Holy Thursday marks the observance of the Last Supper where Jesus instituted the Eucharist. John Michael Talbot gives a brief reflection and song in the top video.The other video features Fr. Robert Barron who explains the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and what It means. It is because of learning of the Real Presence of Jesus that I became Catholic.
There are many people who do not realize what the Real Presence of Jesus means and why Catholics give adoration to a piece of Bread.
We have all done it. We said that we would do something and then when the time came, we bailed out. We had the best of intentions but circumstances might have emerged that made us quickly change our minds or even prevented us from delivering.
There might have been some very valid reasons for bailing. When the time came to fulfill a promise, we might have encountered another priority which took precedence. Or, we might find ourselves sick or not in the best of health. Another pressing factor could be that we might find ourselves broke or out of resources to carry out a responsibility and to do a half job could potentially make a situation much worse. Or we might find out that it was not God’s will in the first place.
Or there might be some not so good reasons. The situation was not what we thought it would be. Our motives might not have been all that pure. The view from the inside of a crisis is much different from the perspective standing on the outside. Anyone who has experienced tough times will tell you. We might feel pressured. We are weak. Or we might feel our life, reputation, and/or livelihood is at stake. Or we just were not thinking in the first place.
Human beings are fickle. We change our mind. In fact, we are downright wishy washy. We might do things for no particular reason. And to top it off, we live in a world where many factors are out of our control– no matter how much we would like to believe that we are in control. We cannot control the weather, let alone predict the weather, especially if one happens to live in Chicago. We all have to die and some of us have to pay taxes.
Tuesday’s Gospel reading contained a famous example of the best laid plans gone awry. St. Peter states that he will lay down his life for Jesus. However, he does not realize that when the time comes he actually will end up denying Christ:
Simon Peter said to him, “Master, where are you going?”
Jesus answered him,
“Where I am going, you cannot follow me now,
though you will follow later.”
Peter said to him,
“Master, why can I not follow you now?
I will lay down my life for you.”
Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times.”
We really don’t know how we will be when the crap hits the fan. In a way, the difficulties in our life really help to strengthen and define who we are. They help to define where we stand.
But if we know the story, even if we mess up, all is not lost. St. Peter bailed three times in denying Christ. But he learned from this trial. He went on to become the first Pope of the Church. He eventually ended up being crucified upside down. His bones are buried under the Basilica that bears his name at the Vatican.
Chances are we might mess up when our moment to shine arrives. But take comfort in knowing that we can be redeemed. We can learn from our mistakes. We can understand ourselves better for the next time around; that is if we get the opportunity.
Even Jesus as a fully human person contemplated if His Cup could be taken away from Him while in the Garden of Gethsemane. However, in the long run, He decided to carry out His best laid plan for our sake.
We are in the midst of the holiest week of the Church now as we approach the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Be on watch, as the best laid plans unfold. Or fall asleep.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week in the Church. This day marks the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. This feast is very familiar to a lot of Christians. Most of us think of Palm Sunday as the day in which there is a very long Gospel reading at Mass and everyone gets a freshly cut piece of palm.
On the procession with the palms the Gospel according to St. John (12:12-16) states:
When the great crowd that had come to the feast heard
that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out:
“Hosanna!
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,
the king of Israel.”
Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written:
Fear no more, O daughter Zion;
see, your king comes, seated upon an ass’s colt.
His disciples did not understand this at first,
but when Jesus had been glorified
they remembered that these things were written about him
and that they had done this for him
This year Palm Sunday falls on April 1 which is also April Fools Day. However this Feast is not a practical joke. This same fickle crowd that showers Jesus with Hosannas on this day will shortly be yelling “Crucify Him” by Friday.
What about us? Do we welcome Jesus into the gates of our hearts, only to crucify Him soon shortly afterwards? I’m afraid that each one of us has done this in some form or fashion in our lives. The same question could be examined in our relationships with others. Are our relationships characteristic of being extremely friendly one moment and then being cold the next? There is a lot to be said about being genuine and it is truly human nature to be fickle. However it is the higher road to be humble and loving to even those who might turn on us.
