Studying the Bible . . .

Over the past several months, I have had a few discussions about the literality of the Bible with a fundamental Christian.  Although I am a priest and he is a lay person, we have different ideas of how to interpret the Bible and who actually wrote Scripture.  I think he believes God, Himself, took quill to papyrus and wrote the Bible as we know it today.  I would like to try to explain the academic study of the Bible, from a historical perspective. I am a Jesuit priest with an extensive background in religious studies.  My expertise is in ancient Christianity — 1st Century Christians — and the ancient writings that were eventually, several hundred years later, canonized into what we now call The Holy Bible.  I have wondered if my fundamentalist friend is clear on the problems we have with ALL translations.  So, here goes . . . .

The Bible Is a Written Document  

Scripture, although divinely inspired, was not literally written by God.  He did not sit down with papyrus and quill in hand to write The Word.  Scripture was written in human words by human hands, being passed on and saved for future generations by being hand-copied time and again when older copies became worn out and faded.  Even with the invention of the Gutenberg printing press in about 1450, allowing Bibles and other materials to be printed en masse, human mistakes were made.  The scribes of old ran even greater risks of error when they hand copied manuscripts.  We, in the 21st century, would like to believe the scribes were professional perfectionists.  It is possible many were, but it is also possible some of the scribes had only limited knowledge of what they were copying.  They were not saved by divine help from making mistakes. The science of detecting what is wrong with the text, and either looking for a better and more accurate manuscript or suggesting a better reading by means of trained guesswork, is called “textual criticism.”  All translations attempt to give sensible meaning to every line in the Bible, even if the Hebrew text is a mess.  An exact understanding of the Bible requires an ability to do textual criticism, as well as to have a working knowledge of the original language(s) in which the texts were written.  Everyone who studies the Bible can draw on the results of good scholarship through a number of ways:

1. Modern translations which are generally all quite accurate.
2. The text notes that accompany a good study Bible give valuable background information, point out problems with the original text, and explain difficult terms.
3. There are many commentaries on individual books of the Bible available for deeper study.  A good commentary will not only explain the Biblical author’s thought process, but also will offer theological insights into the meaning of the text for Christians and Jews.

Textual Criticism

The first responsibility of Biblical scholars is to make sure that the text handed down to us from ancient times is the best and most accurate possible.  Making this job difficult is that ancient Hebrew was written in consonants only, leaving out the vowels.  When translated into English, the meaning can change depending on which vowel is inserted.  For example, if we see, “Kng Dvd lvd,” does it mean King David lived (דוד המלך חי) or King David loved (דוד המלך אהב)?  Many Hebrew texts include similar difficulties. Because the ancients possessed no printing press, ALL literature was hand copied, and there were no proofreaders to check the spelling before the book was published.  A scribe usually copied from an older manuscript, and if he got tired or distracted, he could either omit part of his text or copy it twice.  Dittography, or “written twice,” was a common error in copying the Bible.  For example, in 2 Kings 18:17, the present Hebrew Bible reads:

מלך אשור שלח את המפקד לחזקיהו, בחיל כבד לירושלים, והם עלו והגיעו לירושלים והם עלו והגיעו למקום ועמדו על הערוץ של הבריכה העליונה.

 The king of Assyria sent the commander to Hezekiah with a great army up to Jerusalem, and they went up and arrived at Jerusalem and they went up and arrived and stood at the channel of the upper pool.

Fooled by the two occurrences of Jerusalem, the scribe looked back down and began copying from the first occurrence, thus repeating himself.

Sometimes scribes copied by dictation as someone read to them.  Words that sounded alike occasionally got confused — just as in English, where people sometimes write their for there or they’re, so too, we find in the Bible the preposition al (upon) often confused for el (to, for).  Another common mistake stems from sloppy handwriting — just like today.  Many letters in Hebrew script look alike, and when scribes were tired or in a hurry, letters could easily be confused which may affect the meaning of the word.  For example, in English, if we do not close the loop on our “g,” it looks like “y.”  Then, “bog” becomes “boy” and “tog” becomes “toy.”  The meaning of the sentence then changes.  A very common practice in writing ancient Hebrew is that, often, scribes did not space between words.  In Jeremiah 46:15, the Hebrew text has the consonants nshp which can mean, “it was swept away (הוא נסחף ).”  This makes a certain amount of sense, but since Jeremiah was addressing Egypt, scholars see a much clearer meaning if the word is divided in two:  ns hp.  “Why has the bull fled (למה את השור ברח)?”  Jeremiah issues a strong condemnation of idolatry through worship of the sacred bull, a well-known practice from ancient Egyptian history.

