Do I Have to Believe That?

Do I have to believe that?

It’s a question we may have to contend with in our own lives and also one that comes up in RCIA sessions for those discerning whether they are ready to become Catholic.  During the first half of our sessions here at Saint Ambrose, we tackle the basic beliefs of the Catholic Church throughout a unit which the Symbolon program calls “Knowing the Faith.”  What’s nice about Symbolon is that it takes a catechism-based approach, and the first unit is centered on the Creed.

I heard a story once of a Catholic boy participating in Boy Scouts with his neighborhood troop, which was predominantly LDS.  During one scout meeting, he was asked to “bear his testimony.”  The boy thought about it, and then stood up and recited the Nicene Creed.  The Creed (Nicene or Apostle’s) is a condensed but nonetheless complete statement of our basic beliefs as Catholics.  If there are parts of the Creed one does not agree with or one has issues with, perhaps the Catholic faith is not for you.

This isn’t to say that religion itself is not for you.  Plenty of religious denominations share core beliefs with Catholicism but differ on some key points.  For instance, in 1054, the Eastern Orthodox Church split from the Roman Catholic Church over one word (in Latin) or phrase (in English) in the Creed regarding the Holy Spirit:  qui ex patre filioque procedit – who proceeds from the father and the son.  It may seem trivial to have such a big disagreement over one Latin word (or English phrase), but if it affects belief significantly enough, it may be justified.

After Christmas in RCIA, as we approach Easter, our focus shifts to Living the Faith.  How do we put into action the beliefs that we hold?  Throughout the RCIA process, it is important for those participating to engage in discernment – deciding what their beliefs are and if they match the beliefs of the Catholic Church.  It is important for them to do so, because this is a major life decision they are making.  We on the RCIA team emphasize to the participants that the Catholic Church has held beliefs for centuries, and we as Catholic faithful, hold these same beliefs today.  We do not change beliefs because it is trendy or culturally acceptable.  We may adapt to changing times, but we apply our beliefs to changing situations.  As the Serenity Prayer states:  Lord, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.

Milestones

Today is my brother’s birthday.  We don’t tend to make a huge deal of birthdays in my family, but this is one of the big “milestone” birthdays.  His girlfriend threw him a party on Monday night, and we are celebrating tonight and next week.  It got me thinking about milestones in our spiritual lives.  We tend to celebrate at weddings, whether they be church weddings or more secular events.  But do we celebrate other “milestone” sacraments?

Of course, there are some sacraments that seem to make more sense to attach celebrations to:  the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, First Eucharist, and Confirmation) and Matrimony or Holy Orders.  These are definitive milestones in our lives.  We become members of God’s family.  We receive Jesus for the first time in the holy sacrifice of the Mass.  We are sealed with the Holy Spirit.  We join ourselves to another, or we make a commitment to serve God as a priest or religious brother or sister.  These are causes for joy. 

It may not make sense to celebrate a “first confession” or an anointing of the sick, since those are typically more solemn sacraments, but there could be an element of celebration to them.  When a person goes to confession for the first time, he or she is restored to right relationship with God.  Isn’t that worthy of celebration? 

The sacrament of anointing of the sick is meant to give consolation and strength to those who are ill.  In this case, a celebration might be going “too far”, but we could still give thanks that God is with us in our trials.  And certainly, in the case of Last Rites, when the dying person receives the sacraments for the last time, we could celebrate that they are now ready to go to God.  Perhaps we don’t think of it as celebrating when we gather for a funeral, but part of a Catholic funeral liturgy is giving thanks to God for the life of the person who has passed away and praying for his or her soul.

Have you celebrated milestone sacraments in your life or your children’s lives?  How?  How could you incorporate a sense of celebration to other times of receiving sacraments?

Relatable

Some Saints are easier to relate to than others.  One of the more popular Saints, which the universal Church recognizes is Saint Francis of Assisi.  Many people love Francis for his devotion to animals and for his work with the poor.  There are prayers and songs attributed to Francis (whether correctly or not), which are much beloved.  Maybe it is because Francis was a member of multiple social classes throughout his life.  He appeals to the well-to-do as a model of charity, and he appeals to the lower classes because of that charity, and because he took a vow of poverty later in his life, living as one of them.

Today there are religious orders for both men and women who follow a Franciscan spirituality, but you don't have to belong to one of these orders to emulate their lifestyles.  Francis stands for us all as a model of Christian living.  It is good, therefore, that he is so relatable.  Let us strive to live as Francis did.

Give Us A Chance

A new group of RCIA inquirers has begun meeting here at Saint Ambrose on Tuesday nights.  We call the first “stage” of RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) the inquiry stage because at this point, those who are participating in the process are checking out the Catholic Church.  They are deciding if this is a good fit for them, if this is what is right for them at this stage of their faith journey.