It is clear that Jesus was not running a popularity contest. In fact, He took on the role of servant according to St. Paul:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
It is His example of allowing Himself to be abandoned and going to the Cross that speaks of humility and great love for us in spite of our attitude du jour.
Above is a clip of the first Palm Sunday from the movie The Gospel of John.
(c) 2012 Catholic Counselor Lady. My Grandma Pearl and those mysterious hands.
Everyone likes a mystery
There is a strange picture that emerged among my grandmother’s old photos after she died. The image is reported to be of my Grandmother Pearl as a little toddler. At a quick glance one can easily assume that it is a small child sitting with her fingers neatly interlocked in front of her. However on double take and at closer inspection one can easily see that the hands are oddly too big and aged to belong to the subject of the picture. Someone’s wrinkled and stubbly fingers are in the forefront. Faintly, if anything, a figure disappears into the ribbons of my Grandma Pearl’s hair.
Who or what then belong to these hands?
It is a family mystery. One thing for sure is that those hands didn’t belong to the Palmolive woman. This was back before modern washing machines. One logical conclusion is that these fingers actually belonged to my Great Grandmother Jennie, who was Pearl’s mother. Jennie was a very tiny woman under 5 feet tall. Perhaps she actually held her tiny Pearl on her lap so as to keep her baby from not falling, or comforting her from crying during the process. However, I wonder if a picture of Grandma in tears would have been less mysterious than those big hands? Then again we would wonder what was making the baby cry. Another look might suggest that Jennie might have even been twittling her thumbs!
Or was it vogue in those days to photograph kids with adult hands in the foreground? A couple of generations ago kids appeared on ponies and in Daniel Boone coon skin caps. I remember Grandma and her sisters appeared in one with a pony. And before that so did her father, George, appear on a horse when he was a little boy. But what about babies with big old hands? Was it common?
Was the picture discounted because of those big mitts? I know my family loves a sale and if the image was reduced because Jennie’s hands appeared by mistake, this might have indeed been the reason. Or maybe it was two-for-the-price-of-one where the second person could only show a limb or two for free.
A deeper meaning implied by those hands?
It doesn’t take long until one can start thinking of deeper and more fuzzy warm thoughts emerge about what or who is behind those fingers. One interesting theory is that those hands represent my Grandma Pearl’s Guardian Angel. After all, each little child is given at least one Angel to guard and guide them throughout life. Isn’t it nice to think of little Pearl’s Angel watching over her? Or another thought is that perhaps the Blessed Virgin Mary, as her spiritual mother is cradling my Grandma. What a wonderful image! Although, personally think that Mary’s hands would be much daintier. Those hands could also be thought of as being put ready for prayer.
He’s got the whole world in His hands
Perhaps these hands are even stronger. These might be like the hands of God as they do show a certain toughness. I know that Sacred Scripture says: See upon the palms of my hands I have written your name; your walls are ever before me (Isaiah 49:16). It is interesting to see that this verse follows what I discussed just a couple of days ago in an earlier blog: Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? (vs. 15). A lot can be said about God’s hands. It is comforting to know that we are engraved on His hands. Not scribbled or tattooed, but indeed engraved deep in the skin. Even more than that, in thinking about God’s hands we are drawn to think of Jesus’ wounds as He was nailed to the Cross. In such a way we are truly deeply engraved.
What led me to think of all of this in the first place
The other day my cousin posted a picture of her young son Logan who had fallen asleep in his high chair. In the photo, the great grandson of Pearl sits with his fingers neatly interlocked in what looks like a prayerful and even angelic position. It brought my mind back to the hands placed in front of tiny Pearl so long ago. It is interesting that by holding hands we are all connected.
(c) 2012 Amy Wall. My cousin's son Logan with his hands in position.
The Annunciation by Fra Angelico (1438-45).
