Perfect Joy

The Saint and the Sultan

2011-05-18T01:15:00.029-04:00

The Crusades, Islam, and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace

[A mixture of reflection and book review]

May the Lord give you peace.

It seems that the death of bin Laden has had a mixed effect on me, causing me to search for a real gospel approach to the problem of enmity and hatred. Through twists and turns I discovered the book The Saint and the Sultan by Professor Paul Moses. As soon as I entered its realm, I found myself open to its inspiration and nourished by its meaning. What I discovered was the 'sonorous voice of St. Francis' singing a neglected gospel canticle of peace and reconciliation to a world trapped in an unholy embrace of hostility and death.

The author is a journalist, not a historian, nevertheless he utilizes extensive travel and research into the life and times of St. Francis. The Seraphic Saint is revealed beyond the traditional sources through additional chronicles, journals, and documents. There are substantial notes and references, yet its very readable. The portrayal of St. Francis is very convincing, because we see him committed to the gospel in a way that signals his uncompromising belief in the transformative power of love and pardon. (see Article XIX, SFO Rule)

One of the goals of the book is to reignite Francis of Assisi's missionary vision of peace among peoples who are estranged. To understand what Francis has to say we must first see his conversion in the context of his lived experiences, particularly his intimate contact with war; its bloodshed, imprisonment, and all the other demons that swirl around the battlefield. This perspective is what makes the book a success. It's into this wounded and tortured soul that the seeds of the gospel find their mortified soil. Now the young Francis is sufficiently transformed to encounter the Savior in his vision. From here he laucnches into a new life of penance and poverty with no restraint.

The Saint and the Sultan attempts to explain why the message of St. Francis (specifically regarding his attitude toward war) is clouded. According to the author, those attempting to convey the charism of Francis are caught in conflicting cross currents. Then as now, the first casualty of war is truth. The aura of St. Francis had to pass through a Church mired in difficult circumstances. Even the rivalry within the early Franciscan Order plays some part in altering the sublime message.

Perhaps this 'cover up' is the most controversial claim of the book. Nevertheless, I chose to align with the stated goal of revealing St. Francis as the model of peacemaker in the highest order. The radical expression of the gospel as shown in the life of Francis remains the more relevant message and overshadows the need to find a conspiracy.

The Church of his time is in disarray, but we already knew this, since Christ himself spoke to the Poverello…'Francis, go and repair my Church, which you can see is falling into ruin'. The real and imagined heresies bred suspicion and anxiety and raised the specter of severe condemnation, even death to those taking opposing positions. Professor Moses reveals to his readers the historical scene and its relevant characters candidly, yet he meticulously sticks to his theme while sparing his readers a diatribe. This is one of the subtle lessons of the book.

During the lifetime of Francis, the relic of the 'True Cross' accompanied the Crusaders into battle. Thus the Cross became both divine protection and weapon against the foe. One's standing with God was manifested in the winning or losing of the battle; but either way, the mission was deemed sacrosanct. While the worldly Francis would have applauded this, the penitent Francis came to see through it with a more penetrating vision.

For Francis in his journey, the 'True Cross' remains a symbol of victory; but one of victory over sin and death. The power of the Cross is inherent in one's surrender to the Will of the Father, which Christ did in accepting the burden of the sins of the world. For Francis, this giving of oneself to God (for Christians through Christ) is in some manner recognizable in the belief of the Saracens. The term 'Islam' means 'submission to the will of God and obedience of His law'. Francis indeed wanted to convert the Saracens (not merely coexist with them), but he already recognized and affirmed the innate image of God in the hearts of the foe. For Francis, to enter into mortal battle with others contained no glory, but rather came to signify a tragedy; a nullification of the gospel itself. 'Love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you.'

For me there are two important findings in this work. One is a real satisfaction in having contemplated a more lucid understanding of St. Francis; he's always been more enigmatic than I'm comfortable with. For this alone, The Saint and the Sultan deserves to be recognized as a contribution to the understanding of the Poverello. I'm grateful for having seen a new perspective which actually strengthens my commitment to his way of life.

The second finding is the promotion of a message that's been obscure and badly needed. To my mind, the practice of gospel peacemaking as St. Francis shows is not tied to consensus thinking nor does it require the approval of others. It is willing to go it alone with its only requirement being a purified heart and faithful recognition of the divine seed in the other. The other is never evaluated in terms of their moral state or worthiness; love and pardon are extended unconditionally. Even the prospect of a failed attempt at peace is unimportant; indeed it is a distraction, because the work of bringing gospel love and forgiveness is life-giving to the bearer and efficacious to the world, even when it is scorned.

Comments welcomed. Peace and all good.

Penance and Perspective

2011-03-07T21:19:00.001-05:00

Whenever we speak or act (or judge matters) we bring a certain perspective into play. Our personal perspective is shaped by a myriad of factors. Life experiences, age, family members, income level, health status, and much more; all influence how we see the world and how we interact with it. If our vantage point ceases to change so does our potential for spiritual growth.

Interesting novels employ fictional characters to draw us into new situations, from which emerges triumph or tragedy. Think of the Dickens' character Ebenezer Scrooge, and how his near death glimpse into a world he was indifferent to, brought about his conversion. Changing perspectives doesn't alter what we look at, but it does change our relation to it.

When we collaborate with others in humility and good will, we share new perspectives which often form a mosaic of new understanding and action. When this participation in dialogue and action occurs in a religious fraternity or community, it becomes one of the striking 'tools' that God uses to bring about true 'formation'; not only for the individual, but for the entire community. If this setting invokes trust, we're free to become vulnerable and risk new perspectives and question old assumptions.

So how does the practice of penance play a role in this formation?

Penance and the penitential life are about practices which foster conversion. They should include in their goal, new or renewed perspectives that bring forth gospel action. The penance of fasting, for example, would be misguided if it didn't bring us into some sense of dependency on God, hunger for justice, stripping of selfish behavior, etc. It would be lacking if it didn't stir some action towards almsgiving or sharing. But if the penance is successful it changes our perspective and motivates us to act rightly. This is what St. Francis means when he says we must bring forth 'worthy fruits of penance'.

Penance as mortification is voluntary suffering, and suffering has much to teach us. Dealing with a dreaded illness most certainly changes our perspective. One moment life is carefree; and suddenly we must confront pain and limitations. We now experience human suffering that hardly caught our attention in the past. We feel neglect and comfort; a taste of alienation and the tenderness of love. So now we see, now we know. We receive healing or we don't, each with its unique perspective; but either way, we are given the seeds of change.

Will we bring forth 'worthy fruits of penance'? The first step is to choose and cultivate a penance that invites a new perspective. We need to create an awareness of the fleeing refugee, running from terror. We ought to evoke compassion for the neglected elderly, too tired to care for themselves. We should wonder what it's like to journey as an immigrant, desperate for work. We can be patient with abused or neglected youth who are confused and bored. We have to get ourselves into communion with these souls, to see what's hidden in our blind spot.

Our perspectives are limited, our judgment less than perfect, and our penance incomplete.

The Value of Contradictions

2011-01-21T12:23:00.005-05:00

The General Constitutions of the SFO has as its purpose, the application of the Rule of Life. Recently I had the pleasure of making a direct connection between the gospel reading of the day and a particular article I was pondering. What a joy.

… [Secular Franciscans] discover in [Christ, poor and crucified] the value of contradictions for the sake of justice and the meaning of the difficulties and the crosses of daily life. With Him they can accept the will of the Father even under the most difficult circumstances and live the Franciscan spirit of peace, rejecting every doctrine contrary to human dignity. (SFO General Constitution, Article 10)

Notice how this article is embodied in the following Gospel passage (Mk 3:1-6).

Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the Sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Come up here before us." Then he said to the Pharisees, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?" But they remained silent. Looking round at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

Jesus is prophesized to be 'a sign that is contradicted' by the world [Luke 2:34]. A contradiction can be viewed as an opposing statement. When we speak of someone becoming 'a sign that is contradicted' we mean an individual who contests the accepted thinking and pays a price for his or her stand. Wherever the Church insists on justice and human dignity over degrading circumstances it too becomes 'a sign of contradiction', and it is 'spoken against' (i.e. resisted), even violently, by those who seek to marginalize its voice and minimize its demand.

The wisdom of the world tries to seduce us into dropping our mantle of contradiction and so we too often fail our responsibility to fight injustice. Most often we just can't put our (withered) finger on exactly what is the problem because we've grown accustomed to following twisted rules created for promoting self interests. But as the gospel passage shows, even well intentioned rules (including religious rules) can interfere with God's plan to reach out to his beloved children and offer healing and salvation.

This is not a small problem. It's the curse of legalism where the letter of the law opposes the spirit of the law. So many of our attempts to solve social problems end up in these horrifying paradoxes; where we reap unintended consequences. These consequences are frustrating and often difficult and painful and are suffered unevenly. The Church, even if it doesn't own perfect solutions, nevertheless acts as a 'sign of contradiction'; opposing dark outcomes and continually casting light into shadowy areas.

