SMU Catholic Weekly Blogs

Resources for an informed conscience

    With the Texas primary finally upon us this week, a record turnout is expected. “In the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do.” (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, No. 13).  In choosing the right candidate, it is imperative that our choices be based on more than first impressions of a candidate’s personality. Rather we must seek out reliable information to evaluate in a systematic way in light of our Catholic social values and principles.  Here are a few online resources to encourage well-informed participation in the political process.

faithfulcitizenship.org – The Faithful Citizenship website is the central repository of information about putting our Catholic faith into action through the political process. The U.S. Catholic Bishops’ statement entitled Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship can be found here  – a summary of the document is available in the back of the chapel after Mass – as well as other resources outlining the principles for making informed decisions about candidates and policies.

www.usccb.org/sdwp – At this URL, you’ll find the homepage of the national Office of Justice, Peace and Human Development of the U.S. Catholic Church. The site is stacked with resources on individual issues and policy debates.  Each is written from a Catholic perspective.  The site links to written statements, transcripts of congressional testimony and policy “backgrounders” on a whole host of international and domestic issues like poverty, the environment, global economics and war. 

www.2008electionprocon.org – This site sorts presidential candidates’ stances on major issues into a simple pro-con format and includes quotes from the candidates themselves to support their position. The site is maintained by a California nonprofit not affiliated with any religioun and claims to exist to promote non-partisan citizen education.  The list of issues addressed by the service is extensive and the site is designed to cut down the time it takes to find out what a particular candidate thinks about a specific topic.

    And because, we don’t just need to be steeped in information, but are called to pray unceasingly for our world and our place in it, here is a prayer for those preparing to cast a vote this Tuesday:

Gracious and loving God, let your Spirit be with me today. Hear my prayers, and increase in me the will to follow your Son Jesus. Help me to draw on the resources of my faith as I use the opportunities of our democracy to shape a society more respectful of the life, dignity, and rights of the human person, especially the poor and vulnerable. I ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Confession: Homecoming & the Fattened Calf

Lent is a time when many choose to go to confession in anticipation of Easter.  At SMU, we offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the 5:00 p.m. Mass. Below are more details on how it works at Perkins Chapel as well as information about confession times at nearby parishes.  But in addition to reminding us of the time and procedure for confession at SMU, I wanted to offer some thoughts on the sacrament and what it means to the whole community as well as the person seeking the sacrament.  I found this helpful reflection by Fr. Tom Richstatter, O.F.M., a popular writer and professor at St. Meinrad’s Seminary:

"Think…of the parable of the prodigal son. The boy who had cut himself off from the life of the family was now to be readmitted to the daily family table. He admitted his fault and asked forgiveness. Yet to restore the son's place, a special celebration of reconciliation and homecoming was needed. "Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found" (Luke 15:23-24).

For those Catholics who have cut ourselves off from God and the Church by serious (grave, mortal) sin and now wish to return to God's table (many Catholics find this situation rarely happens in their lives), the Church offers the Sacrament of Reconciliation to celebrate their "homecoming." This is the only time when Catholics are required to celebrate the sacrament. But we celebrate Reconciliation not merely because we have to, but because it is a sacrament—a sign and celebration of God showing forth his mercy "by reconciling the world to himself in Christ and by making peace for all things on earth and in heaven by the blood of Christ on the cross"—as we read in the very first words of the Rite of Penance.

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is not merely a time for spiritual direction (as wholesome as that is), or a time for seeking moral guidance (as necessary as that may be at times). Reconciliation is primarily a sacrament—an act of corporate worship which builds up the Body of Christ. The Church affirmed this understanding in the first document of Vatican II, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: "Liturgical services are not private functions, but are celebrations belonging to the Church" (#26), and "Whenever rites, according to their specific nature, make provision for communal celebration involving the presence and active participation of the faithful, it is to be stressed that this way of celebrating them is to be preferred, as far as possible, to a celebration that is individual and, so to speak, private" (#27).

That is why, in addition to a rite for Reconciliation that is individual (one penitent and one priest) the new rite offers communal rites for the celebration of the sacrament. Communal celebrations show more clearly that Reconciliation is a sacrament, a corporate act of worship. When we celebrate together as a parish family, we are reminded of the social nature of sin—that every sin, even the most private and personal sin, has implications for the larger community. In addition, when we celebrate Reconciliation with others, we are more clearly reminded of our obligation to "forgive those who trespass against us" even as we ask God to forgive us our trespasses.

Interpersonal forgiveness and reconciliation are part of the hoped-for outcomes of this sacrament. Christianity stresses the relation of the "horizontal" and the "vertical"—interpersonal forgiveness and divine forgiveness. "Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Mt 5:23-24)."