A bit about obedience and submission
Few of us don’t like to think about submission, let alone humble obedience. The word obedience conjures up images of dog school training or boot camp. On the surface it appears to be a harsh term that suggests restriction of our individual freedom and independence. But if one were to think about it, obedience usually serves a higher purpose, focuses on the future, and usually leads to greater freedom. A dog properly trained can have free reign of the house and yard. A person who participates in boot camp learns how to serve in order to preserve the liberties of one’s country. Children fare better when they are in a loving environment that provides structure. Of course this is all true if the submission serves a benevolent purpose and is life-giving. One can probably think of instances where submission did not have a good result, such as in Nazi, Germany. So a measure of prudence and discernment is necessary.
When I began my blog back during the season of Advent, the scripture for that day contained the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Fiat. The Scripture for today, which happens to be the Annunciation of the Lord, also contains this Fiat. In summary, Mary’s Fiat was her humble obedience to God’s plan for her to become the Mother of Jesus. It is the earth-shattering moment that Mary says yes to God who is good. In the Gospel of Luke she states:
Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
Annunciation is significant for the Church
The Annunciation is a significant time in the Church because it marks the moment of the Incarnation. Today is all about humility and life. Humility is essentially accepting God’s will in our life. It is not always easy to go along with the game plan. Often on the surface, a situation may not appear like it is going to work out. Not everyone likes to be put on the level of servant or handmaiden. Accepting God’s will requires making a leap of faith, humble obedience, and discernment. Most of all it requires great grace from God.
Following God’s will isn’t easy
The Blessed Virgin Mary could have chosen to say no to God’s plan. But she knew God was good, as she had the singular grace of being free from sin. This is why the Catholic Church refers to her as the Immaculate Conception. She was full of grace as is evidenced from the announcement by the Angel Gabriel: Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you!
The announcement of her being miraculously impregnated by the Holy Spirit must have been a startling situation, to put it mildly. Everything hinged on Mary’s response to Angel Gabriel’s question of whether or not she would be willing to participate in God’s plan. She knew that her decision involved undertaking a great sacrifice and going outside of her own level of comfort. But she was willing to cooperate in serving a function that was life-giving biologically and spiritually.
What about our own lives?
Without doubt, each and every one of us remembers a time in our lives when we were faced with a situation and we needed to make a decision. Or we might be in the middle of one now. Such decisions, in order to serve a higher good, are not easy because they usually involve great sacrifice. One example that is a good parallel to the Blessed Virgin Mary is the many women who experience an unplanned pregnancy. The higher good is always for life, even if it is inconvenient. This is why Mary is the patroness of the unborn and mothers. The Church always stands for life from womb to the tomb. One friend of mine wrote on Facebook, “Today’s gift: fall in love with life.”
A famous painting in Florence
A famous fresco painting of the Annunciation by Fra Angelico appears in the Monastery of San Marco in Florence, Italy. My family and I had the opportunity to tour this monastery a couple of years ago. I actually did not know that this painting was in this monastery until I was literally bowled over with awe when I encountered it at the top of the stairs on the first floor of the dormitory. I had to pinch myself to check to see if I was not dreaming at having the opportunity to see this great masterpiece which was painted sometime between 1438-1445. I included a copy of it at the top of this blog.
March 25 is known as the solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord unless it happens to fall on a Sunday in Lent. So this year it is observed on Monday March 26.
(c) 2012 Diane DeFelippo. Ultrasound of my nephew Anthony.
The thoughtfulness of remembering
We like to be remembered, especially during special times like birthdays and anniversaries. When we are remembered by family and friends, we tend to interpret it as meaning that they care about us. It feels nice to have our occasion imprinted in their brains and on their hearts.
People selectively remember
However, unfortunately sometimes even those with the best of intentions sometimes forget. This does not mean that they love any less. It might be that their mental faculties may have been distracted for whatever reason. Or that they don’t get the dates and facts straight in the first place. Or they might have even delivered but the message was not received! If you live in a high-rise building like I do, sometimes cell service selectively receives messages.
