Saints on Saturdays- The universality of Catholicity

To be 'Catholic' means to love your country and to be second to no one in that love. And at the same time, to hold as your own the noble aspirations of other lands. — So many glories of France are glories of mine! And in the same way, much that makes Germans proud, and the peoples of Italy and of England..., and Americans and Asians and Africans, is a source of pride to me also.
Catholic: big heart, broad mind.

--St Josemaria Escriva, The Way, 525  

Freaky Fridays-Elvis Exposed.

The Bedtime Shema

THE BEDTIME SHEMA -- Jewish evening prayer (The equivalent of our Compline Prayer)

Read it below, so that you, Christian readers, may see the depth and bond of brotherhood you should feel with all people who recite this lovingly before retiring. Traditionally, when you recite the Shema, you cover your eyes, focusing intently on God's Sovereignty. There is an old Jewish tale that some of the Jewish children who were hidden in monastaries during the war (many were handed over to Christian families, monastaries, and orphanages) had little memory of their "jewishness" once the war was over. Persistent rabbis attempted to come and retrieve them, since most of their parents were dead. The story goes that some of the children, now fully "Christianized," were all laying in bed in their neat little rows in the monastary orphanage. After a brief argument at the door because of the rabbi's inability to "prove" that the children were indeed Jewish because of lack of documentation, the Rabbi was allowed into the room to examine the children briefly.

He  walked down the aisle between their beds, calling out: (They) slowly walked through the aisles of beds, calling out, "Shema Yisrael--(Hear, Israel), the Lord is our God, the Lord is One!" And one by one, children here and there burst into tears and shrieked, "Mommy!" "Maman!" "Momma!" "Mamushka!" in each of their native languages.

Here is the text, then, of the Bedtime Shema-- the Jewish Night Prayer. Please take a moment to read it if you are unfamiliar, and to try to understand. 

Master of the universe, I hereby forgive anyone who angered or antagonized me or who sinned against me — whether against my body, my property, my honor or against anything of mine; whether he did so accidentally, willfully, carelessly, or purposely; whether through speech, deed, thought, or notion; whether in this transmigration or another transmigration — I forgive every Jew. May no man be punished because of me. May it will be Your will, HASHEM, my God and the God of my forefathers, that I may sin no more. Whatever sins I have done before You, may You blot out in Your abundant mercies, but not through suffering or bad illnesses. May the expressions of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart find favor before You, HASHEM, my Rock and my Redeemer.1

Blessed are You, HASHEM, our God, KING of the universe, who casts the bonds of sleep upon my eyes and slumber upon my eyelids. May it be Your will, HASHEM, my God and the God of my forefathers, that You lay me down to sleep in peace and rise me erect in peace. May my ideas, bad dreams, and bad notions not confound me; may my offspring be perfect before You, and may You illuminate my eyes lest I die in sleep,2Who illuminates the pupil of the eye. Blessed are You, Hashem, Who illuminates the entire world with His glory.

God, trustworthy King.

Recite the first verse aloud, with the right hand covering the eyes,and concentrate intensely upon accepting God's absolute sovereignty.

(Hear, O Israel: HASHEM is our God,
HASHEM, the One and Only. 3)

In an undertone: 

Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9

You shall love HASHEM, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your resources. Let these matters that I command you today be upon your heart. Teach them thoroughly to your children and speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise. Bind them as a sign upon your arm and let them be tefillin between your eyes. And write them on the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.

May the pleasantness of my Lord, our God, be upon us — may He establish our handiwork for us; our handiwork may He establish.4(1) Psalms 19:15. (2) Cf. 13:4. (3) Deuteronomy 6:4. (4) Psalms 90:17.

Psalm 91

Whoever sits in the refuge of the Most High, he shall dwell in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of HASHEM, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, I will trust in Him." For He will deliver you from the ensnaring trap, from devastating pestilence. With His pinion He will cover you, and beneath His wings you will be protected; shield and armor is His truth. You shall not fear the terror of night; nor the arrow that flies by day; nor the pestilence that walks in gloom; nor the destroyer who lays waste at noon. Let a thousand encamp at your side and myriad at your right hand, but to you they shall not approach. You will merely peer with your eyes and you will see retribution of the wicked. Because [you said,] "You, HASHEM, are my refuge," you have made the Most High your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. He will charge His angels for you, to protect you in all your ways. On your palms they will carry you, lest you strike your foot against a stone. Upon the lion and the viper you will tread; you will trample the young lion and the serpent. For he has yearned for Me and I will deliver him; I will elevate him because he knows My Name. He will call upon Me and I will answer him, I am with him in distress, I will release him and I will honor him. With long life will I satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation. With long life will I satisfy him, and I will show him My salvation.

Psalm 3:2-9

HASHEM, how many are my tormentors! The great rise up against me! The great say of my soul. "There is no salvation for him from God — Selah!" But You HASHEM are a shield for me, for my soul, and the One Who raises my head. With my voice I call out to HASHEM, and He answers me f rom His holy mountain — Selah. I lay down and slept, yet I awoke, for HASHEM supports me. I fear not the myriad people deployed against me from every side. Rise up, HASHEM; save me, my God; for You struck all of my enemies on the cheek, you broke the teeth of the wicked. Salvation is HASHEM's, upon Your people is Your blessing — Selah.

Lay us down to sleep, HASHEM, our God, in peace, raise us erect, our King, to life; and spread over us the shelter of your peace. Set us aright with good counsel from before Your Presence, and save us for Your Name's sake. Shield us, remove from us foe, plague, sword, famine, and woe; and remove spiritual impediment from before us and behind us, and in the shadow of your wings shelter us1 — for God Who protects and rescues us are You; for God, the Gracious and Compassionate King, are You. 2 Safeguard our going and coming — for life and for peace — from now to eternity.3(1) Cf. Psalms 17:18. (2) Cf. Nechemiah 9:31. (3) Psalms 121:8.

Blessed is HASHEM by day; blessed is HASHEM by night; blessed is HASHEM when we retire; blessed is HASHEM when we arise. For in Your hand are the souls of the living and the dead. He in Whose hand is the soul of all the living and the spirit of every human being.1 In Your hand I shall entrust my spirit, You redeemed me, HASHEM, God of truth.2 Our God, Who is in heaven, bring unity to your Name; establish Your kingdom forever and reign over us for all eternity.

May our eyes see, our heart rejoice and our soul exult in Your salvation in truth, when Zion is told, "Your God has reigned!" 3 HASHEM reigns,4 HASHEM has reigned,5 HASHEM will reign for all eternity.6For the kingdom is Yours and You will reign for all eternity in glory, for we have no King but You.

May the angel who redeems me from all evil bless the lads, and may my name be declared upon them — and the names of my forefathers Abraham and Isaac — and may they proliferate abundantly like fish within the land.7

He said: "If you diligently heed the voice of HASHEM, your God, and do what is proper in His eyes, and you listen closely to His commandments and observe His decrees — the entire malady that I inflicted upon Egypt I will not inflict upon you, for I am HASHEM your Healer." 8

HASHEM said to the Satan, "HASHEM shall denounce you, O Satan, and HASHEM, Who selects Jerusalem, shall denounce you again. This is indeed a firebrand rescued from flames." 9

Behold! The couch of Shlomo! Sixty mighty ones round about it, of the mighty ones of Israel. All gripping the sword, learned in warfare, each with his sword on his thigh, from fear in the nights.10

Recite three times:

May HASHEM bless you and safeguard you. May HASHEM illuminate His countenance for you and be gracious to you: May HASHEM turn His face toward you and establish peace for you.11

Recite three times:

Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.12

-----------------------------------------------

(1) Job 12:10. (2) Psalms 31:6. (3) Cf. Isaiah 52:7. (4) Psalms 10:16.
(5) 93:1 et al. (6) Exodus 15:18. (7) Genesis 48:16. (8) Exodus 15:26.
(9) Zechariah 3:2. (10) Song of Songs 3:7-8. (11) Numbers 6:24-26. (12) Psalms 121:4.

Recite three times:

For Your salvation do I long, HASHEM.1 I do long, HASHEM, for your salvation. HASHEM, for Your salvation do I long.

Recite three times:

In the Name of HASHEM, God of Israel: may Michael be at my right, Gabriel at my left, Uriel before me, and Raphael behind me; and above my head the Presence of God.

