Mary for Mother's Day

Norman Rockwell's Mary, Queen of Heaven

My mind honestly wasn't on it when I got to Mass; it wasn't until the music leader started singing "On this day, oh beautiful Mother . . ." that I thought to wish Mary a happy Mother's Day.  But she warmly deserves it.  I am amazed when I think of my Grandma Kapler being the mother of twelve kids, but Mary is mother to over a billion!  (See Jn.19:26-27; Rev.12:1-5,17)

And please don't let your mind be troubled by accusations that the honor we give Mary today - and at today's Mass for that matter - takes anything away from the worship we give to God.  We sure aren't worried that the honor we pay our biological mothers today slights Him!  Mary is the daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son, and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit (as we are all called to be).  Believe me, whatever expression of love you show her, it won't hold a candle to the love and honor Jesus is showering upon her!

Scripture tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen.1:26), and that all fatherhood is rooted in Him (Eph.3:15).  Now which of us human fathers ever feels slighted when someone praises our daughter?  Are you kidding?  When someone praises my Lily, my heart leaps!  And my fatherly heart is only the palest reflection of God's!  So don't let this Mother's Day end without telling Mary how much you love her and how much you appreciate her "yes" to God's will.  And thank the Father for giving you such a beautiful mother.

"Who You With?!"

Such a simple question.  My man Bernie Mac use to start every episode with it.  It's a question that every Catholic in America needs to ask:  Am I with Jesus' Church in what I believe about human life and marriage, or not?  


Because if you're with Christ and His Catholic Church, you are going to find yourselves in direct conflict with the majority of the talking heads you see on the evening news and sitcoms.  Jesus is blunt in today's Gospel, "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, 'No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you'" (Jn.15:18-20).


Allow me to be equally blunt.  Being a Christian in our society means fighting the fights that need fighting - not with violence, but our willingness to stand up and speak the truth, to remind our society of the objective reality it use to hold to, in the face of jettisoning clear thinking and wrapping itself in the Golden Rule as justification (as our President just did).


The thing is, even though I vehemently disagree with those wanting same-sex marriage, I am not a homophobe, a bigot, or "hater." And if you'll give me a moment or two I'll explain why:


First, just because we human beings have the ability to do something, it doesn't mean we should. That goes for everything from the use of nuclear weapons, to girls kissing girls, to purchasing a Kenny G album. Seriously, all of us agree that there are some actions human beings shouldn't perform - murder immediately comes to mind as a universal. I can't think of a culture that celebrates theft, treason, betrayal, or slander either. Now I'm not trying to equate homosexual activity with the malevolent sentiments accompanying any of those activities; I simply want to remind you that objecting to certain behaviors is a trait common to all of us.


I'll continue by saying that each of us have struggles, and some much more than others, with strong impulses and inclinations. I have had occasion to work with young people living with severe autism and other developmental disorders. I see some strong sensory needs and some very startling attempts to have them met- tactile input sought through slapping the teacher or oral-motor sensation through licking fabric. The overwhelming urge is there; the child didn't choose it, and he/she shouldn't be looked down upon for it. At the same time however, those are behaviors not deemed acceptable, and we look for ways to help the child meet his/her needs in a different way. Myself, I have seen some of the people I love most struggle with clinical depression. I've seen them not want to get out of bed, to dread living through the next day; and yet, despite those incredibly strong emotions they had the conviction that they had to go on, that their lives were a gift from God and that however bleak it appeared, they didn't have the right to end them. And thank God they didn't!


So coming at the issue of homosexuality, or any issue for that matter, as a Christian, I begin with the conviction that we have a Father in Heaven with loving, and specific, desires for His children. We can recognize many of these desires by looking at the moral norms common across the entire globe, engraved upon our hearts you could say. There are a number of moral issues however, where God's will seems murky to us - and many of these seem to cluster around how we express ourselves sexually. I don't think we should be surprised by this - the intensely physical and emotional nature of the act is intoxicating; it's very easy to become confused, to begin following our own impulses and inclinations instead of God's, or that should be obvious to us from biology (male and female bodies fit together in a specific way and, biologically speaking, for a very specific purpose).


This is one of the reasons we Christians believe God spoke to the world through the prophets of Israel, even going so far as to become one of us. He came to cut through the confusion that arises from our impulses and inclinations, whatever their root - genetic, environmental, psychological, social, etc. - and make clear His intentions for us. He spoke with compassion for our condition, compassion for our struggles; but He did not mitigate the Truth. Part of that truth is that sexual union is meant to be male and female; it's written into our very anatomy.  Those struggling with same-sex attraction are not helped when we Christians adopt an attitude of, "It's not right for me, but who am I to say for you?" In the midst of depression my loved ones wouldn't have been helped by my saying "Intentionally ending my life isn't right for me, but who am I to say for you?" No, their lives were preserved because of a truth, a conviction, that transcended their psychological bent (and genetic predisposition to depression, in many cases).


When Jesus told His disciples to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Mt.7:12), and "Judge not, lest you be judged" (Matthew 7:1), He wasn't telling them to withhold judgment as to whether a behavior was right or wrong in God's eyes. That ignores the entire rest of the Sermon on the Mount (three chapters in length); that type of interpretation is a complete betrayal of the context. Jesus' very next words were, "For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged...You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Matt.7:2-5). In other words, if you want to see our Father's will spread through this earth, you have to begin by letting His Truth transform you; only then can you bring it to your brothers and sisters out of a desire for their well-being, instead of from some false sense of moral superiority.  Speaking the Truth in love is authentically living the Golden Rule!


And what is this Truth that we Christians should bring to our brothers and sisters struggling with same-sex attraction? We find it in those first pages of Genesis, in the creation stories God delivered to the world through Israel:


Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." So God created man in his own image...male and female He created them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen.1:26-28).
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed (Gen.2:24-25).


The one God (Who is a plurality of Father, Son, and Spirit) created the sexual union of man and woman - a oneness that brings forth a new, third life - to mirror His own inner Life! Human sexual love reflects the Trinity; it is an integral part of the claim that humanity is in God's image! And this inner life of God consists in a love that is freely given, eternally faithful, and overflows with Life. As it is in Heaven, so should it be on earth; that is God's intention for us. So if you're a Christian walking around with the idea that "sex is dirty," drop it. That wasn't the teaching of the Old Testament, of Jesus, or His Church. If you got that idea from a minister or a devout family member, you've been misled.