A lot can be said about memory. In general, most people are poor historians. That is because each and every one of us selectively remembers events and people. It is not on purpose. So as a general rule it is better to give people the benefit of the doubt. It is just the way we are. If you ask ten people to recall an event, you get ten different versions. It is not that one is better than another, but they will be different. One popular technique in psychology is to ask a client their earliest memory. A lot can be inferred by what a person happens to recall, the way that it is described, and what is omitted. Research has shown that often the event might not even match what really happened from a historical perspective.
Memory and pathology?
Memory can serve a survival function in allowing us to selectively recall or not recall traumatic experiences. The brain is wired to help warn and teach us of dangers through its fight or flight functions. If a monster is going to attack us, we need to remember where it is and how we came upon a monster. However sometimes memories can become overwhelming and lead to post traumatic distress (PTSD) type symptoms with flash backs and nightmares. A person might have trouble turning these types of memories off and therefore might seek professional help. Or in the case of repression, a person might need help to turn on a memory.
There is the classic case of a Soviet neuropsychologist, Alexander Luria, who studied a subject in the 1920s named Solomon Shereshevsky who literally could remember everything. Luria’s work resulted in a book entitled, The Mind of the Mmenomist. His patient could recall details of events even years after their occurrence, including complete speeches, and complex mathematical equations. However, when it came to everyday life, Shereshevsky had great difficulties, suffered from confusion, had difficulty reading, could not keep a job, and barely scored average on intelligence exams. This person had to go through great effort to delete memories from his brain. Looking at the above examples makes one wonder if it is worth having a good memory at all. Clearly as human beings having total recall can turn into a liability.
Out of sight, out of mind?
The old saying goes that when something is out of sight, it escapes our mindfulness.That is why it is a great mnemonic device to place visual reminders around to do something. There are people who put strings on their fingers and set timers. I might place a bag of trash in the middle of hallway to remind myself to take it out.
Women contemplating an abortion commonly don’t like to hear the word “baby” used to describe the fetus. This is because the idea of a blob of tissue is replaced with the image of a genuine live human being. In fact, when abortion-minded women see their unborn children via ultrasound…86.9% choose life (http://www.frc.org/brochure/i-see-you-telling-the-icu-mobile-story). They cannot forget the child. This was obtained from a report by R. G. Morrison of the Family Research Council. A natural love bond forms between the mother and child when she is able to see her little one for the first time. Seeing the “baby” imprints on the mother’s mind. The ultrasound image is often the first picture of a baby. Proud parents often display it on the refrigerator and even post it on Facebook. On the flip side, many women report having grief and inability to forget their baby and even their unseen fetus for years after undergoing an abortion procedure. Ambivalent feelings may initially dominate, however guilt, insomnia, depression, suicidal thoughts, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, infertility, eating disorders, psychosomatic illnesses, and failed relationships commonly result after a woman decides to terminate her baby’s life through an abortion (obtained from hopeafterabortion.com).
A mother’s memory
Interestingly from a spiritual standpoint, the memory of God is compared to that of a mother! The capacity of a mother’s memory when it comes to her children is amazing. I often joke that with each pregnancy more brain cells escaped with the placenta. And it takes a lot of memory to multi-task when taking care of little (and big) ones. Women can hear and do out of more than two ears and hands. Today’s (March 21) reading from the book of the Prophet Isaiah 49:8-15 states: Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? I will never forget you.
A very comforting image that speaks of God’s great compassion and love for us.
March 19 a significant feast day
It is the Feast of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the stepfather of Jesus. He is the patron of the Universal Church, families, fatherhood, expectant mothers, the dying, travelers, immigrants, house sellers and buyers, craftsmen, engineers, workers, and social justice.This feast day is actually observed by many denominations of Christianity.