Psalm 128

A song of ascents. Praiseworthy is each person who fears HASHEM, who walks in His paths. When you eat the labor of your hands, you are praiseworthy, and it is well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the inner chambers of your home; your children shall be like olive shoots surrounding your table. Behold! For so is blessed the man who fears HASHEM. May HASHEM bless you from Zion, and may you gaze upon the goodness of Jerusalem, all the days of your life. And may you see children born to children, peace upon Israel.

Recite three times:

Tremble and sin not. Reflect in your hearts while on your beds, and be utterly silent. Selah. 2

Master of the universe. Who reigned
before any form was created,
At the time when His will brought all into being —
then as "King" was His Name proclaimed.
After all has ceased to be,
He, the Awesome One, will reign alone.
It is He Who was, He Who is,
and He Who shall remain, in splendor.
He is One — there is no second
to compare to Him, to declare as His equal.
Without beginning, without conclusion —
His is the power and dominion.
He is my God, my living Redeemer,
Rock of my pain in time of distress.
He is my banner, a refuge for me,
the portion in my cup on the day I call.
Into His hand I shall entrust my spirit
when I go to sleep — and I shall awaken!
With my spirit shall my body remain.
HASHEM is with me, I shall not fear.

------------------------------------

(1) Genesis 49:18. (2) Psalms 4:5.

The first prayer, in which forgiveness is given and asked for, is a favorite one for me-- reminding me of our own "examination of conscience" made just before Compline. It is hard to say those words, impossible even, to God if we are lying. As we read them, images from our day pop up before us-- faces we must forgive. It's powerful.

I love the rest as well and read it often at bedtime to the kids, loving especially the part that reads: "May the angel who redeems me from all evil bless the lads, and may my name be declared upon them — and the names of my forefathers Abraham and Isaac — and may they proliferate abundantly like fish within the land." 

WOULD that our Catholic families would pray this often and understand especially the last portion of that prayer, and see that Children are an inheritance and a blessing.

I hope you enjoyed reading and that you walk away from the experience with a deeper understanding of what unifies Christians and Jews as believers in the One Eternal God who created us, called us, and reigns above all. It is especially sweet to me to think of Our Blessed Mother lovingly teaching the Child Jesus the Shema on his bed.  

Pax!

Theology Thursdays-- Called to pray

The Presentation in the Temple


In the wonderful Ignatius Press book Salvation is from the Jews: The role of Judaism in salvation history from Abraham to the second coming, Roy H. Schoeman identifies a list of core roles entrusted to the Jews:

1. Exhibiting a faithfulness and devotion to God that would support a unique intimacy and covenant with Him, through which the Messiah would eventually come.

2. In this loyalty and covenant being the primary channel of grace for all mankind.

3. Prophetically, typologically foreshadowing salvation history in their own history.

4. Providing a people of sufficient spiritual purity, virtue, and morality to be able to be the people among whom God became man.

5. Making God’s laws known to mankind.

6. Preparing the Mother of the Redeemer.

7. Praying for the coming of the Messiah.

8. Adoring and worshiping the Messiah before He came.

9. Providing a temporal home for the Messiah and announcing the good news when He came.

Shortly afterwards, he asks the question: “How well did they do at the job they were given?”

Demonstrating how on the surface, from a Christian worldview, it would appear that they completely failed, still a faithful remnant always remained to respond with love and faith when all others had failed, and the tremendous blessing which flowed from their obedience has always healed the world. Connecting biblical personalities with later accepted private revelations of the saints, he argues for the idea that in the story of Israel, that faithful remnant has always and will always perfectly fulfill the roles they were given.

He then goes on to intertwine those roles and the historical experience of the Jews as they relate to the Church. It’s a fascinating topic, one close to my heart—and one whose theological and practical insights seem inexhaustible.

Above all, the question remains: In our days and in the times of the end, will we be that faithful remnant? Or will we will be like the faithless masses?

Of the list above, number seven stands out to me as the solitary task which reveals our heart to answer that question, as well as our intentions and mindset. It is a crucible through which only the strong may pass, those whose faith in God allows them to overcome the greatest of difficulties.

As Schoeman point out, the prayers of the saints and private revelations are later proof of God working through us—sometimes just one of us—to effect change on the planet. Countless are the stories of personal victories gained through prayer, but less well-known are the stories of wars stopped and atrocities or judgements prevented due to the faithful prayers of few.

These examples should do wonders to build our faith. As protestant pastor and eceumenical leader Jack Hayford points out: “Prayer is invading the impossible.”

It is an act of faith, the spiritual equivalent of lighting a match in a dark, cold night…. A match which may ignite a fire which may engulf your home, your city, your nation—the world.

“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” (Mk 11:24)

But is it that easy?

No. Breakthrough comes by the sweat of our brow and through our willingness to suffer and seek. Breakthrough comes through our own detachment from things which hold no real spiritual value but which appear to us down here to be indications of our own success. It bursts forth through our willingness to let God’s Spirit lead us though we have not seen nor understood why He does what He does.

It is precisely for this reason that the parental task of teaching obedience is so crucial—it is the fundamental task of the human being to trust and obey God when it does not make sense.

This isn’t to say that a study of God’s laws do not ultimately demonstrate a very reasonable “cause” and “effect” in which we realize that His ways work and His reasons are right. Rather, it means that the fundamental focus of our religious life is FAITH… a faith which is the assurance of things hoped for, evidence in things yet unseen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Like children, we learn that we must do these things not because He said so, although that should be reason enough. Rather, we obey because He loves us, and what He asks is good.

If God reserved a people for Himself to fulfill the role of interceding for the world, how important is it for us individually to respond to that call within? Indeed, by the Cross He has called ALL people to himself, chosen us, and set us apart, gentile and Jew alike!

Those of us who have not seen God move in power have not seen it because we have not been willing to say to Him: “here I am, Lord! Send me!” (Isaiah 5:8)

Those who have:

-the woman who quietly suffers painful fibromyalgia with joy, offering up every bodily pain for the local public school to be flooded with God’s peace and truth.

-the man who endures his wife’s adultery with patience, love and tenderness, offering up his sufferings for her personal salvation.

-the police officer who prays the rosary in his vehicle, as he stakes out a suspected drug dealer’s house, asking God to give him success not only temporally but in the spiritual, impacting the dealer’s life.

-the exhausted mother who joyfully fulfills her menial tasks, offering herself for the eternal well-being of her family and her local priest’s faithfulness to his vocation.

-the parish priest, who daily offers to God the one-time sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of the people.

-the group of families who get together once a week to offer praises to God and seek Him for their community.

These are just some of the ways we are asked to participate in our intercessory calling--- a role which was for through the history of the Jewish people and to which every member of the Church is called to respond today.

How does it work?

In the book: “Intercessory Prayer,” Dutch Sheets gives some insight as to how we can begin to pray.

He says: “Our challenge is not so much to liberate as to believe in the Liberator; to heal as to believe in the Healer.”

The Catholic Church teaches that Prayer need be both communal and individual, the work of the mouth, the mind, the body, and also the heart. The Catechism of the Church is clear:

2720 The Church invites the faithful to regular prayer: daily prayers, the Liturgy of the Hours, Sunday Eucharist, the feasts of the liturgical year.
2721 The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They have in common the recollection of the heart.
2722 Vocal prayer, founded on the union of body and soul in human nature, associates the body with the interior prayer of the heart, following Christ's example of praying to his Father and teaching the Our Father to his disciples.
2723 Meditation is a prayerful quest engaging thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. Its goal is to make our own in faith the subject considered, by confronting it with the reality of our own life.
2724 Contemplative prayer is the simple expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, an attentiveness to the Word of God, a silent love. It achieves real union with the prayer of Christ to the extent that it makes us share in his mystery.

Sheets reminds us that intercession creates a meeting: when we meet with Heaven, heaven meets with the forces of darkness, and meets with the person or place we are meeting about. The “collision” between Light and Darkness creates a physical reality we experience here on earth.

He states: “All of our praying intercession will involve one or both of these facets: reconciliation or breaking; uniting or disuniting.” This is the binding and loosing we are called to.

In Hebrew, the word paga is used to connotate a violent meeting, and is the word we often translate as “intercession.”

“The prayers of an understanding intercessor WILL create a meeting (paga). And when the meeting comes to a close, something will have changed.”

Another great insight gained through Sheet’s book is that many of our earthly difficulties and trials come through our own failure to secure our own spiritual boundaries—our “forgetting” to war in the spiritual realm on behalf our family and friends and for our good.