But homosexual acts do not have a place in God's plan. The male and female complementarity is completely absent, as is the possibility for new life, a child, to emerge from the union. God's plan has been written into our biological makeup; reproduction is possible only through the union of male and female gametes.


If one wants to come at the matter from an evolutionary standpoint, I think one has to recognize that homosexual sex is aberrant. Natural selection favors those traits which aid an organism to survive and pass those traits onto offspring. In nature's book sex is solely about reproduction; impulses and urges are simply a means to an end. Homosexual sex has quite an enemy in natural selection!


Homosexual acts are in conflict then with God's intention for us, both as reflected in biology and special revelation (through Judaism and Christianity). Up until 1973, the American Psychiatric Association recognized homosexual attraction as a disorder. Our brothers and sisters struggling with same-sex attraction, no matter its origin (whether it be genetic, environmental, etc.), are experiencing a struggle that the majority of us do not. The 1994, Catechism of the Catholic Church expressed it well:


They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's cross the difficulties they may encounter
in their condition.


These brothers and sisters need Truth, not platitudes like "I'm o.k., and you're o.k." No, we are all members of a fallen race. I need God's grace, and His people's help and encouragement, to keep moving forward under my own crosses, and people facing same-sex attraction need those same supports to move forward in life despite the sexual impulses and temptations they face. For our culture, and especially the Christians within it, to say otherwise is a betrayal of our call to speak the truth in love.

So my Catholic American friends, "Who you with?"  Jesus, or the popular culture you're surrounded by?  Think carefully.  One is eternal and the other will fall like every other great culture that came before.

Enter the Octagon

Does anyone remember this movie from 1980? I was six when it came out and remember my next door neighbor bragging about how his dad had taken him to the theater to see it. I refer to it now because my friend Kathi Strunk (the person crazy enough to say, "Shane, you should start a blog") threw down the gauntlet, "When will Chuck Norris be making an appearance?" I KNOW - Strunk is outta control. I was stymied; how could I bring Chuck to bear on my contemplation of the Catholic Faith? Sure, there's the spiritual warfare aspect - but that's so played. Some other aspect of Chuck's mystique was needed. So I asked the Holy Spirit, and as I proceeded to think about Chuck, the phrase "Enter The Octagon" and this old movie popped into my head.

I realized that Chuck responded, in a highly metaphorical way...involving Ninjas, to the same call as each of the baptized. I've lost you?

Well, when you were baptized, chances are that the baptismal font was shaped like an octagon. You will see exceptions, but throughout history that has been the traditional shape. It goes back to a passage in the First Epistle of Peter: "God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you" (1 Peter 3:20-21)

Amazing - which of us attending a baptism ever stops to think about the significance of the font's octagonal shape, that it is a physical representation of the biblical word? Our Catholic Faith is filled with these kind of things though.

If you find yourself wanting to know more about how the Church's celebration of the Sacraments brings Scripture to life, allow me to point you toward Jean Danielou's classic, Bible and the Liturgy. This insight about Baptism is the first of a thousand. Oh, and take a moment to reflect upon your own Baptism, when you "entered the octagon," by viewing this profound 1980, theatrical trailer. Just as the announcer says of Chuck, we too "find freedom only one way."

(Note: this trailer has no value other than the ultra-manly pics of Chuck Norris. It should not actually be used for mature theological reflection and is unsuitable for viewing by children.)

The Eucharist, Mary, and Redemptive Suffering

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church" (Colossians 1:24).  It is a mysterious but incredible reality:  the suffering God allows into our lives, when accepted and lived with trust in his Love, become an actual participation in the sufferings of the Crucified, allowing us to be formed more truly his image – the very goal of our Faith.  And, as Paul said above, because we are "members of one another" (Rom.12:5; Eph.5:25), this grace is of benefit not just to us, but to the entire Body.  This teaching, far from casting aspersions on the efficacy of Jesus’sacrifice, proclaims its superabundance.  We believe that his sacrifice redeems us so profoundly that it transforms us from mere creatures of God into sons and daughters.  It transforms us into cells of Jesus’ Mystical Body, inserting us into the Life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the only Son. This reality is there in the theology of Paul, and unpacked for us in the teaching of the saints and doctors.  What I had never recognized before was how it was contained in Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist.

 "This is My Body …. This is My Blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many."  This Body and Blood — Jesus received them from his mother Mary.  He clothed himself with her flesh, her blood, and offered Himself to the Father "in" them.  That is the mystery of redemptive suffering that the Lord wants to continue in you and me — to clothe himself with our very persons and lift our sufferings up into his own, making them part of his eternal offering to the Father (Heb.9:14).  As with Mary, he requires our consent to bring about this supernatural reality, "I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

We see Mary, fully engaged in this Mystery, there at the foot of her Son’s Cross.  Which of us parents haven’t imagined looking up and seeing our own children hanging there in the sun — their bodies ripped, blood flowing down their limbs, suffocating under their own weight.  It is the most monstrous suffering imaginable, but God allowed it into the life of his beloved Mary.  Her Son was dying to redeem the world, and her heart was pierced right along with His (Jn.19:34; Lk.2:35). Jesus was suffering there before her eyes, in the flesh he took from her; but through the chords of grace he was suffering in and through her person, gazing up at him, as well.  Through it all, the Holy Spirit maintained Mary in her fiat , "let it be to me according to your word;" and Scripture tells us that he made her suffering fruitful for the Mystical Body, "[Mary,] a sword will pierce your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed" (Lk.2:35).  The mystery of redemptive suffering spoken of by Paul in Colossians 1:24 is graphically manifested by Mary at the Cross.

I don’t see any romance in pain, and I don’t desire it; but part of reality is recognizing that God allows me to pass through it.  It is not an end in itself, but a potentially powerful means: "For Jesus’ sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him…that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Phil.3:8-11).  So I need to call out for the grace to unite my sufferings to those of Jesus, to allow him to lift me up toward his Father, "This is My Body…This is My Blood."  I need to pray each day for the grace to persevere through suffering; Jesus told us the stakes are high, "Because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold.  But he who endures to the end will be saved" (Mt.24:12-13).

Just a Catholic, or "Charismatic" Catholic?