St. Joseph a man of compassion, faith, and courage
St. Joseph, known for his compassion, love, faith, piety, obedience, and courage, is the earthly father figure of the Holy Family. The Gospels of Luke and Matthew give a few details of the man who was appointed by God to be the guardian of Jesus and protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was a humble carpenter that was betrothed to Mary. He was not wealthy as seen from his offering of two turtle doves in the Temple in contrast to a lamb which was usually given by those who are rich. From the information given in the Bible, we know that St. Joseph cared for the Holy Family during Jesus’ childhood and adolescence. It is assumed that St. Joseph died in the arms of Jesus and Mary before Christ’s adult earthly ministry. For this reason he is the patron of the dying and of those desiring a peaceful death.
St. Joseph was a man of faith who followed God’s will even though he didn’t necessarily know the outcome. Instead of putting Mary to shame upon the news of her pregnancy, he followed the advice given to him by an Angel in a dream to marry and protect her. He took Jesus and Mary into Egypt when he discovered that they were in danger. This involved becoming a stranger in a foreign land, leaving, home, family, and everything that was familiar to him. He was also involved in searching for three days for the adolescent Jesus in the Temple.
A needed example
The example of St. Joseph is one that is needed in our day, particularly in light of the decline of the traditional nuclear family—i.e., defined as a married heterosexual couple with one or more children. According to one of my textbooks, “among the many significant shifts in family configuration are the continued shrinkage of the traditional nuclear family to only one-quarter of all households, and the dramatic increase in single-parent families. Further the fact that within a year of divorce, some 50 percent of fathers cease contact with their children and 40 percent fail to pay child support” (The Expanded Family Life Cycle, Carter & McGoldrick, Eds, 2005, p. 131).
More current data released from the US 2010 Census reveals a changing American family. Married couples make up less than half of all households. This data reveals that about one fifth of families are traditional nuclear which is even less from the one fourth quoted above in my 2005 source.
Involved fathers can bring positive benefits to their families
The article, The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children, published in 2006 by Rosenberg & Bradford of the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Children’s Bureau, reveals that “Fathers are far more than just ‘second adults’ in the home,” … “Involved fathers bring positive benefits to their children that no other person is as likely to bring. Fathers have a direct impact on the well-being of their children.” Benefits discussed include higher cognitive ability and educational achievement, emotional security, improved social behavior and development. There is also less involvement in drugs, violence, and delinquent behavior in children who are raised by caring and involved fathers.
Another interesting discussion in the article is the impact of Mother-Father relationship on child outcomes: “fathers influence their children in large part through the quality of their relationship with the mother of their children. A father who has a good relationship with the mother of their children is more likely to be involved and to spend time with their children and to have children who are psychologically and emotionally healthier. Similarly, a mother who feels affirmed by her children’s father and who enjoys the benefits of a happy relationship is more likely to be a better mother. Indeed, the quality of the relationship affects the parenting behavior of both parents. They are more responsive, affectionate, and confident with their infants; more self-controlled in dealing with defiant toddlers; and better confidants for teenagers seeking advice and emotional support.”
This is article actually appears on a publications section of the U.S. Department of Health and Human services. Here is the link if interested in reading it in its entirety:
http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/usermanuals/fatherhood/chaptertwo.cfm
Fathers need role models too
As St. Joseph followed the will of God, he is a good role model for fatherhood as he embodied the example of compassion, faith, and courage. He was a humble guardian of Holy Family. As such he gives great dignity to manhood. Remember? He was chosen by God to accompany the Immaculate Conception! His heart must have been enraptured from the excitement of being in the company of Our Lord and Our Lady. A lot of fathers experience joy and love from the company of their wife and god-given children. One important point to emphasize is that he relied on the heavenly Father in his calling as an earthly father.
I like the above music video as it not only has a catchy tune, but also shows a young man’s reliance on God the Father for help in being a husband and father. The song is called, “Lead Me” by Sanctus Real. While the young man is leading his family, he is also being led by God. (Please ignore the ad at the beginning of the video if it appears. I tried to eliminate it but not sure if I was successful on your version).
