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The Annual Blog Roundup for 2010The new year is here! So, as my annual blog tradition goes here is the best and worst of 2010 Best Memory This year, I enjoyed singing "O Come Emmanuel" around the Advent wreath with my kids more than anything else all year. The expectant joy in their faces, their loud, joyful singing, and the magic of the candlelight and our love made present around the table as we shared a meal amongst ourselves or with friends was just amazing. Often, it prompted theological questions that were deep and soul-stirring from them. I loved those moments. I know that doesn't sound like much, but to know that we are sucessfully passing on the faith to my kids was just amazing. I also really enjoyed our family trips (we never do anything, really, but we drive to a couple towns within a few hours and visit stuff. I liked our Ocean Isle trip this year.) I have REALLY loved having my parents here to visit, for the first time in years Thanksgiving was perfect for EVERYONE! Also, my brother and his wife and their daughter bought a new house, and it's close, and it's nice to be with them. We have shared some very special holiday joy over the year with them! And it definitely felt GREAT to see my husband's entire family, who have such a crazy history and such a hard time with each other, sitting around the Christmas Dinner having what appeared to be a perfect Christmas meal! That was very special to me. Worst Memory This has been such a painful year. My worst memories by far are of the days on end in the hospital with my youngest, fresh in my mind since today, on New Year's Eve, she developped another MRSA infection. Please keep her in your prayers. I'm also overwhelmed with the frustrations of our job search and the difficulties we have endured not having our own place to live. I think I've done a lot of spiritual growing (learning to give more and expect less, etc) and it's painful shedding layers of my own self-importance etc, not only when it happens but also the shame we can experience when looking back at what a selfish piece of crap we were later. Those have been tough. I realized in many ways the dangerous impact of my protestant mindset on my intellect and the intellect of others, on God's creation, and on my own pride. (unchecked "God's child" syndrome.) Although it's tough, I'm glad I learned the lesson that Obedience is how to find God's will. I hope it sticks. Funniest Moment Just all the daily ins and outs of kid's asking questions and saying/doing hilarious stuff. My kids make me laugh nearly once an hour. Biggest Surprise Biggest surprise this year was this afternoon, when my youngest developped ANOTHER MRSA infection after having been declared (finally) perfectly healthy only three months ago. Song of the Year O Come O Come Emmanuel, only because we sang it around the advent wreath each night of Advent and my oldest thought it went : "O COme, O Come O Maaaaaanuel." Which made it a very mexican Christmas, especially when she sang it ceaselessly morning, noon, and night. Movie of the Year The only movies I saw this year were Paranormal Activity 2 and the Last Exorcism. So, by default, PA2, even though I didn't love it. Website of the Year Hmmm. Still love Our Garden Of Carmel, and I think my second award winner goes to Catholics for Israel, which is linked at the bottom of my page. I'm so thankful for having found them. Most awesome FOs I'm sorry to say I can't remember a single one. That's what happens when you have three kids three and under. (same answer as last year.) I still owe three people knitting gifts. Le BIG Sigh. Most ridiculous WIPs Dominic's Kilt Hose. I've been working on them for months and then they keep getting wrecked by the kids. OH MY GOSH. This was my same answer last year. How pathetic is that?? Best Forum Debate I have thoroughly enjoyed my new debates in "Union in Christ" group on Facebook, but I think the best forum debate by FAR goes to the whole Islamo-phobe you-can't-take-communion-if-you're-a-heretic fight I had with my dad on Facebook...and any number of arguments I had with my husband on FB which ended in him defriending me. AGAIN. :) Most incredible Kingdom Advances IS NOW: "Advances in Spirituality" This year, I think, was a deepening understanding of Carmelite spirituality taken outside the context of "mystical wowiness" and into the practical realm. Biggest disappointment Having to leave Carmelite formation for a while was the hardest thing I think I can remember ever having to do. It was definitely the right choice, but I am YEARNING for the day I can finally go back. I've also been very disappointed with church-related stuff. I long for the Bishops to do something about all the garbage being passed off as "Catholic" these days. Best Adventure Another year with no vacations, but we did enjoy going to Ocean Isle on a family trip to the beach this year for a day and that was amazing. It was fun seeing my husband SO happy! Looking forward This is the last two years worth of "Looking Forwards" from my 2010 entry Last year I prophesied that 2008 would be a year of renewal... "We will have our vision restored, our hearts turned towards God afresh, and a new annointing to complete the tasks He puts before us." (you can read last year's roundup here: http://stitchlove.blogspot.com/2007/12/annual-roundup.html) When I reread that this year, I kinda wanted to jump up and say "BINGO!" That's exactly what 2008 was for us. We renewed our vows to make this family work, we renewed our commitment to Christ and gained fresh vision for our family that helped us to accomplish a lot of our goals as a family. As I pursue the Lord for a vision for next year, the word He keeps giving me is "wait and see." I think 2009 is going to be a year of building on that vision and especially of experiencing the "goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (Psalm 122) I don't make new year's resolutions anymore because the secular new year doesn't speak to me as much as the liturgical seasons, but if I were going to make one, it would be this: In 2009, I want to be Holy--- Contemplative, and conquered by Christ, just like Mary. Amazing to me that I could have been so right on!!It feels amazing to me that it would be exactly that... I experienced the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I couldn't believe what pure joy I have experienced in the last year, when the trials got so bad I thought I was going to lose it-- there was always some perfect- and I mean PERFECT -- moment right behind it to show me that the suffering produces fruit. These moments built faith, hope, and love in me and I can't express my amazement at God's presence. Thank you, God, for clear vision! Next year, 2010, I feel like God is telling me that it will be a year of promise- one in which I will begin to see the fruit of the pursuit of His sacred heart, and one in which, although marked by periods of driness, we will drink of the stream of living water. Happy 2010, y'all. Blessings on your house! Once again, WOW! Last year's entry couldn't have been more accurate. In so many ways I have seen fruit, but surprisingly none of it has been physical. Physically, we are worse off than we ever have been.... job wise, living situation wise, health wise, etc. We are certainly suffering! However instead of all of those, I see TREMENDOUS improvement-- I almost don't dare say it for fear of sounding pretentious-- in our spiritual lives. Areas of sin we weren't even aware of are melting away and we are totally amazed by how near we have drawn to God, both as a family and individually. Instead of turning in circles, we actually see progress.... not "maturity" in knowledge of God but "maturity" in our ability to love better and suffer better.I was NOT expecting that last year, but that's what we got! Talk about periods of driness, and living streams of water in the midst of those!!! That's the year in a nutshell. SOooooo, for next year, I believe we will continue to find ourselves sheltered in His wings.... drawing nearer to His heart and nurturing our love for Him & each other. The picture I keep getting is the word "formation," like a flock of birds making a V, heading in one direction, instinctively knowing where to go. I guess that means for our family, that we will begin to "go in the same direction" and hopefully leave the exile we have been in for some time now. My hope and prayer is for next year to be better. And even though my New Year is not starting off very well, I believe with God all things are possible. Amen! May God bless and keep you this New Year 2011! Enjoy the slideshow. NEW YEARS GOALS AND RESOLUTIONS: 1. I've been doing really good about sticking to my workouts and ashtanga practice, as well as counting calories. I think once I stop nursing I will see some results (my body keeps nursing weight) so I plan on sticking to this good diet and exercise scheme I have going on. 2. I will read the Ascent of Mt Carmel (John of the Cross) and The Way of Perfection (Teresa of Avila) through this year as a part of my preparation for a return to my formation, and commit to LIVING what I read. I wll do a better job of keeping a reading journal. 3. I will use my organizer ALL the time, not just when it's convenient, and in doing so keep up so I don't have to get CAUGHT up. I will work on procrastination (haha) 4.I will increase my efforts to teach my Children the Faith through observing the liturgical year in the home and at Church. This year was AMAZING! May next year be twice as good because I will be twice as prepared and we will have twice as much to do since I will be observing the Latin Rite Calendar and the Biblical Hebrew feasts with them. 5. I will double my efforts to love my husband and not give him the kids' sloppy seconds. 6. I will get my driver's liscense. 7.Now that I can pray the LOTH again, I will go back to my spiritual disciplines that created so much fruit in my life: 30 mins of daily mental prayer, Lauds, Vespers, Compline, Spiritual Reading daily, and when I can drive, daily mass with the kids. These are foundational. 8. I will pray more regularly with my husband and not just my kids. I will ask him for more bible studies and read philosophy with him as he asks, instead of whining because I don't like the way he does it. :) 9. I will stop and hug my kids more. 10. I will go back to baking bread every other day. I miss doing that. :) |
"Perhaps this is one of the secrets of life-- to know 'Glory' when we see it..." --Charlotte M. Mason
Friday, December 31, 2010
The yearly roundup 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
The Bishops on Catholic-Jewish relations, personal prayer, and liturgical guidelines for community celebrations.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
September, 1988
On June 24, 1985, the solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist, the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews issued its Notes on the Correct Way to Present the Jews and Judaism in Preaching and Catechesis of the Roman Catholic Church (hereafter, 1985 Notes; USCC Publication No. 970). The 1985 Notes rested on a foundation of previous church statements, addressing the tasks given Catholic homilists by the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (Nostra Aetate), no. 4.
On December 1, 1974, for example, the Holy See had issued Guidelines and Suggestions for Implementing the Conciliar Declaration "Nostra Aetate," no. 4 (hereafter, 1974 Guidelines). The second and third sections of this document placed central emphasis on the important and indispensable role of the homilist in ensuring that God's Word be received without prejudice toward the Jewish people or their religious traditions, asking "with respect to liturgical readings," that "care be taken to see that homilies based on them will not distort their meaning, especially when it is a question of passages which seem to show the Jewish people as such in unfavorable light" (1974 Guidelines, no. 2). In this country, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, in 1975, similarly urged catechists and homilists to work together to develop among Catholics increasing "appreciation of the Jewishness of that heritage and rich spirituality which we derive from Abraham, Moses, the prophets, the psalmists, and other spiritual giants of the Hebrew Scriptures" (Statement on Catholic-Jewish Relations, November 20, 1975, no. 12).
Much progress has been made since then. As it continues, sensitivities will need even further sharpening, founded on the Church's growing understanding of biblical and rabbinic Judaism.
It is the purpose of these present Guidelines to assist the homilist in these continuing efforts by indicating some of the major areas where challenges and opportunities occur and by offering perspectives and suggestions for dealing with them.
Jewish Roots of the Liturgy
1. "Our common spiritual heritage [with Judaism] is considerable. To assess it carefully in itself and with due awareness of the faith and religious life of the Jewish people as they are professed and practised still today, can greatly help us to understand better certain aspects of the life of the Church. Such is the case with the liturgy, whose Jewish roots remain still to be examined more deeply, and in any case should be better known and appreciated by the faithful" (Pope John Paul II, March 6, 1982).
2. Nowhere is the deep spiritual bond between Judaism and Christianity more apparent than in the liturgy. The very concepts of a liturgical cycle of feasts and the lectio continua principle of the lectionary that so mark Catholic tradition are adopted from Jewish liturgical practice. Easter and Pentecost have historical roots in the Jewish feasts of Passover and Shavuot. Though their Christian meaning is quite distinct, an awareness of their original context in the story of Israel is vital to their understanding, as the lectionary readings themselves suggest. Where appropriate, such relationships should be pointed out. The homilist, as a "mediator of meaning" (NCCB Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry, Fulfilled in Your Hearing, 1982) interprets for the liturgical assembly not only the Scriptures but their liturgical context as well.