Fr. Richstatter's entire article can be found at www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0800.asp

The Sacrament of  Reconciliation is available at Perkins Chapel each Sunday prior to the 5:00 p.m. Mass. Here’s how it works: At 4:30 p.m., Monsignor Duca will be in the bridal room which is located through the double doors that are to the left of the altar when facing it.  Since the room is not designed as a confessional, we’ve had to get a little creative to make the sacrament available either face-to-face or anonymously.  When you enter the room, Monsignor Duca sits with his back to the door.  Sit in the chair in front of him if you want make your confession face-to-face; otherwise, sit in the chair behind him to remain anonymous.

If this time is not convenient for you, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is also offered weekly at nearby parishes.  Christ the King Catholic Church offers Reconciliation each Saturday from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. The church is located north on Preston Rd. just south of Northwest Highway at 8017 Preston Rd.  At St. Thomas Aquinas parish confessions are heard at the following times: Tuesday: 8:45 to 9:30 a.m., Thursday: 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., Saturday: 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. The church is located at 6306 Kenwood Ave., a few blocks south of Mockingbird Ln. off Abrams Rd.

Paul of Tarsus

"I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20)." St. Paul of Tarsus penned these lines to the Christian community at Galatia soon after the resurrected Christ confronted him on the road to Damascus, an event he wrote about as the moment when "Christ Jesus...made me his own (Phil 3:12)." After his conversion Paul committed himself to preaching the Gospel to Jews and gentiles in Europe and the Mediterranean, leaving detailed written accounts of his travels which the Church later included in the New Testament canon. In his letters and preaching Paul returned again and again to Jesus's death on a cross: "We preach Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23)." Paul focused on the crucifixion because as a pious Jew he knew that if Jesus was the messiah, then Jesus had not been bound to accept death as all other humans must do. Jesus had chosen to die, making his death the key to his life and the new life of all baptized Christians.

Sources: Jerome Murphy-O'Connor. Paul: His Story. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Pp 36-37.

 

Because God doesn't leave voicemail

    I heard someone tell this story once about being at a Quaker prayer meeting: A group of Quakers was meeting at a YMCA gym. It’s typical for Quaker prayer meetings to have long stretches of silence, broken only by someone inspired to offer a word or prayer.  During one long stretch of silence, a phone began to ring inside a nearby office.  The phone rang and rang unanswered by neither person nor machine. After nearly a minute of ringing, it finally stopped. No one said anything. A few seconds later, it happened again. After nearly a minute of unheeded ringing, the phone and the room fell silent again. A few more minutes of silence followed, until someone, seemingly prompted to reflection by the ringing phone, asked of no one in particular, “How do you know when it is God calling?” The questioner received only more silence in response from his fellow prayers. Then, out of the silence, came his reply: “When it’s God calling, the ringing never stops.”
    It would be nice if we got calls from God on our cellphones, calling with clear instructions for what we should do in life.  That would make things so much more efficient and effective, wouldn’t it? Instead, we live with a persistent restlessness, wondering if we are following “God’s plan” for our life.  But it would be a mistake to presume that when God calls, the call is to a place way outside of our everyday reality.  In other words, God’s call most often consists of the unique "ingredients" of our life: our talents, our passions,our relationships, our dreams.  College is often the place where the "ingredients" of our life take shape. So much of what we encounter in the normal course of life at SMU contributes to our emerging dreams for the future: deciding on majors, studying abroad, meeting people with diverse experiences, encountering new ideas in and out of the classroom. But how can we know if what is coming together as dreams for our life sync up with what God is calling us to rather than just being a set of self-serving goals? 
    Since God isn’t leaving us voicemail, we need a way of testing the dreams we’ve come up with so far.  Ask yourself these five questions (adapted from Mary Manin Morissey) :

1)    Does this dream give me life? Does it enliven me?
2)    Does this dream align with my values and beliefs?
3)    Do I need help from God and others to make this dream come true?
4)    Will this dream challenge me to grow into more of my true self?
5)    Will this dream ultimately serve others?

    The place where God calls you to, Frederick Buechner once wrote, “is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  Working toward a definitive “Yes” for each question will guide us with confidence to the place God is calling us. This kind of testing of God’s call takes time to reflect, contemplate and think critically about our experiences, so be patient with yourself. But when God does call, you won’t need to check the caller ID to be sure.

St. Anthony of Egypt

Once when Greek philosophers tried to impress St. Anthony with their knowledge, St. Anthony said to them, "Which is older, the book, or the wisdom it contains?" Anthony was born to wealthy parents in a town near Cairo, and on his twentieth birthday he renounced his family’s affluence and became a contemplative. At first he practiced fasting, prayer, and works of piety at home, but after a while he retreated to a monastery in the Egyptian desert. Soon pilgrims flocked there to imitate his contemplative lifestyle. After he moved to an abandoned Roman fort on a mountain near the Nile River, his followers built a whole colony of monasteries there, systematizing and recording his guidelines for monastic life. Many of the orthodox bishops at the Council of Nicea (325 CE) were Egyptian Christians, and they invited Anthony to attend and assist them in the debates against Arian bishops who claimed Jesus Christ was not God. Athanasius of Alexandria, who played a pivotal role in the orthodox victory at Nicea, penned a biography of Anthony.