I am very forthcoming about the positive effect the Catholic Charismatic Renewal had on me.  Our name Catholic literally means "universal, all-embracing;" and the charisms that the Lord brought back to our attention through the Renewal continue to be valid and valuable for the Church of today.  (See CCC 800-801, and CCC 2003).  That said, there are so many beautiful spiritualities within the Church - Carmelite, Franciscan, Dominican, etc., etc. - some demonstrative and others more oriented in silence.  The Lord calls us to Himself along different "roads," and we may change the one we travel several times in the course of our lives.  Each road passes through the Sacraments though; that is common to every Catholic's journey.  Other than the seven Sacraments however, it would be incredibly shortsighted of me, of anyone, to try and absolutize his experience, and require it of someone else (1 Cor.12:29-31).  Jesus is the Good Shepherd, not me - He knows what each of His sheep need far better than anyone else.  (Omniscience is funny that way.)


What is my prayer life like in 2012?  Morning offering with my kids.  Daily Rosary on the way to work.  Conversational prayer throughout the day.  The charism of tongues to praise and intercede.  Read the Gospel of the day.  Chaplet of Divine Mercy on the way home.  Some spiritual reading before bed.  The Eucharist every Sunday, and the occasional weekday Mass when my work schedule allows.  Each November, I start the 33 days of preparation for Total Consecration prescribed by St. Louis Marie De Montfort and renew my consecration on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  I also enjoy getting together with a good friend every other week or so to study the Carmelites - Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Elizabeth of the Trinity, Therese of Lisieux, and Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein). I've never felt a pull toward becoming a third order religious and don't feel any desire to refer to myself as anything other than "just a Catholic" - a person who wants to embrace all of the spiritual treasures our Father has deposited in the Church.

Visiting the "Journey Home"

Only one day until my visit with The Journey Home airs on EWTN.  The episode was taped on April 2nd, and I have been nervous since:  The time flew by, so the end of the interview is rather abrupt; and there was much more I wanted to explain about the process.  Mostly though, I have worried at what people will take away from it.  

Those who know me today hear me present more on the "intellectual" side of the Faith - logical reasons to believe in God and the Scriptural and historical witness to Catholicism as the full expression of the Faith Jesus gave us.  The early years of my journey on the other hand were so "experiential," which of course is open to argumentation; and yet, that is the way God led me and I am eternally grateful that He was so merciful in reaching out to me in a way I could understand prior to the years of study that have followed.  In between the experiences I shared on TJH, there were of course months of reading Scripture and other books, and talking to the adults I had come to trust about the truths the experiences forced me to grapple with.  

In the end my prayer is that God will use that hour on EWTN to excite people at the thought of how much He loves them and challenge those on the fence to dive into study and prayer on the beliefs they struggle with.  I also pray that it can direct parents, teens, and college students to The God Who is Love: Explaining Christianity From Its Center.  There my experiences provide an introduction for each chapter, but the other 75% is the Scripture, logic, and history the experiences introduced me to and the cumulative effect that had in bringing me fully home.

A War on Women?

Like many Sundays, I started this morning watching NBC's Meet The Press with David Gregory.   Several times I heard he and his panel use the term, "the war on women" in reference to the supposed move to "restrict women's access to contraception" which was frustrating, because it is a political fiction.  There is no movement in Congress or the courts - state or federal - to make contraception any less available to women than it has been for the past 40 some years.  I also heard Hilary Rosen and Rachel Maddow equate "the war on women" with movements by lawmakers to restrict abortion.  The response that immediately jumped to my mind was, "In what sense could the attempts to save the lives of the 500,000 girls who are aborted every year be considered a war on women?  Isn't it the exact opposite?"

God's Temple - A Mobile Home?

It's no secret that I have been growing in my understanding of what it means for our bodies to be God's temple (1 Cor.6:19).  I have blogged about the effect Kevin Vost's Fit for Eternal Life had on me, and then received the incredible honor of being able to work with him and Peggy Bowes, author of The Rosary Workout, on the daily devotional Tending The Temple.  This morning at Mass though, a new thought hit me; and I just have to pass it along.  First however, allow me to provide a little background.


A few months back I caught the aforementioned Peggy Bowes on Relevant Radio, fielding questions about The Rosary Workout.  One of the callers was concerned that Peggy's combining of the Rosary with walking and running was irreverent, that the Rosary should be prayed while one was stationary, stilled both interiorly and exteriorly.  Peggy's response, which I really enjoyed, appealed to the example of the Blessed Mother herself:  Luke's Gospel tells us how following the Annunciation "Mary rose and went with haste into the hill country of Judah" (Lk.1:39), to visit Elizabeth.  Isn't it natural to assume that Mary prayed as she trekked the over 75 miles from Nazareth to the outskirts of Jerusalem?  Of course it is.  And not only was Mary speaking to God; she was also meditating on Scripture - look at how quickly the words of the Old Testament (1 Sam.2:1-8) leapt to her lips when she met Elizabeth and burst into the Magnificat (Lk.1:46-55).  Prayer and meditation upon Scripture - that's the Rosary - and our Blessed Mother was engaged in it while on a 75 mile hike!  I ask you to keep Peggy's insights in mind as you continue to read.


After Mass this morning I remained seated, directing my gaze at the Tabernacle and praying.  "Lord, thank You for coming into me.  I can't believe that You have made me Your tabernacle too, and that You're coming with me as I visit my family this afternoon, as I head to work tomorrow . . . Lord, You've made my body a mobile Temple, a mobile home."  And then the connections started coming fast and furious:  God had dwelt with Israel for 400 years before Solomon built Him a stationary Temple of stone - and He was a God on the move.  His dwelling throughout those 400 years was a series of tents known as the Tabernacle.  When God picked up and moved, Israel packed up the Tabernacle and set off through the desert following Him.  The Ark of the Covenant, God's Old Testament throne, was even equipped with poles so that the priests could carry it.


Luke brought Tabernacle and Ark imagery together in the way he worded his narratives of the Annunciation and visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (Ex.40:34 and Lk.1:35; 2 Sam.6:2-16 and Lk.1:39-56).  Yes, in the Visitation Mary acted as Jesus' mobile home - the Tabernacle and Ark of the New Covenant.  You and I continue this awesome reality.  We bodily carry Jesus' presence into our homes, workplaces, etc.  That is our impetus in taking care of our bodies - giving them the right fuel, keeping them as agile as possible, and with sufficient strength to perform acts of love (e.g., helping your best friend move, throwing your kids up over your head).


Our Lord Jesus is of course the greatest example of this.  Tramping across Galilee, the Decapolis, and Judea, up on the mountains and out in the desert - He was a Temple on the move!  Like our Lord, the day will come when our bodies will finally yield to death, when we will find ourselves on a Cross, a bed of pain.  At that moment we will unite our agony and the failure of our bodies to His sacrifice.  (And like Him, we will one day receive them back, glorified, in the Resurrection.)  In anticipation of our Passover from the present order we daily offer our bodies in service to the Father, just as Jesus did - as Temples on the move.  We train our bodies (1 Cor.9:27) and through them offer ourselves as "living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God."  It is through the body that we Christians offer our "spiritual worship" (Rom.12:1).