A final difficulty in translations is caused not by mistakes as much as by intentional additions.  Books were expensive when hand copied, and readers often put important comments and critiques directly in the margins of a manuscript.  If they, themselves, found a copy error from the past, they would write the correct words above the line.  Since in ancient times, books did not have pages with wide margins, but were written in columns on a long scroll, the space was very cramped and added words often touched against the original text.  Later copyists sometimes added the marginal comments right into their new text, either by mistake or because they honestly believed an earlier scribe had accidentally left them out of their document while copying and had put them in the margin at a later time.

Text scholars must compare many ancient manuscripts of a given book in order to establish the best reading from the oldest sources possible.  If this proves impossible because the text seems corrupted as far back as copies exist, they must suggest possible changes which they think reflect the more original text.  Text critics do not just guess, but use their best professional judgement.  They compare ancient translations, such as Greek or Syriac, to see if the ancient translators used a better manuscript than we now possess.  Because ancient peoples were highly traditional in their use of language, attention to the neighboring tongues can prevent the textual scholar from changing or removing a word unnecessarily.

Caution should guide changing any ancient literary work, for we are not Hebrews of old, and what we think religious ideas should be for our day may not be how the ancients thought.  In the 20th Century, too many scholars were led by their own philosophy or particular dogmatic creed to decide that difficult Biblical texts had to say one thing or another.  Eisegesis is when interpreters read their own ideas into a text, or use the text all twisted around to defend some modern meaning.  Eisegesis differs widely from proper interpretation of the text, which we call exegesis, or reading from the text itself.

Text Traditions

There were quite a variety of copies of the Hebrew Bible available by the time of Jesus.  Scribes had been copying for hundreds of years, thus there were many different editions being circulated, some longer with sections added and some shorter with sections omitted.  ALL had some change or error in them.  Since a scribe in one area often copied from a local text, the same error or change often appeared regularly in one place, e.g., Babylon, but not in texts copied in Egypt.  Thus, at the time of Christ, three major “families,” or groupings, of text types could be found:  Babylonian, Palestinian, and Egyptian.  The Babylonian Jews, for example, treasured their texts which had a very short, tightly-knit edition of the Pentateuch, while Egyptian Jews used a richer and more expanded text.  Only at the end of the first century CE did the rabbis decide to end the confusion and select one text.  In the Pentateuch, they chose the Babylonian tradition, but in other books, such as the prophets Jeremiah and Isaiah, they followed the Palestinian text.

These first century rabbis also inaugurated a method of guarding the text from future glosses and additions, though not completely from copying errors.  They counted word, syllables, and sections, and wrote the totals at the end of each book of the Hebrew Bible.  These could be checked in later copies to see if the numbers corresponded exactly.  The system worked, helping to preserve a good text and paving the way for the addition of vowels to the text — a need that was becoming very acute as fewer and fewer readers were familiar with the Hebrew language.

Versions

The standard Hebrew text that resulted from the decision of these early rabbis has become known as the Masoretic Text (MT), named after a later group of Jewish scholars of the eighth to eleventh centuries CE — Masoretic,  or interpreters, who put vowels into the text and, thus, “fixed” the words in a definitive form.  No longer could a reader be confused by whether the word qtl in the text meant qotel, “the killer”, or qatal, “he killed.”  The Masoretes worked carefully from the best available tradition of textual interpretation and made the task of later readers much easier.  Any Biblical scholar will admit the great debt he/she owes these Jewish experts.  However, at times, having such a fixed text raises more problems than it solves.  After all, the Masoretes lived 1,000 years after the major writing of the Hebrew Scripture, and many words had changed their meaning and grammatical shape over the centuries — much like our own English language continually evolves from one generation to the next.  Later generations simply did not understand the proper meaning of a passage.  That is why the task of the textual critic continues today.