Most of us will reflect back over sufferings and difficulties and recognize that personal growth occurred that certainly created “holiness” within us that was not present before. On the other hand, many of our own challenges are self-made. We are cursed because we remain under the curse of sin. We are struggling because our sin-nature causes us to make stupid decisions and take stupid actions. Then we shake our fist at God and say: “why??”

If we pray before we make decisions, we will be sure to listen for God’s wisdom about each situation we encounter and avoid (or at least try to) making poor, and quick, decisions. If we remember to pray consistently to protect and shield our family and city from harm, we certainly do only good to those we love, and often our watchman-role can keep us from unnecessary trials and also give us insight which helps us to love God and love our neighbor more. But prayer is not a magic formula—saying the right words or “feeling the right feelings” when we pray do not make us more “effective.” What matters is only love… the Love we have for God and for each other, often gained through prayer.

Many protestants mistakenly believe (and often innocently, for they do not realize the grave theological implications) that their “effective”prayer will move heaven to give them material blessings, and that the measure of material blessing, health, or “good” they receive demonstrates the power in their own faith. The Catholic Church takes a more balanced approach… while we understand the great benefit – and indeed, or deep responsibility—to set up our own spiritual success (spiritual, not physical…. Although we do pray for our physical needs, of course, and often have them answered) by “covering our bases” in the spiritual realm, we also recognize the great necessity of uniting our sufferings to Christ’s and believe in redemptive suffering, which is the idea that there is both meaning and a meeting (paga) that happens when we suffer.

Our ultimate goal, as Catholic prayer warriors, is not to cease suffering, but to suffer well, offering ourselves to God for the healing of the world in imitation of and union with our Messiah, the Savior of the World. Like the Jews, we have been promised the Kingdom, now we must walk in faith, through the desert, believing and acting in accordance with that belief, until we inherit it.

God is indeed good, all the time, and yet bad things happen—both to good people, and are allowed by our good God. How can we explain this unless we take the Catholic view… the pain and suffering go hand in hand with joy and laughter.

The famous poet Khalil Gibran said:
“Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?”

Prayer is like this--- a continual acceptance and lifting of the soul to God who knows when we need hollowing out and when we need filling.

When Pope Paul VI proclaimed St. Teresa of Avila the first woman Doctor of the Church, he selected one of her many titles as the basis for conferring that honor on her: Teacher of Prayer.

Her teachings involve the personal journey into prayer, but an effective personal journey affects the lives of all those who we encounter, so her teachings are well worth heeding.

The most basic level of prayer, according to Saint Teresa of Avila, is a simple vocal prayer in which we make the physical effort to acknowledge God and His purposes and His will in our lives. The deepest level is union with God—a state in which the soul wants what God wants and trusts and loves God completely, often accompanied by mystical graces which are fascinating to study.

In her teachings on prayer, hailed as the foundational teachings on Catholic prayer, we learn that the soul grows from simply verbalizing what we “should” (reading prayers aloud) to desiring and understanding what God wills for us. She describes many “stops” along the path, giving us insight and detail into the mystical journey. She says:
First of all, I will say something (though not much, as I have dealt with it elsewhere) about another kind of prayer, which almost invariably begins before this one. It is a form of recollection which also seems to me supernatural. . . . Do not think that the soul can attain to him merely by trying to think of him as present within the soul. This is a good habit and an excellent kind of meditation, for it is founded on a truth, namely, that God is within us. But it is not the kind of prayer that I have in mind. . . . What I am describing is quite different.
As I understand it, the soul whom the Lord has been pleased to lead into this mansion will do best to act as I have said… Let it try, without forcing itself or causing any turmoil, to put a stop to all discursive reasoning, yet not to suspend the intellect nor to cease from all thought, although it is good for it to remember that it is in God's presence and who this God is. If this experience should lead to a state of absorption, well and good, but it should not try to understand what this state is, because it is a gift bestowed on the will. Therefore, the will should be allowed to enjoy it and should not be active except to utter a few loving words (Fourth Mansions, chap. 3).

She calls this the prayer of infused recollection, and it is the beginning stages of the journey. In this prayer, the soul begins to experience the peace and sweetness of God, and often falls into a “sleep of the faculties,” noting though that people might fall into a false “sleep” due to hypersensitivity, poor health, or other conditions.

From there, she goes on to describe other spiritual “states” that result from the cultivation of a regular prayer life. A study of her teachings on prayer will surely lead the interested soul to a union with God, as it has many of our well-known, and little-known, saints.

If we are going to draw our “call” to intercede out of Israel’s example, we must also look at Jewish prayer.

The Hebrew word for prayer is Tefilah, derived from the root Pre-Lamed Lamed and the word l’hitpalel, which means “to judge oneself.” This insight should help to understand that the purpose of Jewish prayer, regardless of its “type” is to unite the soul to God in purpose and to look introspectively at the soul’s progress.

Like Catholic prayer, Jewish prayer is not something that happens only in a Synagogue but rather throughout the day, helping the Jew to remember God at all moments of his life. Like Catholics, Jews pray at varying intervals and in all situations…. Upon arising, before beginning the day, upon accomplishing, or before accomplishing good works throughout the day, before and after eating, at bedtime, and ultimately at all moments. Catholics and Jews both also pray communally using words like “us” and “our” to remember that their prayers are effected on behalf of ALL believers and ultimately, the world. We are a universal communion of persons, not alone on the journey of life.

A wise Rabbi was once asked: “Rabbi, what should I do when I don’t believe in G-d anymore?”

He answered: “You should continue to pray and act as a good Jew. Faith will return to you.”

Indeed, this is the true teaching of all the saints: continue to pray, even in periods of darkness and great dryness, and you will experience God and faith will return. But how does a “good Jew” pray?

The “mindset” of Jewish prayer is called Kavanah. (Catholics call this intention.)

It means “an intent, a focus or a concentration.” At the very least, a Jew must realize that he is talking to God and that he is fulfilling an obligation toHim in order to have his action count as “prayer” and not just reading.

Jews use liturgical melodies, as well as movement (the swaying you see traditional jews making when they pray), to keep the mind free of other distractions and focused on God.

One other interesting point is that Jews pray in Hebrew. While the Talmud, or record of Oral Law, states that one may pray in any language they understand, traditional Judaism gives priority to Hebrew.

As the Church uses Latin as her formal language, Judaism uses Hebrew. Among other reasons, the Church uses Latin because it is a "dead language," therefore no changes in meaning can be ascribed to the words. It is a unifying language, a language which peoples of all nations can use, thus emphasizing the universality of the Church. The chief component of Christian worship is the offering of the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass each day. The official language of this liturgy is Latin, which the priest uses when speaking to God. Homilies and other addresses to the people are made in the common language. The use of Latin also ensures the purity of the offering of the mass—there are no “gray areas” in which the priest can ad-lib. The words also remain sacred, old as the ages, and unchanged, just as the sacrifice being offered is unchanged. Catholics who do not speak Latin can use missals to understand what is being said which contain the text in the common language and in the Latin language so that they may follow along.

Similarly, Judaism uses Hebrew, a language which has certain religious and cultural connotations that directly relate to the Jews and which are sadly lost when the common language is used. One example often used is that the English word “commandment” implies a stern law or judgement, whereas the Hebrew word, mitzvah-- often translated “commandment” carries a certain form of honor and respect in it, emphasizing the privilege of keeping the law.




There are many prescribed blessings and prayers throughout the day in both Catholic and Jewish tradtion.

These blessings and prayers, which many protestant theologians deem “religious” and therefore “stifling” to the effects and purposes of the Holy Spirit, are set moments at which specific words and actions are taken based on biblical words and actions which resulted in faith and blessing.

At best, protestants deem these unnecessary and superfluous, and yet their very function provides a very necessary opportunity at every moment throughout the day to remember God and fulfill His commandment to pray “without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Knowing these things helps us to pray as we ought—for through understanding Jewish prayer we can see God bestows great honor on those whom He calls to obey his commandments, to heal the world through our own willingness to obey, to respond as the faithful remnant even among all those who externally appear to be doing the right things but whose hearts are not right with God.

Our personal prayer should be a warm conversation with a friend, as Teresa of Avila taught, and our liturgical prayer should hold fast to the sacred traditions which have been handed down to us as a people, in the balance of both lies the fate of each soul and of the world.

As Jewish faithfulness resulted in perfect preparation for the coming of the Jewish Messiah, so then must Catholic prayer reflect our sacred calling to heal the world and prepare for the second coming of the Jewish Messiah.