Christopher West's "At The Heart of the Gospel"

I remember the discussion I had with my friend Michael in the summer of 2009 when, following a story on ABC's Nightline, criticism of Christopher West was coming fast and furious.  Both of us had really benefited from West's work, so it disturbed us to read comments on the internet like, "West is leading people into dangerous waters . . . He isn't doing justice to John Paul II's Theology of the Body . . . West is not taking into account the incredible strength of concupiscence, and his readers and listeners are going to be caught off-guard."  As I talked with Michael, the most intense lover of the Carmelites I've ever met, the conviction emerged that West's critics were not accounting for the spiritual theology of one of the Church's great Doctors, the Carmelite's St. John of the Cross.  West's critics appeared comfortable teaching that Jesus could empower people to overcome any sin - racism, alcoholism, the hunger for revenge, etc. -and actually live as blazing examples of those sins' opposing virtues . . . except for when it came to living a real, sustained victory over lust.  In that one area we seemed forever doomed to live on a precipice.  West on the other hand seemed to completely embrace St. John's teaching that God can bring us into a transforming union with Him, one that allows us to conquer temptations and take on the image of Christ, albeit with some slight imperfections, even in this life!  Jesus' desire is to brings healing and wholeness to the whole person - and sexuality is an integral part of who we are as human beings."I have come that they may have life and have it to the full" (Jn.10:10). 

Christopher West

So imagine my excitement when I saw the title of Christopher West's new book, At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization.  Does West answer his critics?  Yes, and with a tremendous amount of charity.  Hats off to him for taking those criticisms to prayer, reflecting upon them, and emerging with an even stronger presentation of Theology of the Body (TOB hereafter) to show for it.  Throughout this new book he anchors his explanation of TOB with quotations from John Paul II's text as well as Scripture and the Catechism.  He supports his points with TOB commentary from theological heavy weights like Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) and Dr. Michael Waldstein (who in 2006, made the new, critical translation of John Paul's TOB), and offers supporting insights from bedrocks of orthodoxy such as Fulton J. Sheen.  I have absolutely no doubts that what West gives readers is a completely faithful presentation of John Paul's thought, accessible to today's culture.

Christopher West does a masterful job of teaching us the true value of the body within Christian Faith.  As much as the world around us - and even our own poor catechesis - would like to characterize Christianity as souls seeking release from sinful flesh, nothing could be further from the truth.  The great scandal of Christianity - as opposed to the Platonism of the Greeks, or the Cartesian duality of today - is the conviction that God not only descended into human flesh but, through the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ, has raised it to literally unimaginable heights.  The goal, the victory, we Christians await is not our souls' liberation from the body and the spiritual experience of heaven, but the glorification of both soul and body on the day Christ brings heaven to earth!

I did find myself taken aback at several points in the book - not from anything irreverent or immodest on West's part, but by the depth of the Holy Father's reflection.  Allow me to site one example: the Holy Father's vision of marriage as the "primordial sacrament" (TOB 97:2).  Prior to humanity's fall, John Paul sees marriage acting as an "efficacious sign," communicating divine life (TOB 19:4).  The union of man and woman, and the new life that flowed from it, was an anticipation of the union to be achieved by Jesus and His redeemed Church, His Bride (Eph.5:31-32), and the supernatural life that would come into the world through it.

And the "transforming union" Michael and I discussed so many moons ago?  Oh, it's here - in spades. West quotes from John Paul II (TOB 43:6), showing the Holy Father's complete agreement with St. John of the Cross that we can experience a "liberation of our hearts from 'concupiscence,'" a true transformation of our desires.  (The Holy Father's agreement with St. John isn't surprising considering that he was the subject of JPII's 1948 doctoral thesis!)  But like John of the Cross, the Holy Father and West insist that the purity of heart Jesus spoke of in the Beatitudes (Mt.5:8) comes only after  many purifications and dark nights.  We should not overestimate our strength or progress in the spiritual life.  For the vast, vast majority of us, periodic "custody of the eyes" will be a necessary safeguard to looking upon someone of the opposite sex with lust for a good, long while.  But we are called to transformation.  We are journeying toward looking at others with the very eyes and mind of Christ - that's the Beatitudes, that's the Sermon on the Mount.  And the Lord wouldn't issue the call unless it were a real possibility!  The question is, how serious are we about achieving it?

Looking back at what I've written so far, I recognize that my words have not, and in my opinion cannot, do justice to the depth of this book.  I already have a list of friends to whom I plan to loan it.  If you are ready to see yourself, marriage, reality, to see the Catholic Faith through a new set of eyes, then click this link:
 

Contraception INCREASES Abortions

A dear friend laughed the other night when I shared that the popularization of contraception in our country led to an increase in irresponsible sexual behavior, which in turn led to an increase in abortions.  

Fortunately, the wonderful Jen Fulwiler posted an article on this very subject, citing the supporting statistics from Planned Parenthood's Guttmacher Institute.  Bottom line:  Half of the 1 million abortions performed annually in the United States are the result of failed contraception.  Instead of sharing the beautiful, life and culture-changing truth that we human beings can control and channel our sexual love in strong marriages, we keep perpetuating this idea that "Teens are going to do it; and a pregnancy in high school or college will ruin their lives.  They need to play it 'safe.' "  Ironically, lowering our expectations, has led to MORE unintended pregnancies - and as a result, hundreds of thousands of children being aborted every year!  It's not too late though; this is a powerful moment for our culture to take stock and embrace the truth of our sexual nature - as created by God, and observable to all - and not just pull back from the brink, but make authentic headway.  Stay tuned for my review of Christopher West's At the Heart of the Gospel: Reclaiming the Body for the New Evangelization.

The Holy Family for Today's Families

For those who caught today's EWTN broadcast, here are those promised links to books:





Please examine these wonderful papal documents too: 
Pope John Paul II's Mother of the Redeemer and Guardian of the Redeemer (On the Life & Mission of St. Joseph), and Pope Leo XIII's On Devotion to St. Joseph. 


And while I realize that they do not compare with the above works, here are a couple of articles from yours truly:  
Did the Apostles Pray the Rosary?