Besides the use of the previously mentioned scientific tools, text critics can gain much help from other ancient translations of the Hebrew into Greek, Syriac, Latin, and Aramaic.  The most important of these are:

1. Septuagint (LXX) — The Greek translation of the entire Hebrew scripture and all of the deuterocanonical books.  It was widely used by the Jews outside of Palestine (the diaspora), and especially the New Testament writers and early Christians.  Because of its age, it offers valuable help in resolving discrepancies in ancient Hebrew texts.
2. Peshitta — The ancient Syriac version of the Bible, used in Syriac-speaking Christian countries from the early 5th century and still the official Bible of the Syrian Christian Churches.
3. Vulgate — St. Jerome’s careful Latin translation made in the 5th Century CE, following the Hebrew text as closely as possible.  Jerome had help from Palestinian Jews in his translation.  The Vulgate gained a position of honor because it became the common (vulgate) Bible of the Western Church during the Middle Ages.
4. Targum — An ancient Aramaic paraphrase or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible, of a type made from about the 1st Century CE when Hebrew was declining as a spoken language.

 The Bible as Literature and Story

The Bible is much more than a “text” to be restored to its original beauty; it is the literature of a living people.  Because authors in every age and every culture express themselves differently, modern literary theory must offer ways of understanding ancient writers.  There is, for example, the basic distinction between poetry and prose.  Some thoughts are best expressed in poetry:  love songs, hymns, intense pain of sorrow and loss.  Others are better expressed in prose:  biographies, historical records, and lists.  What type an author selects is determined by how he feels that he can best communicate what he wants to say.

Even these categories may be easily broken down into more limited ones.  For example, a list may be a “king list,” giving the names and dates of the rulers of a nation, or a genealogy list showing someone’s ancestors, and so forth.  Hymns may be hymns of joy or lament, or songs of thanksgiving, or of praise of God’s creation such as Psalm 148, which is almost a list.  A sermon may be an impassioned plea, a persuasive appeal, or a thoughtful explanation.  In every case, the identification of what type of literature we are dealing with will help us to know much more about the author’s purpose in writing it, for whom it was intended, and from what situation it developed.

Oral Tradition

Communication in the ancient world was mostly oral, and societies that rely on oral tradition look at knowledge and history far differently than do people accustomed to reading.  First of all, cultures who utilized oral tradition generally had memories that are better than the memories of modern day peoples who rely on books and the internet for gathering information.  The ancient people often heard stories and events told in a communal setting, either on special feast days when religious leaders would recite the ancient traditions, or in schools where masters gave, and interpreted, the laws with vivid examples, or in gatherings for entertainment.  Very rarely were any of these stories simply recited by rote memory.  Traditions were constantly updated a
nd enlivened by new examples.  Oral style demanded that the storyteller preserve the well-known plot or the basic outline of the facts, but he often varied the details and the order of minor incidents, or even added extra details.

Another factor about oral cultures in the ancient Near East, was their dislike for exact facts and specific dates.  The common religious belief was that salvation and wholeness were found in a return to that first moment of creation when all things had been originally perfect.  Religion was centred on sacred times of the year.  In this world view, remembering the deeds and events of the past year could be a block to achieving union with the moment of divine creation.  It does not mean that Babylonians or Assyrians had no sense of their own history; they did, but they expressed it and gave it meaning for themselves by using themes from the great myths about creation, or through reference to the heroic deeds and lives of the great primeval gods, heroes, and kings.  The actual details of historical events were far less important to an ordinary person of ancient times than was the pattern by which it was explained and the essential primeval event to which it was compared.

Higher Criticism

Once we recognize the great variety that old traditions take when passed down in an ancient culture, we will understand better the need to develop tools that can identify the types of literature found in different books of the Bible.  More importantly, there must be tools to trace how the types changed as they were passed down, what happened when they were put into writing, how many versions of the same story existed, and a host of other questions.  Literary analysis is needed to sort out the many layers of religious thought over hundreds of years that are found in the Bible.  Not all Biblical books were written at the same time, and there are many older as well as newer levels in them.  This supports the declaration of the author of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews that, “In many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets; but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son. . .” (Heb. 1:1-2).

Even though the books of the Bible are now joined together as one canon that traces the shape our faith has taken from the beginning of the world until the time of the apostles, a serious student of the Bible must understand how Israel grew and changed and deepened its faith.  The process of understanding the older layers of thought is done by the use of three literary tools:  source criticism, form criticism, and tradition history criticism.