3. The central action of Christian worship, the Eucharistic celebration, is likewise linked historically with Jewish ritual. The term for Church, ecclesia, like the original sense of the word synagogue, is an equivalent for the Hebrew keneset or kenessiyah (assembly). The Christian understanding of ecclesia is based on the biblical understanding of qahal as the formal "gathering" of the people of God. The Christian ordo (order of worship) is an exact rendering of the earliest rabbinic idea of prayer, called a seder, that is, an "order" of service. Moreover, the Christian ordo takes its form and structure from the Jewish seder: the Liturgy of the Word, with its alternating biblical readings, doxologies, and blessings; and the liturgical form of the Eucharist, rooted in Jewish meal liturgy, with its blessings over bread and wine. Theologically, the Christian concept of anamnesis coincides with the Jewish understanding of zikkaron (memorial reenactment). Applied to the Passover celebration, zikkaron refers to the fact that God's saving deed is not only recalled but actually relived through the ritual meal. The synoptic gospels present Jesus as instituting the Eucharist during a Passover seder celebrated with his followers, giving to it a new and distinctly Christian "memory."
4. In addition to the liturgical seasons and the Eucharist, numerous details of prayer forms and ritual exemplify the Church's continuing relationship with the Jewish people through the ages. The liturgy of the hours and the formulas of many of the Church's most memorable prayers, such as the "Our Father," continue to resonate with rabbinic Judaism and contemporary synagogue prayers.
5. The strongly Jewish character of Jesus' teaching and that of the primitive Church was culturally adapted by the growing Gentile majority and later blurred by controversies alienating Christianity from emerging rabbinic Judaism at the end of the first century. "By the third century, however, a de-Judaizing process had set in which tended to undervalue the Jewish origins of the Church, a tendency that has surfaced from time to time in devious ways throughout Christian history" (Statement on Catholic-Jewish Relations, no. 12).
6. This process has manifested itself in various ways in Christian history. In the second century, Marcion carried it to its absurd extreme, teaching a complete opposition between the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures and declaring that different Gods had inspired the two Testaments. Despite the Church's condemnation of Marcion's teachings, some Christians over the centuries continued to dichotomize the Bible into two mutually contradictory parts. They argued, for example, that the New Covenant "abrogated" or "superseded" the Old, and that the Sinai Covenant was discarded by God and replaced with another. The Second Vatican Council, in Dei Verbum and Nostra Aetate, rejected these theories of the relationship between the Scriptures. In a major address in 1980, Pope John Paul II linked the renewed understanding of Scripture with the Church's understanding of its relationship with the Jewish people, stating that the dialogue, as "the meeting between the people of God of the Old Covenant, never revoked by God, is at the same time a dialogue within our Church, that is to say, a dialogue between the first and second part of its Bible" (Pope John Paul II, Mainz, November 17, 1980).
7. Another misunderstanding rejected by the Second Vatican Council was the notion of collective guilt, which charged the Jewish people as a whole with responsibility for Jesus' death (cf. nos. 21-25 below, on Holy Week). From the theory of collective guilt, it followed for some that Jewish suffering over the ages reflected divine retribution on the Jews for an alleged "deicide." While both rabbinic Judaism and early Christianity saw in the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in A.D. 70 a sense of divine punishment (see Lk 19:42-44), the theory of collective guilt went well beyond Jesus' poignant expression of his love as a Jew for Jerusalem and the destruction it would face at the hands of Imperial Rome. Collective guilt implied that because "the Jews" had rejected Jesus, God had rejected them. With direct reference to Luke 19:44, the Second Vatican Council reminded Catholics that "nevertheless, now as before, God holds the Jews most dear for the sake of their fathers; he does not repent of the gifts he makes or of the calls he issues," and established as an overriding hermeneutical principle for homilists dealing with such passages that "the Jews should not be represented as rejected by God or accursed, as if this followed from Holy Scripture" (Nostra Aetate, no. 4; cf. 1985 Notes, VI:33).
8. Reasons for increased sensitivity to the ways in which Jews and Judaism are presented in homilies are multiple. First, understanding of the biblical readings and of the structure of Catholic liturgy will be enhanced by an appreciation of their ancient sources and their continuing spiritual links with Judaism. The Christian proclamation of the saving deeds of the One God through Jesus was formed in the context of Second Temple Judaism and cannot be understood thoroughly without that context. It is a proclamation that, at its heart, stands in solidarity with the continuing Jewish witness in affirming the One God as Lord of history. Further, false or demeaning portraits of a repudiated Israel may undermine Christianity as well. How can one confidently affirm the truth of God's covenant with all humanity and creation in Christ (see Rom 8:21) without at the same time affirming God's faithfulness to the Covenant with Israel that also lies at the heart of the biblical testimony?
9. As Catholic homilists know, the liturgical year presents both opportunities and challenges. One can show the parallels between the Jewish and Catholic liturgical cycles. And one can, with clarity, confront misinterpretations of the meaning of the lectionary readings, which have been too familiar in the past. Specifically, homilists can guide people away from a triumphalism that would equate the pilgrim Church with the Reign of God, which is the Church's mission to herald and proclaim. Likewise, homilists can confront the unconscious transmission of anti-Judaism through clichés that derive from an unhistorical overgeneralization of the self-critical aspects of the story of Israel as told in the Scriptures (e.g., "hardheartedness" of the Jews, 'blindness," "legalism," "materialism," "rejection of Jesus," etc.). From Advent through Passover/Easter, to Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana, the Catholic and Jewish liturgical cycles spiral around one another in a stately progression of challenges to God's people to repent, to remain faithful to God's call, and to prepare the world for the coming of God's Reign. While each is distinct and unique, they are related to one another. Christianity is engrafted on and continues to draw sustenance from the common root, biblical Israel (Rom 11:13-24).
10. In this respect, the 1985 Notes, stressing "the unity of the divine plan" (no. 11), caution against a simplistic framing of the relationship of Christianity and Judaism as "two parallel ways of salvation" (no. 7). The Church proclaims the universal salvific significance of the Christ-event and looks forward to the day when "there shall be one flock and one shepherd" (Jn 10:16; cf. Is 66:2; Zep 3:9; Jet 23:3; Ez 11:17; see also no. 31e below). So intimate is this relationship that the Church "encounters the mystery of Israel" when "pondering her own mystery" (1974 Guidelines, no. 5).
Advent: The Relationship between the Scriptures
11. The lectionary readings from the prophets are selected to bring out the ancient Christian theme that Jesus is the "fulfillment" of the biblical message of hope and promise, the inauguration of the "days to come" described, for example, by the daily Advent Masses, and on Sundays by Isaiah in cycle A and Jeremiah in cycle C for the First Sunday of Advent. This truth needs to be framed very carefully. Christians believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah who has come (see Lk 4:22), but also know that his messianic kingdom is not yet fully realized. The ancient messianic prophecies are not merely temporal predictions but profound expressions of eschatological hope. Since this dimension can be misunderstood or even missed altogether, the homilist needs to raise clearly the hope found in the prophets and heightened in the proclamation of Christ. This hope includes trust in what is promised but not yet seen. While the biblical prophecies of an age of universal shalom are "fulfilled" (i.e., irreversibly inaugurated) in Christ's coming, that fulfillment is not yet completely worked out in each person's life or perfected in the world at large (1974 Guidelines, no. 2). It is the mission of the Church, as also that of the Jewish people, to proclaim and to work to prepare the world for the full flowering of God's Reign, which is, but is "not yet" (cf. 1974 Guidelines, II). Both the Christian "Our Father" and the Jewish Kaddish exemplify this message. Thus, both Christianity and Judaism seal their worship with a common hope: "Thy kingdom come!"
12. Christians proclaim that the Messiah has indeed come and that God's Reign is "at hand." With the Jewish people, we await the complete realization of the messianic age.
In underlining the eschatological dimension of Christianity, we shall reach a greater awareness that the people of God of the Old and the New Testament are tending toward a like end in the future: the coming or return of the Messiah--even if they start from two different points of view (1985 Notes, nos. 18-19).
13. Other difficulties may be less theologically momentous but can still be troublesome. For example, the reading from Baruch in cycle C or from Isaiah in cycle A for the Second Sunday of Advent can leave the impression that pre-Jesus Israel was wholly guilt-ridden and in mourning, and Judaism virtually moribund. In fact, in their original historical settings, such passages reveal Judaism's remarkable capacity for self-criticism. While Israel had periods of deep mourning (see Lamentations) and was justly accused of sinfulness (e.g., see Jeremiah), it also experienced periods of joy, return from Exile, and continuing teshuvah, turning back to God in faithful repentance. Judaism was and is incredibly complex and vital, with a wide variety of creative spiritual movements vying for the people's adherence.
14. The reform of the liturgy initiated by the Second Vatican Council reintroduced regular readings from the Old Testament into the lectionary. For Catholics, the Old Testament is that collection that contains the Hebrew Scriptures and the seven deuterocanonical books. Using postbiblical Jewish sources, with respect for the essential differences between Christian and Jewish traditions of biblical interpretation, can enliven the approach to the biblical text (cf. nos. 3la and 31i below). The opportunity also presents a challenge for the homilist. Principles of selection of passages vary. Sometimes the readings are cyclic, providing a continuity of narrative over a period of time. At other times, especially during Advent and Lent, a reading from the prophets or one of the historical books of the Old Testament and a gospel pericope are "paired," based on such liturgical traditions as the sensus plenior (fuller meaning) or, as is especially the case in Ordinary Time, according to the principle of typology, in which biblical figures and events are seen as "types" prefiguring Jesus (see no. 31e below).
15. Many of these pairings represent natural associations of similar events and teachings. Others rely on New Testament precedent and interpretation of the messianic psalms and prophetic passages. Matthew 1:23, for example, quotes the Septuagint, which translates the Hebrew almah (young woman) as the Greek for virgin in its rendering of Isaiah 7:14. The same biblical text, therefore, can have more than one valid hermeneutical interpretation, ranging from its original historical context and intent to traditional Christological applications. The 1985 Notes describe this phenomenon as flowing from the "unfathomable riches" and "inexhaustible content" of the Hebrew Bible. For Christians, the unity of the Bible depends on understanding all Scripture in the light of Christ. Typology is one form, rooted in the New Testament itself, of expressing this unity of Scripture and of the divine plan (see no. 31e below). As such, it "should not lead us to forget that it [the Hebrew Bible] retains its own value as Revelation that the New Testament often does no more than resume" (1985 Notes, no. 15; cf. Dei Verbum, 14-18). Lent: Controversies and Conflicts
16. The Lenten lectionary presents just as many challenges. Prophetic texts such as Joel (Ash Wednesday), Jeremiah's "new covenant" (cycle B, Fifth Sunday), and Isaiah (cycle C, Fifth Sunday) call the assembly to proclaim Jesus as the Christ while avoiding negativism toward Judaism.
17. In addition, many of the New Testament texts, such as Matthew's references to "hypocrites in the synagogue" (Ash Wednesday), John's depiction of Jesus in the Temple (cycle B, Third Sunday), and Jesus' conflicts with the Pharisees (e.g., Lk, cycle C, Fourth Sunday) can give the impression that the Judaism of Jesus' day was devoid of spiritual depth and essentially at odds with Jesus' teaching. References to earlier divine punishments of the Jews (e.g., 1 Cor, cycle C, Third Sunday) can further intensify a false image of Jews and Judaism as a people rejected by God.