Blizzard of 1977 in Niagara Falls, NY obtained from wakeupniagara.blogspot.com
Reading about the history of Niagara Falls, NY tends to make me feel a bit home sick. I’ve lived in a lot of places in my life but for some reason my heart maintains an attachment to the place where I was born and spent the first 16 years of my life. It has been over 33 years since I last took up residence there. My Mom tends to refer to it as “back home.” It’s not that it is a fancy place or anything. In fact, it has gone downhill and a lot of people will testify that the town has become quite a pit. The city has spent the last 20+ years trying to revitalize to no avail. My old house in Youngstown, NY underwent renovation by the new owners a couple of years ago. The only problem was that the person did not obtain a building permit and it ended up staying in the pre-renovation “tear it up before I fix it up” state. Now the weeds have taken over. It is a sad sight as I remember what pride my stepfather had in keeping a well-manicured lawn aboard his riding lawn mower. I remember the hard work that went into building a 2-bedroom addition on the side of the house and the joy we had over vacuuming the bright orange shag carpeting in the living room.
The move South
I experienced many horrible winters in the suburbs of Niagara. The Blizzard of 77 is the mother of all winters in my memory. I recently came across a photo published online and it confirmed that my memory was not exaggerating. Sometimes I think that it was a major incentive for my parents to move South in April 1979. I remember that move well and was quite excited for the new adventure. We travelled to our new place literally shedding our boots and coats along the way. We arrived under a Carolina blue sky. With green vegetation everywhere, the road trip down through the Eastern Seaboard allowed us to see the evolution of a blooming spring flower—from Niagara barren frozen ground, to green grass, to buds, and then a full flower in North Carolina. In a few months I was to experience real humidity and Japanese beetles. I was to have my first barbecue and Brunswick stew.
I remember eating dinner at my maternal grandparents the night before we left. I really don’t remember the contents of the meal. But it would be the last time. As we pulled out of that old familiar driveway, I heard my stepfather say, “Take a good look, it may be a while before we return.” I had spent so many meals of my childhood at that table which had gained a reputation for hosting burned pancakes for breakfast and some sort of jarred Ragu with spaghetti for dinner. No matter what was on the menu, I always felt loved and secure there. For years I would try to remember the items in my grandparents’ home, like an exercise of counting sheep before I went to sleep. It was not an easy task as they both tended to be hoarders of sorts. My Salvatore Grandparents both died in 1988. I have many relatives who still live there. Each visit brings back fond memories.
I wonder if my great grandparents experienced the same kind of nostalgia as they remembered the lands from which they immigrated. I don’t think that my great grandmother Teresa was ever able to return to her native Italy. From what I understand, in those days people fled due to hunger in search of a new life and opportunity. I left the cold climate in Niagara in search of good weather and perhaps an exciting future. Eventually opportunities in life would lead me to experience the some more cold weather in Chicago. It is interesting how life tends to make a full circle. My own Dad lived many years in Arizona and recently returned to Niagara.
We are all exiles
What makes me think about “back home” was in today’s (Sunday) Old Testament reading where the Israelites were led into captivity away from their native land to Babylon. A line in psalm 137 reads, “By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.” They were exiled in a foreign land. And they could never forget the land from where they came. In the same way, life on this earth is like a journey toward heaven for those who desire to know and follow God. Those who try to follow His Commandments can feel like foreigners in the midst of a secular culture.
Spiritual implications
The spiritual journey brought to my mind mental images of Jesus along the Via Dolorosa, the street where He lugged His heavy Cross on the way to His crucifixion. Via Dolorosa literally means “way of suffering.” Clearly it is the way of those exiled on this earth. Today’s Gospel (John 3:14-21) contains an up-lifting promise:
Jesus said to Nicodemus: Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so much the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.
The reference is to the book of Numbers where God had once commanded Moses to elevate a brass serpent on a pole in the desert after the Israelites were complaining about being exiled in the wilderness. After this, if any of the Israelites were bitten by a snake, they were immediately healed by looking up at this serpent on a pole. A fascinating account, as it foreshadowed Jesus on the Cross and the antidote for those in need of spiritual healing.