Source Criticism

Source criticism studies the specific problem of whether there are written documents behind the present text.  This method has developed over the past several centuries to answer the problems of repetitions and inconsistencies in the Pentateuch.  The use of two distinct names for God in Genesis led researchers to conclude that Moses must have used two or more different written sources when he composed the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers.  Source critics showed the contradictory styles of writing that appeared side-by-side in a single book, e.g., calling the Covenant mountain Sinai in one line and Horeb in the next.  Source critics pointed to the repetition of whole incidents a few chapters apart, most famously the two creation stories in Genesis 1 & 2, and the strange tale of how a patriarch lies when telling a foreign king that his wife is really his sister.  This story occurs three times: Genesis 12:13, 20:2, and 26:7, twice involving Abraham and once involving Isaac.  Even the beginning student might question how such a unique event could happen to Abraham without his learning a lesson, yet he seems to have forgotten everything when the se
cond time arises.

Scholars of the 18th and 19th centuries identified four clear written sources in the first five books of the Bible; the identification of early sources always meant written sources which were gathered together and edited in several stages until the final Pentateuch, as we have it today, emerged.  Other examples of sorting through the layers of written sources can be found in Psalms — Psalms 42-83 are referred to as the “Elhoist Psalter” because God is called Elohim (Hebrew for “God”), where most all other Psalms refer to God by his proper name, YHWH.  Book of Job is another example of having more than one source — Job 1 & 2, and 42:7-17 are written in a prose folk tale, while the rest of the book is written in poetry.  Another inconsistency is where Job and three friends have completed their dialogue with each other and Job has called for God to come, but suddenly a fourth person, Elihu, appears.  Elihu speaks in a monologue for four chapters, 33-37; when he finishes, God appears and speaks to Job and the three friends but seems not to know Elihu ever existed.  Scholars, thus, believe the Elihu section was an afterthought that was added at a later time.

Form Criticism

Form criticism was devised because of dismay over the excesses of some source critics.  Unlike source critics, form critics, such as Herman Gunkel, understood the diversity and inconsistencies in the Pentateuchal narratives as signs of typical oral style.  Fundamental to his understanding was the conviction that oral tradition was not carried on by individual authors, but by the community, which had to listen, remember, and carry on the tradition.  The literary “forms” that were previously mentioned were the building blocks of an oral society.

Each type of story, tradition, or communication belongs to a very concrete setting in life.  Thus, if we can identify a funeral lament, we know it was spoken at the time of a death; joyful marriage songs were sung at weddings, etc.  If the scholar can only identify the earliest form that each type took in the ancient Israelite culture, he gains a very good clue to the kind of situation and the period of history in which this unit of traditional material originated.  From this point, he can detect a history of additions and growths to the time it was finally written and kept as a document.

The form critic always asks:  Who is speaking?  Who is the audience?  What is being said?  Where is it said?  What is the purpose?  The form critic must ask not only who spoke originally, but who added the additions, and who was the editor who wrote it down, and who revised that edition.

One fundamental aspect of the form critical method is a belief that oral tradition does not change its form rapidly.  These are truly “traditional” and tend to keep the same wording and favorite formulas frozen over long periods of time.  Community memory for details is not nearly so accurate as is its preservation of the different “forms” themselves.  Historical events rapidly find themselves clothed in one special form or another.

A simple way of describing the work of form criticism is to list the following steps:

• Defining the Unit — In order to identify the form of a piece of literature, the form critic must have the whole piece.  Our modern bibles often mark off different units by paragraphs or bold-type headings.

• Naming the Form Used —  Is the unit a lament?  A letter?  A saga?  This is referred to as naming the literary genre of the unit.  If we miss the proper genre or form, we may never find out how it came to be used.

• Describing its Setting in Life — After knowing what form the piece has, we try to identify its original social context and, further, what kind of thinking gave rise to such expression.  Can we know something about the people from the way they spoke?

• Identifying the Purpose — The final step seeks what function or purpose this piece served in the original oral stage, and what purpose does it now serve in the larger written work of which it is a part.  Can we trace what changes took place in the people of Israel by knowing how these two uses differ?

To simply read the Bible all on one level as though no changes had taken place in Biblical thought over the centuries is to miss the living spirit of Israel’s growing faith.  Form criticism seeks to capture that actual growth.