18. In fact, however, as the 1985 Notes are at pains to clarify (sec. III and IV), Jesus was observant of the Torah (e.g., in the details of his circumcision and purification given in Lk 2:21-24), he extolled respect for it (see Mt 5:17-20), and he invited obedience to it (see Mt 8:4). Jesus taught in the synagogues (see Mt 4:23 and 9:35; Lk 4:15-18; Jn 18:20) and in the Temple, which he frequented, as did the disciples even after the Resurrection (see Acts 2:46; 3:lff). While Jesus showed uniqueness and authority in his interpretation of God's word in the Torah--in a manner that scandalized some Jews and impressed others---he did not oppose it, nor did he wish to abrogate it.
19. Jesus was perhaps closer to the Pharisees in his religious vision than to any other group of his time. The 1985 Notes suggest that this affinity with Pharisaism may be a reason for many of his apparent controversies with them (see no. 27). Jesus shared with the Pharisees a number of distinctive doctrines: the resurrection of the body; forms of piety such as almsgiving, daily prayer, and fasting; the liturgical practice of addressing God as Father; and the priority of the love commandment (see no. 25). Many scholars are of the view that Jesus was not so much arguing against "the Pharisees" as a group, as he was condemning excesses of some Pharisees, excesses of a sort that can be found among some Christians as well. In some cases, Jesus appears to have been participating in internal Pharisaic debates on various points of interpretation of God's law. In the case of divorce (see Mk 10:2-12), an issue that was debated hotly between the Pharisaic schools of Hillel and Shammai, Jesus goes beyond even the more stringent position of the House of Shammai. In other cases, such as the rejection of a literal interpretation of the lex taIionis ("An eye for an eye .... "), Jesus' interpretation of biblical law is similar to that found in some of the prophets and ultimately adopted by rabbinic tradition as can be seen in the Talmud.
20. After the Church had distanced itself from Judaism (cf. no. 5 above), it tended to telescope the long historical process whereby the gospels were set down some generations after Jesus' death. Thus, certain controversies that may actually have taken place between church leaders and rabbis toward the end of the first century were "read back" into the life of Jesus:
Some [New Testament] references hostile or less than favorable to Jews have their historical context in conflicts between the nascent Church and the Jewish community. Certain controversies reflect Christian-Jewish relations long after the time of Jesus. To establish this is of capital importance if we wish to bring out the meaning of certain gospel texts for the Christians of today. All this should be taken into account when preparing catechesis and homilies for the weeks of Lent and Holy Week (1985 Notes, no. 29; see no. 26 below).
21. Because of the tragic history of the "Christ-killer" charge as providing a rallying cry for anti-Semites over the centuries, a strong and careful homiletic stance is necessary to combat its lingering effects today. Homilists and catechists should seek to provide a proper context for the proclamation of the passion narratives. A particularly useful and detailed discussion of the theological and historical principles involved in presentations of the passions can be found in Criteria for the Evaluation of Dramatizations of the Passion issued by the Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (March 1988).
22. The message of the liturgy in proclaiming the passion narratives in full is to enable the assembly to see vividly the love of Christ for each person, despite their sins, a love that even death could not vanquish. "Christ in his boundless love freely underwent his passion and death because of the sins of all so that all might attain salvation" (Nostra Aetate, no. 4). To the extent that Christians over the centuries made Jews the scapegoat for Christ's death, they drew themselves away from the paschal mystery. For it is only by dying to one's sins that we can hope to rise with Christ to new life. This is a central truth of the Catholic faith stated by the Catechism of the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century and reaffirmed by the 1985 Notes (no. 30).
23. It is necessary to remember that the passion narratives do not offer eyewitness accounts or a modern transcript of historical events. Rather, the events have had their meaning focused, as it were, through the four theological "lenses" of the gospels. By comparing what is shared and what distinguishes the various gospel accounts from each other, the homilist can discern the core from the particular optics of each. One can then better see the significant theological differences between the passion narratives. These differences also are part of the inspired Word of God.
24. Certain historical essentials are shared by all four accounts: a growing hostility against Jesus on the part of some Jewish religious leaders (note that the Synoptic gospels do not mention the Pharisees as being involved in the events leading to Jesus' death, but only the "chief priests, scribes, and elders"); the Last Supper with the disciples; betrayal by Judas; arrest outside the city (an action conducted covertly by the Roman and Temple authorities because of Jesus' popularity among his fellow Jews); interrogation before a high priest (not necessarily a Sanhedrin trial); formal condemnation by Pontius Pilate (cf. the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, which mention only Pilate, even though some Jews were involved); crucifixion by Roman soldiers; affixing the title "King of the Jews" on the cross; death; burial; and resurrection. Many other elements, such as the crowds shouting "His blood be on us and on our children" in Matthew, or the generic use of the term "the Jews" in John, are unique to a given author and must be understood within the context of that author's overall theological scheme. Often, these unique elements reflect the perceived needs and emphases of the author's particular community at the end of the first century, after the split between Jews and Christians was well underway. The bitterness toward synagogue Judaism seen in John's gospel (e.g., Jn 9:22;16:2) most likely reflects the bitterness felt by John's own community after its "parting of the ways" with the Jewish community, and the martyrdom of St. Stephen illustrates that verbal disputes could, at times, lead to violence by Jews against fellow Jews who believed in Jesus.
25. Christian reflection on the passion should lead to a deep sense of the need for reconciliation with the Jewish community today. Pope John Paul II has said:
Considering history in the light of the principles of faith in God, we must also reflect on the catastrophic event of the Shoah ....
Considering this mystery of the suffering of Israel's children, their witness of hope, of faith, and of humanity under dehumanizing outrages, the Church experiences ever more deeply her common bond with the Jewish people and with their treasure of spiritual riches in the past and in the present" (Address to Jewish Leadership, Miami, September 11, 1987).
26. The readings of the Easter season, especially those from the book of Acts, which is used extensively throughout this liturgical period, require particular attention from the homilist in light of the enduring bond between Jews and Christians. Some of these readings from Acts (e.g., cycles A and B for the Third and Fourth Sundays of Easter) can leave an impression of collective Jewish responsibility for the crucifixion ("You put to death the author of life .... "Acts 3:15). In such cases, the homilist should put before the assembly the teachings of Nostra Aetate in this regard (see no. 22 above), as well as the fact noted in Acts 3:17 that what was done by some individual Jews was done "out of ignorance" so that no unwarranted conclusion about collective guilt is drawn by the hearers. The Acts may be dealing with a reflection of the Jewish-Christian relationship as it existed toward the end of the first century (when Acts was composed) rather than with the actual attitudes of the post-Easter Jerusalem Church. Homilists should desire to convey the spirit and enthusiasm of the early Church that marks these Easter season readings. But in doing so, statements about Jewish responsibility have to be kept in context. This is part of the reconciliation between Jews and Christians to which we are all called.
27. Pope John Paul II's visit to the Chief Rabbi of Rome on Good Friday, 1987, gives a lead for pastoral activities during Holy Week in local churches. Some dioceses and parishes, for example, have begun traditions such as holding a "Service of Reconciliation" with Jews on Palm Sunday, or inviting Holocaust survivors to address their congregations during Lent.
28. It is becoming familiar in many parishes and Catholic homes to participate in a Passover Seder during Holy Week. This practice can have educational and spiritual value. It is wrong, however, to "baptize" the Seder by ending it with New Testament readings about the Last Supper or, worse, turn it into a prologue to the Eucharist. Such mergings distort both traditions. The following advice should prove useful:
When Christians celebrate this sacred feast among themselves, the rites of the haggadah for the seder should be respected in all their integrity. The seder . . . should be celebrated in a dignified manner and with sensitivity to those to whom the seder truly belongs. The primary reason why Christians may celebrate the festival of Passover should be to acknowledge common roots in the history of salvation. Any sense of "restaging" the Last Supper of the Lord Jesus should be avoided .... The rites of the Triduum are the [Church's] annual memorial of the events of Jesus' dying and rising (Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy Newsletter, March 1980, p. 12).
29. Also encouraged are joint memorial services commemorating the victims of the Shoah (Holocaust). These should be prepared for with catechetical and adult education programming to ensure a proper spirit of shared reverence. Addressing the Jewish community of Warsaw, Pope John Paul II stressed the uniqueness and significance of Jewish memory of the Shoah: "More than anyone else, it is precisely you who have become this saving warning. I think that in this sense you continue your particular vocation, showing yourselves to be still the heirs of that election to which God is faithful. This is your mission in the contemporary world before . . . all of humanity" (Warsaw, June 14, 1987). On the Sunday closest to Yom ha Shoah, Catholics should pray for the victims of the Holocaust and their survivors. The following serve as examples of petitions for the general intercessions at Mass:
For the victims of the Holocaust, their families, and all our Jewish brothers and sisters, that the violence and hatred they experienced may never again be repeated, we pray to the Lord.
For the Church, that the Holocaust may be a reminder to us that we can never be indifferent to the sufferings of others, we pray to the Lord.
For our Jewish brothers and sisters, that their confidence in the face of long-suffering may spur us on to a greater faith and trust in God, we pray to the Lord.
30. The challenges that peak in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter are present throughout the year in the juxtaposition of the lectionary readings. There are many occasions when it is difficult to avoid a reference either to Jews or Judaism in a homily based upon a text from the Scriptures. For all Scripture, including the New Testament, deals with Jews and Jewish themes.
31. Throughout the year, the following general principles will be helpful:
Consistently affirm the value of the whole Bible. While "among all the Scriptures, even those of the New Testament, the Gospels have a special preeminence" (Dei Verbum, 18), the Hebrew Scriptures are the word of God and have validity and dignity in and of themselves (ibid., 15). Keep in view the intentions of the biblical authors (ibid., 19).
Place the typology inherent in the lectionary in a proper context, neither overemphasizing nor avoiding it. Show that the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures for their original audience is not limited to nor diminished by New Testament applications (1985 Notes, II).
Communicate a reverence for the Hebrew Scriptures and avoid approaches that reduce them to a propaedeutic or background for the New Testament. It is God who speaks, communicating himself through divine revelation (Dei Verbum, 6).
Show the connectedness between the Scriptures. The Hebrew Bible and the Jewish tradition founded on it must not be set against the New Testament in such a way that the former seems to constitute a religion of only retributive justice, fear, and legalism, with no appeal to love of God and neighbor (cf. Dt 6:5; Lv 19:18,32; Hos 11:1-9; Mt 22:34-40).
Enliven the eschatological hope, the "not yet" aspect of the kerygma. The biblical promises are realized in Christ. But the Church awaits their perfect fulfillment in Christ's glorious return when all creation is made free (1974 Guidelines, II).
Emphasize the Jewishness of Jesus and his teachings and highlight the similarities of the teachings of the Pharisees with those of Christ (1985 Notes, III and IV).
Respect the continuing validity of God's covenant with the Jewish people and their responsive faithfulness, despite centuries of suffering, to the divine call that is theirs (1985 Notes, VI).
Frame homilies to show that Christians and Jews together are "trustees and witnesses of an ethic marked by the Ten Commandments, in the observance of which humanity finds its truth and freedom" (John Paul II, Rome Synagogue, April 13, 1986).
Be free to draw on Jewish sources (rabbinic, medieval, and modern) in expounding the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures and the apostolic writings. The 1974 Guidelines observe that "the history of Judaism did not end with the destruction of Jerusalem, but went on to develop a religious tradition.., rich in religious values." The 1985 Notes (no. 14) thus speak of Christians "profiting discerningly from the traditions of Jewish readings" of the sacred texts.
