, yes the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. But the Church also is a mustard seed. One planted from he droplets of blood as Christ was beaten. On that was planted in his ministry and healing works. On that has been cultivated into so much more than just a seed, more than just roots, more than just a trunk, just branches. 

A tree is all these things, how much is lost then if we only look at the seed, we only look at the roots, the leaves, so too then how much is lost when we only look at one Church teaching, on parish, one priest, one Catholic. 

Examining the trees, and the church in such a matter has reminded me of the three blind men and the elephant, in stead of typing the whole story out, here is a link to it http://www.jainworld.com/literature/story25.htm

We must look at all things in life, trees, mustard seeds, the Kingdom of God, the Church, and even elephants for what they are more than just what we see them as. Often times this means we must listen o what other people have to offer, insight that we can not gain because we lack the experience. 

Get lost in the trees, and don't lose sight of them to only see the forest, similarly don't lose sight of the forest as a whole for one tree. 

Peace and Blessings Always

~M

Take Courage, Set the World Ablaze

Today I've decided to again write a reflection from this weekends readings, however what is different about this week and other weeks is that I am going to leave the safe security of sound theology and make connections that I might be the first one to make. Yet with a history as long as the churches, I'm hesitant to claim that any new insight, or new connections are really new and not simply forgotten memories.

The title of this post was going to be something about being bold and stepping out of my comfort zone, stepping out of the shadows of theologians older and greater than I. Instead I decided to use the theme for this years Aquinas Baccalaureate mass, a theme I and several other students and faculty found to be fitting for this group of graduates as we embark on the world, or as it seems even when embarking on a simple blog post not many are likely to read.

This weekend, another Solemnity, this time of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) we heard a reading from the book of Exodus (24:3-8), the letter to the Hebrews (9:11-15), and the gospel of Mark (14:12-16, 22-26). If I had to pick one thing that these three readings had in common it would be their reference to blood.

In Exodus we see Moses, "then he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, saying 'this is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words of his.'"

In Hebrews we are confronted with Christ coming as the high priest, "he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption" 

In the Gospel we find the following remarks not only about Jesus, but this time made by him, "Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many. Amen, I say to you, I shall not drink again the fruit of the vine until the day when i drink it new in the kingdom of God.'"  

Arriving at church just as the procession began as a result of a nap that went over and as my mother said, "taking too much time to make myself beautiful" I did not have time to read the readings before hearing them as I typically like to do. Knowing this weekend was Corpus Christi, the readings did not sound as ill placed as other may have found them to be, yet this reoccurring idea of blood left me with a singular thought. A thought that left me distracted during Fr. G's homily (which was not as kick ass as Fr. Bernard's last weekend) this thought was a simple thanksgiving, "thank God we have Holy water now!" 

I could not imagine sitting in the pews of a church with a priest walking around having just sacrificed and animal for all of us to witness then gladly and willingly allow that same man to sprinkle me with the blood of that animal, the blood of that covenant. Again I say "thank God for Holy water!" 

The thought did not end their, rather the thought left me wondering, what are the origins of Holy Water?  A thought which first took me to looking at and reflecting on all the important uses of water in the church today, and then further to the instances of water in scripture. From the fours rives in the Garden of Eden, to the great flood with Noah, Moses placed in a basket and drifting down a river, the plagues turning the water to blood, the crossing of the Yam Suph the sea of reeds, or better known as the crossing of the red sea on dry land. This natural procession of water in the first books of the Old testament I just kept moving forward, but as I paused after reflecting on the sea of reeds, I said "wait a minute, water into blood?" This thought then catapulted me into the New Testament, water into wine, Christ's baptism in the Jordan.

Finally my mind comes to rest on John's gospel, keeping in mind the motif of blood in the readings I just heard and with Fr. G in the background preaching about these readings my mind recalls the Spear of Destiny, the Holy Lance, the Spear of Longinus, the lance that pierced Christ's side while he remain dead, hanging on the cross. 

According to John's Gospel, "When they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out" (Jn 19:3-34). 

This of course was done in order to fulfill the prophets that not a bone would be broken, yet I think a greater connection can be drawn. We say in Marks Gospel that at the pass over, Christ not only institutes the Sacrament of the Eucharist but also states the coming establishment of the new covenant. "This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many." This is not the blood of a sacrificed animal, but rather His blood, and it is not poured out for some, but for all, yet according to John's gospel it was not just blood that poured out. Rather it was blood and water "An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true" (Jn 19:35).

This instance Christ did not only institute the new covenant, he further completed this imagery of water and blood, not longer did we need sacrifices, he had sacrificed once and for all. Blood was no longer to be used but in its place a more fitting liquid that had always been used. Water. Water is life giving, water is purity, water is used for cleansing, water can be destructive, water is ever present. In case you cannot summon an awe inspiring image of water allow the soothing voice of Penélope Cruz in this video offer you such an image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwV9OYeGN88 and in the event you've never seen the other nature videos, take a minute to watch those as well. Otherwise let me leave you with a single thought, Thank God for Holy Water. 