Sharing in the Obedience of Jesus

Am I Not Here Who Am Your Mother?  (Marian Consecration)
The Eucharist, Mary, and Redemptive Suffering

 

"Faith at Work" by Kevin Lowry -- Book Review

You know, when a book has endorsements from Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Scott Hahn, Kevin Vost, Marcus Grodi, and Mike Aquilina (to name a few!!), a thumbs-up from Shane Kapler is obviously superfluous.  But in the spirit of "when has that ever stopped me before?" I have to share my deep appreciation of this book.  

The Christians who impress me most, who really stand out as being especially intimate with God, never say what I expect them to say.  Instead of telling me the "a" or "b" I expect, they say something completely original.  Their love of God and years of intimacy enable them glimpse ways, paths, where I see only dead ends.  That's what I like about Kevin Lowry and his Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck.

Lowry has worn many different hats during his professional life:  door-to-door salesman, accountant, senior vice-president at an international company, and now executive vice-president and chief operating officer of The Coming Home Network.  Because of that, Kevin shares what he has actually lived.  This book is filled with stories and through them, Kevin shares the hard won insights and principles that guide his work life as a Catholic Christian.

One of the most striking principles for me personally was drawn from his story of needing to find a new job, one that would allow him more time at home, when his seventh child, David, was born with a rare, congenital disease.  That's a scary position for any parent, but add to it the stress of being the sole breadwinner, and you've got fertile ground for a coronary!  But Kevin and his family came through it - with much prayer, a leap of faith, and then the right door opening; and Kevin learned a principle that I want to apply to my own incredibly busy life as a disciple, dad, and full-time employee:

Assuming that [God] didn't set us up for failure, it follows that we always have time to do God's will.  If we don't have time to do everything, there are items on our to-do list that shouldn't be there, or shouldn't be there right now.  The point is, our lives should follow a sense of calling, and this demands that we prayerfully discern, somewhat precisely, what God wants us to do.  In this case, God's will became clear as we prayed and followed (pp.34-35).

Kevin shares not just his own story but those of numerous coworkers who inspired him through the years.  I like the size of the chapters - at five or six pages they get right to the point and end with both "Action Steps" and "Questions For Reflection."  Being able to pack so much insight into a brief space says a great deal about Kevin's skill as a writer.  Chapters can of course be read in succession, but they also stand alone quite nicely, allowing you to jump to what is most pressing in your own work life and easily reference it down the line.  Just before I, for example, had a meeting with someone who had treated me very rudely in the past, I jumped ahead to chapters 11 and 12, "Forgive Us Our Trespasses: How to Overcome Interpersonal Strife at Work Through Forgiveness," and "I Love a Challenge: How to Overcome Workplace Challenges Through Perseverance."  They were just the dose of reality I needed going into that meeting which, I'm happy to say, ended very positively - an honest to goodness "win-win."

Faith at Work: Finding Purpose Beyond the Paycheck is an extremely good read.  It is a rubber-meets-the-road approach for putting God at the center of our daily grind, whatever that grind may be!  So for what it's worth, you can add this Christian's name to Faith at Work's illustrious list of fans.

Hard to Imagine the Afterlife?

I know. St. Paul had the same problem though, “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:10). Right now our knowledge of God is conceptual, we use analogies from this created world to speak of the Totally Other: “now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face…[we] shall understand fully, even as we have been fully understood” (1 Cor. 13:12). Don’t take this “darkness of faith” too hard though –we’ve all been through it before; and it turned out great.

None of us remember our first 40-or-so weeks, but they were lived in complete darkness. Our entire world was that wet, increasingly-cramped space inside our mom's womb. And we couldn’t even begin to imagine that there was this entire world, entire planet, awaiting us outside. We lived beneath our mother’s heart, exposed to its constant rhythm, and yet we had never seen her face! We had grown to recognize her voice, but we hadn’t developed to the point of understanding any of her words. And birth – talk about TRAUMA! All of that amniotic fluid we’ve been swimming in, gone in an instant; our heads compacted and squeezed through the birth canal; the light; the cold; that humiliating slap on the butt! But we finally entered the real world, finally got that chance to see mom face-to-face, to eat through our mouths instead of our belly buttons, and a million other experiences that we’re impossible to conceive of from the darkness of the womb.

Turns out that was just the warm-up; we’re still in utero, and the REAL world awaiting us "outside" remains inconceivable. We’re going to get the chance to enter it though; and just like before, we don’t have a clue when. This time around though, we get to participate in our own growth process. Each "yes" to God allows our spiritual "organs" to develop a bit more. If we haven't come to full term when the moment of birth arrives though, God has a top-notch NICU experience planned for us (the Church calls it purgatory; 1 Cor.3:10-15). Listen to the Apostle John:

"Beloved we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when [Jesus] appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure." (1 John 3:1-3)
 
St. Francis of Assisi was right on, "It is in dying that we are born to eternal life." 

The Blessed Mother & Physical Fitness

On Jan.1, I found myself thinking about two topics - the Blessed Mother (we celebrate her Motherhood the first day of every year) and physical fitness (because that's something I have been aspiring to).  From the outset I have to tell you that I do not look at physical fitness as an ego thing or trying to get someone to look my way.  No, it's about taking care of the gift God has entrusted to us and putting it to use in works of love for our families and others (a.k.a., "doing God's will").  God isn't just interested in our souls.  He created us as a COMPOSITE of body and soul.  He became a man to redeem our WHOLE person, soul and body.  Jesus loved us with His whole Body and Soul on the Cross, and He desires to be loved that way in return.  And what really struck me on Jan.1, was how the Blessed Mother is the ultimate example of loving the Lord with her ENTIRE body and soul, of putting her entire person at His disposal.  Man, I love her!  She is an example to us in absolutely everything!  (This icon is titled "Helper in Childbirth."  I found it through a Google search, but do not know who wrote it.  If anyone is privy to that information please let me know so I can give the proper attribution; it is amazing!)

The Catholic Briefcase - Book Review

I just finished Randy Hain's The Catholic Briefcase: Tools for Integrating Faith and Work and I have to say, it exceeded my (already high) expectations.  I came to the book expecting solid, practical tips on how to maintain my focus upon God throughout the work day, but what I came away with was a renewed desire to make my life one seamless offering to God - as well as solid, practical advice for how to do that in the work setting.

Randy Hain challenged me to look at my job with a fresh pair of eyes and to begin identifying how I can use my time there to serve the Lord Jesus. I try to show kindness and respect to my co-workers and the public we interact with, but what talents am I sitting on that could be put to use in making our organization even better?  What can I and my co-workers do for the community around us; how can we serve the Lord by improving the larger community in which we live?