32. The 1985 Notes describe what is central to the role of the homilist: "Attentive to the same God who has spoken, hanging on the same word, we have to witness to one same memory and one common hope in him who is master of history. We must also accept our responsibility to prepare the world for the coming of the Messiah by working together for social justice, respect for the rights of persons and nations, and for social and international reconciliation. To this we are driven, Jews and Christians, by the command to love our neighbor, by a common hope for the kingdom of God, and by the great heritage of the prophets" (1985 Notes, no. 19; see also Lv 19:18,32
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Monday, December 20, 2010
Mama Mondays: Influencing the family culture.
I made Challah today. It was the first time in years I had braided the soft dough, and I was hopping up and down with excitement as I watched it rise and cook in the oven. It came out beautifully, and one tiny bite was all it took to flood me with memories.
You've noticed, I guess, that these conversations with Messianics I've been having online have been really getting my thinker going! And in some sense, I'm all the more thankful for them since they really confirm for me, in a time where I'm having so many challenges due to the progressive agenda I see in the faith lived out in the Catholic Parishes around me and subsequently doubting myself and my choices (not my choices to be Catholic, but my choices about where to go and what to do about it) that it has been refreshing to take the time to really stop and re-examine the scriptural and historical roots of Catholicism and spend some time reflecting on how well I represent those to my kids in catechizing them.
My personal faith journey has taken me through Messianic Judaism. Very early on in my "purposeful" Christian walk I recognized the relevance of my Jewish roots and the signs in the Hebrew Bible pointing towards the Messiahship of Christ. Nothing is by accident in Scripture.
As a protestant, I began to discern the need for liturgy, and a lack, as it were, in my worship that came from non-adherence to both Oral and Written Torah. I never joined a messianic congregation, but I did frequent a reform synagogue and a Hillel at the University for Shabbat, going to my regular Churches on Sundays, for years, and I did begin, in my own "uneducated way" to live an authentically Jewish life. My time in the army was the first time I officially identified myself as "Messianic" despite the previous decade of attempting to keep Torah in the context of my Christian faith. I remember the decision to put "Messianic" on my dogtags was an intense one for me to make. And it was in the army that I realized how special it was that the man I had just met and who I knew was going to be my future husband shared in his understanding of the importance of Judaism in the context of his own Christian faith... after all, we each, totally independently of the other, spent our "worship" time in the Army alternating between the protestant praise service and the Jewish service.
When we got out, however, the bond we shared in that was somewhat broken.... we were married, and my personal Jewish "life" went out the window for the most part in obedience to him, as he was not interested in keeping a Kosher household, for example, and didn't have much of an interest in Shabbat or otherwise. He was a good sport, though, indulging me in my many visits to our local Orthodox synagogue and in many a night of forced Hebrew singing and praying. :P I think in part because he felt a real draw towards Judaism.... he understood it. I personally believe that ANY person who has felt the call of the gospel of Christ on their heart and who responds will find, in Judaism, a deeper understanding of that need for God. My husband was aware of it. Some are not.
In fact, after much prayer we felt our call towards Judaism could only mean one thing, and began looking into life in Israel, hoping against hope that we would somehow be able to make it work. "Next year, in Jerusalem." It means something special in our house. Discovering that we were in no way eligible for Aliyah without signing a paper that said we renounced faith in Jesus as Messiah, we knew that wasn't happening. And to make a long story short, his interest in Judaism and in Israel, while he still supported Israel in every way he could, waned.
At that time, I didn't lose my hope that Jewishness would somehow find it's way back into my family culture, but I made a conscious effort to give it to God and let Him do what He would. And He did!
An event occurred that really stands out in my mind as the day I decided to put my "one foot in, one foot out" Judeo-Christian life away for a while, and that was the birth of my son. We were on Medicaid at the time, and the hippies had JUST succeeded in passing a law that said circumcision was no longer covered by Medicaid and we hadn't been informed about it until we were literally standing in front of the delivery room door staring at a sign with great dismay that said we needed $400 on the spot to circumsize our coming son. I was ENRAGED. The importance, to me, of circumsizing my son, my son with a Jewish name and a Jewish identity, was beyond words. My poor husband tried over and over again to comfort me despite his own frustration by reminding me that circumcision was not "necessary" any longer under the new covenant, (true) but it was no use. I was devastated and remain devastated.
Immediately upon returning home from the hospital, I began making phone calls to see about raising the money somehow for a procedure at the pediatrician's before it was too late, but had no luck. God had not made a way. Undaunted, I began placing phone calls to Mohels all over the state... even traveling Mohels who would come from anywhere to do such an important mitzvah. But each time, as soon as they heard that the child would be raised to know Jesus as Messiah (yes, they asked!) they told me they couldn't help. Frantic, I thought to check the Messianic congregations in the area, if there were any. Did they have Mohels? I had no idea, but it wouldn't hurt to find out. To my surprise and great joy, I found three within a short distance. I explained my situation and asked if they could help me. And each time, I was told that if the child was not going to be raised a messianic, rather than a Christian, they regrettably couldn't help me. WHAT??
I was disgusted. My poor little son still has an anteater.... he probably will all his life since I don't see where we would get the money to do it now... all because of hippies and faulty theology. It was more important to Messianics to prevent someone from following Church tradition than it was to do something which God had directly commanded. They were focused on the don'ts, and not on the do's. I didn't want anything to do with Jews and Messianics if they weren't going to live what they professed to believe: that to circumsize a Jewish child is a mitzvah.
It was around that time that I put away the star of david necklace I had worn, and placed my shabbat candlesticks in the drawer.... I was disgusted.
My walk with God took on a distinctly "American Evangelical" nature from then on, and though I still loved all things Jewish and genuinely desired to make those things a part of the fabric of our family life, I realized that it just wasn't possible for Torah observance to be part of my life in my situation. I realized that God was taking me out of my "identity" with a Human family and Putting me back into the fold with His own.
Fast forward a year or so to my re-discovery of the Catholic Faith. Catholicism is the perfect fulfillment of Judaism, a continuation of Judaism for believers in Christ. It is so easy to see how in Christ, each element of Judaism is perfectly accomplished, and how Catholic observances literally ARE Jewish observances taken in the context of Jesus as Messiah. Catholics are the ultimate Messianics, for they do not compromise their Christianity or New Covenant in any way, theologically. I have said many times over that an observant Jew would not only feel comfortable and recognize what is happening in Catholic liturgy but would probably come to believe in Christ as Messiah simply through liturgical observation and the understanding of that reality that it promotes... just ask the countless Catholic converts from Judaism! (St Edith Stein, who said "I finally feel Jewish again," upon becoming a Catholic, pray for us!)
I didn't know it at the time, but returning to the Catholic Church, and my husband's conversion, firmly grounded us in those Jewish roots I so longed to honor. At the same time, my husband's steadfast "greek"ness, and his alliegance to Western thought and civilization, keeps me constantly grounded in Truth. My life is a perfect blend of east and west.
All this to say that it has been years since I've considered, really considered, the implications of the "Jewishness" of the Catholic faith on my family, and that these lengthy discussions and debates with messianics, who loathe the Catholic Church but honor and uphold Judaism as the root and foundation of the Christian faith, has brought to the forefront of my mind the influence and impact these things have on our family culture, which is already so interesting and varied.
I was born and raised in France, so Southern French traditions are a huge part of who we are. With me come traditions and meals in the realm of mediterranean life, and my children are growing to know what it is like to celebrate life in Provence, Italy, Greece, Northern Africa, Israel.....olive oil, petanques, and a good pastaga, Oh my!
Likewise, my husband is an "American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God," (:P) and my children live here and are learning the ways of the South... .the slow paced, friendly life that honors God, family, and country.
He is also Swedish and Norwegian on one side and Scottish and Irish on the other, and was raised in Germany. I spent a good deal of time "becoming" a Swede when in a serious relationship with one, and my family background is Irish. I lived in Germany for a brief while. All of these elements have their place in our home in many, many ways. Peter loves India, and Korea. I love Tahiti. We incorporate these things into our lives. Although we dislike globalism, and very seldom travel outside the South, we are the most international family I know! And this plays out in our family culture in various ways, because we expose our kids to the wonders of Creation, from Shabbat to Pita bread, from Olives to Kimshi. My children dance like russians and are lulled to sleep with Irish lullabies. They say "thank you," in French and eat Sushi and Schnitzel, Calamari and Lussekater. They plant St Barbara's wheat with provencal children and sing Lucia carols with Swedish children. They wear kilts, and blow out advent candles.
We decide what to pour into them, and it becomes a part of who they are. I'm thankful to Messianics, then, for the reminder to celebrate the Jewish roots of this family and not "put them away."
Having been only acquainted in passing with Hebrew Catholics in the past, I have joined them this week in hopes of celebrating and making known the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith. Unlike Messianics, they recognize the Truth and perfection of the Traditional, from-the-beginning Church founded by Christ, and they honor and respect ALL the wide spectrum of Catholic Tradition, within the framework of Judaism. I have placed my star of david on my necklace with the Miraculous Medal again. And I'm making Challah again.
All in the hopes of instilling in my kids a sense of identity that reaches far beyond the Babel here below, an identity that reminds them their Kingdom is not of this world-- the heavenly Jerusalem.
You've noticed, I guess, that these conversations with Messianics I've been having online have been really getting my thinker going! And in some sense, I'm all the more thankful for them since they really confirm for me, in a time where I'm having so many challenges due to the progressive agenda I see in the faith lived out in the Catholic Parishes around me and subsequently doubting myself and my choices (not my choices to be Catholic, but my choices about where to go and what to do about it) that it has been refreshing to take the time to really stop and re-examine the scriptural and historical roots of Catholicism and spend some time reflecting on how well I represent those to my kids in catechizing them.
My personal faith journey has taken me through Messianic Judaism. Very early on in my "purposeful" Christian walk I recognized the relevance of my Jewish roots and the signs in the Hebrew Bible pointing towards the Messiahship of Christ. Nothing is by accident in Scripture.
As a protestant, I began to discern the need for liturgy, and a lack, as it were, in my worship that came from non-adherence to both Oral and Written Torah. I never joined a messianic congregation, but I did frequent a reform synagogue and a Hillel at the University for Shabbat, going to my regular Churches on Sundays, for years, and I did begin, in my own "uneducated way" to live an authentically Jewish life. My time in the army was the first time I officially identified myself as "Messianic" despite the previous decade of attempting to keep Torah in the context of my Christian faith. I remember the decision to put "Messianic" on my dogtags was an intense one for me to make. And it was in the army that I realized how special it was that the man I had just met and who I knew was going to be my future husband shared in his understanding of the importance of Judaism in the context of his own Christian faith... after all, we each, totally independently of the other, spent our "worship" time in the Army alternating between the protestant praise service and the Jewish service.
When we got out, however, the bond we shared in that was somewhat broken.... we were married, and my personal Jewish "life" went out the window for the most part in obedience to him, as he was not interested in keeping a Kosher household, for example, and didn't have much of an interest in Shabbat or otherwise. He was a good sport, though, indulging me in my many visits to our local Orthodox synagogue and in many a night of forced Hebrew singing and praying. :P I think in part because he felt a real draw towards Judaism.... he understood it. I personally believe that ANY person who has felt the call of the gospel of Christ on their heart and who responds will find, in Judaism, a deeper understanding of that need for God. My husband was aware of it. Some are not.
In fact, after much prayer we felt our call towards Judaism could only mean one thing, and began looking into life in Israel, hoping against hope that we would somehow be able to make it work. "Next year, in Jerusalem." It means something special in our house. Discovering that we were in no way eligible for Aliyah without signing a paper that said we renounced faith in Jesus as Messiah, we knew that wasn't happening. And to make a long story short, his interest in Judaism and in Israel, while he still supported Israel in every way he could, waned.