We don't relish our duty to confront injustice because of the pain involved. Yet we're called to this role for the sake of the gospel and we must carry these crosses and count them as holy because they counter the attacks on 'God's will for his children'. This is the basis for human dignity. It's not difficult to see that this is what Jesus was doing when he carried out the will of his Heavenly Father by healing on the Sabbath, and in doing so opposed the heartless thinking of the Pharisees at a terrible cost. 'They went out immediately and took counsel to put him to death.'

This same 'opposition' is an integral step in our own mission; 'to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively' (SFO Rule, Art. 14). Unfortunately, being 'spoken against' is difficult and painful. We can expect to be ridiculed and persecuted for promoting causes that are 'signs of contradiction'. If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (Jn. 15:20) But this is at the very core of our call to be Gospel witnesses.

Listening for God’s Sake

2011-01-03T00:49:00.006-05:00

Then Jesus cried aloud: "Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me…for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father told me." (John 12: 44,49-50)

I think I've found my new task for ongoing conversion. Every so often sleepy gospel passages spring to life and beckon me to open myself to their power. Such words are 'spirit and life'. The time has come to reconsider my vocation's meaning and to surrender it into the Father's hands for his purposes.

One purpose of formation is to equip us for this sacred act of listening and responding to the 'Will of God'. This is true discipleship and it is a costly endeavor. It requires self-sacrifice and emptying of self; all for the preparing of a free heart to serve God. I'm not interested in a diploma in holiness, but a relationship with God, and a heartfelt desire to bring about his presence to others.

It's a risky act to give one's will over to someone else, even God. This requires trust in God's goodness and faith in his divine love. Moreover, we hope that this love is over-abounding to our weak love. The light (evidence) we have is the incarnation of Jesus, who embodies the Father's love. By the power of the Holy Spirit, this testimony is carried on through time, by a host of imperfect disciples to us.

So we in turn, must step into that ecclesial mission of 'giving birth to Jesus', in order that the world receives its spiritual light here and now, in our authentic living of the gospel. Most likely, our particular divine mission will never be trumpeted as such. It may be so humdrum and routine that it's indistinguishable from the ordinary circumstances of our lives. Therefore, it will probably involve more prayerful listening and an earnest desire to hear the 'Will of the Father' amidst a culture of hypnotic distractions and noise.

So what are the techniques for better listening? Perhaps it's nothing new, but rather attentiveness to what we've already heard. We might simply listen with a truly open heart to the gospel and accept its message more docilely. Or take the Rule more seriously and embrace it with greater determination as the center of our 'plan of life'. We might pray more with the Saints and look for clues in how they responded to God.

Those of us who have chosen the Franciscan journey have the additional help of walking the path joyfully in fraternity, quickened by the common goal of our vocations. Listening (and responding) for God's sake.

Korban Corner: a new blog

2010-12-15T10:02:00.000-05:00

'Perfect Joy', the blog is a collection of personal reflections, yet I've wanted to post other media of interest to Secular Franciscans. My local fraternity has decided to create a blog. I've been adding material there that's of interest to any SFO member. If you're not a member but curious about Secular Franciscan living then you might check out our blog called Korban Corner. My fraternity's name is 'Korban Fraternity'. Korban means 'dedicated or consecrated to God'. The url is http://korbancorner.blogspot.com/. I also added a link on the sidebar. All are invited. Peace and all good.

Do You Have a Plan of Life?

2010-10-25T10:24:00.053-04:00

“The spirituality of the Secular Franciscan is a plan of life centered on the person and on the following of Christ, rather than a detailed program to be put into practice.” (Article 9: SFO General Constitutions [GC].

In an earlier reflection I remarked: “What is characteristic of a spiritual family or tradition is that it embodies a ‘spirituality'; which is another name for a 'way', a 'path', […] which guides us towards our calling: Living the Gospel in union with Christ.” With that in mind let’s examine the article above from our SFO General Constitutions.

How often do we even think about a ‘plan of life’? Are we generally aware of any purpose or plan? I have to sadly admit that too often I find myself drifting through life aimlessly, shielded by habits and routines developed to maximize comfort and avoid stress. This might mean that I have a set of conflicting life plans, or one anemic plan, etc., you get the point. Just writing this makes me aware that I need a course correction…a boatload of ongoing conversion.

But our spirituality calls for a ‘plan of life’ that is centered on the person and on the following of Christ… This is a plan based upon living in a real relationship with the person of Jesus, one that should be growing through inspiration and prayer in clarity of purpose, and deepening in commitment over time. We should see our lives resembling the gospel more and more.

Since we are individuals with different talents, inspirations and circumstances, we have unique plans of life; but what they should have in common is that they are ‘centered on the person and on the following of Christ’. As our Seraphic Father has said, “I have done what is mine to do, may Christ teach you what is yours to do.” (2Celano, 214)

In my opinion, the main goal of never ending Fraternity formation is to develop and animate our ‘Christ-centered plan of life’. This includes the difficult process of our own transformation (what Franciscans call ‘conformation’): that dying to self and living in Christ. The foundation to all of this is persistent prayer and reflection on the gospels…going from gospel to life and life to the gospel. (Art.IV, SFO Rule)

So, if we’re responding to a genuine call, our initial task becomes a radical reorientation of ‘our own life plan’ (some might call this repentance), to one based upon the person of Jesus: to bring forth his presence and to do his will. We’re successful to the extent that we’re united in Christ and that we reveal him to one another. Yet even more mysterious is when Christ disguise’s himself in us in order to accomplish his Will.

Somehow we need to call to mind what it is that the Franciscan family represents; and to know its mission in the Church and in the world. From that perspective, how are you preparing for your mission…do you have a ‘plan of life’?

Being Mothers to Our Lord Jesus

2009-12-18T23:10:00.009-05:00

[This post is a revised reflection. Peace and all good, Tausign]

"We are mothers when we carry him in our heart and body through divine love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a holy life which must give life to others by example." -St. Francis of Assisi-

One of the greatest joys of our mortal existence is to experience the 'immanence' of God. The 'incarnation' of Christ means that which is pure 'Spirit' enters into our humanity in every way except sin. God could have stayed 'outside' of creation: 'non-incarnate' and aloof. But He didn't.

Not only that, but all of Creation can now rejoice because the Creator has revealed himself in its midst. The Canticle of the Creatures, throws new light on a sublime relationship. The sun and the moon could always give glory to their Creator, but they did so as material evidence of the Creator's work. But now because Jesus has looked upon them with his human eyes and felt the warmth on his human skin, they become 'transformed', if you will, with all of Creation. All of Creation 'praises' the 'eternal God' through Jesus. All in Creation are related to each other as kin, through Jesus.

Mary's role in all of this is the basis for St. Francis' undying devotion to her. The early writers say The Poverello loved her with what is called 'inexpressible love'. Her loving fiat, 'be it done unto me according to thy word', is the indispensable cooperation of Mary for the human family. She is the gateway to incarnation of the divine Person of Jesus.
It wouldn't hurt to occasionally ponder what having 'God incarnate' means to us as pilgrims in the temporal order. First of all, Jesus reveals how we are related to God in new terms. The Eternal Son, touches us: he becomes our 'brother', sharing with us his mother; and makes a transcendent God, our 'Father'; even 'Abba'. We share in 'his life' because he has taken on ours.

For St. Francis, Mary herself is a beautiful hymn proclaiming humility and exaltation together as a single chord. She is 'humble', as divine handmaid, completely open to the goodness of God. Her 'exaltation' is the received dignity due the mother of God. 'The Almighty has done great things for me...' Indeed, all generations will call her 'Blessed'.

Though we haven't received her singular graces, nevertheless, our Heavenly Father, in his providence provides what we need to accomplish his will for us. So in recalling the refrain of St. Francis stated above, we should count on the Holy Spirit through Mary, to bring about the 'birth' of Jesus in ourselves. To 'carry Jesus in our hearts and body' and to have him 'give life to others by our example' means necessarily our own dying to ourselves. This is of course the sticking point: the need to accept a baptism of death to our worldly way of life; and a rising to new life in Christ Jesus.

God can move deeply into our lives: but not without our consent. Our Heavenly Father has chosen us for something special; to carry His Son and to reveal Him to others. And if a thousand billion others are called to the very same task it still is glorious to undertake. I'm speaking of course of the awesome task of being 'mother to our Lord Jesus Christ'.

God’s Economy is Bizarre

2009-09-23T00:59:00.006-04:00

We instinctively suppose we should work from strength, handing on to others the riches that are ours. Instead, we often do our best work when we operate from weakness and totally empty hands, passing on something we do not possess, producing effects we can in no way explain out of who we are. God's economy is bizarre; there is no employment quite as baffling as his. (Thomas N. Hart, The Art of Christian Listening, pgs: 12-13)

Humility is so often misrepresented and poorly understood, but the excerpt above points towards its true purpose and expresses its rightful benefit. Holy humility has less to do with the expression of our personality and more to do with finding our strength in God. This simple understanding is a key to opening ourselves to God's grace; to operating beneficially in God's economy.