Sources: New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01553d.htm

A Spirit of Responsible Gratitude

Today at the 5pm Mass, as we launch the What Would You Do student-giving campaign, I wanted to reflect briefly on the motivation behind this new initiative. On its surface, the effort is a fundraiser with a modest goal of $4000.  All the monies raised will go to support student programs, events and Mass.  The funds will go a long way to helping sustain our commitment to providing an excellent Catholic education, formative spiritual experiences and a welcoming community at SMU.

But ultimately the What Would You Do campaign is about something much bigger than raising a few thousand dollars.  What Would You Do is the first action we’re taking toward cultivating in our community a spirit of Responsible Gratitude.  Responsibility and gratitude are at the heart of Catholic stewardship. It is about more than giving a donation or taking care of a building.  Catholic stewardship is about receiving God’s gifts with grateful hearts and taking care of them responsibly, hence Responsible Gratitude.  Responsible gratitude always leads to sharing what we have been given lovingly and justly with others. 

The gifts of God that we are called to be stewards of include far more than our material possessions. These gifts include:

• Your faith, hope, love, and joy
• Your family love and relationships with others
• Your intelligence, talents, and skills
• Your imagination, compassion, and vision
• Creation in all its splendor

The Catholic Bishops of the United States characterize stewardship as an “invitation to help change the world”. They put the challenges and rewards of a spirit of Responsible Gratitude this way:

It is an incredible challenge to live in imitation of the life of Christ. We all face obstacles, opportunities, and challenges, living in a fast-paced environment with many responsibilities. Our spiritual hunger does not always get a chance to be nourished through prayer and action.

However, a clear sense of purpose—nourished by the Eucharist and our rich Catholic tradition—opens the door for us to actively commit to a life of gratitude and responsibility; to thank God for his endless gifts, and then to decide what we can do to help the world.

The rewards of Catholic stewardship include:

• Making a difference in other’s lives
• Becoming an active member of a fulfilling Catholic community
• Discovering talents inside you, waiting to be used
• Letting go of your worries and setting realistic goals in your life
• Experiencing the amazing increase in God's presence that comes with a partnership with the Lord

So today as you discern your response to What Would You Do, consider the invitation to support SMU Catholic as a first step toward answering the greater call to live with a generous spirit of Responsible Gratitude.

Saint Christopher

The origins of the St. Christopher story are obscure and stretch back to the period when Christianity began to replace paganism in the European countryside. Tradition tells us that a large man, or a perhaps a large hominid of some sort, converted to Christianity and decided to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ. The man retreated to the countryside to live as a contemplative, and one day a small child appeared and asked the man to carry him across a fast-flowing river nearby. The further the man waded into the river with the small child on his back, the heavier the child grew, nearly drowning him when he reached the middle of the river. Thoroughly perplexed and mystified, the man inquired who he was. The child responded that he was Jesus Christ carrying the weight of humanity and the whole world. The Christ-child gave the man the Greek name Christopher, meaning "Christ-bearer," and ever after Christians have venerated St. Christopher as the patron saint of travelers.

Sources: “Catholic Online.” http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=36

Is It Really Lent Already? Yup.

    This week, we will observe Ash Wednesday with three masses throughout the day and around campus.  With the arrival of the Lenten season, it’s time again to tuck away our liturgical Hallelujahs and decide what gets given up this year. Will it be chocolate? cheeseburgers? Facebook?

I have gone back and forth on the whole “Give up something for Lent” idea.  I don’t believe in treating the Lenten tradition of sacrificing, or fasting, as a type of Catholic New Year’s resolution. For a long time, I was one of those who thought, Don’t just give up something, Do something positive instead! Doing something positive can be something like volunteering or making it to Mass every week.  I still believe that, but doing something is not a substitute for sacrificing something else.

To understand this, it’s helpful to first consider the three ancient practices associated with Lent: prayer, almsgiving and fasting. In fact, these three practices are inseparable from one another and form the backbone of the Christian life year-round, not just for the six weeks of Lent.  When we take the three practices together, it becomes clear that when it comes to giving up something (fasting) versus doing something positive like volunteering (almsgiving) and/or committing to regular times of prayer, it is not an either-or proposition. In fact, fasting only finds its full meaning and power when it is lifted up by what St. Augustine called its two wings: prayer and works of mercy (almsgiving).
   
Now that we see these practices as a spiritual package deal, then maybe for Lent we can commit to practicing all three around a single theme. Take for example, the theme of violence.  Commit to pray a little each day for peace in war-torn parts of the world. Join the weekly tutoring effort in Vickery Meadow to help kids, most of whom have come to the U.S. fleeing violence in their native lands. Give up violence-drenched media: TV, movies, video games. This is just one example of how it might work if you examine your life and search your heart in prayer for a “theme” for your Lenten practice. I challenge you to come up with your own. If you do, I pray the Holy Spirit will bless you with the fruits of your desire to grow closer to God this Lent through a conscious commitment to follow Jesus in prayer, fasting and works of mercy.