At that time, I didn't lose my hope that Jewishness would somehow find it's way back into my family culture, but I made a conscious effort to give it to God and let Him do what He would. And He did!
An event occurred that really stands out in my mind as the day I decided to put my "one foot in, one foot out" Judeo-Christian life away for a while, and that was the birth of my son. We were on Medicaid at the time, and the hippies had JUST succeeded in passing a law that said circumcision was no longer covered by Medicaid and we hadn't been informed about it until we were literally standing in front of the delivery room door staring at a sign with great dismay that said we needed $400 on the spot to circumsize our coming son. I was ENRAGED. The importance, to me, of circumsizing my son, my son with a Jewish name and a Jewish identity, was beyond words. My poor husband tried over and over again to comfort me despite his own frustration by reminding me that circumcision was not "necessary" any longer under the new covenant, (true) but it was no use. I was devastated and remain devastated.
Immediately upon returning home from the hospital, I began making phone calls to see about raising the money somehow for a procedure at the pediatrician's before it was too late, but had no luck. God had not made a way. Undaunted, I began placing phone calls to Mohels all over the state... even traveling Mohels who would come from anywhere to do such an important mitzvah. But each time, as soon as they heard that the child would be raised to know Jesus as Messiah (yes, they asked!) they told me they couldn't help. Frantic, I thought to check the Messianic congregations in the area, if there were any. Did they have Mohels? I had no idea, but it wouldn't hurt to find out. To my surprise and great joy, I found three within a short distance. I explained my situation and asked if they could help me. And each time, I was told that if the child was not going to be raised a messianic, rather than a Christian, they regrettably couldn't help me. WHAT??
I was disgusted. My poor little son still has an anteater.... he probably will all his life since I don't see where we would get the money to do it now... all because of hippies and faulty theology. It was more important to Messianics to prevent someone from following Church tradition than it was to do something which God had directly commanded. They were focused on the don'ts, and not on the do's. I didn't want anything to do with Jews and Messianics if they weren't going to live what they professed to believe: that to circumsize a Jewish child is a mitzvah.
It was around that time that I put away the star of david necklace I had worn, and placed my shabbat candlesticks in the drawer.... I was disgusted.
My walk with God took on a distinctly "American Evangelical" nature from then on, and though I still loved all things Jewish and genuinely desired to make those things a part of the fabric of our family life, I realized that it just wasn't possible for Torah observance to be part of my life in my situation. I realized that God was taking me out of my "identity" with a Human family and Putting me back into the fold with His own.
Fast forward a year or so to my re-discovery of the Catholic Faith. Catholicism is the perfect fulfillment of Judaism, a continuation of Judaism for believers in Christ. It is so easy to see how in Christ, each element of Judaism is perfectly accomplished, and how Catholic observances literally ARE Jewish observances taken in the context of Jesus as Messiah. Catholics are the ultimate Messianics, for they do not compromise their Christianity or New Covenant in any way, theologically. I have said many times over that an observant Jew would not only feel comfortable and recognize what is happening in Catholic liturgy but would probably come to believe in Christ as Messiah simply through liturgical observation and the understanding of that reality that it promotes... just ask the countless Catholic converts from Judaism! (St Edith Stein, who said "I finally feel Jewish again," upon becoming a Catholic, pray for us!)
I didn't know it at the time, but returning to the Catholic Church, and my husband's conversion, firmly grounded us in those Jewish roots I so longed to honor. At the same time, my husband's steadfast "greek"ness, and his alliegance to Western thought and civilization, keeps me constantly grounded in Truth. My life is a perfect blend of east and west.
All this to say that it has been years since I've considered, really considered, the implications of the "Jewishness" of the Catholic faith on my family, and that these lengthy discussions and debates with messianics, who loathe the Catholic Church but honor and uphold Judaism as the root and foundation of the Christian faith, has brought to the forefront of my mind the influence and impact these things have on our family culture, which is already so interesting and varied.
I was born and raised in France, so Southern French traditions are a huge part of who we are. With me come traditions and meals in the realm of mediterranean life, and my children are growing to know what it is like to celebrate life in Provence, Italy, Greece, Northern Africa, Israel.....olive oil, petanques, and a good pastaga, Oh my!
Likewise, my husband is an "American by birth, Southern by the Grace of God," (:P) and my children live here and are learning the ways of the South... .the slow paced, friendly life that honors God, family, and country.
He is also Swedish and Norwegian on one side and Scottish and Irish on the other, and was raised in Germany. I spent a good deal of time "becoming" a Swede when in a serious relationship with one, and my family background is Irish. I lived in Germany for a brief while. All of these elements have their place in our home in many, many ways. Peter loves India, and Korea. I love Tahiti. We incorporate these things into our lives. Although we dislike globalism, and very seldom travel outside the South, we are the most international family I know! And this plays out in our family culture in various ways, because we expose our kids to the wonders of Creation, from Shabbat to Pita bread, from Olives to Kimshi. My children dance like russians and are lulled to sleep with Irish lullabies. They say "thank you," in French and eat Sushi and Schnitzel, Calamari and Lussekater. They plant St Barbara's wheat with provencal children and sing Lucia carols with Swedish children. They wear kilts, and blow out advent candles.
We decide what to pour into them, and it becomes a part of who they are. I'm thankful to Messianics, then, for the reminder to celebrate the Jewish roots of this family and not "put them away."
Having been only acquainted in passing with Hebrew Catholics in the past, I have joined them this week in hopes of celebrating and making known the Jewish roots of the Catholic faith. Unlike Messianics, they recognize the Truth and perfection of the Traditional, from-the-beginning Church founded by Christ, and they honor and respect ALL the wide spectrum of Catholic Tradition, within the framework of Judaism. I have placed my star of david on my necklace with the Miraculous Medal again. And I'm making Challah again.
All in the hopes of instilling in my kids a sense of identity that reaches far beyond the Babel here below, an identity that reminds them their Kingdom is not of this world-- the heavenly Jerusalem.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Random Rant: Headcovering 101.
You've seen us sitting in the backs of Catholic Churches, waiting to go to confession, or neatly lined up with twelve children against the hard-backed pew. You've seen us hanging around the Halal meat market in the arab district. Pushing strollers with long-lashed, smiling children. Sitting together sharing a laugh on a bench in the park. Driving by in fancy cars with tinted windows. Waiting in line in airports or movie theaters.
You've openly stared, then avoided our eyes if our paths crossed. You may have smiled. You may have frowned.
No matter who you are, you have an opinion about what we do. No matter who we are, we have a reason for what we do. We are veiled women, and every day there are more of us.
Why do we cover?
We do it for the glory of God. Women have been veiling, mostly for religious and practical reasons, since the beginning of time. Evidence of this can be seen in archeology and historical writings, and there is no use enumerating here the many reasons, styles, and seasons the feminine veil has gone through. Needless to say that when a woman makes the decision to veil, be it during worship, in certain situations, or all the time, she enters a sisterhood of grace which only the veiled can understand.
I have talked before about my personal experiences with veiling, my upbringing, and my personal reasons for veiling. I have also discussed that in my own journey, I have an addiction to the very things which, to other women, are designed as "challenges" or "penances" for salvific purposes. Some people need to pray more. I, on the other hand, need to learn to pray while SERVING more.
Just as I am currently called to detach from my beloved Carmelite order, in order to live Carmelite spirituality all the more, so I am called to somewhat detach from my beloved act of perpetual veiling, in order to live what veiling represents all the more. For me, it is, as they say, a great mystery of life and salvation.
Not that I am saying I am saved by my veil (or lack thereof) but rather that I am in a constant relationship with my veil daily, which purifies my soul as I struggle and obey, struggle and obey. It is a physical
representation of an inner battle, and of an inner truth.
Of the major religious bodies represented on the earth, veiling can certainly be considered "traditional" or at least "cultural" in all of them. Because I am a Catholic, I will deal here with the Catholic concept of headcovering, but will give practical tips for any "style" of headcovering at the end.
The theology of the Veil is based in the foundation of the Church, the source and summit of our lives: the Eucharist. Sacramentally, it represents to us the privilege of a woman's dignity and the sanctity of her vocation.
As I said, the veil is eucharistic in nature. In the beginning, Genesis tells us, woman was created from the side of man. St John Chrysostom (who also advocated against women wearing makeup, for similar reasons, especially at church) compares this creation to the creation of the Church. To paraphrase, he says that as Eve was brought forth from Adam's side, so the Church was brought into being from Christ's pierced side on the cross. Practically, this means that man's vocation is to symbolize Christ and His love for His Church, and woman's vocation is to represent the Church in her love for Christ (see Ephesians 5) It also explains the feminine desire to "return to man's side" and the Church's desire to "return to Christ's side," to be One.
Just as when man and woman are sacramentally married, uniting into one two things which, from the beginning, should have been one, so is the Church united to Christ through the eucharist, which is the consommation of the heavenly marriage. This is what a veiled woman and a veiled man represent, which is why in the presence of the Eucharist, a man's head should be uncovered, and a woman's head should be covered, to symbolize the Church's receptivity and love and submission to Christ, her responsiveness to Christ, her "yes."
It is clear, even for protestant women, although many have invented all sorts of reasons why it is a scripture not to be obeyed, that 1 Corinthians 11 describes the veiling of women.
2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
There are many available teachings on this passage throughout the internet, so I will spare you the lesson, and I will focus on just one sentence in this passage: "because of the angels." (v 10)
During the passover, the israelites were instructed to use hyssop to paint a sign with the blood of the lamb over their doorposts, in order to make a 'sign for the angels,' who would be passing through to kill the firstborn children of the egyptians, a sign that God's servants lived inside. To me, the veil is this same sign... a sign of the blood of the lamb, a covering, a representation of the covenant (as a wedding ring symbolizes the covenant between man and woman, the sacramental union of man and wife.) between the Bride and Christ, through which a woman is heard and protected.... a sign "because of the angels." Another reason is that the angels atop the ark of the covenant had their heads covered with their wings. the Glory of the Lord rested atop these angels when He came upon the ark and dwelt with His people.
Because women are called to be "like Mary," the New Ark of the Covenant (who, incidentally is always veiled in her apparitions and in her representations and was throughout her life on earth) we are called to be "Set apart" and holy. In the old testament, the Holy of Holies, in the temple, was veiled, as was Mount Sinai (in clouds) when the Glory of God came upon it. Mary's body was a tabernacle, thus she was veiled in her splendor... as are our tabernacles today (ideally! :P)
In the ark of the covenant, God's glory overshadowed the covered angels as he overshadowed covered Mary to be with His people. Like Mary, a veiled woman becomes hidden, or "covered" in her Spouse.
In Catholic tradition, consecrated women (nuns) veil ALL of the time, because they represent this symbol of the Church at all times in the world. Lay women, however, veil in the presence of the Eucharist (either at home when a priest is bringing them communion or when inside the church building where the Eucharist is present) because it is at this time that they "receive" and "say yes" to their heavenly spouse. Participation in veiling at mass by lay women, then , began to dwindle as Catholic people lost their reverence for the Eucharist, and will rightly rectify the problem of disrespect for the Eucharist we see daily in Catholic churches the world over today. If you are a woman and desire to see more people approach the Eucharist as LORD, I encourage you to veil.