We're speaking of the way in which God applies the divine will in our everyday affairs. Our 'Sister', Holy Humility, is not so concerned with annihilating our faults (God can work through them) as she is in releasing the real source of strength, the Holy Spirit, into the lives of those we encounter. Most believers acknowledge the power of God in an overarching way throughout history, yet many discount the unknown spiritual movement that happens daily through our powerlessness.

This is joyful to contemplate. Rather than complaining about the spiritual or material gifts we seemingly lack, we do better in sharing what little we do have. In fact, we can rejoice in our poverty because it allows God to provide his richness in the most wholesome and unexpected manner. It's not nearly as paradoxical as it seems; it's true faith in action.

In the last post I spoke of 'getting out of the way'. Overall, I was referring to impediments of 'self-centeredness' that distort and short circuit the message of the gospel. Even so, it's a wonder to behold how God's will is accomplished more readily, and seen more easily, in our own limitations. We need this awareness (humility) to counter our sense of helplessness, especially when circumstances are beyond our control.

Getting Out of the Way

2009-09-12T12:58:00.004-04:00

In the spiritual life I've discerned a general mission that begins with my own on-going conversion and extends to the world around me. In some mysterious sense, I find myself oscillating between my own spiritual needs and a need to be available for others. It's awkwardly comfortable and lately my consolation comes through meeting the needs of others.

This past winter I became a volunteer at a local soup kitchen and each week I make myself available for a few hours. Some of the time is spent in kitchen work, but my real purpose (according to the staff) is to mingle with the patrons and listen. My initial reaction was trepidation, but the Holy Spirit has consoled me and helped me to listen more attentively and speak more supportively. There's definitely an art to 'Christian listening' and it involves something I call 'getting out of the way'. It's a simple role but its life giving and profoundly spiritual, as long as I allow the Spirit free reign.

I'm not trained in serving the poor, so I refer any material needs to members of the staff; who are creative in finding solutions and resources. After some months at doing this, it's clear that my primary role is to be present and listen. It's also clear that there's a reward far greater than the small sacrifice I offer. (Speaking of sacrifice; we moderns have tried to avoid it rather than embrace it for others, and in doing so we've traded our unity with others, for discord and blame.)

In some way my life is being altered because of the role I play as listener. I have more of an opportunity and an obligation to share God's grace. Yet when I'm in the presence of someone in need, it's not clear whether this grace moves toward or away from me. What is clear is that the life of Christ arises as I step aside. The opposite is also true, that the gospel life diminishes as my own self-centeredness appears.

Self-centeredness becomes most obvious when I see others as 'wrong'. I 'get in the way' when I classify some individual's behavior as 'foolish'. I push Christ aside when I quantify someone else's 'weaknesses'. On the other hand, the gospel emerges when I focus on the needs of others, and it is exalted when I assist someone who's alienated or alone. Jesus is revealed when people are nurtured in any way, but he's glorified the most, when the poor are lifted up in their most undeserving moments. If I take the gospel seriously, then I have to be Christ-like to the most difficult person I can find.

Listening is actually a privilege and all of the souls I've met have been far from difficult: in fact they've been downright pleasant. And they've given me their time unselfishly, and aided me with their spirits. So I'll try to help by simply 'getting out of the way' and letting them unload their burdens for a short while.

Trusting God in Turmoil

2009-08-28T22:16:00.001-04:00

This past year has been turbulent; one of fear and anxiety. Financial panic has gripped the world and only recently subsided. Our confidence in the future has been shaken and our dreams have given way to harsh realities. So this may be an opportune time to step back and see what role our faith can play in overcoming the turmoil.

Renew our trust in God. Stress almost always boils down to a lack of control and many of our spiritual battles are about 'who's in control'. Don't give in to anxiety. The first thing is to gather ourselves spiritually and to make an 'act of trust' in God. Doing so is a concrete form of humility. If we, as creatures, have any control over the circumstances, it's in placing our highest confidence in our Creator as a loving Father (or loving Mother). The point is that we are the object of God's love; a love which never changes, and we must keep faith, even in difficult circumstances.

Realign our values and make change. (The old fashioned term would be repentance) This is an opportunity to see how our own financial behavior reflects our commitment to gospel living. Are we so fearful of tomorrow that we neglect today? Sometimes the uncertainties of the future can crowd out the love and joy available in this very moment. Are we open to the needs of others, or do we see them as burdens? Our fallen human nature tells us that our neighbor is our competitor; one who drains us: but the gospel proclaims our solidarity and asks for self-sacrifice.

Realize that faith transforms us and the world. A crisis always contains the seeds of new growth. Times like these not only test our faith, but also fortify it, especially as we practice it. Witnessing Christ to others brings about God's Kingdom here on Earth. Even if the world should fall into catastrophe we do little to help by falling into despair. Times such as these, with the world in disarray, are also the times when the world becomes open to a new message.

Work for justice. The world is constantly yearning for better economic outcomes and the Church joins in this quest while insisting on the dignity of each person. In a very real sense work is a gift from God and part of our human development. In working we share in creation and redemption and serve our community. Therefore we need to promote human work (labor) as both a gift and a responsibility (see Article XVI, SFO Rule). We do so in a twofold manner: primarily by the testimony of our own lives and beyond that in taking courageous initiatives in public life (see Article XV).

Decide to take action now. The more we give as Christ gives, the more we receive Christ in return. As St. Francis would say…'it is in giving that we receive'. Ask God who you can help. Look for Christ among us especially in those in need. Let others see Christ in you through your compassion.

It is in Giving that We Receive

2009-07-27T10:51:00.003-04:00

One of the reasons I love the Franciscan way of life is its willing acceptance of the paradoxes of Christian life. Followers of Francis have that seemingly odd spiritual sense of embracing what the world finds absurd. It's a quality of finding what you're not looking for by searching for the wrong thing. For instance, striving to become the leader and discovering that a true leader is really the servant of all the rest. We grow by becoming small, rather than lording it over others. We receive by giving, not taking. We discover a rich life through spiritual poverty or we find true greatness in holy humility. (Note: I count this uncommon quality as an authentic sign of a Franciscan vocation; conversely someone who resists this inclination is applying at the wrong door.)

Of course Franciscans don't own this quality, it's basic to Christian spirituality; but it is a hallmark of our spiritual family. Other paradoxical traits include simplicity and pardon. Simplicity disarms cunning and overcomes worldly wisdom (which is really foolishness). Forgiveness and love have the power to sting a wrongdoer and may ultimately transform a heart to goodness (see Article XIX of the SFO Rule). To follow Francis is to necessarily enjoy the paradox of finding our strength (which comes from God), in our weakness.

This quality is heralded in The Prayer of St. Francis: (an excerpt)

For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

We could easily misunderstand or limit our understanding of the above passage. We might conclude that when we give, we begin a chain reaction that results in our receiving something in return. This is the world's rationale. Or again, when we pardon, we're setting a good example, and therefore we might hope it will be contagious and spark a return. Indeed, sometimes this is the case. Nevertheless, whether we receive anything back, or are pardoned in return, is actually irrelevant to the greater good of uniting with the Will of God.

Sadly, our experience teaches us that our gifts are often spurned and our forgiveness is usually trodden underfoot. As bad as that seems it gets worse, because we foolishly translate this into disappointment in others, and sometimes in God. We often judge our own uncharitable ways as justified, because we gave but did not receive in return. But here in the world's disappointing behavior St Francis finds an inverse response to the situation; he shows us joy, something Francis referred to as 'Perfect Joy'. (If you're unfamiliar with 'Perfect Joy', click here.)

What the Prayer of St. Francis says to me is that when we give of ourselves, we do as God has shown us in the giving of his Son Jesus; and we simultaneously receive the gift of the Son. When we pardon from our hearts unconditionally; we pardon others in the manner God has pardoned us; and in doing so, we receive our own eternal pardon. Finally, and perhaps most paradoxical, we must hasten our death to our own unhealthy inclinations. When we're ready to immerse ourselves in a baptism of death to the old man, only then are we ready to rise to new and glorious life.

For those of us who are professed into the Order, we have the responsibility to live out these inverse qualities of poverty, humility, simplicity, chastity and all the rest, in manner appropriate to our state in life. In doing so to make it clear that Jesus is present in us and to not obscure his image in any way. If we fail to show this life we're squandering precious time (Mea Culpa).

Was That a Knuckleball?

2009-07-19T00:15:00.002-04:00

Now and again I'm thrown off my spiritual game. What I mean is that ordinary spiritual patterns become unrecognizable, and my normal prayer routines fail to produce the standard results. I get the impression that God throws me a curve or some other pitch I don't expect, and I respond by swinging wildly - striking out again and again. So here's my clumsy attempt to understand and explain why my string of reflections stopped rather abruptly.

Late last year my bogging diminished dramatically and I noticed my inability to put a coherent thought down. My spiritual life continued on autopilot, clinging to routines (thankfully) with a sort of dispirited faithfulness born in duty more than love. I suspect one of the primary reasons is discovering I have sleep apnea and experiencing difficulty in getting the treatment fine tuned. The reality of living with poor quality sleep has been profound and it's taken its toll in dozens of ways. Only of late have I begun to resolve this successfully.