Peace and Blessings Always 

~ M

Lover, Loved, and the Love

This weekend was the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and for those of us who have no idea what a Solemnity is, I turn to Fr. Vincent Serpa O.P. "A Solemnity is the highest rank of celebration and is identified in the calendar with an S. Easter, Christmas, All Saints day, the Ascension, Corpus Christi, and other celebrations of events in our Lord's life on earth and certain saints are solemnities. the Gloria and Creed are always said on such days. Solemnities are like Sundays, though most of them are not days of obligation." Now that I know what solemnity means it is now time to turn to what the Holy Trinity is.

In order to talk about the trinity one must talk about St. Augustine, in fact one of his depictions of the Trinity is this posts title. The trinity is the one substance and three persons of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I could take this time to do a multitude of things, from going on a rant about how the readings for this weekend did not seem to be the most fitting for the celebration of the Trinity, or I could go down a deep theological explanation of the complexities of the trinity. Referencing early church Christological councils, and of course using my limited knowledge of Greek to talk about, Ousia, Hypostasis, Phusis, Physis, Prsopon, and of course the Hypostatic Union, or how we would be lost without the latin idea of Communicatio Idiomatum. Now while I am sure that certain readers would each uniquely and individually like one or the other of those things to follow, but instead of playacting to an audience that just wants to see me rant, or one that just wants deep theological points to be made I instead will grasp for the ever illusive middle way. What follows will be a brief comment on the trinity with a story of Augustine followed by my own story of experiencing mass this weekend.

The Trinity is a complex idea that has been, is being, and will be wrestled with by many believers. While three distinct persons they are one substance not co-mingled not confused and mixed up within each other but perfectly united, united in love. Augustine as I said has to be talked about, he wrote a tremendous amount an a wide range of matters of faith, from his own Confessions to the City of God, and his four hundred pages, and over 30 years spent writing those pages devoted to the trinity. While I have read no where near all of this, I obviously find the image of Lover, Loved, and Love to be one that not only beautifully depicts, but also shows the complexity of the trinity.

However my favorite teaching on the trinity is that of Augustine on the beach.

"The great Doctor of the Church St. Augustine of Hippo spent over 30 years working on his treatise De Trinitate [about the Holy Trinity], endeavoring to conceive an intelligible explanation for the mystery of the Trinity.

He was walking by the seashore one day contemplating and trying to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity when he saw a small boy running back and forth from the water to a spot on the seashore. The boy was using a sea shell to carry the water from the ocean and place it into a small hole in the sand.

The Bishop of Hippo approached him and asked, “My boy, what are doing?”

“I am trying to bring all the sea into this hole,” the boy replied with a sweet smile. 

“But that is impossible, my dear child, the hole cannot contain all that water” said Augustine. 

The boy paused in his work, stood up, looked into the eyes of the Saint, and replied, “It is no more impossible than what you are trying to do – comprehend the immensity of the mystery of the Holy Trinity with your small intelligence.”

This is my favorite aspect of learning about the trinity, no matter what when it comes down to it, as I spend restless hours wrestling with the complex idea of the trinity only to find more questions than answers I am given this comfort. 

Now while I said earlier, the readings for this weekend in my opinion were seemingly terrible, and did not fit with such a celebration. While the gospel contained a great, single line about the trinity ("Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Mt 28:16-20) the first and second reading seemed to be selected at random (now I'm sure, and I hope someone can explain to me how they really are fitting). 

The reality about going to mass on Sunday is that I was not looking forward to it like I should have. I had just gone shopping with my mom at Meijer and Sam's club, as if one wasn't torture enough. My goal was to spend the day reading and watching Netflix, which is what I did all morning, so I really can't complain too much. While I was not eagerly going to mass I am certainly glad I did. In addition to being a part of the mass and experience the Eucharist and all that other good stuff that happens at mass no matter where you are or what weekend it is, Fr. Bernard gave a, if I may be so bold, kick ass homily, reminding us of the Lover, Loved, and Love unity of the trinity bringing together and binding these three persons together in one same substance. In addition to this however going to mass at this particular time, on that day at that church I found myself coming together. While walking into the church I ran into my friends Patricia and Eric, I had not seen them in weeks. Next up our friend Alex wanders in, someone I also hadn't seen in weeks. After mass as we walked out I then ran into my friend Mary, someone I hadn't seen in months, and after that I saw Mckenzie and LG, persons I went to high school with and had not seen in years. 

In this moment, having experienced the Eucharist having listened to the word of God as ill fitting as it seemed, listening to Fr. Bernard's kick ass homily, and then seeing all these people I know, love and have missed truly painted a picture of how the church brings us together in love. A similar love that brings the trinity together. In this moment I understood without knowing the definition, what a solemnity was why it was important, and the importance of a unified trinity in love.