Further, I could probably go on for hours about the sacredness of the female body with regards to it's symbolism in God's economy of salvation. Women are set apart for this reason.... we participate in creation, our bodies nurture and feed new life, and in our bodies miracles are made. God uses female symbolism to increase our understanding of his creation, which is a whole blog by itself. Many, many women veil for modesty... in so far as they "cover" themselves away from prying, human eyes. Have you ever covered your entire body and gone out in public? Even if you do not regularly veil, I challenge you to try it... for you will see the liberty it gives you to rest in God and escape the harsh, polluted world full of sexual depravity and objectification. Who you are becomes much more important than how you look.
A woman's veil is the "sealed garden" of Song 4:12 who produces fruit reserved for God.
"A garden locked is my sister, my bride;" says the Divine Lover, and the beloved responds: "Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits."
No, it is not a sin not to cover. But when we consider the beauty and richness of symbolism for the Catholic woman, not to veil seems.... a loss.
So how do we begin? For many women, who will veil only in church and during liturgy, it simply means going to any of the numerous sites where Chapel veils are available for purchase and keeping one in your purse for those times when you happen to enter a church where the Eucharist is present. For other women, there will be other situations to veil in, or different styles. Perhaps because their own personal or family culture will be represented in their veiling choices. Here is a guide to the basic styles you might see around that interest you.
THE TRADDIE LOOK
This is the first and foremost look to explore for Catholic women. My favorite place to purchase mantillas and chapel veils is through the Roman Catholic Sacramentals Foundation, but they are available in many other places as well. (Try a google search for "chapel veils" or "mantillas" and always check e-bay for good prices.) Note that modesty is a very important thing for a Catholic woman and thus most traditional Catholic women will probably give you the once over if they see you veiling in church but wearing an immodest outfit. This goes for pretty much ANY veil style you might choose. The general rule is to ask yourself: "What would Mary wear?" We know that Mary has said in her apparition at Fatima that "certain fashions would arise that would offend Our Lord very much."
Thus we avoid such fashions, focusing instead on looking pleasant and sensible and pure. Holy Mother Church has given us a wonderful guideline for such fashions: "A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers' breadth under the pit of the throat;; which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows; and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore, dresses of transparent material are improper." (The Cardinal vicar of Pope Pius XI) It should go without saying, then, not to wear backless or sleeveless dresses, skirts above the knee, etc etc. For more information about modesty, click here.
As for the wearing of a chapel veil or mantilla, it is quite simple: you literally place it on top of your head. It will stay just fine, unless you have small children or live somewhere quite windy, in which case you can purchase a few bobby pins to keep the veil in place. Weave them through the lace (don't worry, it won't wreck it) and into your pulled up hair. If you like this look but don't have the patience for bobby pins or have a very active baby, you can always purchase a lace snood from a specialty jewish shop or from garlands of grace (I LOVE theirs) that has ties on either side for ease of use but is still so pretty and girly. Here I am wearing one at our youngest's baptism and I quite like the look...lacy and pretty but super convenient.
But don't be mistaken, the Chapel Veil, without ties, is super easy to wear, even for little girls. My daughter loves hers:
In fact, it's the single easiest and most fun style to wear with your daughters. And it helps to teach them that something sacred is about to happen.... who would want to miss out on that?
TZNIUS LOOK:
This is the typical Jewish look with all or most of the hair covered in front and either an open, triangular tie with the ends hanging or a snood style (closed back with the hair enclosed) In the picture I am actually wearing two different scarves, one rectangular one to hold the hair in place and one thin cotton square one on top.
Turban-type looks also fall in this category although I'm not a fan. Observant Jewish women cover their hair at all times (some even at night!) and again, modesty rules apply (minimum of 3/4 length skirts and sleeves and loose around the curves.) This look can be achieved with a long rectangular scarf or with (my preference) a large square scarf which you fold over into a triangle and knot at the back of the head like a big bandana. This look is very easy to wear and will keep your veil secure and your hair out of the way, so I highly recommend it for those of you with active lifestyles and kids. Your neck will show, so if you aren't comfortable with that wear a turtleneck. I purchase scarves for this look from two Jewish suppliers: Tznius.com and ModestWorld.com. I have also used large square hijabs for this look but they are a little bit larger, making it a bigger challenge for the beginning veiler. I also recommend this (or it's smaller twin, the actual bandana) for sports, housework and what not, since it is so easy to keep in place. In my experience keeping your hair in a tight bun and out of the way makes this style easier to keep in place. Be forewarned... this style is "different" out here in the west, so you will get lots of stares, even from Muslimahs in full hijab, LOL. What an adventure! :P For that reason, this is usually my "in the house" look and not so much what I would wear going out.
THE EURO/ RUSSIAN LOOK
This is typically called a "Babushka" and consists of a medium sized colorful scarf (usually cotton, wool , or silk) which is simply knotted around the FRONT of the chin as opposed to behind the head. This look is easier to get away with if your clothes are not as modest as the clothes I described above, since it is very forgiving as far as fashion goes... hello, Audrey Hepburn anyone? A variation of this look is a VERY loosely draped long rectangular scarf that frames the face but still shows the neck and hair, usually knotted or looped and thrown over the shoulder one side. I use this look a LOT (I sometimes do this with a large chapel veil, too.) It's very practical when you have kids and bags and things to tote around, easy on, easy off, and is -almost- so "simple" and basic looking that people don't do a triple take (or open mouthed stare) when they see you with it. I would buy scarves for this look at the Italian Scarf store (or ask anyone's grandma, they usually have a few extras. Also, I buy pashminas for this look. They are awesome because you can wear them as a neck scarf and then just pull them up real quick for prayer, and quite honestly, they are not as noticeable as a covering in our society, especially in the winter! When I wear them like that, it looks something like this:
EASTERN/ARAB LOOK
This is pretty much the classic hijab look and can be done with a similar colored underscarf or with a different style/pattern underneath to hold the scarf in place. This style requires (yes, requires if you're going to be doing anything other than standing still) pinning in place and is the most "difficult" of the headcovering styles to learn to wear. Or rather, it has the biggest learning curve. Very important to remember if you are going for this look is that if your neck shows, you have missed the mark. I can pretty much guarantee that if you wear your scarf like this nearly everyone will assume you are a muslim, even though many greek and russian orthodox women dress like this daily (my husband prefers me to wear a visible cross on my person when I wear full hijab so that people are aware that I am not a muslim.) I have to say, this is my FAVORITE of all the scarf wearing possibilities, but it is also the least practical and the most challenging. Very simple things become a challenge in full hijab, such as going out to breakfast and realizing that whether you eat bacon with your eggs or not, people are judging you. Here in our conservative military community, Islam is not exactly considered a blessing so people have gotten angry with me, first for being muslim, and then later for representing myself as one when they saw me dressed that way. Again, in our culture, at least, Islam owns this look, so it takes guts and glory to pull it off in most situations if you are NOT muslim, at least it has for me.There are practical solutions for making it easier, like getting really comfortable with the wrap style you are going to use before you ever try to leave the house with it, and exploring things like Al-Amirahs or kuwaiti hijabs which help for beginners. In the church proper, I have never had anyone complain to me about veiling this way, and I find that when I wear this style of veil (which again requires a very modest outfit) I am completely "protected" from creepy looks, gazes, and comments from men AND women. No one bothers me, it's as if I don't exist. Which makes it rather humbling, too. I buy most of my scarves from HijabGirl or from lots of random internet and IRL arab shops. I find it to be beautiful, prayerful, and an incredible visual reminder of WHY we veil... which, once again, is a great lesson for my daughters. (Note, in the picture below, that I have hair showing, which is considered a no-no for muslim women and one good clue that I might not be muslim when I wear it.)
CLASSIC AMERICAN CHRISTIAN LOOK
The last look is one I rarely, but sometimes, sport and is a bit too "stuffy" and anglo and .... plain american for my olive oil and sunshine drenched taste, LOL. However there are times I think it's quite appropriate, like when a headcovering is too "wierd" for a certain situation, or just at home where you need things to be quick and easy. These are small kerchiefs that tie with a tie under the pony tail or braid and which are often held in place by barrettes on either side. You can purchase them through any number of sweet little handmade web stores by scores of helpmeets and their daughters trying to make a buck, and they usually come in plain white or plain blue. Try googling "plain prayer coverings." or something similar. They are also very easy to make. As far as "traditionally" Christian, these are it (as opposed to the frilly and lacy mantillas and chapel veils of Catholicism, reserved for visits to the Blessed Sacrament in Church) and they make good partners for housework and the nitty gritty of life. Alongside these prayer coverings you will find traditional bonnets and caps. I classify those as "hats" but that's me. Regardless, they are super cute and will make everyone think you are amish or mennonite or a quaker (again with the cultural conundrum! :D) Sunbonnets are another practical option for moms with kids and oh so pretty.
What works for you will basically depend on what you feel called to do and how. Pray on it, try different styles, and see what happens. One day, something will stick, and when it does, you'll never be the same! Let me know if you have any questions or ideas I didn't mention here... Or if you sell your own headcoverings and want to let my readers know.
You've openly stared, then avoided our eyes if our paths crossed. You may have smiled. You may have frowned.
No matter who you are, you have an opinion about what we do. No matter who we are, we have a reason for what we do. We are veiled women, and every day there are more of us.
Why do we cover?
We do it for the glory of God. Women have been veiling, mostly for religious and practical reasons, since the beginning of time. Evidence of this can be seen in archeology and historical writings, and there is no use enumerating here the many reasons, styles, and seasons the feminine veil has gone through. Needless to say that when a woman makes the decision to veil, be it during worship, in certain situations, or all the time, she enters a sisterhood of grace which only the veiled can understand.
I have talked before about my personal experiences with veiling, my upbringing, and my personal reasons for veiling. I have also discussed that in my own journey, I have an addiction to the very things which, to other women, are designed as "challenges" or "penances" for salvific purposes. Some people need to pray more. I, on the other hand, need to learn to pray while SERVING more.
Just as I am currently called to detach from my beloved Carmelite order, in order to live Carmelite spirituality all the more, so I am called to somewhat detach from my beloved act of perpetual veiling, in order to live what veiling represents all the more. For me, it is, as they say, a great mystery of life and salvation.
Not that I am saying I am saved by my veil (or lack thereof) but rather that I am in a constant relationship with my veil daily, which purifies my soul as I struggle and obey, struggle and obey. It is a physical
representation of an inner battle, and of an inner truth.
Of the major religious bodies represented on the earth, veiling can certainly be considered "traditional" or at least "cultural" in all of them. Because I am a Catholic, I will deal here with the Catholic concept of headcovering, but will give practical tips for any "style" of headcovering at the end.
The theology of the Veil is based in the foundation of the Church, the source and summit of our lives: the Eucharist. Sacramentally, it represents to us the privilege of a woman's dignity and the sanctity of her vocation.
As I said, the veil is eucharistic in nature. In the beginning, Genesis tells us, woman was created from the side of man. St John Chrysostom (who also advocated against women wearing makeup, for similar reasons, especially at church) compares this creation to the creation of the Church. To paraphrase, he says that as Eve was brought forth from Adam's side, so the Church was brought into being from Christ's pierced side on the cross. Practically, this means that man's vocation is to symbolize Christ and His love for His Church, and woman's vocation is to represent the Church in her love for Christ (see Ephesians 5) It also explains the feminine desire to "return to man's side" and the Church's desire to "return to Christ's side," to be One.
Just as when man and woman are sacramentally married, uniting into one two things which, from the beginning, should have been one, so is the Church united to Christ through the eucharist, which is the consommation of the heavenly marriage. This is what a veiled woman and a veiled man represent, which is why in the presence of the Eucharist, a man's head should be uncovered, and a woman's head should be covered, to symbolize the Church's receptivity and love and submission to Christ, her responsiveness to Christ, her "yes."