Perhaps there are some of you out there who sometimes get homesick. Home sick is not always a place but can also be all of those special persons and memories associated with it. It can also be a spiritual longing.
Grandma and Grandpa Salvatore along with cousin Michelle and Aunt Phyllis in their driveway in Ransomville, NY in Niagara County in the early 1970s
Rev. Robert Corson (1793-1878), Methodist Minister, Upper Canada. My Great Great Great Great Grand Uncle. Doesn't he look Irish?
It’s that time of year again. When I patronized my local Chick-Fil-A, I noticed that many people were drinking a mysterious green fluid. After a few minutes, I discovered that it was dyed lemonade. Then it hit me. It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day.
Everything turning green.
They dye the river green here. This is a tradition that was started by the plumbers back in 1962. Although to be quite honest, I believe that the Chicago River is green naturally and even sometimes a fluorescent turquoise. We’re not talking about something pretty. The Chicago Tribune in May 2011 quoted that a conservation group deemed the river to be one of the Nation’s most threatened waterways. This is because of the billions of partially treated human and industrial waste dumped into it daily. The good news is that it is in the process of being cleaned up. The bad news is that it will cost about half a billion.
Green with envy to be Irish
St. Patrick’s is one of those saints like St. Valentines and St. Nicholas, that seems to appeal to the general American public as well as the entrepreneurial at heart as can be evidenced by the prevalence of “green” stuff for sale. St. Patrick’s Day is when most search for an Irish gene or at least a pair of green jeans.
In researching for my own Irish roots, I found that my great great Grandmother, Lydia, on my father’s side was a “Corson” from Canada. The surname Corson is actually Scottish/Northern Irish in origin. In fact I discovered that my 4th great grand uncle, Rev. Robert Corson (1793-1878), was a Wesleyan Methodist Minister who was instrumental in bringing this particular denomination to Upper Canada – a missionary of sorts. There is an old biography (dated 1879) out there of him entitled, Father Corson, or The Old Style Canadian Itinerate: Embracing the Life and Gospel Labours of the Rev. Robert Corson, Fifty-Six Years A Minister in Connection with Central Methodism in Upper Canada. An old picture shows a stern looking man with bushy eyebrows.
In looking for some other Irish ancestry, family ancestors with the surname “Edgar” come close. My great great maternal grandmother Arabella Edgar whom I featured in my “Blooming Red Onion” post, may have had Scottish/Irish roots. However, according to my research only DNA can confirm the exact origin.
St. Pat was not even native Irish
One can see that I struggle to make a connection to any Irish roots. Well I can relax because actually the truth of the matter is that St. Patrick was not native Irish. He actually was born in Scotland around 385 A.D. and his parents were wealthy Romans (as in Italian). He was later kidnapped by pirates and made a slave in Ireland. It was during his captivity that he turned to God in prayer. He escaped at the age of 20 after God told him how to get away in a dream. However in another dream he heard the people of Ireland call out to him: “We beg you, holy youth to come and walk among us once more.” As a result he became a priest, then a bishop and took the Gospel to Ireland. He used the leaves of the shamrock plant which were abundant in Ireland to illustrate the concept of the Holy Trinity.
Spiritual contribution
For many these days, St. Patrick’s Day has little spiritual significance. St. Patrick’s Day often is hidden behind images of leprechauns and many use it as a rowdy excuse to drink green variations of alcohol in excess. In big cities it is often better to hide at home until all of the secular festivities are finished for fear of being broad sided by a drunk. In Chicago, when the weather is warmer, the number of shootings and homicides increase. Kind of puts a damper on the idea of a party.