Hopefully, I'll be able to focus and write again. But the experience of a setback itself may turn out to be a sort of spiritual 'backing and filling', giving me a new perspective and new growth. We'll see.

Labeling Our Conversions

2009-01-13T11:56:00.002-05:00

I find the expression 'gospel conversion' is spoken of with two distinct meanings, which occasionally are used interchangeably, and thus a source of confusion. In one sense we mean an initial commitment to Christ which is cause for new life through the Sacrament of Baptism and incorporation into the Body of Christ. The term 'convert' applies here if one is experiencing Christian initiation.

In a second and distinct sense, 'gospel conversion' means a renewal or deepening of faith. Often this is experienced as awakening, zeal or renewal of spirit. Other manifestations include the return to (or beginning of) religious practice, realignment of life towards the gospel, purification of sin, etc. Baptized Christians often speak of 'reversion' to signify this delayed or renewed sense of conversion.

The first form of conversion can happen only once, while the second should happen daily. We should distinguish between the two aspects of 'conversion' in order to carry them out meaningfully. If we use them interchangeably without understanding the progression, then we're bound to confuse ourselves and others.

An important point to consider is that for most of us our first 'conversion' happens without our knowledge or consent. With infant baptism the child is initiated into new spiritual life based upon the faith, love and commitment of parents and godparents. Some dissenters are thrown by this fact, but fail to consider that in a very real sense, new spiritual life is transmitted in the same fashion as natural life – through the action of others.

It's very much an act of humility to accept our new life as a true gift with it joys, burdens, and responsibilities; even if we did not chose it directly. With new life (both natural and spiritual) we are impelled necessarily to grow beyond the seed. And we must grow in Christian values through attachment to the source of life, the 'true and living vine' spoken of in John 15:1-6.

Ongoing conversion is the process of daily transformation (Franciscans say conformation) to Christ. Part of the 'ongoing conversion experience' involves awareness initially, and then a call to action. In many ways our paths are similar (devotion to prayer, liturgy and sacraments), but in other ways are paths are unique, with the Lord calling us to particular vocations and specific tasks; all with the purpose of bringing about the Kingdom of God here on Earth.

Here is an article from the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order regarding our union with Christ through conversion "…let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls 'conversion'. Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily. On this road to renewal the Sacrament of Penance is the privileged sign of the Father's mercy and the source of grace. (Article VII – SFO Rule) Clearly the first form of conversion/initiation is presumed and the focus is on conversion as transformation and renewal which includes reconciliation.

Those of us who have fallen away or lapsed from church attendance and practice, often remember with great joy some moment of return and reinstatement. For many, the renewal is so great as to create a sense that the past was all for naught. But in fact, grace builds upon grace and renewal builds upon foundations; even those unseen. For Catholics, with our practice of infant baptism, we have the inspiration to impart new spiritual life based upon the faith, love and commitment of others (parents and godparents), all with the hope that our new members will take up their own 'ongoing conversion' as they mature.

Defining Progress

2008-12-11T11:53:00.006-05:00

Christianity does not have a notion that history always progresses, that, things are always getting better for mankind. When we read the Book of Revelation we see that humanity actually moves in circles. Over and over there are horrors that then dissipate, only to be followed by new ones. Nor is there any prophecy of an inner-historical, man-made state of salvation. The idea that human affairs necessarily get better and better has no support in the Christian outlook. What does on the other hand, belong to the Christian faith is the certainty that God never abandons man and that man therefore can never become a pure failure, even though today many believe it would be better if man had never appeared on the scene. (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – Salt of the Earth)

At some point in my life I began to see the world from a less self-centered perspective and began to thing and act in ways that would hopefully bring about material progress and better living conditions for others in our temporal state. Later I began to realize this goal must be pursued not only in the realm of natural sciences and technology but in the moral sense of changing our behaviors to reflect a spiritual view that causes individuals to rise above natural inclinations. For Christians, the template of this behavior is the person of Jesus Christ.

We profess a Faith of love, and compassion; mercy and justice, which calls for true solidarity among Earth's inhabitants. Very importantly, this solidarity arises when we conform ourselves to Christ and it dissolves when we look to uniting without Him. In this sense, true human progress is attained as mankind unites spiritually and in a manner that is faithful to its real destiny, union with God.

We grow our relationship with God, in the very soil of humility and personal sacrifice, all the while faithfully trusting in an invisible seed of divine life in each individual, whether seen or unseen. And we can do this even in the midst of uneven human behavior which seems to cycle between inspiration towards God and monstrous depravity. In other words, each soul can (and should) faithfully move towards God even if the world seems heading towards calamity.

I've tried to avoid being easily fooled by humanistic movements of misguided hope where mankind is 'saved' by technology, education, schemes of social welfare, or some new political philosophy. This can be difficult at times, because we are truly inspired to show our Faith's reality in concrete love and compassion: to help alleviate suffering and misery in the name of our Lord of love. Real Christian love arises in sacrifice and self-giving and is the only way in which the world becomes a better place.

Our true progress will be mirrored in human affairs as we grow in unity, but only if that unity is attached to the Body of Christ. This is the hallmark of understanding these cycles of descent to new horrors and tragedies. Our Lord's own temptation in the desert is a warning of how we can be drawn away from our real spiritual goals by crumbs of bread. In today's terms we are tempted to avoid suffering by terminating human life and labeling it compassion.

In a mystery of the spiritual life, individuals, groups, and societies are forced to roam about the desert in blindness groping for direction. Spiritual literature describes this as a time of purification and renewal. History and Sacred Scripture show us that the family of man has wandered often in the desert, but never alone.

The Primordial Relationship

2008-11-25T12:38:00.002-05:00

The essence of religion is the relation of man beyond himself to the unknown reality that faith calls God. It is man's capacity to go beyond all tangible, measurable reality and to enter into this primordial relation. Man lives in relationships, and the ultimate goodness of his life depends on the rightness of his essential relationships—I mean father, mother, brother and sister, and so forth—the basic relationships that are inscribed in his being. But none of these relationships can be right if the first relationship, the relationship with God, is not right. This relationship itself, I would say, is, properly speaking, the content of religion.

(Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger – Salt of the Earth)

The above is an insightful response to a question many have regarding the essence of religion. What I find interesting is the awareness of proper ordering of relationships; that it's in discovering and giving priority to the relationship with God which guides and nurtures all other relationships successfully. Even if we allow for the fact that many people discover this 'Primordial Relationship' through other relations; we must still conclude that the proper disposition of our relationship with God (it's rightness) is what enables us to get the other relationships 'right'.

In religious terms this means placing our relationship with God first and above all others. The skeptical world views this as a scandal, because it falsely interprets this to mean interference, or worse, a degradation of the natural movement of human affairs. Scriptural passages which focus our love, obedience and attention to our Creator, sometimes appear overbearing to the nonbeliever and confusing to the novice believer.

The danger here is twofold. On the one hand we can form rigid notions of religion in which we view it as a set of preset instructions or commands and fail to participate in a real manner of listening and responding to what God is directing us to in our unique mission. On the other hand, we can ignore the parameters of this 'primordial relationship', created for our own good and the good of others, and instead create foolish and destructive patterns of behavior that appear fulfilling and loving while distracting us from getting our relationships 'right'.

I'm somewhat concerned that so many have entered into these 'other relationships' (family and beyond) without the proper footing that comes from recognizing and developing the 'primordial relationship'--communion with God. Societies are struggling and families failing because they lack the connection and guidance of that supernatural relation to God. The overarching role of religion in our lives is to correctly form the 'primordial relation', which can then be relied upon to form all other relations 'rightly'; with true love, integrity, justice and compassion.

So true religion has the fearful task of calling individuals to the 'primordial relationship'; and beyond this it also has the task of informing and shaping that relationship. To complicate matters it has to do so in a contentious arena where a host of voices clamor for attention and legitimacy. In all of this the individual must respond, not because of coercion or power, but because he or she is created for the purpose of living in this relationship and in communion with others. The faith involved is not for the purpose of making life easy but for the purpose of making life real.

"Man lives in relationships, and the ultimate goodness of his life depends on the rightness of his essential relationships." Indeed, this is a crucial test of goodness not to be underestimated. The 'rightness' of our relations grows from family outwards to the fraternity of all mankind, especially those in need. So getting it 'right' seems to be of paramount importance. "But none of these relationships can be right if the first relationship, the relationship with God, is not right."

Remembering to Pray for the Dead

2008-11-02T21:53:00.001-05:00

At our parish this morning the pastor read the names of parishioners who have passed away since All Souls Day last year. The church bells were slowly tolling as we remembered our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. For the month of November, we place the names of our deceased loved ones on a table in the sanctuary with lit candle; all in the hope that our sacrifice and prayers of supplication will aid them in their final journey to heaven. I find this practice most consoling and uplifting. Still, I lament that many Christians neglect this duty; perhaps due to a misunderstanding or denial of the doctrine of Purgatory.