Mama Mondays- Preparing for Halloween

I remember the days when the Christian world around me would buzz, buzz, buzz over the Halloween question for weeks on end. Starting in September and stopping around thanksgiving, we would have to determine whether we could, whether we should, and how we should participate in the halloween madness.

Having discovered first hand while trick-or-treating with my dutiful French mother (who had never heard of halloween and thought it was nuts, I'm sure, but tried to go along with the program) that there are complete nutballs out there who I'm better off keeping my kids away from.... I'm not big on trick or treating. At the same time, I'm frequently working in the paranormal field.... so it's kinda my favorite time of year-- the only time of year when people don't look at me like I'm from mars when I want to talk about ghosts.

Becoming a Catholic made that question (and pretty much every other question evangelical Christians fret over) much easier to cope with because we saw and understood how great God really is! Since Halloween IS OURS.... a Catholic time to focus on the departed saints and holy souls in purgatory.... why let the world have all the fun?

Taking the focus off of ghosts and witches and putting it on Christ and His Church has made all the difference for us. Now there is a rhythm to our late October choices and a powerful message and proclamation of the Gospel going on around us that doesn't have to include gimmicks, alternatives, or "taking back the night" even though we are. :P

You see, for Catholics, it's so simple. This article from Catholic Culture explains it well: 

"The Solemnity of All Saints is celebrated on November 1. It is a Solemnity, a holyday of obligation, and it is the day that the Church honors all of God's saints, even those who have not been canonized by the Church. It is a family day of celebration—we celebrate the memory of those family members (sharing with us in the Mystical Body, the communion of saints) now sharing eternal happiness in the presence of God. We rejoice that they have reached their eternal goal and ask their prayers on our behalf so that we, too, may join them in heaven and praise God through all eternity.
The honoring of all Christian martyrs of the Faith was originally celebrated on May 13, the date established by the fourth century. Pope Boniface IV in 615 established it as the "Feast of All Martyrs" commemorating the dedication of the Pantheon, an ancient Roman temple, into a Christian church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the martyrs. In 844, Pope Gregory IV transferred the feast to November 1st. Some scholars believe this was to substitute a feast for the pagan celebrations during that time of year.
By 741, the feast included not only martyrs, but all the saints in heaven as well, with the title changing to "Feast of All Saints" by 840. Pope Sixtus IV in 1484 established November 1 as a holyday of obligation and gave it both a vigil (known today as "All Hallows' Eve" or "Hallowe'en") and an eight-day period or octave to celebrate the feast. By 1955, the octave of All Saints was removed.
Since Vatican II, some liturgical observances have been altered, one example being "fast before the feast" is no longer required. The Church recognizes Solemnities and Sundays as high feast days that last longer than a day. The celebration starts the evening before, as mentioned in The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar: "Solemnities are counted as the principal days in the calendar and their observance begins with evening prayer of the preceding day. Some also have their own vigil Mass for use when Mass is celebrated in the evening of the preceding day. The celebration of Easter and Christmas, the two greatest solemnities, continues for eight days, with each octave governed by its own rules." In the Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours, these days are marked by Evening Prayer I (the evening before) and Evening Prayer II (the evening of the solemnity).
In England, saints or holy people are called "hallowed", hence the name "All Hallow's Day". The evening, or "e'en" before the feast became popularly known as "All Hallows' Eve" or even shorter, "Hallowe'en".
Many recipes and traditions have come down for this evening, "All Hallows Eve" (now known as Hallowe'en), such as pancakes, boxty bread and boxty pancakes, barmbrack (Irish fruit bread with hidden charms), colcannon (combination of cabbage and boiled potatoes). This was also known as "Nutcrack Night" in England, where the family gathered around the hearth to enjoy cider and nuts and apples.
November 2 was the date designated to pray for all the departed souls in Purgatory, the Feast of All Souls. The feasts of All Saints and All Souls fall back to back to express the Christian belief of the "Communion of Saints." The Communion of Saints is the union of all the faithful on earth (the Church militant), the saints in Heaven (the Church Triumphant) and the Poor Souls in Purgatory (the Church suffering), with Christ as the Head. They are bound together by a supernatural bond, and can help one another. The Church Militant (those on earth still engaged in the struggle to save their souls) can venerate the Church Triumphant, and those saints can intercede with God for those still on earth. Both the faithful on earth and the saints in heaven can pray for the souls in Purgatory. During these two days we see the Communion of Saints really in action!
Throughout the centuries man has struggled to keep his focus on the one true Faith and its practices. So many times, though, the pagan superstitions creep back into practice. Although now with a holier purpose, when preparing for the huge feast of All Saints some pagan "cult of the dead" practices seeped into the mainstream. See excerpts from Florence Berger'sCooking for Christ to see read more of the historic origin of Halloween practices, particularly in the British Isles."

So what do Catholics do? First, they party. How? By dressing up like saints. :)

There's nothing quite like the sight of dozens of miniature saints running around. Party ideas that revolve around the theme of the communion of saints takes the focus off the paganism and occultism that is rampant around Halloween. The kids dress up like heroes of the faith instead of creeps. And at the same time they learn the true creepiness of satan and the anti-Christ Spirit. Some choose to be saints who were martyred, telling the creepy tales of how it occured through their costumes and games. Themed activities and games round out the events, like cakes with holy cards bearing saints' images stuck into the slices like gravestones, or  guessing games to determine who is who.  This solidifies in their minds that the saints both existed as REAL people and also that they ARE still up there, praying for us and interceding before the throne for us. It's also vastly important to me that they become familiar with these friends in heaven and the rich history of their Church.

The following day, All SOULS day, is dedicated to prayer for the souls who have passed on. In parishes, we bring framed pictures of loved ones who have died to hang up on a display and remember and pray for... a wonderful practice that keeps them "part of the family" with us.
As mentioned above, all souls day is also a good day for a party to remind the children to pray for the holy souls in purgatory. (For information about why YOU should believe that purgatory matters, you can read my blog here and this apologetics statement about the doctrine here.)

The next day, on all souls' day, the Bishop in our diocese says mass in the cemetery of a very special little Church in the area, one which has a powerful spiritual history. It is dark, but also beautiful and full of heaven. Our family has always gone to this mass, which is held IN the graveyard and consequentially holds a beautiful lesson for the children. Because it's far awayish, it makes a great "field trip" and we use the opportunity to teach valuable pro-life lessons (since people here have gathered the remains of hundreds of aborted babies and given them a proper burial) as well as helping my kids to get a handle on the "ghost question" and understanding the value of praying for our loved ones and for others who have passed on. My kids have a mommy who has lost at least a friend a year since she turned twelve. It's very important to me that they be familiar with the significance of the experience of death and that they order their lives around the fact that they will one day die too... and face judgement.

Some traditional recipe ideas from the article above included below:

Soul Cakes 

The following recipe is an adaptation of an old Shropshire formula. The light fluffy buns, delicious for any occasion, are especially appropriate for Halloween. Serve them hot, with plenty of butter and strawberry or raspberry jam. Accompany them with mugs of cider; or with hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows, for the young; or with coffee or tea for those who are older.


6 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg white, slightly beaten


Cream shortening and sugar. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water to which a teaspoon of sugar has been added. Set aside. Scald milk and add to the creamed mixture. When cooled add yeast mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Sift together flour, salt, and spice, and add gradually to other ingredients, kneading into a soft dough.



Set sponge to rise in warm place in greased covered bowl. When doubled in bulk, shape into small round or oval buns. Brush tops with slightly beaten egg white. Bake in moderately hot oven (400° F. for 15 minutes. Drop temperature to 350° F. and bake until delicately browned and thoroughly done.



YIELD: 18-24 cakes, according to size.

from Feast-Day Cakes from Many Lands by Dorothy Gladys Spicer, ©1960.


Colcannon


There are several versions of this traditional potato dish (also known as Halloween Champ) which has nourished and comforted Irish people for centuries. So popular is it that poems have been written and songs have been sung in its honor. Serves 8.


2-2 1/2 lbs. "old" potatoes (e.g. Golden Wonders or Kerr's Pinks)
1 small Savoy or spring cabbage (about 1 lb)
1 cup milk

2-3 tablespoons chopped spring onions (scallions)
2 oz or 1/2 stick of butter
salt and freshly ground pepper
Scrub the potatoes and leave the skins on. Put them in a saucepan of cold water, add a good pinch of salt and bring to a boil.