However, St. Patrick has given us a deep spiritual legacy. The real St. Patrick exercised extreme humility and was a mystic. His prayer life revealed intimacy with God. He gave all credit, glory, praise and honor to God for his accomplishments. Here St. Patrick in his book Confession gives us a little bit of his own biography:
I, Patrick, a sinner, a most simple countryman, the least of all the faithful and most contemptible to many, had for father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement of Bannavem Taburniae; he had a small villa nearby where I was taken captive. I was at that time about sixteen years of age. I did not, indeed, know the true God; and I was taken into captivity in Ireland with many thousands of people, according to our deserts, for quite drawn away from God, we did not keep his precepts, nor were we obedient to our priests who used to remind us of our salvation. And the Lord brought down on us the fury of his being and scattered us among many nations, even to the ends of the earth, where I, in my smallness, am now to be found among foreigners.
It is interesting that he is a saint for so many of us foreigners even today!
DO IT ANYWAY
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
(This poem is inscribed on the wall of Blessed Mother Theresa’s children’s home in Calcutta, India. She and the Missionaries of Charity have made it popular. Mother Theresa is credited to have revised it from an original poem by Kent M. Keith. Mother Theresa’s version here is obtained from http://prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway.htm)
Definition of charity
I used to think that the word charity meant welfare or a service organization. Dictionary.com defines charity as “generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless;” “something given to persons, a person or persons in need;” “alms;” “a charitable act or work;” “a charitable fund, foundation or institution;” “benevolent feeling especially toward those in need or in disfavor.” So when doing my taxes more charitable organizations always seemed like good news to me.
It wasn’t until journeying into my faith that I discovered that the word for charity also carries huge spiritual significance. Charity, a theological virtue, is synonymous with love. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia charity is defined as: “a divinely infused habit, inclining the human will to cherish God for His own sake above all things, and man for the sake of God.”
So essentially, the true spiritual significance of charity centers on God as the source, the reason, and the end result. Charity’s origin is by divine infusion in that it is a gift from God. Charity’s seat is in the human will. Although sometimes tempered by emotions, charity is essentially an act of the rational will and is not to be confused with our passions. Charity is a specific act and is an outgrowth of one’s relationship to God that spills out to others. Ultimately charity comes from God who is love.
So then are we ever really self-less?
I have often heard it said that no matter what we do, at the heart of it there is some motive for selfish gain. Whether it be for additional deductions on one’s tax return, respect from one’s peers and the community, and/or a cushy seat in heaven next to Jesus. Even I have heard some people say that heaven doesn’t sound like that much fun if it involves sitting on clouds playing harps or praying the rosary all day. Honestly, heaven probably isn’t very much fun if one doesn’t care about ever loving God. However, I have heard it say that hell is a state of complete absence of love. Something to think about, especially if God = love!!
St. Bernard and the four levels of love
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in his classic work On Loving God, describes different levels of charity that a person can achieve in his or her own spiritual journey.
The first degree of love is a person loves him or herself for his or her own sake.This is based on a person being unable to see beyond anything but him or herself. This is a selfish type of love and can be largely materialistic and narcissistic.
The second degree of love is a person loves God for his or her own benefit. This is where one might turn to God to save one’s own neck out of desperation. This relationship is based on what God can do for a person.
The third degree of love is that a person loves God for God’s sake. A person starts to see God for more than just a benefactor but starts to get caught up in awe and the “taste and see that the Lord is good”. This person sees God for who He is and not just what can be obtained.
The fourth degree of love is that person loves him or herself for the sake of God. This one is the most difficult to understand and usually is not obtainable while on this earth and in this life. St. Bernard states: “I would say that a man is blessed and holy to whom it is given to experience this sort, so rare in life, even if it be but once and for the space of a moment.” This is indeed the level where one is indeed free from all selfishness. One loves oneself in God. I personally notice that it is very interesting that the ultimate goal is to be able to love oneself in God. This really speaks to how much God really loves each one of us! Self love is good when it is through love of God.
Charity is almsgiving
When does love of God become love of neighbor? In this season of lent we focus on almsgiving which is an outpouring of charity for others from our love for God. I chose to include the video of Mother Theresa in this post because her example of charity speaks loudly of how love for God pours out into our love for others.
After all, God is Love (1 John 4:8).