It seemed that this year's list of names was quite long, and at the same time the number of envelopes bearing names of deceased friends and relatives seemed few. Apologetics is simply not my forte and so I hesitate to get embroiled in defending the practice of praying for the dead. Nevertheless, I regard it as spiritual common sense and a tenet of Catholic Faith, that it is useful and necessary to remit the temporal punishment due our sins; even as the sacrifice of Jesus has atoned for our eternal punishment.

Doing Penance is a Privilege

2008-10-17T01:08:00.005-04:00

In reading a meditation I was taken by the phrase 'doing penance is a privilege'. The more I pondered it the more fascinated I became with the deep spiritual insight of such a simple pronouncement. Encarta Dictionary defines 'privilege' as follows: 1. restricted right or benefit – an advantage, right or benefit that is not available to everyone, 2: rights and advantages enjoyed by elite – the rights and advantages enjoyed by a relatively small group of people.

Before reflecting on the privilege involved let me recap what we mean by 'doing penance'. One way to think of 'doing penance' is to give up something that is 'licit and pleasing'; a mortification of sorts. By saying 'no' to that which is both 'licit and pleasing' we learn to reign in our natural desires and build the fortitude to say 'no' to that which offends God. (To give up something that is sinful (repentance) is related, but not what we are talking about in this instance.)

Penance is a simple virtue that quickly attacks the root of behaviors and attitudes that distance us from God. All too often it is overlade with exaggerated notions of harshness and rigor. Let me give a simple and concrete example of the practice of penance in action. Each morning I head to 7am mass. Daily mass is not obligatory and sleeping a little later would be pleasing and licit. Attending weekday mass is not penance, yet rising early to go is. Furthermore, as I approach the church I spy a newsstand with copies of the morning paper. Now if I stop to read the headlines (again something licit and pleasing) I find that it distracts me from the upcoming liturgy. Therefore I try to avoid viewing the headlines and save the newspaper for later reading. This may sound trite but this is the heart of what 'doing penance' involves.

There's nothing harsh or medieval in this sort of practice. Yet it represents small but meaningful actions taken in my life that help me to form a 'spirit of detachment' from the world, and move closer to God. More than likely, if I am attuned, I discover that this is prompted by the Holy Spirit and it is the common and ordinary way in which the Spirit helps us to grow. Any penance (even the most 'soft' version) immediately makes us aware of God, often because of some distraction that is impeding our relationship with Him.

So let's return to the insight that 'doing penance is a privilege'. Actually, all of us are called to 'do penance', not just an elite few. This has always been made clear by the Church and no one can claim that penance isn't part of their spiritual path. Even so, it is a privilege in that it is highly salutary for our own sanctification; more so when we go beyond penance as Christian duty (i.e. Lenten regulations) and move to penance as a voluntary act undertaken for love of God.

All prayer is directed to God and we normally think of it as rising from our heart, mind or spirit. Yet 'doing penance' is a true form of prayer which moves through the body and as such it gives glory to God. Penance (as mortification) is not directed to punishing an evil body, rather it is directed to properly aligning ourselves towards God. This particular form of prayer seeks God through the body, and it must be given weight and recognition as substantial prayer in the same manner as forms of prayer involving heart, mind or spirit.

No matter what our spiritual disposition, all of us share some movement toward contemplation and meditation. Likewise all of us have a true need to be penitents in some manner and fashion, simply because we have bodies which share in our eternal destiny. Our body is destined to be glorified, not abandoned; therefore it needs to share in the journey of faith.

I suspect that those who seek God often 'over-think' their prayer life and sell short the role of penance as a form of prayer. I invite any reader to incorporate penance as a form of prayer and test for themselves the results. It won't take long to realize that 'doing penance is a privilege'.

Standing on My Head Does Hurt

2008-10-04T13:36:00.000-04:00

…But it's worth it to get the most insightful perspective.

[This reflection was originally posted on 2/28/08. Since it bears on the election and since I've been distracted of late by the election process, I'll offer it again. Peace and all good. --Tausign]

G.K. Chesterton noted of my beloved St. Francis; "He who has seen the vision of his city [nation] upside-down, has seen it the right way up." It's the ordinary vision of live (i.e. the worldly way) that lacks imagination. And it's the gospel way of life, with its foolish imaginary ideals, that holds the greatest hope.

As we contemplate the upcoming electoral process the focus of national attention will be upon the candidates. I take the election process as solemn duty with utmost seriousness: but with no illusion. For the cause of change that most people seek is not in the leadership; at least not in a democratic nation such as ours. No, the true cause of change is in the electorate; for there lays the problem and the solution.

The general population is apt to think that we are 'victims' of our own political process: never feeling satisfied with the outcome and rarely being united, unless some large common foe forces us, through fear, to band together. For the most part we view the problems that must be addressed as other than our own: personal problems, faults, miscalculations, or misdeeds of others. The corollary of this is that the interests that must be defended are usually our own: in fact these interests are often in opposition to the interests of others.

This is the stark reality: and it is quite upside-down.

At another blog the topic of late is; what qualities are necessary to define a good candidate? This is an important consideration for sure, but as much as I disdain cynical thinking, I nevertheless commented with this skeptical remark:

"A fearful people will get a tyrant to protect them. An avaricious people will get a salesman to provide what they simply must have. A people unwilling to feed themselves will get someone to feed them. But a nation of people who are not afraid; are not greedy; and are willing to provide for themselves and perhaps a neighbor to boot...well they might call forth a person of humility."

Why should we look for and expect qualities in a candidate that are not manifestly sought after in a personal way by the electorate as a whole? Seriously, if you think the culture is in decline and decay and the vast majority has lost their senses on vital matters: then how can we reasonably expect a political solution? The best possible outcome would be for the 'right thinking' few to somehow pull an upset, and force by some 'set of rules', others to fall in line. That's just upside-down thinking.

And this is why so many default to seeing the whole process as a subjugation of a true majority of 'right thinking' citizens somehow being overpowered by nefarious entities: the manipulating media; profit hungry corporations; evil special interests, (the list is endless). They 'thwart' the 'right thinkers'. All manner of theories arise (with some half truths thrown in for veracity) which explain how our power is exorcised from our hands. Have you noticed that these groups are always made up of 'them'…and never of 'us'?

This is why the gospel never speaks of a political solution to the woes that we endure. My political theory is thus: The political process merely reveals the state of conversion of a nation. A virtuous nation will call forth a virtuous leader. When we fight and win the conversion battle (beginning with ourselves), then we won't need the political savior…we won't cry out for Barabbas to lead our cause. As important as the political battle is; it pales in comparison to the battle for conversion of the nation. The priority must be correct.

My greatest hopes and endeavors are focused not so much on the nation, but on the Kingdom within the nation. My battle is from the inside-out (my own conversion first and by extension others around me). Many, (surely not enough) have been praying and fasting, and will continue to so for our upside-down nation. We've begged God through his Holy Mother to shower graces upon us. Now we need to incorporate the graces. The solution is nothing less than a life of enduring penance as Our Lady has told us, repeatedly.

If the Christian community in particular continues to take a secular approach and avoid penance, then we are in for the longest of long pulls. As I remarked in in a post some time ago:

"Contemporary opinion of the practice [doing penance] is often seen as unnecessary and ludicrous; outdated and old fashioned; even backward and harmful. Yet, when the practice of 'doing penance' is put into actual usage, it quickly loses its absurdity and induces a sense of wisdom and good judgment."

To borrow a metaphor from an earlier reflection: Penance must precede great moral change as surely as a needle must precede the thread. Abortion, war, pornography, torture, poverty, drugs and a very long list of evils will simply not diminish unless and until a much larger conversion of hearts takes place. Some tipping point must be achieved. To imagine a world of less evil without great conversion is ludicrous. So if we imagine that we can push threads through fabric with our bare hands (for that is what relying on the political process alone entails) we are fooling ourselves. Penance is the indispensable means to both pierce the fabric (our hearts) and pull through the threads of our desire for change. "Let us begin anew, for as yet we have done nothing" (St. Francis of Assisi).

The Mystery of the Cross

2008-09-15T11:55:00.008-04:00

Once I read a maxim saying in effect, "Problems are walls to be scaled; Mysteries are pools to be plunged into."

God our Father, in obedience to you your only Son accepted death on the cross for the salvation of mankind. We acknowledge the mystery of the cross on earth. May we receive the gift of redemption in heaven. (Opening Prayer: The Exaltation of the Cross)

I've heard it said that when Jesus entered the Jordan River at his baptism that he consecrated the waters. In a similar manner when he entered his Passion he consecrated all suffering. The understanding and treatment of suffering is one of the attributes that marks a Christian and separates him or her from the mainstream. In a proper sense we strive to alleviate suffering to its irreducible core; and that core is the place where it can no longer be ameliorated, it can only be embraced or rejected. If we embrace it we do so with Christ and with his strength, love and passion, at which point it eventually is overcome, as death is overcome with new life.