When the potatoes are about half-cooked (15 minutes or so) strain off two-thirds of the water, replace the lid on the saucepan, put on gentle heat and allow the potatoes to steam until they are cooked.



Discard the dark outer leaves of the cabbage, wash the rest and cut into quarters, remove the core and cut finely across the grain. Cook in a little boiling salted water or bacon cooking water until soft. Drain, season with salt, pepper and a little of the butter.



When the potatoes are just cooked, put the milk into a saucepan with the scallions and bring to a boil. Pull the skins off the potatoes, mash quickly while they are still warm and beat in enough of the hot milk to make a fluffy purée. (If you have a large quantity you can do this in a food mix.



Stir in the cooked cabbage and taste for seasoning. Colcannon may be prepared ahead up to this point and reheated later in a 350°F oven. Put in an oven-safe dish and cover with aluminum foil before reheating so that it doesn't get crusty on top. Serve in a hot dish with a lump of butter melting in the center.



Adapted from The Festive Food of Ireland by Darina Allen ©1992.






Hallowe'en Barmbrack


A traditional fruit bread with hidden charms!


4 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/4 level teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 stick butter
3/4 oz. yeast (or 2 teaspoons dried yeast)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups tepid milk
1 egg, beaten

1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup chopped candied peel

Charms
1 pea
1 ring
1 silver coin
1 short piece of matchstick, each wrapped in greaseproof paper.

Glaze
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2-3 tablespoons boiling water


Sift the flour, spices and salt into a bowl, then rub in the butter.

Cream the yeast with 1 teaspoon of the sugar and 2 teaspoon of the tepid milk; it should soon bubble slightly.

Pour the remaining tepid milk and the egg into the yeast mixture and combine with the dry ingredients and the sugar. Beat well with the wooden spoon or knead with your hand in the bowl until the batter is stiff but elastic.

Fold in the dried fruit and chopped peel, cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size. Knead again for another 2-3 minutes and divide between two greased 1 lb. loaf tins.

Add the charms at this stage, making sure they are well-distributed. Cover again and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the dough comes up the top o the tin. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 1 hour. Test with a skewer before taking out of the oven.

Glaze the top with the sugar dissolved in the boiling water. Turn out to cool on a wire rack and when cold slice into thick slices and butter generously. Barmbrack keeps well, but even when it's stale it is very good toasted and buttered.

Joy and Sorrow (La Joie et la Tristesse)

Then a woman said, "Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow."
And he answered:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."
But I say unto you, they are inseparable.
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

-Khalil Gibran

------------------

Une femme dit alors:
"Parle-nous de la Joie et de la Tristesse."
Il répondit:
Votre joie est votre tristesse sans masque.
Et le même puits d'où jaillit votre rire a souvent été rempli de vos larmes.
Comment en serait-il autrement ?
Plus profonde est l'entaille découpée en vous par votre tristesse, plus grande est la joie que vous pouvez abriter.
La coupe qui contient votre vin n'est-elle pas celle que le potier flambait dans son four ?
Le luth qui console votre esprit n'est-il pas du même bois que celui creuse par les couteaux ?
Lorsque vous êtes joyeux, sondez votre coeur, et vous découvrirez que ce qui vous donne de la joie n'est autre que ce qui causait votre tristesse.
Lorsque vous êtes triste, examinez de nouveau votre coeur. Vous verrez qu'en vérité vous pleurez sur ce qui fit vos délices.

Certains parmi vous disent: "La joie est plus grande que la tristesse", et d'autres disent: "Non, c'est la tristesse qui est la plus grande."
Moi je vous dit qu'elles sont inséparables.
Elles viennent ensemble, et si l'une est assise avec vous, a votre table, rappelez-vous que l'autre est endormie sur votre lit.

En vérité, vous êtes suspendus, telle une balance, entre votre tristesse et votre joie.
Il vous faut être vides pour rester immobiles et en équilibre.
Lorsque le gardien du trésor vous soulève pour peser son or et son argent dans les plateaux, votre joie et votre tristesse s'élèvent ou retombent.
-- Khalil Gibran

A Conversation

You got my attention today, Lord.

Standing in my pew after communion, swaying gently just to keep the baby calm, I looked up at you looking down at me from the Cross and felt my lips quiver and my eyes wet.
“I mean well,” I whispered. You were swirling around inside me, dancing in my blood stream, moving with my heart…. “It’s not enough,” You said.

It’s not enough. Every excuse has a perfectly good reason for being. They stand, ready to attack, like little soldiers my son leaves lined up on the front porch, waging an imaginary war.

(...)

Read the rest on Catholic daily here.

The glory of virtuous womanhood, found in unlikely places.

When my husband and I were first married, he often tried to read to me the story of the Brave 300 at Thermopolae. I would listen half-heartedly for a few minutes and then roll over and go to sleep. It was a story I'd heard before, and not one in which I found anything particularly moving or interesting for my feminine nature to dwell on.
One day, we got a phone call from my brother, asking if my husband was excited to go see the movie "300" and whether we wanted to go with him.
"I don't know. What is that?" we asked.
We pulled up a preview online and my jaw dropped-- a movie about one of his favorite stories? He would be ecstatic. And I would be bored. :) However, there was something slightly intreguing that struck me. In watching the preview, I saw something that will forever illustrate for me what the experience getting to know of the inside of my man's mind looks like. I recognized him and the way he thinks in it.
Madness? This. is. Sparta.
On the surface, it's a now-famous movie scene that most people think is awesome. But imagine living the mental equivalent of those actions on a daily basis. Nowadays, we don't think a guy who acts like King Leonidas is "good." We call him a jerk. And yet to the ancients he was a noble king! It gave me pause.

I sent them off together to watch it and settled into the couch with the baby and a chick-flick.
A short while later, I got a phone call.
It was my husband, calling from the lobby of the theater in the middle of the movie. He was calling to tell me he would watch the baby so that I could go and see the movie myself, and that it was important to him.
"That good, huh?" I said, yawning.
His response was wounding:
"You need to see this movie so you can learn how to be a wife."

At the time, I'm not gonna lie, I thought: "Why the hell did I marry this creep?"
Here I was, busting my butt to be the perfect wife, doing everything I could to make sure the miserable, tiny studio apartment we lived in was clean, the cookies were fresh-baked, the baby was happy, he was happy... and here he was, watching some movie and getting inspired by some dumb character. To hell with him.

But I grimaced and set my face into a smile: "OK, babe." I said.
I walked into that movie ready to hate Queen Gorgo's guts and plotting ways to let him have it and/or make my escape from our marriage.
I walked out shamed, humbled, and a better wife.

You see, my husband is a FANATIC of all things classically manly, from Braveheart and Rob Roy to Appaloosa and Last of the Mohicans, and especially when it comes to the Classical world.
In my house, we alternate read-alouds of all the epic tales with viewings of Alexander, Troy, Rome, Clash of the Titans, and The Odyssey.

In the beginning, I used to grumble. These stories seemed to have nothing to offer me- they were all about men who lived long ago in settings I couldn't relate to and stories of battles and war. But once I quit complaining and started listening, I have come to learn that in the quiet, hidden lives of the wives of these men, the great heros of civilization, I have learned almost everything I need to know to be a wife.

In the case of the film version of the story of Queen Gorgo and King Leonidas, for example, there is much to learn. Sure, on the surface, it's a hollywoodized cheesy love story, a background to the story of an epic battle thrown in to keep the guys' attention. But the story of the Brave 300 is a true one, and was taught to all the ancients.

Imagine BEING Gorgo. Imagine being married to a man who has weighty responsibilities outside the home and who was raised and leads in a culture where women play second fiddle to the men because there is so much need for heavy military action. Being married to a man who simply doesn't have time for our crap.

Whenever  I reflect on how women's roles have changed, I am disheartened, for though it was hard to be a women in any age of history when men "held the power positions" and women were at their mercy, it is possibly just as challenging to us to live in a culture where women have been raised to "equality" at things which they are not equal in, and further difficult to live in a culture where women are expected to be both men and women.

Throughout history, good wifehood has been "not optional." There have been times and places where if women were NOT "wives of valor," they were killed, abused, or left to fend for themselves and die. In some situations, even when they were.