Each of Mr. Hain's twelve chapters is devoted to a particular aspect of developing our relationship with God through work - Stewardship, Better Decision-Making, and Making Time for Prayer to name a few.  Hain then introduces us, chapter by chapter, through interviews and stories, to the the Catholic professionals who exemplified these virtues to him.  I was impressed by the action points he provides to start growing these habits in our own lives and work places.  The "Reflection and Discussion" points that conclude each chapter are both pointed and helpful (in contrast to the touchy-feely reflection questions that are almost mandatory today).

This book is incredibly practical, theologically and spiritually solid, and written in a style  accessible to any one from the young man or woman at their first job to the retiree picking up a few hours in retail.  Oh, and don't forget to check out the appendices - helpful websites, an on-the-job prayer regimen, how we can help friends seeking employment, a plan for building a Catholic professionals group, and a beautiful final word on the power and comfort we can receive through Eucharistic adoration.  The Catholic Briefcase  delivers, from start to finish.

How Can I See Jesus in Others?

I was reading Randy Hain's The Catholic Briefcase last night and found myself uncomfortable with a line: "I must learn to always see Christ in [others]." 

Why the discomfort?  I knew he was right.  Instead of just reading on, I stopped and acknowledged my reaction.  As I searched my memory I recognized that this sentiment had evoked a twinge of discomfort on other occasions. I myself had voiced Randy's same point in retreat talks; but if I am completely honest with myself, I did so more out of correctness than personal conviction.  I know it is part of our Faith, that it is something we are called to do.  It's just that . . . I'm pretty bad at it.  

No, I take that back.  I have no difficulty seeing Christ in people who treat me kindly.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God works through friends and members of my family to love and care for me every day.  It's the rude folks that I cannot see Jesus in - the co-worker who perpetually criticizes the performance of another, with never a thought of how to help lighten that person's load; the person who steals my parking place right out from under me; or the relative whose preferred interaction is the argument.  After 25 years of trying to be a disciple, it still doesn't even occur to me, when someone offends me, to "see" Jesus in them.  After all, Jesus wouldn't act like that!!    How can I even make a start at seeing Him in the person who aggravates or hurts me?


And that was where grace intervened last night.  Instead of glossing over my inability to see Jesus in those who frustrate me, I had the inclination to pray.  "Holy Spirit, please give me wisdom.  What does it mean to see Jesus in others, to see Him in those who treat me badly?"  And within a few seconds my thoughts began to coalesce around a point:  It is a matter of faith.  Do I believe that God is at work in that person's life, trying to form him/her in the image of Jesus?  Yes, I believe that.  Then I can begin to see Jesus in them by reminding myself of this.  He is present to, and at work in, imperfect-them just as He is at work in imperfect-me.  It's a start.  I can do that.

"Wedding" Etiquitte

I just read today's Gospel and was especially struck at the context Jesus chose for recommending humility: "When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet . . . go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, 'My friend, move up to a higher position.' Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." 


I have spent the past two weeks (and plan on spending the next two) gearing up to give a morning of talks (Nov.12), a "guided tour" if you will, of the Book of Revelation.  And our arrival at a wedding banquet is the goal of Revelation!  We already participate in the banquet at Mass, "This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Happy are those who are called to His supper" (Rev.19:9).  Jesus' words in the Gospel address how we should relate to one another within the Church!  It is not a venue for trying to win esteem or propping up our egos; woe be to us, if we ever catch ourselves feeling superior to someone in the congregation.  Each of us is loved by our Father, each of us living temples of the Holy Spirit - what higher "status" is possible?  So however many hours we pray, studies on Revelation we lead, or Sunday morning donut socials we organize; we are all infinitely loved children with nothing to prove to one another, save our ability to look past our needy selves and appreciate the beautiful people who surround us.

New Book Alert: "The Catholic Briefcase"

I just found out about a book due out early December.  It's right up my alley, and I bet it will speak to a lot of you as well - Randy Hain's The Catholic Briefcase:  Tools for Integrating Faith and Work.  Sounds like a rubber-meets-the-road kind of book:  Catholic principles for decision making on the job, finding time for prayer throughout the day, and real life stories about progressing in holiness via the daily grind.  I see that Amazon and B&N already have it available for pre-order; that has me thinking "Christmas presents."

Special Education - "Spirituality" in Public Schools?

I heard a fantastic homily awhile back – well, the first part of it anyway.  Father’s initial comments set me on a train of thought I will pass along in the body of the article.  Father asked us to contemplate the incredible gifts that God has given us.  He pointed out that we humans are the most complex life form on earth, and that it is our ability to think that gives us that position.  He pointed out what a quantum leap human intelligence was.  Other animals have "intelligence;" they can be trained.  Other animals display emotions; my dog will whimper when he’s denied a treat.  But only we human beings have the ability to step back and reflect upon our actions and words – and even our thoughts and emotions!  And then Father said something that really jumped out at me:  “We have a responsibility to develop our thinking powers, to grow our God-given intelligence.  That’s true whether you are in MENSA or a special education classroom.”  With that, my own mind was off to the races; I've had the privilege of working in special education. 

Father’s words got me thinking about the downright “spiritual” quality to human intelligence.  What do I mean by that?  Well, we invest a lot of time thinking about things that are not composed of molecules, that cannot be investigated or confirmed in a laboratory.  I’m referring to “things” like fairness and human rights.  As my friend Michael Vento likes to point out, “Has someone ever seen a human right?  How many inches long is it?”  We take other nations, such as China, to task for their human rights violations.  We expect a nation, a completely different culture on the far side of the world, to recognize them.  We’re absolutely convinced these things exist, constructing our whole legal system upon them; and yet they are non-physical.

Our federal and state governments are convinced that every student, no matter how severe his or her disability, has the right to a “free and appropriate education” (FAPE in educational parlance), “in the least restrictive environment possible” (LRE).  Interpretation:  School districts must provide whatever staff and materials are necessary to make sure that every child can take part in the education process, and that the child should be educated alongside his/her regular education peers whenever possible.  Speech-language, occupational, and physical therapists are there to facilitate that.  For some medically fragile students this means hiring a personal nurse to accompany the student throughout his/her day.   Children's educational rights have to be a substantive reality for the federal and state governments to devote so much money to them, don't they?  The right to an education, like every right, is something immaterial; and yet we fight legal battles based upon our convictions that they are in fact real.