It is clear, even for protestant women, although many have invented all sorts of reasons why it is a scripture not to be obeyed, that 1 Corinthians 11 describes the veiling of women.
2 I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the traditions just as I passed them on to you. 3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
There are many available teachings on this passage throughout the internet, so I will spare you the lesson, and I will focus on just one sentence in this passage: "because of the angels." (v 10)
During the passover, the israelites were instructed to use hyssop to paint a sign with the blood of the lamb over their doorposts, in order to make a 'sign for the angels,' who would be passing through to kill the firstborn children of the egyptians, a sign that God's servants lived inside. To me, the veil is this same sign... a sign of the blood of the lamb, a covering, a representation of the covenant (as a wedding ring symbolizes the covenant between man and woman, the sacramental union of man and wife.) between the Bride and Christ, through which a woman is heard and protected.... a sign "because of the angels." Another reason is that the angels atop the ark of the covenant had their heads covered with their wings. the Glory of the Lord rested atop these angels when He came upon the ark and dwelt with His people.
Because women are called to be "like Mary," the New Ark of the Covenant (who, incidentally is always veiled in her apparitions and in her representations and was throughout her life on earth) we are called to be "Set apart" and holy. In the old testament, the Holy of Holies, in the temple, was veiled, as was Mount Sinai (in clouds) when the Glory of God came upon it. Mary's body was a tabernacle, thus she was veiled in her splendor... as are our tabernacles today (ideally! :P)
In the ark of the covenant, God's glory overshadowed the covered angels as he overshadowed covered Mary to be with His people. Like Mary, a veiled woman becomes hidden, or "covered" in her Spouse.
In Catholic tradition, consecrated women (nuns) veil ALL of the time, because they represent this symbol of the Church at all times in the world. Lay women, however, veil in the presence of the Eucharist (either at home when a priest is bringing them communion or when inside the church building where the Eucharist is present) because it is at this time that they "receive" and "say yes" to their heavenly spouse. Participation in veiling at mass by lay women, then , began to dwindle as Catholic people lost their reverence for the Eucharist, and will rightly rectify the problem of disrespect for the Eucharist we see daily in Catholic churches the world over today. If you are a woman and desire to see more people approach the Eucharist as LORD, I encourage you to veil.
Further, I could probably go on for hours about the sacredness of the female body with regards to it's symbolism in God's economy of salvation. Women are set apart for this reason.... we participate in creation, our bodies nurture and feed new life, and in our bodies miracles are made. God uses female symbolism to increase our understanding of his creation, which is a whole blog by itself. Many, many women veil for modesty... in so far as they "cover" themselves away from prying, human eyes. Have you ever covered your entire body and gone out in public? Even if you do not regularly veil, I challenge you to try it... for you will see the liberty it gives you to rest in God and escape the harsh, polluted world full of sexual depravity and objectification. Who you are becomes much more important than how you look.
A woman's veil is the "sealed garden" of Song 4:12 who produces fruit reserved for God.
"A garden locked is my sister, my bride;" says the Divine Lover, and the beloved responds: "Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits."
No, it is not a sin not to cover. But when we consider the beauty and richness of symbolism for the Catholic woman, not to veil seems.... a loss.
So how do we begin? For many women, who will veil only in church and during liturgy, it simply means going to any of the numerous sites where Chapel veils are available for purchase and keeping one in your purse for those times when you happen to enter a church where the Eucharist is present. For other women, there will be other situations to veil in, or different styles. Perhaps because their own personal or family culture will be represented in their veiling choices. Here is a guide to the basic styles you might see around that interest you.
THE TRADDIE LOOK
This is the first and foremost look to explore for Catholic women. My favorite place to purchase mantillas and chapel veils is through the Roman Catholic Sacramentals Foundation, but they are available in many other places as well. (Try a google search for "chapel veils" or "mantillas" and always check e-bay for good prices.) Note that modesty is a very important thing for a Catholic woman and thus most traditional Catholic women will probably give you the once over if they see you veiling in church but wearing an immodest outfit. This goes for pretty much ANY veil style you might choose. The general rule is to ask yourself: "What would Mary wear?" We know that Mary has said in her apparition at Fatima that "certain fashions would arise that would offend Our Lord very much."
Thus we avoid such fashions, focusing instead on looking pleasant and sensible and pure. Holy Mother Church has given us a wonderful guideline for such fashions: "A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers' breadth under the pit of the throat;; which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows; and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore, dresses of transparent material are improper." (The Cardinal vicar of Pope Pius XI) It should go without saying, then, not to wear backless or sleeveless dresses, skirts above the knee, etc etc. For more information about modesty, click here.
As for the wearing of a chapel veil or mantilla, it is quite simple: you literally place it on top of your head. It will stay just fine, unless you have small children or live somewhere quite windy, in which case you can purchase a few bobby pins to keep the veil in place. Weave them through the lace (don't worry, it won't wreck it) and into your pulled up hair. If you like this look but don't have the patience for bobby pins or have a very active baby, you can always purchase a lace snood from a specialty jewish shop or from garlands of grace (I LOVE theirs) that has ties on either side for ease of use but is still so pretty and girly. Here I am wearing one at our youngest's baptism and I quite like the look...lacy and pretty but super convenient.
But don't be mistaken, the Chapel Veil, without ties, is super easy to wear, even for little girls. My daughter loves hers:
In fact, it's the single easiest and most fun style to wear with your daughters. And it helps to teach them that something sacred is about to happen.... who would want to miss out on that?
TZNIUS LOOK:
This is the typical Jewish look with all or most of the hair covered in front and either an open, triangular tie with the ends hanging or a snood style (closed back with the hair enclosed) In the picture I am actually wearing two different scarves, one rectangular one to hold the hair in place and one thin cotton square one on top.
Turban-type looks also fall in this category although I'm not a fan. Observant Jewish women cover their hair at all times (some even at night!) and again, modesty rules apply (minimum of 3/4 length skirts and sleeves and loose around the curves.) This look can be achieved with a long rectangular scarf or with (my preference) a large square scarf which you fold over into a triangle and knot at the back of the head like a big bandana. This look is very easy to wear and will keep your veil secure and your hair out of the way, so I highly recommend it for those of you with active lifestyles and kids. Your neck will show, so if you aren't comfortable with that wear a turtleneck. I purchase scarves for this look from two Jewish suppliers: Tznius.com and ModestWorld.com. I have also used large square hijabs for this look but they are a little bit larger, making it a bigger challenge for the beginning veiler. I also recommend this (or it's smaller twin, the actual bandana) for sports, housework and what not, since it is so easy to keep in place. In my experience keeping your hair in a tight bun and out of the way makes this style easier to keep in place. Be forewarned... this style is "different" out here in the west, so you will get lots of stares, even from Muslimahs in full hijab, LOL. What an adventure! :P For that reason, this is usually my "in the house" look and not so much what I would wear going out.
THE EURO/ RUSSIAN LOOK
This is typically called a "Babushka" and consists of a medium sized colorful scarf (usually cotton, wool , or silk) which is simply knotted around the FRONT of the chin as opposed to behind the head. This look is easier to get away with if your clothes are not as modest as the clothes I described above, since it is very forgiving as far as fashion goes... hello, Audrey Hepburn anyone? A variation of this look is a VERY loosely draped long rectangular scarf that frames the face but still shows the neck and hair, usually knotted or looped and thrown over the shoulder one side. I use this look a LOT (I sometimes do this with a large chapel veil, too.) It's very practical when you have kids and bags and things to tote around, easy on, easy off, and is -almost- so "simple" and basic looking that people don't do a triple take (or open mouthed stare) when they see you with it. I would buy scarves for this look at the Italian Scarf store (or ask anyone's grandma, they usually have a few extras. Also, I buy pashminas for this look. They are awesome because you can wear them as a neck scarf and then just pull them up real quick for prayer, and quite honestly, they are not as noticeable as a covering in our society, especially in the winter! When I wear them like that, it looks something like this:
EASTERN/ARAB LOOK
This is pretty much the classic hijab look and can be done with a similar colored underscarf or with a different style/pattern underneath to hold the scarf in place. This style requires (yes, requires if you're going to be doing anything other than standing still) pinning in place and is the most "difficult" of the headcovering styles to learn to wear. Or rather, it has the biggest learning curve. Very important to remember if you are going for this look is that if your neck shows, you have missed the mark. I can pretty much guarantee that if you wear your scarf like this nearly everyone will assume you are a muslim, even though many greek and russian orthodox women dress like this daily (my husband prefers me to wear a visible cross on my person when I wear full hijab so that people are aware that I am not a muslim.) I have to say, this is my FAVORITE of all the scarf wearing possibilities, but it is also the least practical and the most challenging. Very simple things become a challenge in full hijab, such as going out to breakfast and realizing that whether you eat bacon with your eggs or not, people are judging you. Here in our conservative military community, Islam is not exactly considered a blessing so people have gotten angry with me, first for being muslim, and then later for representing myself as one when they saw me dressed that way. Again, in our culture, at least, Islam owns this look, so it takes guts and glory to pull it off in most situations if you are NOT muslim, at least it has for me.There are practical solutions for making it easier, like getting really comfortable with the wrap style you are going to use before you ever try to leave the house with it, and exploring things like Al-Amirahs or kuwaiti hijabs which help for beginners. In the church proper, I have never had anyone complain to me about veiling this way, and I find that when I wear this style of veil (which again requires a very modest outfit) I am completely "protected" from creepy looks, gazes, and comments from men AND women. No one bothers me, it's as if I don't exist. Which makes it rather humbling, too. I buy most of my scarves from HijabGirl or from lots of random internet and IRL arab shops. I find it to be beautiful, prayerful, and an incredible visual reminder of WHY we veil... which, once again, is a great lesson for my daughters. (Note, in the picture below, that I have hair showing, which is considered a no-no for muslim women and one good clue that I might not be muslim when I wear it.)
CLASSIC AMERICAN CHRISTIAN LOOK
The last look is one I rarely, but sometimes, sport and is a bit too "stuffy" and anglo and .... plain american for my olive oil and sunshine drenched taste, LOL. However there are times I think it's quite appropriate, like when a headcovering is too "wierd" for a certain situation, or just at home where you need things to be quick and easy. These are small kerchiefs that tie with a tie under the pony tail or braid and which are often held in place by barrettes on either side. You can purchase them through any number of sweet little handmade web stores by scores of helpmeets and their daughters trying to make a buck, and they usually come in plain white or plain blue. Try googling "plain prayer coverings." or something similar. They are also very easy to make. As far as "traditionally" Christian, these are it (as opposed to the frilly and lacy mantillas and chapel veils of Catholicism, reserved for visits to the Blessed Sacrament in Church) and they make good partners for housework and the nitty gritty of life. Alongside these prayer coverings you will find traditional bonnets and caps. I classify those as "hats" but that's me. Regardless, they are super cute and will make everyone think you are amish or mennonite or a quaker (again with the cultural conundrum! :D) Sunbonnets are another practical option for moms with kids and oh so pretty.
What works for you will basically depend on what you feel called to do and how. Pray on it, try different styles, and see what happens. One day, something will stick, and when it does, you'll never be the same! Let me know if you have any questions or ideas I didn't mention here... Or if you sell your own headcoverings and want to let my readers know.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Theology Thursdays: The Sabbath and The Lord's Day.
For those who need the abbreviated version, Christians traditionally observe the Lord's Day, the day of the commemoration of His resurrection, which is not a replacing of the Sabbath but something different altogether-- a "fulfillment" of the principles of the Sabbath centered on Christ's atoning work. (Which is why Christians and Catholics who wish each other a "good Sabbath" on Sundays will infuriate Messianics and Seventh Day Adventists, who, technically, have a right to be infuriated, since it's not the same thing.) For a detailed explanation of the how and why, click here. and here.