But when we reject or disdain our sufferings we resist the power of God in our lives which is always life giving, even as our bodies tend toward their ultimate temporal state, that of death. (We sometimes forget this when we fail to discern the proper boundaries for medicine and healthcare, violating the rights and dignity of all human life and sacrificing others for our own well being. )

It's no coincidence that the Feast of The Triumph of the Cross is followed the next day by the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. Somehow all Christian love passes through suffering in this life. That's one of the keys to the mystery of the cross. In one respect we call Christ the 'Eternal Word of God' because his life communicates all true life (He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life) not only in speech but in the transcendent reality of the Divine One becoming incarnate and consecrating the human condition. The sinless Virgin Mary is not spared from the sorrows of this world because she is so completely united with her Son. His willingness to take on suffering for our salvation and her willingness to accept sorrows because of her union with him are further keys to understanding our role in the plan of salvation.

Thus it's difficult to get one's arms around this mystery unless we are willing to join in an intimate journey with Our Lord and his mother as we enter the 'valley of tears'. The Crucifixion is a scandal and an outrage. It involves humiliation and indignity. It asks us to accept surrender and powerlessness. It cries for justice and asks, "Who is to blame?" These questions often elude us when we are free from pain. But they eventually surface and cry for attention when we are confronted with this mystery: especially when we are trapped in corners where the only escape is the Way of the Cross.

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us at his recent remarks in Lourdes, France that the Lord has bridged immeasurable distance to unite himself with us through suffering and love.

"He is calling you (cf. Jn 11:28)! He wants to take your life and join it to his. Let yourself be embraced by him! Gaze no longer upon your own wounds, gaze upon his. Do not look upon what still separates you from him and from others; look upon the infinite distance that he has abolished by taking your flesh, by mounting the Cross which men had prepared for him, and by letting himself be put to death so as to show you his love. In his wounds, he takes hold of you; in his wounds, he hides you. Do not refuse his Love!"

In Ineffable Wisdom the Lord has chosen to communicate eternal life through his own passion and death and to draw us into the mystery of what this divine suffering means and does for the whole of creation. He has given us the opportunity to transform our own suffering by uniting it with his and offering it to God the Father. As each Christian grows in maturity they become drawn to the reality of suffering and the cross and their need to submit in obedience to its efficacious work, even as it remains mystery.

To Awaken Faith, Hope, and Charity

2008-08-25T21:04:00.006-04:00

God continues to reveal Himself to individuals "not indeed for the declaration of any new doctrine of faith, but for the direction of human acts" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II q174 a6 reply 3). This post is a continuation from the last: Apparitions, Locutions, and Ecstasies. In it I failed to make the explicit connection between private revelation and prophecy; which I will do here.

"No one is obliged to believe in a recognized apparition, even Lourdes and Fatima which received the best guarantees. An apparition does not have as its function, the promotion of a new dogma, but to awaken the faith, charity, and especially hope. Thomas Aquinas stressed these points, and that the function of apparitions is essentially prophetic." [Laurentin, Rene. (1990). An Appeal From Mary In Argentina. Page 127, Milford, OH: Faith Publishing Company]

The above explanations serve to capture the essential characteristic of what private revelation is meant to accomplish. Properly discerned, it never threatens or contends with the 'Deposit of Faith'. This 'prophetic call' serves as an awakening or challenge to live the gospel more energetically where it is lackluster or dying. Ideally, we receive prophecy as a booster shot that arouses our awareness of spiritual matters.

Most of us find it rather easy to view this as the role of prophecy when we encounter it at a distance in Sacred Scripture. The detachment of time and space makes it easier to see the working of the living God among his people…but what of now? What is our expectation of ongoing prophecy? Has it ended with the passing of the last Apostle? If we understand the role of true apparitions and other private revelation as prophetic calls to resurrect our spiritual journey; to guide us into repentance, reparation, and renewal; we will not feel so threatened. We should rejoice that God chooses to speak anew to all generations.

The Church seems to accept the gift of prophecy with a prudent eye, which is for our benefit. Prophecy seems challenging and demanding partly because we often receive it when we are most complacent or wayward. This helps to explain why it is so often ignored or rejected. In addition to this (to use a modern analogy) our 'communication system' is so easily 'hacked' with fraud and deception; which is why careful discernment remains always in play. There seems to be no lack of false 'volunteer' prophets who want to insert their own message or vision into the mix. (Obedience to the Church, over and above any 'message', is paramount in avoiding confusion.)

"The apparitions are only episodes and particular facts in the life of the Church. They are not at all the essential, as are the Gospel and the Sacraments, dogmas and charity. They are a contribution, a stimulant to the faith and especially to hope, as we have seen. Particular attractions and devotions are left to the discernment of each one in the Church, which is a place of freedom. Christians adhere to them according to their affinities, and especially according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit." [ibid. pg. 130]

This "place of freedom" mentioned above (as in all true freedom) does carry its responsibility for authentic discernment of the prophetic call. To discern is not to ignore and it would be a very poor excuse to close our hearts to any awakening of faith, hope and love. In other words, we should avoid such harsh skepticism that we preclude all possibility of opening our hearts to a surge of grace even in our own time.

Any 'prophetic call' can appear as both gift and admonition, simultaneously. Often it is met with resistance or ambivalence as it takes time for each of us to sort through our own conflicts and obstacles in our journey to God. We can and should hear 'the message' both on the individual level and again as a single body, 'the people of God'. We move together, for the most part, since we are united as a mystical body in communion with our Savior. Yet, in our freedom to respond to these prophetic calls, the 'seer' is aided by grace to act in singular accord if necessary, (sometimes the prophet stands alone) to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in announcing or accomplishing God's will.

It does seem that the prophetic call can be directed to a specific or limited audience. Perhaps a religious founder hears a call to 'get moving' and accomplish a specific task for the Kingdom (think of the beginnings of many religious orders). Perhaps a whole nation can be called to renewal, as seems the case in San Nicolas, Argentina. Some even appear to be worldwide calls to awakening of the faith, as in Lourdes and Fatima. But importantly, the faithful Catholic should remain open to the possibility of hearing a prophetic call even in our current age.

Apparitions, Locutions, and Ecstasies

2008-08-17T23:26:00.005-04:00

Some two and a half decades ago I began to recover my faith after a dozen or so years of depriving myself of the sacraments. As part of this process of faith recovery I was led to an elderly widow who was regarded as 'holy and pious'. She was surrounded by a circle of friends who gathered regularly at her home in prayer. I will call her 'Mrs. M'. I was new in my 'reversion' and had accompanied a friend who was seriously ill at the time; he was looking for healing. Here's an extract from the epilogue to an earlier post when I spoke of this period:

We began to pray for healing and in doing so we reached out to people who were truly devout and walking in the ways of the Lord. We visited the home of one poor elderly widow, who I was told, had a 'bleeding stature of St. Theresa of Liseux'. I saw the small statue of pewter with dried blood but never saw a bleeding event. But the bleeding mystery became moot as the genuine Christian love and concern of the widow and her companions for desperate pilgrims spoke more powerfully than any statue could. These were the earthly communion of saints who filled this holy widow's home - who truly believed in the love of God - and they prayed for my friend – and they prayed for me.

We went a number of times and I was shown another article of devotion; it was a copy of an image or painting as depicting our Lord's tortured body at his crucifixion. It showed the horribly scourged body of Jesus as seen in a private revelation by a mystic. The picture was not like any artwork I had seen and might have resembled the later depiction given in Mel Gibson's movie 'The Passion of the Christ'. Mrs. M took the image to be a true reflection of what our Savior's body looked like at that dreadful moment. No one could look upon the image without a sobering realization of what that sorrowful day involved. I had no reason to doubt any of this and I accepted them on her testimony and faith.

As I re-read my own comment I am struck by my trouble-free acceptance of the bleeding statue. I simply did not have any desire to challenge such a claim. The mystical picture could be easily explained either as a true supernatural gift of revelation or a devout meditation that supplanted true reality with a pious imagination. Either way it wasn't harmful to anyone's faith. But the issue of the statue was another matter; here I was dealing with a claim of the supernatural with physical manifestation. I did see what appeared as dried blood that had streamed down the small pewter figure. Yet I felt that the statue was almost reserved for those non-curious souls who weren't threatened or upset by such things.

Besides this, the statue's 'owner' appeared clearly well balanced and she herself continued to strive for sanctity and a holy life. Finally I noticed that my faith life grew steadily and in a healthy fashion; something which I always associated with this initial encounter of intercessory prayer and devotion. So if my faith was growing, why should I question the validity of supernatural claims, especially since they seemed almost irrelevant? None of this is isolated; indeed it's quite common in Catholic circles: apparitions, locutions, ecstasies, and bleeding or weeping statues.