Now I'm not saying that we should go back to these times, for obviously we have become "civilized" by our understanding that women and children come first, (the Titanic taught us that, right? :D)

But as a woman who is married to a man which I call "savagely civilized," by virtue of his upbringing in which there was no female influence and in which he was taught that military prowess, survival ability, and furthering the cause of civilization while protecting his land were the ONLY worthy pursuits, I can tell you that the "wildness" of man, which was wholly unknown to me before I married one, serves a needed purpose in society.

And in my marriage! In being married to a man who is uncompromisingly Spartan and ""manly" I have learned many things. It has been like a boot camp, in which every shred of  physical, mental, or emotional weakness has been stripped from me. At the same time...

I have developed courage for situations I would never have imagined facing.
I have learned that respect is earned and not given. And that we must give it to earn it.
I have learned that good communication does not need words.
I have learned that there simply are. no. excuses.
I have learned that pain is weakness leaving the body.
I have learned that nothing is easy, but we have to do it anyways.
I have learned that pain is temporary, and pride is forever.
I have learned that a good soldier obeys orders, even when they don't make sense.
I have learned that there simply is no room for petty foolishness in progress.
I have learned that I'll sleep when I'm dead... and that's ok.
I have learned that I'll be doing it "right" the day I do it all.
I have learned that there is truth to the message that there is glory in the Cross and in suffering well.
I have learned to care for myself without requiring others to do it for me.

and many, many other lessons along the way.

Whenever my marriage gets tough, I will often say to myself: "I'm upset now. And rightly so! This is unjust. But how would my sisters who have gone before me, married to the most difficult of men, have reacted? What did  the ancient mothers do? What have the saints done?"
Penelope endured years of faithfulness and courage in the face of single motherhood, war and disappearance and was rewarded for it. Queen Gorgo endured the challenges of motherhood to a man whose difficult respect she had earned by the sweat of her brow. There are more than 25 patron saints of difficult marriages, among them Monica and St Rita of Cascia, who were married to men who were both difficult, unbelieving, and abusive. And yet they THRIVED in these environments, not only becoming saints themselves but raising saints and helping all people to survive with grace the most challenging aspects of life.

Queen Gorgo had unfaltering respect for her man, even when he doubted himself or she doubted him.
She had courage and an uncomplaining spirit. She had physical and mental agility to complete the tasks required of her position as Wife, Mother and Queen. She knew well the expectations of her role and did what she had to in order to earn not only the king's RESPECT, but his love and devotion. She was able to know him well enough to think like him to lead in his place. When she finally broke down and wept, it was in dignity and honor, not in a loss of control. She earned the love and respect of her husband, not by manipulating him with her emotions or demanding communication and "fairness" but rather by using her womanly strengths: tenderness and the touch of beauty, combined with her inner belief in the importance of what they were both doing... building a strong, honorably, and worthy society.
Queen Gorgo was the daughter of a King of Sparta, the wife of a second king of Sparta, and the mother of a third king of Sparta. What an honor was given to this woman, and how much we can all learn in our marriages from studying the story of her life and the lives of all the "hidden" wives behind the great heros of mythology and history.

There were other city-states, and ancient men of different breeds reigned in them, providing a much needed venue for learning philosophy and the arts. There were wives of different sorts there... and if your husband is more like the athenians, you wives who would do well to study the lives of the ancients there to learn what skills were needed to help them do what they did best. Athens was the cradle of civilization.
Sparta was different. Sparta was savage, and it was thanks to Sparta that Athens was free to grow and thrive.   In our modern world, we need both.

As we homeschool our children, teaching them the Classical liberal arts that derived from the wisdom of ancient greece, they are lucky enough to grow up in the home of a "savage" Spartan, getting the best of both worlds. It is fitting, then, that over time I've come to learn to love the wisdom left me by the ancient mothers of Greece, mothers like Penelope who, in a speech that stirs when she describes how the poor choices of other wives and women (in this case, Helen of Troy) have affected her, laid it all out for us to witness:

My dears, heaven has been pleased to try me with more
affliction than any other woman of my age and country. First I
lost my brave and lion-hearted husband, who had every good
quality under heaven, and whose name was great over all Hellas and middle Argos, and now my darling son is at the mercy of the winds and waves, without my having heard one word about his leaving home."

That very difficulty is the one that gave her glory that has lasted throughout all the ages... Glory which inspires and helps us women who know her story to live by the values which form lasting virtue to inspire our daughters in the future and help them to build up a society that changes the face of the world.

So the next time your husband kicks back to watch a "man" movie, quit whining and take a seat next to him. Or, after a fight, when you're tempted to wallow in the bittersweet loveliness of watching your favorite chick flick with a tub of ice cream, try throwing in a "man" movie instead and laying off the ice cream. You might come out a better wife.

After all... if you're like me and This. Is. Sparta.... there's no room for weakness here.
;)

Wordless Wednesdays- Abacus

Twaddle-free Tuesdays: Genesis to Jesus

In the Saint Gianna Vocation to Holy Motherhood group I host on Tuesdays we are working our way through a wonderful Bible study.
It is called Genesis to Jesus, and was co-written by Kimberly and Scott Hahn in association with the St Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
Wanna know how good it is ?? It is rapidly becoming my single favorite resource besides the Catechism for explaining Salvation History using the Bible. True story!
We originally selected it for those mothers who weren't familiar with the Bible to help them make some sense out of what they read and heard.
Ironically (or maybe not) there are only two of us who regularly meet right now to persist in unpacking the rich contents of scripture via this book, and of the whole group, we are the only two who probably "didn't need" to read it in the first place-- we're well versed in scripture study and none of the content seemed too "new" to us initially.
Despite all that,  we are both learning something incredible with each passing chapter. And our discussions are like, woah!! Needless to say, I'm loving it.
The book is a review of covenant history, and journeys through scripture from Creation onwards. I already know what you're thinking--- None of its topical concepts are "new" to me as a Bible reader. BUT to you , I say: give it a chance.  It is nothing short of amazing how deep we are led into understanding the nature of covenant, what it means for us, and WHY it matters by simpling putting two scriptures together we may not have connected before.
For us as Catholics, it is especially helpful to give tools for assessing why we believe that the Catholic Church is the ONLY Church on God's green earth which teaches wholly, and fully, biblical doctrine. All other churches and even religions contain small fragments and large pieces of truth.... but for me, from day one, I've sought to live by the Bible, and the Bible is what led me to Catholicism. I know some of my readers disagree, so for the sake of my non-Catholic friends I should point out that this book is neither preachy nor overtly "Catholic"-- in fact, I have only seen the word Catholic once so far in it, and it was in this sentence:

"If we want to understand the Bible, we need to understand it's plot. That plot is salvation history, the story of how God's plan for human salvation unfolds in the course of human events. In order to correctly understand the plot and recognize how Scripture applies to our lives, we need to read the Bible from the heart of the Church, seeing God's story with Catholic eyes. Knowing why we read the Bible, and how we should read the Bible, can give us that perspective."

He then goes on to unpack the story of the walk along the Emmaus Road in such a way as to help the reader understand how Christ HIMSELF explains scripture to His disciples. Nope, this book is not preachy-- in fact-- there's hardly any text at all that isn't directly related to the  biblical text itself. But it's eye opening and extremely interesting as a sort of timeline- method of passing through old, familiar Bible stories in light of the actions, words, and prophecies about the Christ.

Let me give you a little peek into just one area we are covering by sharing a snippet that hit me just right and just at the right time.... but first- a little background.
I've been really, truly struggling lately in almost every way.
Although I'm quite certain that I'm doing mostly the right things -- and recognizing and correcting them right away when I'm not...I have never felt more isolated, alone, and unloved.
My children are the focal point of virtually all of my energy (and plenty of energy I don't have but somehow muster up) right now. What they don't take up is taken by my husband, who is stressed on a level I cannot even describe right now as he goes through the academy and attempts to-- once and for all-- get us on our feet. And in the midst of all that I am living in my father in law's house, a challenge enough as it is but which is currently made twice as hard by some challenges he himself is facing.
Because we have only one car and cannot afford to insure me right now, I am completely isolated. And because things are tough, the good is really, really good... and the bad is... a nightmare.
I keep trying to hang on to St John of the Cross' promise that there is great benefit in simply detaching from everything. He recommends as a spiritual exercise that we maintain a practice of refusing what gives us pleasure and doing only what we dislike. I think it must be a great grace that God has given me that I am not even given the choice at any stage in this season... I just feel hammered.  I don't know. I will be speaking with my spiritual director about it.
In the meantime, God has used this book to really make me aware of His presence.
As I prepared for tommorow's lesson I was sitting outside reading this book and studying my bible when I was literally moved to tears for a moment by meditating on salvation history.
The topic is Abraham, Our Father in the faith. It opens with the promises given to us through Genesis 12:1-3:  (Land and nationhood, a royal dynasty and great name, and a worldwide family) and goes on to describe Abram's response in faith.
I paused there for a while, reflecting on many lessons I have learned over the years about faith, especially through a dear friend who discipled me when I first came face to face with the living God-- and her father, a wonderful pastor and mentor who gave me a foundation of faith right from the start that could not fail.
I remember well her and her father telling me, over and over again the powerful lessons given to us from Hebrews 11:8:

By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

This is the journey of faith, by faith, and through faith. This is our own calling, too. Like Abraham and Mary, his daughter, we say to God: "be it done to me according to thy Word." (Luke 1:38) And then we believe, we hope, and we love, even though we experience sorrow beyond all understanding. We have seen His glory revealed... a glimpse.... and we know the rest is there. Come hell, or high water. That's the Christian life.