At this point, the inquirers are giving us a chance.  Obviously, we want to put our best foot forward.  We want to show the best side of the Catholic Church and why it is a great “place” to call “home” (even though the Church with a capital C is much more than just the physical building).  This can be tricky, especially given the events and scandals of recent months and years.  But as one of our newly baptized Catholics who received the sacraments at the Easter Vigil in April said to us at about this time last year, the Church is more than the actions of some of its priests.

Our inquirers have taken the first step.  They are giving us a chance.  And whether the average parishioner in the pew realizes it or not, the entire parish is a participant in forming each new potential member of the Catholic Church.

Help us help them give us a chance, and put our best foot forward.

God Helps Those Who Help Themselves

My Hungarian grandmother had an oft-used saying when she felt like someone was not doing all that they were able to do:  “Don’t be that helpless!”  She would say this in her thick Hungarian accent with an air of exasperation.  It has been almost nine years since my grandmother passed away, but I think of her saying often.  She never meant it in a bad way, but it usually made me stop and think, what else could I be doing right now to help myself?

You may have heard the saying, “God helps those who help themselves.”  What does that really mean?  Does God only help those who have done everything in their power and turn to Him as a last resort?  Does God look at someone and think, well, they could do X, Y, and Z still, and until they do, I don’t need to intervene?  That doesn’t fit with our belief in a loving God.

So, who does God help?  Whose prayers does He readily answer?  He answers all of our prayers, but it may not be the answer we want.  The answer may be “no” or “not right now.”  But, by the same token, God never gives us more than we can handle.  He helps us according to our abilities at the given moment.

So, yes, God helps those who help themselves, but if we turn to Him, He will not fail to answer our prayers.  In the Fatima Prayer, often added at the end of rosary decade, we pray “Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy.”  Let us strive to do our best, live our best lives in accordance with God’s will, and to reach out to God when we are in most need of Him.

Busy Weekends? Look for an Alternative

One of the odd things about working for the Church is you need to have “alternative weekends.”  Often, church employees work Sundays, and some also work Saturdays, so it is important for them to find other days during the week to take as a “weekend” instead.  It is particularly tricky for priests because they have daily obligations as a function of their vocation.  But, even priests should get a “day off” and vacation time.

Most of us who work for the parish have carved out our alternative weekends.  My weekend is typically Friday and Saturday.  Having worked in an environment that was very emotionally, mentally, and even physically taxing at times, I am pretty protective of my weekends.  Most of my evenings are taken up with a commitment of one kind or another as well, so I need to guard my time off.

In the United States, there is a culture of workaholism.  In order to live the American Dream we feel like we need to work all the time.  The sad part is that people sometimes have to work two or more jobs just to make ends meet.  So, we get in a mindset that if we aren’t working there must be something better to do with our time than just sitting around.  In fact, there is a certain amount of stigma aimed toward those seen to be “slackers” or taking advantage of the system.

The reality is that we live in a culture that glamorizes work to the point of pushing people toward mental and emotional breakdown, and we have developed this mindset in relatively recent decades.  That isn’t healthy.  That isn’t sustainable.  If you look at other cultures, they place value in people for their potential as human beings, not in their employability.  Quality of life is not determined by one’s ability to work, but by one’s opportunities for growth as a whole person.

Faith can be an important aspect of our lives that might be pushed aside in favor of work.  Make sure you are giving yourself the opportunity to rest and recharge.  Remember, Elijah heard God in “a light silent sound” (1 Kings 19:12 NABRE translation) or, as we may be more familiar, “a still small voice” (KJV translation), not in hubbub.  Give yourself a chance to be quiet and attentive to what God is trying to say to you.  If that means finding alternative weekends for yourself, make that a priority.  Your faith, as well as your body and your sanity, will thank you.

New Neighbors

Several people in our neighborhood moved in the spring and the summer.  New neighbors are moving in slowly, and the For Sale signs are coming down.  It can be hard for my family to get to know new neighbors, especially as we don’t share the predominant faith of our neighborhood, and thus do not see them as regularly.  We have to be cognizant of that fact and make an extra effort if we want to really get to know people on our street.

The same goes for new coworkers, though typically one spends more time with them.  Still, we may need to be more aware of habits we have developed which might put others ill at ease.  In both cases, we need to make an effort to be friendly and welcoming.  It is usually an adjustment when new people come into our lives, but if we make a conscious decision to be open to new things, it is beneficial for everyone.

As Catholics, we have a special call to welcome the stranger.  How can you welcome the “strangers” you encounter in your life?