Tradition History

Form criticism, by its nature, includes tracing a text through all levels from the most primitive oral story to the finished product.  But, many Biblical scholars became so enthused over the search for the original, simplest oral forms behind the Biblical text that they almost forgot the written and edited stages that we know much more about.  In recent years, experts have become more concerned with the total process of growth.  They are looking at the various times when the Biblical texts were edited, and the different societies from which the editors came.  The positive role of editing, or redaction, of ancient texts is now more appreciated than in the past.  No longer do scholars see the redactors as unimaginative bureaucrats pasting together older texts, but as persons passionately involved in the problems and needs of their time, who updated and expressed the traditions to speak to a new generation.

In tradition history, the scholar studies the societies of scribes, wise men, priests, or prophets and how they responded to new situations.  There is an effort to pinpoint the diverse interests of each region of Palestine in order to better understand the moments of decisive importance and change, when tradition had to be reworked to meet new needs.

The specific task of tradition history is to trace the use and reuse of Biblical material from their earliest form and settings in the life of Israel down through all the stages of being written and rewritten until it reached the final form as it is now found in our Bibles.  Where form criticism alone stresses discovery of the earliest oral units, and source criticism alone stresses the earliest written sources, tradition history particularly concerns itself with the later adaptations and reworking of the text.

The use of such modern historical-critical tools for interpreting and understanding the Bible was at first limited to Protestant Biblical scholars in Germany and England.  Catholic scholars, along with Jewish scholars, were reluctant to abandon the ancient traditions of the Church and Synagogue that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch.  Source criticism was widely popular among the rationalists and anti-Church thinkers of the 18th and 19th Centuries because it directly challenged the naive beliefs of the faithful.  Religious leaders saw these methods as dangers to the faith of the churches.  Another area of concern was the 19th Century tendency to see the Scripture as a record of Israel’s growth from superstition under Moses and the judges to the enlightened insights of the prophets to repressive reaction of priestly doctrines.

Many Catholic scholars were attracted to the possibilities of critical methods, but they did little with them until the 1940s.  In 1943, Pope Pius XII issued an encyclical letter, Divino Afflante Spiritu, that gave Catholic Biblical scholars encouragement to examine the ancient sources and literary forms in order to deepen the understanding of the sacred texts.  From that time on, Catholic scholars have pursued a sober use of source and form criticism as seriously as do most Protestant scholars and many Jewish ones.

Rhetorical Criticism

While form criticism often leads to tearing the Biblical passage down to its smallest unit, the rhetorical critic accents the wholeness and unity of many chapters and books.  The rhetorical critic shows that many repetitions or seemingly unusual features can, in fact, add to the dramatic force of stylistic beauty of the work.  At the same time, rhetorical criticism brings us closer to the goals of the literary critics who value reading the Bible as a masterpiece of World literature.  It reminds us that, despite all the scientific tools we use to understand the Bible, imagination is still the heart of real literary art.  The inspired writers of the Bible created with imaginative and carefully chosen phrases to stimulate a response of faith to God’s merciful actions for his people.

As lengthy as this commentary seems it barely covers the surface of the material I have my students read.  There are many ways to study the Bible, but to truly understand all that there is to know about the Bible, it is imperative to have a knowledge of the history of Israel and to have a working knowledge of the ancient languages that were used to write the stories we find in the Bible.

God bless all those who study the Bible, to share in God’s holy Word.

Marriage

My foray into the blogosphere has been, at times, intimidating.  In an attempt to become more comfortable with writing to an unknown audience, I have tried to steer clear of controversial subjects.  If I am going to subject myself, or my writing, to debate, I prefer to do so in the academic arena.  However, in light of the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage, I feel that I need to step out of my comfort zone and speak up — or, allow another priest to speak for me via his blog.  Fr. Joe Jenkins has written a well thought out essay on why the Catholic Church cannot back down on its theological beliefs or principles.  There is very little in what he says that I disagree with.

Although I believe, wholeheartedly, that my church needs to stand her ground on the issue of marriage, I also believe that from a civil perspective, same-sex couples deserve to be treated with respect, love, and kindness.  Whether or not we believe, as individuals or as a church, that homosexuality is acceptable, it has become accepted by society.  Same-sex attracted couples fall in love and, just like heterosexual couples, they want to commit to a lifetime together.  They want to raise a family, frequently adopting the “unadoptable” children that no one else will give a home to.  To protect the welfare of their families, they want the same legal rights as their heterosexual neighbors and friends and family.  Morally, we must, as a society, acknowledge their right to the same civil legal status as their neighbors.