All of this came to a head recently as I offered to re-do new brochures that are used to promote The Fatima devotion: Communion of Reparation on the First Saturdays. As I was researching and updating the brochure I stumbled across one particular author's claim, that some of the recent apparitions (Garabandal and Medjugorje in particular), were not authentic apparitions. The woman who leads our First Saturday devotion was highly attuned to most of the Marian devotions and gently told me that she was very much drawn to Garabandal and loaned me some books to investigate. Meanwhile I mentioned this also to my wife's aunt who has traveled to Medjugorje. To my surprise she told how she and others had seen the Blessed Virgin surrounded by a rainbow of colors while looking up at the sun. She insisted that this was not some vague image or shape but a very clear image seen by her and others while staring directly at the sun with no pain or damage to her eyes. This was more than a decade ago and each and every day she looks to the sky hoping to see the Blessed Virgin again.

I have generally accepted private revelations with little resistance as long as they contain nothing contrary to the Faith. I have often had my own faith in 'public revelation' (which is what we call 'the deposit of faith') bolstered by a new or renewed understanding. Beyond that, these revelations, locutions or ecstasies bring out the reality of having to put one's faith into practice NOW, rather than treating it as some intellectual musing. Since belief in 'private revelation' is not binding (even those apparitions declared authentic by the Church) it is sometimes viewed as unimportant to our faith. In my humble opinion, this is a mistake. We have to ask the obvious question: If God does allow for such prophetic communication, should it be ignored?

I'd like to take another post to reflect on that very question.

Birdbath Francis

2008-08-10T11:45:00.006-04:00

Birdbaths and St. Francis go together like ham and cheese--so it seems. The modern world has grown up with a lawn ornament saint, whose reputation and character have been set adrift and nearly lost. I occasionally encounter remarks similar to this:

"I finished Chesterton's St. Francis of Assisi. What a glorious little book. It has helped me to regard St. Francis in a very new way. I've always been rather cool toward him, probably mainly due to modern stereotypes, myths, and sentimentalities… the whole Medieval Flower Child thing, you know. I know it's horrible, but that's pretty much the (fake) image of St. Francis I've grown up with."

So says one of my blogger favorites, The Practicing Catholic…and she's not alone. I'm guilty of starting with a similar misconception of Francis. In fact, I've confessed often that my beginning knowledge was 'less than zero' and fraught with glaring errors. Still, as one who has devoted considerable time and prayer getting to know St. Francis, I've become attuned to remarks which echo this sentiment. Since his image is so well known, even 'iconic', it sometimes lends itself to a childish caricature. Because he is highly recognizable, generally admired, and widely misinterpreted; he is free to be associated with whatever fancies the world finds useful: all with little objection or scant historical accountability.

Culturally, we make Francis fit our own needs and desires rather than bring ourselves to his sanctity. Take the matter of promoting peace. Young Francis was a captured soldier who later learned that personal sacrifice and penance precedes peace in the way that a needle precedes thread. All too often, we as worldly peacemakers focus on the change that's required in others--not ourselves. This is true whether we brandish words or bayonets. As a spiritual peacemaker, Francis typically brought parties together and created circumstances for peace to emerge. Brother or Sister Peace was a spiritual guest who never failed a proper invitation. It was not his manner to impose peace or mandate its presence.

His loving attentiveness of creation marks his love of the Creator. This is what the environmental movement unwittingly prays for, if it seeks to call upon Francis as patron. The sun, moon, stars, sheep, worms, and birds; all give glory to God by their own nature and in their own way. For St. Francis, they are worthy of respect not only because they are created by God, but because Our Lord had deigned to enter into his own creation. In the way of Francis, creation is blessed because the Eternal One who is Creator has 'emptied himself' and become incarnate; he has looked upon the sun with his human eyes, and felt its warmth on his face. Brother Food nourishes the Savior's body and Sister Water slakes his thirst. This is ecstasy to the Saint who is Brother to the Divine Savior and all of creation. Francis also values mankind's role as co-creator in the material realm, so long as he serves the divine plan accordingly.

Through the gift of eternal light the Penitent of Assisi sought to rid himself of all unworthy attachments of body, mind and soul that interfere with our proper stance before God. Nowhere is the spirit of St. Francis more lacking today than in the worlds' complete disdain for the practice of penance as virtue; otherwise known as 'doing penance'. It's an indispensable element in aligning the human spirit with the divine plan. Poverty and humility are the hallmarks of his path, and 'doing penance' is the academy in which the individual grows in his relationship with God. For Francis, the Holy Spirit 'makes his home and rests upon' those who do penance. Those who refuse to do penance are trapped in their carnal desires, blind, full of anxieties, and lacking in Wisdom from above.

His mystical heights are for some an embarrassment in a world that has locked itself in temporal chains. This devaluation of mystic qualities in Francis has left him appearing awkward, with some of his behaviors seemingly harsh, odd, or unexplainable. One of the keys to accepting an authentic vision of Francis is to humbly acknowledge the many extraordinary gifts he possessed, while simultaneously avoiding the need for sensationalism in our own religious experience. The gift of the stigmata, the divine seal, marks him with God's favor. And if holes in his body were not enough, his skin formed the shape of nails themselves that could be touched and moved within the palms and feet. Though he tried to hide the stigmata while living, many bore testimony to having witnessed them directly. "More than fifty friars with St. Clare and her nuns and innumerable lay people saw them after his death. Many of them kissed the stigmata and felt them with their own hands, to prove the truth." [Bonaventure: Major Life]

St. Francis is one of the most chronicled persons in history and the Church has sought to hold him up in full light. As with every human being 'The Poor One' remains somewhat a mystery: part of every person is reserved for God alone. But his life was given to be a radical witness of the gospel, to be put on display for us to learn from. Some focus on his rather harsh mortifications, but truly he was a person who gave himself totally over to God, who in turn showed to us, what a person who is conformed to Christ resembles. For this reason, when he is properly understood, his saintly reputation is often placed immediately after that of the Virgin Mary.

St. Francis is truly a gift to the Church; for that matter he's a gift to those still outside the Church. Those who know him most clearly do so by following his example and tracing his footsteps; which is the only way he is ever substantially revealed. All in all, the current generation sees Francis in a superficial manner: without any serious consideration and therefore of little value or significance. The birdbath Francis isn't misleading or incorrect, but to a world that rarely sees his charism displayed in real life, he's simply another lawn ornament.

In effect, it's the current stock of living members in the Church who are called to carry on the role of 'doing penance' here and now. In doing so they counter the stranglehold of materialism and selfishness that robs all souls of eternal life. Those who embrace the charism of Francis with its emphasis on penance, show the world what real freedom is. They have set themselves free from worldly entanglements in order to love and serve the Lord; to bring about the Kingdom of God.

Meanwhile, those charming little statues stand alongside welcoming birdbaths. Here winged visitors rest and refresh themselves giving praise. So too, they invite human spirits who are open, to stop and spiritually bathe in simplicity and quiet peace.

Francis Entered Where Theologians Stand Outside

2008-08-02T20:07:00.007-04:00

St. Francis had never studied Sacred Scripture, but unwearied application to prayer and the continual practice of virtue had purified his spiritual vision, so that his keen intellect was bathed in the radiance of eternal light and penetrated its depths. Free from every stain, his genius pierced to the heart of its mysteries and by affective love he entered where theologians with their science stand outside. [Bonaventure; Major Life; Chapter XI; Section 1]

What St. Francis receives as 'eternal light' is never wasted; it is carefully pondered and diligently acted upon. This dual response of reflection and action (especially penitential action) sets him apart for God's spirit; so much so, that what is commonly received, even in the sacramental graces available to all, is in St. Francis raised to mystical heights.

Growth in understanding along with purification of body, mind and soul, went hand in hand in his ascent to sanctification. Each insight was a precious seed to be nourished and cultivated to full development. Not only deep meditation, but intense action was his road of holiness. Mortification of all spiritual distraction was continual; whether in his body, mind or soul. Each insight he received involved not only an understanding to gaze upon, but a decision to act upon. At each step he was carefully transformed into the likeness of Christ through insight and knowledge, along with continual 'dying to oneself'.

I am finding that my own spiritual growth lately comes in short burst where small and simple insights are strained and studied. What's missing for me is what St. Bonaventure refers to as the 'continual practice of virtue'. Pondering sacred scripture without 'the practice of virtue' is like hopping along on one leg. What St. Francis preaches by his own life, is that racing toward God takes two legs in coordinated strides: one of understanding and knowledge, the other in penance and bodily mortification. Knowledge of divine affairs and mortification of human affairs go together as complimentary characteristics of spiritual life: either alone is incomplete.

This 'inconvenient truth' is tempting to run away from, but we do so at our own peril. As difficult as the practice of penance is to embrace, it's critically important in revitalizing the Church and its members. We simply cannot reduce the spiritual life to a longing for union with the divine, without the elements of purification and mortification of our human nature. It's this integration of 'knowledge' and 'practice of virtue' in all its fullness that's at the heart of St. Bonaventure's observation: 'Francis enters where theologians stand outside'.

This lesson is beneficial for all members of the Church. It is hallmark for those of us who are called to spiritual life in the way of Francis. The twofold way in which the Seraphic Saint responded to the promptings of the Holy Spirit might today be called 'holistic' in that it embraces body, mind and soul. It transforms us more completely and more quickly. It directs our relationship more properly to God and neighbor. To carefully unpack the opening words of St. Bonaventure sets a framework for understanding and applying Franciscan spirituality. Hopefully my short reflection won't confuse the issue.