Because I'm often told that I can't make a good case for the necessary observance of the Lord's Day vs the necessary observance of the Sabbath, here is a simple demonstration of the Biblical and Historical reasons for observing Sunday as The Lord's Day. It is information every Catholic should know and have on hand.
Isaiah 1:13: Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Isaiah opens with God's displeasure with the Jewish people and in particular with His displeasure over their Sabbath and feast observances. It sets us up to see what is going to happen.
Matt. 28:1: Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
Mark 16:2,9: Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb. When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
John 20:1,19:Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! "Peace be with you," he said.
Here, the authors of the Gospels, very purposely, reveal that Jesus' resurrection and appearances were on Sunday. They do this because Sunday was an important day in the life of the early Church, which you will see later from the historical proof I will provide.
Clearly, it was the apostolic tradition to gather to celebrate Eucharist on Sunday, "the first day of the week." Nothing is included in Scripture by accident. Luke makes sure to demonstrate this point because it was a departure from the way Jews worship.
Acts 20:7: On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
1 Cor. 16: On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.Here, Paul is giving instructions. He says to make sure the contributions are gathered on the "first day of the week." (Sunday.) They can do this because that is the day they gather for worship, therefore this scripture demonstrates that Christians, unlike Jews, gathered on Sundays.
Col. 2:16-17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.There are not many scriptures more clear than this one: Paul here is teaching that while the feasts and sabbaths are not "wrong" to celebrate, they are only a shadow of which is to come: the reality in Christ. (Which is Our Lord, fully present in the Eucharist.) Therefore, he says: "let no one pass judgment any more over a Sabbath."
2 Thess. 2:15: So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.
These are clear instruction to hold fast to apostolic tradition, whether it is oral or written. The 2,000+ year-old tradition of the Church is that the apostles changed the Sabbath day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, not only with apostolic authority (and this is a major point worth pausing on-- what IS apostolic authority if it is not to determine how and when and why we worship. Is not apostolic authority the authority conferred by God Himself to lead the Church?) but also with a clear understanding that the purpose and perpetual need for Shabbat is FULFILLED in Christ, who IS our Rest, Our peace, etc.
Heb. 4:8-9: For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God...Regarding the day of rest, if Joshua had given rest, God would not later speak of "another day," which is Sunday, the new Sabbath. Sunday is the first day of the week. It is also the first day of the new creation brought about by our Lord's resurrection, which was on Sunday.
Heb. 7:12: For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.Because we have a new Priest (Jesus Christ) and a new sacrifice, (the Eucharist) we also have a new day of worship, which is Sunday.
Rev 1:10: It was the Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast.
Again, nothing in scripture is "by accident." I had a pastor who used to say: "If it gets repeated, it's going to be on the test." John specifically points out that he witnesses the heavenly Eucharistic liturgy on Sunday, the Lord's day, the new day of rest in Christ.
Matt. 16:19; 18:18:
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
Did you catch that? Jesus, in speaking to PETER, said: Whatever the Church binds on earth is bound in heaven. Since the resurrection, Mass has been principally celebrated on Sunday. Again, this comes down to the purpose of apostolic authority, as an ACTUAL authority, under the tutelage and protection of the Holy Spirit.
So there you have it... Catholics DO have a perfectly scriptural case to make regarding the "changing" (I prefer the word "transferring" or "observation of the fullness of" Shabbat to a Sunday, the day of Our Lord's Resurrection. If that isn't enough, let's take a quick look at just some of the historical evidence that points to the fact that the early Christians did absolutely worship in common on Sunday and observe the Lord's Day on that day.
On the Lord's own day, assemble in common to break bread and offer thanks, but first confess your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure." Didache, 14 (A.D. 90).
"If, therefore, those who were brought up in the ancient order of things have come to the possession of a new hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him and by His death--whom some deny, by which mystery we have obtained faith, and therefore endure, that we may be found the disciples of Jesus Christ, our only Master." Ignatius, To the Magnesians, 9:1 (A.D. 110).
"The seventh day, therefore, is proclaimed a rest--abstraction from ills--preparing for the Primal Day,[The Lord's Day] our true rest; which, in truth, is the first creation of light, in which all things are viewed and possessed. From this day the first wisdom and knowledge illuminate us. For the light of truth--a light true, casting no shadow, is the Spirit of God indivisibly divided to all, who are sanctified by faith, holding the place of a luminary, in order to the knowledge of real existences. By following Him, therefore, through our whole life, we become impossible; and this is to rest." Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, 6:16 (A.D. 202).
"In fine, let him who contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed as a balm of salvation, and circumcision on the eighth day because of the threat of death, teach us that, for the time past, righteous men kept the Sabbath, or practiced circumcision, and were thus rendered "friends of God." For if circumcision purges a man since God made Adam uncircumcised, why did He not circumcise him, even after his sinning, if circumcision purges? At all events, in settling him in paradise, He appointed one uncircumcised as colonist of paradise. Therefore, since God originated Adam uncircumcised, and inobservant of the Sabbath, consequently his offspring also, Abel, offering Him sacrifices, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was by Him commended; while He accepted what he was offering in simplicity of heart, and reprobated the sacrifice of his brother Cain, who was not rightly dividing what he was offering. Noah also, uncircumcised--yes, and inobservant of the Sabbath--God freed from the deluge. For Enoch, too, most righteous man, uncircumcised and in-observant of the Sabbath, He translated from this world; who did not first taste death, in order that, being a candidate for eternal life, he might by this time show us that we also may, without the burden of the law of Moses, please God." Tertullian, An answer to the Jews, 2 (A.D. 203).
"The apostles further appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the oblation: because on the first day of the week our Lord rose from the lace of the dead and on the first day of the week He arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week He ascended up to heaven, and on the first day of the week He will appear at last with the angels of heaven." Teaching of the Apostles, 2 (A.D. 225).
"Hence it is not possible that the rest after the Sabbath should have come into existence from the seventh of our God; on the contrary, it is our Saviour who, after the pattern of His own rest, caused us to be made in the likeness of His death, and hence also of His resurrection." Origen, Commentary on John, 2:27 (A.D. 229).
"On the seventh day He rested from all His works, and blessed it, and sanctified it. On the former day we are accustomed to fast rigorously, that on the Lord's day we may go forth to our bread with giving of thanks. And let the parasceve become a rigorous fast, lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the Jews, which Christ Himself, the Lord of the Sabbath, says by His prophets that 'His soul hateth;' which Sabbath He in His body abolished." Victorinus, On the Creation of the World (A.D. 300).
"They did not care about circumcision of the body, neither do we. They did not care about observing Sabbaths, nor do we." Eusebius, Church History, 1:4,8 (A.D. 312).
"Also that day which is holy and blessed in everything, which possesses the name of Christ, namely the Lord's day, having risen upon us on the fourth of Pharmuthi (Mar. 30), let us afterwards keep the holy feast of Pentecost." Athanasius, Epistle 9:11 (A.D. 335).
"Fall not away either into the sect of the Samaritans, or into Judaism: for Jesus Christ henceforth hath ransomed thee. Stand aloof from all observance of Sabbaths, and from calling any indifferent meats common or unclean." Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 4:37 (A.D. 350).
"Christians must not judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honouring the Lord's Day; and, if they can, resting then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ." Council of Laodicea, Canon 29 (A.D. 360).
"For many other observances of the Churches, which are due to tradition, have acquired the authority of the written law, as for instance the practice of dipping the head three times in the layer, and then, after leaving the water, of tasting mingled milk and honey in representation of infancy; and, again, the practices of standing up in worship on the Lord's day, and ceasing from fasting every Pentecost; and there are many other unwritten practices which have won their place through reason and custom. So you see we follow the practice of the Church, although it may be clear that a person was baptized before the Spirit was invoked." Jerome, Dialogue against the Luciferians, 8 (A.D. 382).
"Then as one whom they must respect, there will be the presbyter among them and this will contribute to the security of the estate. There will be constant prayers there through thee hymns and Communions through thee; the Oblation on each Lord's Day." John Chrysostom, Acts of the Apostles, Homily 18 (A.D. 388).
"And on the day of our Lord's resurrection, which is the Lord's day, meet more diligently, sending praise to God that made the universe by Jesus, and sent Him to us, and condescended to let Him suffer, and raised Him from the dead. Otherwise what apology will he make to God who does not assemble on that day to hear the saving word concerning the resurrection, on which we pray thrice standing in memory of Him who arose in three days, in which is performed the reading of the prophets, the preaching of the Gospel, the oblation of the sacrifice, the gift of the holy food?" Apostolic Constitutions, 2,7:59 (A.D. 400).
"Well, now, I should like to be told what there is in these ten commandments, except the observance of the Sabbath, which ought not to be kept by a Christian,--whether it prohibit the making and worshipping of idols and of any other gods than the one true God, or the taking of God's name in vain; or prescribe honour to parents; or give warning against fornication, murder, theft, false witness, adultery, or coveting other men's property? Which of these commandments would any one say that the Christian ought not to keep? Is it possible to contend that it is not the law which was written on those two tables that the apostle describes as 'the letter that killeth,' but the law of circumcision and the other sacred rites which are now abolished? But then how can we think so, when in the law occurs this precept, 'Thou shall not covet,' by which very commandment, notwithstanding its being holy, just, and good, 'sin,' says the apostle, 'deceived me, and by it slew me?' What else can this be than 'the letter' that 'killeth'?" Augustine, Spirit and the Letter, 23:14 (A.D. 412).
"He [Constantine] also enjoined the observance of the day termed the Lord's day, which the Jews call the first day of the week, and which the pagans dedicate to the sun, as likewise the day before the seventh, and commanded that no judicial or other business should be transacted on those days, but that God should be served with prayers and supplications. He honored the Lord's day, because on it Christ arose from the dead, and the day above mentioned, because on it he was crucified." Sozomon, Ecclesiastical History, 1:8 (A.D. 443).
"It has come to my ears that certain men of perverse spirit have sown among you some things that are wrong and opposed to the holy faith, so as to forbid any work being done on the Sabbath day. What else can I call these but preachers of Antichrist, who, when he comes, will cause the Sabbath day as well as the Lord's day to be kept free from all work. For, because he pretends to die and rise again, he wishes the Lord's day to be had in reverence; and, because he compels the people to judaize that he may bring back the outward rite of the law, and subject the per-tidy of the Jews to himself, he wishes the Sabbath to be observed. For this which is said by the prophet, 'Ye shall bring in no burden through your gates on the Sabbath day', could be held to as long as it was lawful for the law to be observed according to the letter. But after that the grace of Almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ has appeared, the commandments of the law which were spoken figuratively cannot be kept according to the letter. For, if any one says that this about the Sabbath is to be kept, he must needs say that carnal sacrifices are to be offered: he must say too that the commandment about the circumcision of the body is still to be retained. But let him hear the Apostle Paul saying in opposition to him, 'If ye be circumcised, Christ profiteth you nothing.’” Pope Gregory the Great [regn. A.D. 590-604], To the Roman Citizens, Epistle 13:1 (A.D. 597).
Let us celebrate the Lord's Day, beginning by gathering together at the Eucharistic Sacrifice, uniting our prayers to the priest as he offers up Our Passover Lamb to the Father in union with the Holy Spirit.
Special thanks to John over at Scripture Catholic who has compiled these scriptures on his website, at http://www.scripturecatholic.com/sunday_worship.html
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