But it was the next passage that really stopped me.. a simple list of things he experienced during that "walk." See if it doesn't get you thinking too:

The Tests of the Blessed (the life of Abram---> Abraham)

Famine (Gen 12)

Exile and temporary loss of wife (Gen 12)

Family strife and division (Gen 13)

Wars (Gen 14)

Unfulfilled promises (Gen 15)

Marital Discord (Gen 16)

Painful surgery (Gen 17)

Supernatural disaster (Gen 18-19)

The temporary loss of his wife, again (Gen 20)

More family strife (Gen 21)

Asked to sacrifice his son (Gen 22)

His faith is rewarded (Gen 15; 17; 22)

Sound familiar?? It did to me. I am walking through that same darkness.... on that same journey. I'm daily living those exact same things! 

What incredible peace came over me to stop and think that my Father, Abraham, and every one of his children, though they walk through the same trials, will be rewarded for their faith. What beautiful joy overpowered my sorrows--- what companionship. I am honored to be called a daughter of Abraham, and honored to walk this well-worn path with all of you.

 

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. 

   -- Mary (Lk 1:46-55)

I can't recommend this book enough--- it is fascinating for Jews, for Catholics, for Non-Catholic Christians, and even for Muslims and is simply a discussion of events as they unfold in the scriptures-- nothing added, nothing taken away. Just a journey through the scriptures. 

As I mentally prepare in my heart for advent and the season of waiting for the celebration of the Only Event on which all of History stands (I'm throwing my newly annual "Thankful for Advent" Party the day after thanksgiving and getting sooo excited!) it is perfect to go through this book and deeply drink from the living well present in scripture, because I'm so thirsty!! -----And I would venture to guess you are too. Enjoy it!

A prayer for our husbands

In the name of the Father + and the Son + and the Holy Spirit + 

Lord, let my husband be known in the gates , when he sits among the elders of the land (Prov 31:23)
Give him work that allows him to be good and do good, for a little is better with righteousness than vast revenues without justice. (prov 16:8) Blessed shall he be in the city, and blessed shall he be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of his body, the produce of his ground, and the increase of his herds. Blessed shall be his basket and his kneading bowl, for You, Lord, have promised to be the one to go before him, to be with him, and not forsake him-- therefore let him not be afraid. (Deut 28:3-6, 31:8)
Your Word says that he must be strong and of good courage. (Joshua 1:9) Give him every place the soul of his foot shall tread, and let him not turn to the right or to the left to deviate from your law, so that he will prosper wherever he goes. (Joshua 1:7)
Lord, send your Holy Spirit to quicken his Spirit, and teach him your ways. Your raise the poor out of the dust and lift the needy out of the ash heap to set them with princes (Psalm 113:7) and so we praise You, O God! The heart of my husband trusts in You, Lord, so deliver him from evil men. Break Satan's yoke from him and burst his bonds apart. (Nahum 1:13)
Lord, you say to the devil those same words you have reserved for the false prophet: that you are against him, that you will burn his chariots in smoke, that the sword shall devour his young lions and that the voice of his messengers will be heard no more. (Nahum 2:13)
B y the power of your Holy Spirit, God, teach me to pray for my husband and break every curse over him by the blood of Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins. Thank You, Lord! Your glory is from everlasting to everlasting, and we will never cease to sing your praise, O King of heaven!

Freaky Fridays- Beyoncé raw

Theology Thursdays- Deeper Sabbaths

With the celebration of Sukkot occuring this week, I posted this pic of our makeshift  ghetto-style semi-sukkah on FB and caused a mini ruckus when people (Jews, Messianics, Catholics, and protestants alike) were scandalized, yet again, at our observation of a Jewish holiday. 

Last week, a friend and I were doing a bible study and we came across the subject of observing the Sabbath and making holy the day. We talked about special ways we can mark the time on the weekends, teaching our kids to sanctify each day, and Sunday in a special way.
Then we talked about the "Saturday" Sabbath of the Old Covenant, and how much value we found in remembering it and meditating on it.

Whenever I get on the topic of anything remotely Hebrew Catholic in origin, people get offended. As they did yesterday when I explained to my kids the virtues of knowing about and celebrating Sukkot. Meditation on this topic always brings me back to principle question we discussed last week in bible study... how to observe the Sunday Lord's Day,  and how to remember the Jews in our religious observance, for example, on Saturdays, and not leave them behind. If we Christians truly believe that they were both chosen and veiled from Truth, we do well to both draw near and remember and teach the lessons which were unveiled to us... as well as be thankful and merciful, for it is by God's grace alone that we heard and recognized the saving gospel as Truth.

The "scandalization" that occurs whenever I post about jewish stuff/ do jewish stuff usually comes in about three forms and from well meaning people, but I'll address them here before I move on to the real topic because by the time I'm done you might be asking the same questions:

1. WHY are you teaching your kids jewish stuff??? We are not jews, we are Catholic, and so jews are wrong and so are you for teaching your kids jewish things.
I can think of about ten or twelve different reasons why it's important to our family (or at least to ME, not as much to my husband) to include jewish traditions in teaching my children about life. I'll spare you the long version, and just say that the number one reason to do it is because of catechesis. At some point, some day, my kids will encounter Judaism. And I want them to understand why we chose Catholicism over Judaism, but I also want them to understand why Judaism MATTERS, something which escapes many, many Christians.

2. WHY are you teaching your kids jewish stuff?? We are jewish, you are not, you are CATHOLIC, and so you are wrong for stealing our traditions and calling them yours.
Among the many responses I could give, I think the most important one here would be: why? Does it harm Judaism for us to observe a Jewish holiday and say it is good and important to know and understand? In following the guidelines set forth by our wise Catholic Bishops, we make no attempt to "Christianize" the traditions and rituals, rather giving them to the children and our guests as "correctly" as we can forseeably put them out there. If, for example, we are unable to do it exactly, we explain the "proper" Jewish way to do it (for example here with our "tent" sukkah vs the branches which are called for as a roof.) If we had local families nearby who were interested in Jewish things, we solemnly attest to the fact that we would gladly participate in these things with "real" (eyeroll... it gets so complex as an issue)  Jews and not using the hundreds of altered "Messianic" versions out there. We want our kids to understand that these things ARE Jewish, are not Christian, and that they POINT to the hope and God-given task of the Jewish People... a hope which we believe is fulfilled in our messiah, Yeshua.

3. WHY are you teaching your kids jewish stuff?? You are too weird/religious/zealous etc. 
Yep. Yep, we are.  Not gonna argue with that one. :)

OK, so with that out of the way, let's talk about our Sabbaths. I've already dissected the entire Sabbath issue here and here. Read those first for the background (and plan on it taking a while, haha)

So now, assuming that we understand that the LORD'S DAY (Sunday) is the Christian "Sabbath" requirement, as ordained by the Catholic Church, because of the resurrection of Our Lord, and assuming we understand that SATURDAY SABBATH KEEPING is a SIGN of the Jewish presence in the world and therefore important, whether Jews or Protestants or Catholics are doing it, because it reminds the world that God is here and has a plan for us... then we understand that for some people, SANCTIFYING the weekend within the context of our secular lives (and not just Saturday or Sunday) is important. Like us people-- the people in this house.