So after twenty plus years of profession it's time to begin anew; to re-enter with fresh insight the heart of the Franciscan calling: "The rule and life of the Secular Franciscan is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and center of his life with God and people." [Article IV: The Way of Life]

Why Do We Say Christ Is Hidden In the Eucharist?

2008-07-16T22:41:00.005-04:00

One common theme I've heard expressed among spiritual writers is that Our Lord remains hidden in the Eucharist. The implication is that since we witness no observable change to the bread and wine that he is not available to our senses and thus, he must be hidden. But a sacrament is essentially a visible sign of an invisible reality; it's not meant to hide anything - it's meant to reveal.

Occasionally, we speak of sensible experiences of the risen Lord. Francis of Assisi had a number of such experiences. He heard Jesus speaking to him while praying in front of the San Damiano Crucifix, 'Francis rebuild my Church which you see is falling down and in ruins'. Spiritual writers tell us that in the final stage of his conversion Francis understood the Leper he embraced and kissed to be Jesus. At the first reenactment of the manger scene, witnesses reported the Christ child came to life in the tender arms of Francis. And finally Francis had the seraphic image of Jesus before him when he received the stigmata on Mount Alvirna. Yet despite these dramatic encounters St. Francis of Assisi maintained, "I see nothing bodily of the Most High Son of God in this world except his most holy body and blood." It's this quote that is often used to demonstrate Francis's devotion to the Eucharist.

But of course a quote like this really doesn't tell us what it is that Francis 'sees'. In one sense we all see the same thing…we see the appearance of bread and wine. We of the Catholic Faith hold that at the consecration the substance of the bread and wine are changed into the substance of the body and blood of Christ [see Catechism of the Catholic Church 1374-1376]. In this consecration the bread and wine are no longer present; they have been changed into the body and blood of Christ, and yet to our senses we perceive bread and wine.

Listen to this passage from the writings of the St. Francis of Assisi, the Seraphic Saint:

Sacred Scripture tells us that the Father dwells in 'light inaccessible' (1 Tim. 6:16) and that 'God is spirit' (Jn. 4:24), and St. John adds, 'No one at any time has seen God' (Jn. 1:18). Because God is spirit he can be seen only in spirit; 'It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing' (Jn. 6:64). But God the Son is equal to the Father and so he too can be seen only in the same way as the Father and the Holy Spirit. That is why all those were condemned who saw our Lord Jesus Christ in his humanity but did not see or believe in spirit in his divinity, that he was the true Son of God. In the same way now, all those are damned who see the sacrament of the Body of Christ which is consecrated on the altar in the form of bread and wine by the words of our Lord in the hands of the priest, and do not see or believe in spirit and in God that this is really the Most High himself who told us, This is my Body and Blood 'of the new covenant' (Mk 14: 22-24), and,' he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting' (Jn. 6:55).

At first glance this admonition seems disjointed because Francis begins by using Sacred Scripture to inform us that we cannot see God. Then he seamlessly transitions to lamenting the state of those who don't see or believe in the divinity of the Son of God, either in Palestine or on the altar. But if we continue Francis adds:

He shows himself to us in this sacred bread just as he once appeared to his apostles in real flesh. With their own eyes they saw only his flesh, but they believed that he was God, because they contemplated him with the eyes of the spirit. We too with our own eyes, see only bread and wine, but we must see further and firmly believe that this is his most holy Body and Blood, living and true.

Reading Francis more closely we see that if we contemplate the Eucharist with 'the eyes of the spirit' we will come to know Our Savior in the Blessed Sacrament. As we appreciate the Incarnation, the divine presence of the Son of God in his humanity, then we can truly and easily believe his promises. If we choose to live in the Spirit we will see the Lord Jesus as the divine Son of God and believe in his presence on the altar; we will hear and respond to his words "This is my Body and Blood". None of this is based on any evidence. It's based solely on faith in the Person who makes the promise.

This is why each person must seek, accept, nuture, and defend the gift that comes through his or her baptism. A gift of spiritual life in Christ, a life that enters fully into the mystery of the Trinity. Here in new life we seek 'spiritual light' and abhor darkness. Here the spiritual newborn (or reborn in the case of Confession) learns to accept in faith what is being revealed; to trust in the manner and means of salvation, and the promises that will be fulfilled in time. Thus we accept by faith that Jesus is the divine Person that the Father and the Holy Spirit testify to, and that he is doing what he said he would do, namely to feed us with his Body and Blood. This should present no problem for a Christian who dwells in light or sanctifying grace. I believe this is the crux of what St. Francis is driving at.

A sage once told me that a spiritual mystery is not a problem to be solved; rather it's a pool to dive into. When we seek to dissect spiritual mystery with words we risk confusing the reality. To enter into unending contention over the mystery of the Eucharist is to drift away from spiritual light into darkness. It's not Jesus who is hidden, indeed he is revealed by his very word and promise. His Eucharistic presence is taught and proclaimed in word and brought forth in liturgical action by his Church. It's the inner life of God that remains mysterious, though less so through the gift of sacrament. What we see, taste, chew, and feel in our encounter of the Eucharist is Jesus himself. It is what Jesus intended for us to experience as he truly unites us with himself and presents us to the Father.

Rest, A Fullness of Gathered Peace

2008-06-29T16:13:00.004-04:00

Rest is not idleness; indeed, restlessness is the torment of idle people. It is not relaxation. Relaxation should never be necessary, because the nervous tension which makes it so should never be present. Rest, far from being relaxation, is a culmination, a fullness of gathered peace. Like the fullness and stillness of waters gathered to a flood tide. (Caryll Houselander: The Little Way of the Infant Jesus)

So begins the chapter entitled 'Rest in Christ and let Him rest in you'. Today I'll drift with Caryll's thought as material for a quasi 'Lectio Divina'. But first I should praise Caryll publicly for providing me countless hours of fruitful meditation. Many acclaim her as a mystic, and I've prayed for her intercession; being quite convinced that she enjoyed God's favor even in this life. If you're looking for food for meditation try her writings, as she never disappoints.

Whenever I feel the twinge of restlessness or the pangs of anxiety stealing my calm, I pray that her passage springs to the forefront of awareness, as it is very useful for setting me upon the high path towards peace. Notably, this spiritual 'rest' is not a state of recuperation from fatigue; it may even come in a period of high emotion or zealous activity. I find that it arrives at a time when the heart is pure and the mind is gathered and keen.

When I say the mind is 'gathered and keen' I mean that it is not agitated: that it is not burdened with plotting schemes and the like; though it may be involved deeply in activities of pondering, doing and creating. The heart is pure in that it is not aware of any selfish motives and perhaps not even aware of itself, though it may be in the midst of nurturing, healing, and loving.

Rest is not idleness; indeed, restlessness is the torment of idle people. Inactivity may lead to sensations of impatience, agitation, feeling fidgety or on edge. We should guard our leisure and free time by simply keeping aware of intruding feelings of restlessness and recognizing the need for countermeasures.

Relaxation should never be necessary, because the nervous tension which makes it so should never be present. This is an interesting insight which is challenging. Anyone having read Houselander's autobiography and collected letters knows that she had her share of nervous tension and yet she eventually discerned they signal a lack of peace and rest. I have always valued relaxation because of it's property of reducing stress and tension; and yet Caryll is pointing us toward creating a habit of living in spiritual 'rest' and nipping nervous tension in the bud.

Rest, far from being relaxation, is a culmination, a fullness of gathered peace. The peace that we know as 'Christ's Peace' is the key here. Spiritually we speak of peace, not as lack of conflict, but as harmony with God. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives." [John 14:27]

Like the fullness and stillness of waters gathered to a flood tide. Flood tide is that entire period when the ocean moves from low to high tide. Its opposite is known as the ebb tide. I spend much of the summer months at the ocean shore where Long Island Sound meets the Atlantic Ocean. Each day is a day to watch the tides bring to culmination, slowly but surely, a 'fullness'. I would imagine there is some peak moment when the tide has reached its potential; when it has fulfilled its destiny. From here the tide is 'turned' and now ebbs.

Looking to the future we imagine the life beyond as 'eternal rest'; a gathering flood tide of eternal life, but with no ebb. 'Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord', is how we pray for our departed friends and loved ones. But to experience some 'eternal rest' in the 'temporal order - here and now' is the gift of the Holy Spirit, offered to the most ordinary of us. A gift given to souls who are willing to live in the harmony of God's peace. A gift to disciples willing to nurture peace even in this 'valley of tears'; where it is abused, neglected and scoffed at. A gift of 'rest' miraculously bestowed even as some select few lift the weight of a heavily burdened cross in the tribulation of daily life. Our gift of 'rest' awaits us here and now, each and every day. Perhaps we can't escape our ebb flows with its daily tensions and distractions, but neither can we avoid the pull of the flood tide, whose culmination is the fullness of gathered peace: our spiritual rest.