My thoughts on the subject of civil unions may seem liberal and radical for a priest. Opinions can be changed by life experiences or observations.  Mine have changed over the past few years as I have watched my nephew struggle with his same-sex attraction. Because of his Catholic upbringing, that struggle has been made more difficult because his church does not fully accept him as God created him.  Not everyone is called to a celibate life and by asking ALL same-sex attracted individuals to live celibately, we are asking for the impossible.  For the moment, my nephew is celibate.  He is only 30 years old.  Can I, a celibate priest, ask him to remain celibate for the rest of his life?  All I can do is ask that he try, that he pray about the path in which God wants him to follow.  If he cannot commit to a lifetime of celibacy, I pray that he commits to ONE person.

I do believe that same-sex couples deserve to be protected by all the same legal rights as their heterosexual neighbors.  I do, however, draw the line at marriage. Marriage is sacred, between one man and one woman.  We, as a society, have lost sight of the sanctity of the vows a couple recites before God.  “I will love you, until death do us part,” not “until divorce do us part.”  (Although there are circumstances where divorce is the only recourse for abused women or children.)  While civil law establishes societal standards of conduct, we must also consider the natural law, moral law, and divine revelation.  It is from these fonts of wisdom and grace that Catholics understand that marriage between one man and one woman is a gift to humanity.  The blessings of such a marriage cannot be legislated, litigated, or changed by civil authorities.

Rather than repeat what Fr. Joe has written so eloquently in his blog, I ask that you read it. I also recommend the blog Fr. Joe refers to, written by Monsignor Charles Pope from the Archdiocese of Washington.

May God bless each of His children.  May God bless the married couples, man and woman, who believe in the sanctity and holiness of their vows and their commitment to one another and their children.  May God bless . . . .

Boston Strong

Four weeks ago I was in Ireland, visiting cousins after a blessed Lenten spiritual retreat. Four weeks ago, the United States was, once again, attacked by Muslim terrorists, this time at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, a marathon I have run four times — thrice as an able-bodied runner and once in the wheelchair division.  Four weeks ago, my cousins and I watched in horror as a city very dear to my heart reeled from the attack of innocent bystanders, permanently injuring many and killing a few.  Four weeks ago, I felt terribly helpless, wanting to be in Boston to offer spiritual support and comfort.

• Psalms 46:1 ~~ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
• Psalms 55:22 ~~ Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
• Psalms 25:1 ~~ In You, Lord my God, I put my trust.

And, so, we came . . . .  After a middle-of-the-night visit from their priest and through the remarkable generosity of a small Irish parish, funds were gathered and an airline ticket was purchased for my cousin, Meghan.  I had an open-ended return ticket to the USA that I had not intended to use until summer, but God was calling me to be in Boston.  Meghan is a retired nurse who worked in the trauma unit of a hospital for many years; my brother, Patrick, is a retired orthopedic surgeon, my sister, Colleen, is a retired pediatrician, and my niece, Michelle, is a nurse; my nephew, John, and I are priests.  With ties to this great city, we descended upon Boston to help where we could.

• Psalms 147:3 ~~ He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
• Jeremiah 17:14 ~~ Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.
• Mark 5:34 ~~ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
• James 5:14 ~~ Are any among you sick?  They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.
• Luke 4:18 ~~ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

John was ordained just a year ago and continues to live in Boston, teaching at one of the many colleges that line the historic streets.  Through the gracious hospitality of people he knows, we all had lodging arranged for us.  Each of us has felt extremely blessed to meet the victims of the bombings and their families.  Americans are resilient, Bostonians are resilient, and the spiritual strength of those we met never ceased to amaze me.

• Proverbs 3:5 ~~ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.
• John 14:1 ~~ “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Believe in God, believe also in me.”

The medical O’Malleys and Donahues remained in Boston for two weeks, volunteering their services where needed.  I remained in Boston for another week where Fr. John and I ministered to the spiritual needs of the injured and their families.  We prayed, we celebrated Mass, we offered the Eucharist and, while blessing those who were in crisis, we felt blessed to be a part of their healing.  Strong.  Boston Strong.