Can’t you hear someone coming at this completely from the outside though?  “Shane, some of the children serviced in special education have conditions that will probably never allow them to progress past the age of three cognitively.  Some children have conditions that will prevent them from living to adulthood.  You want us to continue allocating millions and millions of dollars to this based upon something called a ‘right’?  I don’t believe there is any such thing; you can’t show it to me!  Don’t try to impose your beliefs (you can also read 'spiritual tenets' or 'religion') on me.  We have a separation of church and state in this country.”

And what I would respond with, and I think the federal and state governments would have to as well, are the words Thomas Jefferson placed in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”  Government does not exist to create laws or legislate morality, but to safeguard people’s rights – the opportunities and treatment to which they are objectively due.  “But how do you come up with these rights?” our objector might respond.

Wonderful question – like Jefferson, we are falling back on what at an earlier point in the Western world was called Natural Law.  (As C.S. Lewis pointed out, among the Chinese it was called the Tao.)  They are the truths that are self-evident to us simply from observation and the use of our reason, our power to reflect upon actions, words, thoughts, and attitudes.  How did we arrive at a child who has a severe disability having the right to a “free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment possible?”  Because we can see that this is a child, and we know that children have a right to be loved.  Part of loving them is giving instruction and welcoming them into the community.  And so, we must do this.

No one religion is being forced upon people, but there is this implicit understanding that there is an objective order, a standard of right and wrong, to which we human beings are expected to adhere.  It doesn’t matter that someone feels an “overwhelming urge” toward a behavior the Natural Law recognizes as “wrong” –ask any person sitting in jail!  The Natural Law - and the desire to pretend that it doesn't exist -  is at the root of many of the social battles going on in our country.  We'll look at a couple of those in upcoming posts.    

Small Religious Communities for Individuals with Down Syndrome

The internet is always a mystery to me.  Somehow, my little post titled Down Syndrome, Dignity, and Abortion was seen by a parent whose son is involved in a fraternity, a life lived in communion, with other young men who have Down Syndrome!  It is based in France but is spreading to other countries as well.  The community's name is Fraternites Notre-Dame de l'Etiole (The Fraternity of Our Lady of the Star).  If you click on that link you can watch a 5 min. video showing a day in these young men's lives as well as read a description of the fraternity in English.  I see something like this and all I can say is "Praise God!"

Catholic - the Toughest Way to be Christian

My post is simply to pass along a great insight from Kevin Lowry over at his Grateful Convert blog.  I highly encourage you to check out his "The Toughest Way to Be a Christian."  It, in absolutely no way, belittles other Christian groups.  Rather, it witnesses to Kevin's experience as a convert that Catholicism - with its insistence on an objective body of Truth, the Pope's final authority in teaching doctrine and morals, and the ongoing insistence that Jesus calls us to change, to become perfect reflections of Him (Mt.5:48) - demanded that he renounce more of himself than did any other Christian community.  And from my own experience of progressively embracing more and more of the Catholic Faith, I respond with a fat "Amen."  

When I was in my early teens it was tempting to find a church I felt comfortable in, that appealed to my personal tastes.  What a mistake!  This God we are seeking tells us that His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways (Is.55:8).  It can be tempting to "create" our own worship routine (I put "create" in quotes because we're really just isolating elements that already exist in the Mass, to the exclusion of others.); but the truth is, Jesus asked us to worship in one specific way, "This is My Body . . . This is My Blood . . .Do THIS as a remembrance of Me."  Before I start going on let me come back to my original point - click the link above and read a good post.

Down Syndrome, Dignity, and Abortion

My aunt Sheila with 9 of her brothers and sisters.

As a speech-language pathologist working in a school, 10% of the students I see were born with Down Syndrome.  I love the kids, and I love their parents.  My aunt Sheila, now in her forties, was born with Down Syndrome too.  One of twelve kids, my grandparents, dad, aunts and uncles, recognized Sheila for who she was, and is - another indispensable member of our family, with her own inborn set of strengths and weaknesses.  Sheila is adored by our family, as are the kids I work with who have Down Syndrome by theirs.  Why do I even feel the need to write that out?  Shouldn't it be a given?  It should, but in Europe and the United States, when a prenatal screening identifies a child as having Down Syndrome, that child is aborted 92% of the time!  Now believe me, I have an idea of the unique challenges parents and families of kids and adults with Down Syndrome face; but we're talking about human beings - my aunt, the little boy I'm building sentences with, the girl who is now communicating with her mom through sign language.  These people that I love are survivors of a genocide, a silent genocide taking place all around us.  We need to speak up and expose it for the atrocity it is.

Word of God on 9/11

It's mornings like this that I'm reminded how awesome the Holy Spirit's timing is.  The lectionary, the cycle of readings used at Masses throughout the entire world, was established long before terrorists launched their attack upon the United States, and yet the readings that fall on the 10th Anniversary of the attacks could not speak more deeply.  There is something supernatural about the liturgical calendar:  It floors me how my life as an individual, as well as the life of a nation, can coincide with it.:

Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD'S vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail . . .

If he who is but flesh cherishes wrath, who will forgive his sins? Remember your last days, set enmity aside; remember death and decay, and cease from sin!
Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor; of the Most High's covenant, and overlook fault (Sirach 27:30-28:7).

None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living (Romans 14:7-9).

His master summoned him and said to him, "You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?"
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart" (Mt.18:33-35).

 

Hard words to hear as we remember such a grave crime, and yet, necessary words.  Jesus does not ask more of us than He did of Himself and His Mother there on Calvary; and as with Mary, He gives us the grace necessary.

 

Star Sighting

"Glorious" is the only word I have.  The kids and I were walking through the Mills Mall in Hazelwood, MO, when we saw police and a long line of people.  (The police car parked along the curb is a fairly regular sight; it bespoke nothing of the date with destiny that awaited us.)  We just went by on the outside of the line, not really interested.  But then . . . as we passed the window of CitiTrends we saw him. . . St. Louis/ Western Civilzation / and tite (yeah, that's how you spell it) rhymes all rolled into one - NELLY himself.  Doesn't get much better than that my friends.  (If you've ever checked my profile you know it lists my residence as "Nellyville, MO.")  Came home and slipped into my AirForce Ones.

"But how can I be holy?"