No matter what these people are doing to mark the time.... a special "something" on a Saturday that lifts the heart to God is a sign of the love of God for His Jewish people as well as a sign of obedience to the Church, in which we give honor to God's Chosen... Mary... a jewish girl who said YES to God. (there are so many interesting things about that-- like the fact that Jewish tradition calls the Sabbath "she" and says it's like an extra soul comes to visit that day.)

Like everything else, our wise Bishops have pointed out that while it is good for us to participate in this Jewish life to some degree, we are not to "Christianize" it on purpose, because we must remember that there IS an official prayer of the Church and that  Judaism is the ROOT of that prayer and not the FRUIT. Therefore any "Jewish" observance by Catholics must be (a) for the purpose of preserving the Hebrew Culture in the world and in the Church and (b) for the purpose of participating as much as we can in the spiritual and communal life of the Jew, as a sign to the world of our solidarity with him. We must make every attempt not to scandalize the Jew nor the Catholic, knowing of course that both will be ... perplexed, at best. However, we who have been called must make every effort to persevere to preach the Gospel of life and salvation as a whole and complete message, beginning at Creation and moving through the story of the Hebrews and into the era of the Church, which is the New Israel. Despite that status, there is a special PLACE for the Jews in God's plan, and we do well to know it and understand it.

There are Hebrew Catholics all over the place who have various reasons for calling themselves so. Some are converts, some are descendants of jews, some are simply observing hebrew traditions in a Catholic context. The most important thing to remember is that the majority of Hebrew Catholics are Catholics living in Israel who, just as the Catholics living in Israel at the time of Christ and later, during the early church, are immersed in a Hebrew culture and life which is all around them, and who desire to maintain those things as expressions of their family traditions and values.
Just as we wouldn't ask a Southern French Catholic to cease dressing up in traditional costumes and baking olive oil breads, or a japanese Catholic to stop eating sushi and bowing to say hello, we wouldn't ask a Hebrew Catholic to stop baking Challah and start working on Saturdays. Aside from being a religious concept, it's just part of the culture.

Here in Fayetteville, I attend a Maronite parish where we serve Lebanese foods, hold lebanese-style parties, and play lebanese music. Many of us dress lebanese-style and speak Arabic and French. Our liturgy is in syriac-aramaic and lots of people who accidentally walk in wonder if we are some kind of muslim church.

 My traditional Catholic friends and acquaintances do not take issue with the Maronite Rite and in fact, find it marvelous. I am not sure why those same traditional catholics, then, take issue with those of us who seek to maintain an authentically JEWISH culture/liturgy etc for those who have perfectly valid reasons for doing so.


All I know is.... it's kinda silly. Especially since, of all the cultures in the entire world, only the Jews can claim to have a literal life of tradition and family rooted in the worship of OUR God, and not the Pagan gods or secular ideas, at every turn. For theologians, Judaism is a signpost. It is a wonder. It is a delight. It is a gift, and a blessing! All other cultures and traditions have been sanctified by the Catholic Church but only the Jewish traditions have, from the beginning, been about God's business, twice sanctified when God came to earth as a Jewish child through a Jewish mother in a Jewish, observant home.

So, for those of us (and we are many!) who feel tugged in the direction of celebrating God's gift to us in the Jewish presence in the world (a gift which, like all his gifts, is completely free but not without responsibility!)
WHAT can we do to make sense out of our weekends? Some people light the Sabbath Lights on Saturday night, finding meaning in lighting their lights as their Jewish friends and family are finishing up Havdallah, the rite of closing (called the Rite of SEPARATION-- notice anything profound there??-- of the Jewish Sabbath.)
This is what my husband prefers I do.

Others find meaning in lighting their sabbath lights on Friday night, along with all the Jews in the world, and simply Sabbath keeping all weekend long. There is no "right" way to do it and the only danger is that you lose sight of the fact that SUNDAY is THE primary day on which you are required to attend mass, feast, and refrain from unnecessary servile work and money spending.

At first, my husband couldn't understand why I get all misty-eyed about silly little candle lighting ceremony. But think about it!! Catholics, you know how wonderful and amazing it is to light the advent candles.... the sabbath lights for Jews are like advent candles all year long, shining brightly with the hope that as they trust in God and repent, He will send His Messiah. It's powerful. Even more so when you know for a fact that that Messiah WAS and IS and IS TO COME.

Me? In obedience to my husband, I light the Sabbath lights with my kids on Saturdays. Maybe one day he will let me light them on Fridays, but I'm not holding my breath. :D
In solidarity with all Israel, though,  I stop at every Friday sundown, gathering my children for a brief prayer before a lit candle in front of our statue of the Blessed Virgin.

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us, humbly prostrate before Your altar. We are Yours and Yours we wish to be;but to be more surely united with You, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Your most Sacred Heart. Many, indeed, have never known You; many too, despising Your precepts, have rejected You. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Your Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord,not only of the faithful who have never forsaken You,but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned You; grant that they may quickly return to Your Father's house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions,or whom discord keeps aloof,and call them back to the harbour of truth and unity of faith,so that soon there may be but one flock and one shepherd. Be You King also of all those who sit in the ancient superstition of the Gentiles, and refuse not to deliver them out of darkness into the light and kingdom of God. Grant, O Lord, to Your Church,assurance of freedom and immunity from harm;give peace and order to all nations,and make the Earth resound from pole to pole with one cry:Praise to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation;to it be glory and honour forever. Amen. (for those Catholics in the know, we use the older Pre-Vat II version of this prayer ;))

On Friday nights as the Sabbath begins, Jews CELEBRATE, as they are commanded to do. We Christians, however, fast and remember the death of Our Lord on the Cross. I find it profound that we who have so much in common and yet have such opposite commandments on this night, and it makes me solemn and prayerful.

Abstaining from meat and having a simple meal when your jewish friends and family are celebrating and eating a roast is a great way to remember that there IS a separation between Jews and Christians, and also a great way to remember the needs of the world... that we are called to be a healing balm, but that for us, that healing begins with the Cross, which is sorrow but also victory through our suffering. We offer up our Friday night sacrifice and lights for God's care of the Jewish people, and all those who haven't yet come to the Light of Christ.

On Saturdays, Jews attend Sabbath services and remain at home, celebrating and resting and soaking in the Sabbath. Some Catholic things to do on a Saturday might be confession, attending mass, and praying the rosary in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary who we celebrate on Saturdays. In the Secular world, Saturday is a family day-- a day to go to Lowe's, or take a walk, or grill outside. 

Our Family combines a prayerful, restful, family day with anything we might "HAVE" to do in order to rightly observe the Lord's Day the next day. We tend to take it easy and avoid things like errand running or mindless stuff, choosing instead the things which bond us as a family and require little or no work. (without getting legalistic about it.... sometimes Saturday is the only day you get to mow the lawn.) 

We go to confession, attend mass, reminded that at sunset as we are lighting the two candles at the altar, our Jewish friends are finishing up Havdalah. Because we did as much prep work as humanly possible on Friday, our weekends are free of chores and errands altogether, but we do have to work a little... giving the kids a bath to prepare them for Sunday, studying a lesson we missed in Catechism that week, or baking the next day's breads. Saturdays pass quickly in this peacefully busy calm and enjoyable prep day in which we simply all enjoying BEING with no real agenda and only the ordinary work of living to do. We usually find we have time to invite friends for dinner (and note that for Catholics, the Lord's Day starts the Saturday evening... just in time to celebrate!)  

Both Saturday and Sunday mornings are reserved for "special" breakfasts and both Saturday and Sunday lunches are effortless, at home, and enjoyable. Both Saturday and Sunday evenings are celebratory and enjoyable, requiring a minimum of effort for a maximum "homey" impact. I bake Challah on Fridays and French bread on Saturdays. We reserve Sundays for our family as much as possible, denying people the hospitality we try to give as much as we can during the week. Sundays we re-charge, enjoy each other alone, and take some much-needed time to be together doing ... nothing. Like taking a family nap, a favorite Sunday activity. We aren't allowed to buy and sell, so we don't go out to eat if we can avoid it and we certainly don't run errands. Sundays are family days, plain and simple. 

... and in this way, our whole weekend passes like a soothing balm for our souls. From sunset Friday to Sunrise Monday, our house is peace (as much as possible) and in a special way, we are always reminded that we are not alone walking this earth.
We share it with others and it is our responsibility to do our part to cooperate with God and bring healing to this world through our work and actions.
Co-incidentally, that is a highly Jewish concept. And it is good. :)

Shabbat Shalom.

For more information about other people who live like we do, please visit the website of the association of hebrew catholics.