St. Francis de Sales has some real words of wisdom in his, Introduction to the Devout Life:
"The practice of devotion must differ for the gentleman, the artisan, the servant and the prince, for widow, young girl or wife. Further, it must be adapted to their muscular strength, circumstances and duties... Is the solitary life of a Carthusian suited to a bishop? Should those who are married practise the poverty of a Capuchin? If workmen spent as much time in church as religious, if religious were exposed to the same pastoral calls as a bishop, such devotion would be ridiculous and cause intolerable disorder. Yet this foolish mistake is often made...True devotion never causes harm, but rather perfects everything we do... 'The bee sucks honey from the flowers without injuring them,' wrote Aristotle, leaving them as whole and fresh as when it found them. Devotion goes further, not only is it unharmful to any state of life, it adorns and beautifies it... It makes the care of family peaceful, the love of husband and wife more sincere, the service of one's king more faithful, and every task more pleasant and a joy."

Last Supper Mysteries

On the way into work I was meditating on the Fifth Luminous Mystery, Jesus' institution of the Eucharist.  I found myself thinking about the worthiness of the Apostles to receive Communion.  Jesus gave Himself to them and ordained them as priests knowing that they would abandon and pretend not to know Him only hours later.  Its a sobering realization for you and me:  Jesus does not withhold Himself from anyone.  He does not look into the future, see the poor use we will make of His grace, and then decide we're not worth the effort.  His "default disposition" is to give Himself away (that's Trinitarian through and through).  On one hand that gives us great confidence in His mercy toward us.  On the other hand, it keeps us from being overconfident; the fact that we have experienced moments of intense intimacy with the Lord does not mean we are immune from a serious future fall.


When I finally drove home tonight, I had the urge to stop at the nearby Eucharistic Adoration chapel.  Because it is perpetual adoration (24/7), I knew there would be another believer there praying.  What really thrilled me was to enter the chapel at 9:20 on a Thursday night and find four other people there!  We all came, knowing we would find Jesus there - the real Jesus, the whole Jesus.  How mind-boggling is that?!

God's Gag Reflex

Yesterday's readings at Mass inspired me to recycle a past post.  Hope you enjoy:

Papal infallibility = God's Gag Reflex. Irreverent of me? Don't cry "blasphemy" just yet; all will be explained.


That picture is awesome though. Must...look...away...to begin writing. Alright, lets establish what the Church means by papal infallibility. Bottom line - the pope is protected from teaching something that is false, WHEN a very specific set of criteria is met:

1. He speaks as the Successor of Peter, Head of the Apostles
2. upon a matter of faith or morals,
3. with the intention of instructing the entire Church

So the Catholic Church is NOT claiming that the Pope:

• is infallible when he reflects on the readings during a Sunday homily
• speaks infallibly on matters of science, mathematics, economic policy, politics, etc.
• will speak out when he should (cowardice could keep him from speaking at all)
• will enunciate the truth as clearly as is possible
• doesn't sin (that would be impeccability, not infalliblity; and the Church has NEVER claimed impeccability for the Pope.)

The Church's ONLY claim regarding papal infallibility is that when three criteria are met, God will RESTRAIN the Pope from saying something FALSE. (Yeah, when I called it the "Divine Gag Reflex," I was talking about a different kind of "gag" - the kind you stuff in a mouth. I know, I'm horrible. Got you reading though, didn't I?) Infallibility is a completely negative gift; God will not allow the Pope to insert something false into the official body of Truth entrusted by Jesus to the Church. God would "reflexively" act to stop such an attempt.


Where do we Catholics come up with this belief? Like everything else, we trace it back to Jesus. He made some pretty startling promises to those Apostles:

“He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me” (Luke 10:16)
"[The Holy Spirit] will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. . .He will guide you into all the truth” (John 14:26; 16:13)

Paul the Apostle, knowing Jesus' teaching, and himself moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote of "the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). WOW - Jesus' intent was for the Church to be the place that the world could turn to hear the Truth, to get a reality check. And what measures did He, does He, take to guarantee this?


He called a fisherman named Simon, and after changing his name to Peter (Rock), Jesus told him, “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” (Matthew 16:19). The Jewish mind of the first century, hearing those words, would have immediately shot back to the Israelite monarchy. Jesus was adopting the terminology used to refer to the Master of the Palace, or vizier - what we today would call the "Prime Minister." He was second in command after the king (2 Kings 18:18; 15:5), and as such held "the keys of the kingdom." Flip to Isaiah 22:21-23 and examine how Jesus made use of the same vocabulary in speaking to Simon-Peter.


Jesus, in announcing the Kingdom of God, was announcing that all of the promises God had made to King David about an everlasting kingdom, were about to be fulfilled. Jesus, the descendant of David, was the long-awaited Messiah; and He was renewing Israel. Israel had begun with the 12 sons of Jacob - its renewal with the 12 Apostles of King (Christ) Jesus. And Peter was to be the Prime Minister, using the power of the keys to bind God's people to Truth and the way of Love. It would be meaningless to speak of the authority of other ministers to bind and loose apart from their unity with Peter. Jesus' purpose wasn't to make Peter some type of dictator in regard to the other Apostles; in Christ’s Kingdom the greatest is meant to serve the rest. Part of Peter's service, and that of the Popes who have succeeded him in office, is to speak the final word when matters are in dispute, thus maintaining the unity of the Church/Kingdom. This service is especially important when the ones arguing are fellow shepherds.


And so we have Jesus' words to Peter, "You are Rock, and on this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 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" (Matt.16:17-19). What is the power of hell? Deception. The devil deceives; that's always been his M.O. And to combat this Jesus gave Peter the keys - authority to speak out, definitively binding the Church to Truth and loosing it from deception.


Now, Jesus can't mean that Peter gets to flip a coin, decide what is true, and God will magically rearrange spiritual and temporal realities to make it so. God isn't manipulated! No, Peter is simply a minister in Another's Kingdom. Peter speaks to the Church and world on behalf of the King (Who has ascended into Heaven). To use the power of the keys demands a reflexive action on God's part - "gagging" Peter, preventing him in some way, if he ever attempted to teach something that was false. At the same time, when God allows Peter to teach the Church, He expects it to be adhered to. Ignoring Peter? Well, remember what Jesus had said, "“He who hears you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me” (Luke 10:16). Whenever the pope speaks in his official capacity (remember those 3 criteria I started with?) as Successor to Peter, Prime Minister of the Kingdom, the same is true.


Oh hey, I do recall Jesus talking about having a gag reflex - yes, a true, biological gag reflex. After His resurrection He told the Apostle John to write a letter to the church in Laodicea, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:15-16).

Before I wrap up I need to give a shout-out to Duran Duran for their song The Reflex. I think we can all agree that that's a gift that keeps on giving.