In a city that is predominately Roman Catholic, at a time when people from all walks of life ran towards the bombing victims, priests who were within reach of the wounded and dying were prohibited from approaching them.  Anointing of the Sick is one of seven sacraments in the Catholic church.  It is sacred to us.  For priests to be within reach of those needing and wanting to receive this sacrament, and to be denied the opportunity, is maddening.  For the police — many of whom are Irish Catholic — to barricade priests against entering the crime scene to minister to the dying and injured is unconscionable.  At this writing, the police have not responded to calls from the media as to their reasoning.  Anointing of the Sick at the Boston Marathon

Emotions continue to run high in Boston, mine included.  And, so, while on an airplane, flying home to the West, I nearly lost my priestly pacifism when my seat mate referred to me as an apostate priest who was leading my fellow Catholics down an evil path.  This is not the first time I have been called an apostate priest; most recently, it was a fellow blogger who has nothing kind to say about the Roman Catholic Church or its followers.  However, being confronted in person, on an enclosed airplane, was a first.  While trying to ignore his diatribe, I continued to read my Bible, most specifically the Book of Wisdom which is considered apocryphal by Protestants and is not included in the Protestant Bible.

And, so, I tried to be wise.  I tried to heed the spirit of the Book of Wisdom.  I tried to keep my impish Irish temper in check.  After explaining to my fellow passenger that an already long flight would be made only longer if he continued to criticize my church and me, I asked him to allow me to continue reading the Bible in peace.

• The Wisdom of Solomon 1:11 ~~ Beware then of useless grumbling, and keep your tongue from slander; because no secret word is without result, and a lying mouth destroys the soul.

After a couple of hours of peaceful silence, I opened a discussion with him about the Book of Wisdom.  I explained that, although considered apocryphal by Protestants, it contains much of what is found in the Protestant canon.  It contrasts the lives of the just and the wicked, dramatizing the eschatological destinies of the two groups.  It celebrates the figure of the divine Sophia, or Wisdom.  It uses historical comparison based principally on Exodus 7-14, providing Biblical examples of the righteous and the unrighteous, and demonstrates how the power of the divine wisdom operates in human history.  Knowing that this person believes the Bible to be the inerrant, factually historical, Word of God, not the inerrant, inspired, Word of God, I needed to compare and contrast very carefully.

We discussed the Bible and our interpretations of certain scriptures.  Then, I asked him if he would explain to me why, without knowing me as a person, he thinks of me as an apostate, why he believes the Catholic church is evil in its teachings, and why he thinks it wrong of me to minister to those in Boston who were injured.  I will not relive our conversation here but, suffice it to say, I got an earful.

When he was finished with his diatribe, I explained to him what I had witnessed in Boston — families of those who were murdered, the injured and their families, and witnesses who will forever be affected by the war scene.  I met people from all walks of faith — Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, and some who claimed no particular faith but who still believed in a powerful God.  What I learned from these people is that in the big scheme of the universe, it does not matter to God which faith community we belong, but that we believe in Him and His healing power.

I witnessed people from different faith backgrounds coming together to pray, to offer support, to cry.  I witnessed people from different faith backgrounds giving blood for the victims.  I witnessed people from different faith backgrounds working side-by-side in hospitals to heal the injured.  Not one person gave thought to which denomination another might belong.  During this time of crisis, it did not matter.  I prayed with, not only Catholics, but with Protestants from many different denominations, and Jews.  What mattered to the injured, their families, and the city of Boston, was the benevolent humanity from all walks of faith.

I explained my observations to my seat mate and, yet, it fell on deaf ears.  Rather than praying intercessory prayers, asking God to comfort those who had lost loved ones or asking God to heal those who had been injured, he believed the only prayers he should offer were for their salvation.  Intercessory prayer is simply prayer for other people and, in a sense, everyone is called to be an intercessor as we pray for one another.

• James 5:16 ~~ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
• 1 Timothy 2:1 ~~ First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people.
• Ephesians 6:18 ~~  Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

After a long flight made only longer by our discussion, I knew my seat mate and I would never agree.  I have very close friends who are not of my faith.  We do not always agree, but we respect each other’s beliefs and we try to learn from each other.  I am saddened that this man could not open his heart to loving others as they are, no matter their faith backgrounds.  If we are to ever experience world peace, it will be because we take to heart . . .

• Mark 12: 30-31 ~~ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.

Pope Francis’ First Chrism Mass

As I watched and listened to Pope Francis give his homily at his first Chrism Mass, I felt in awe of the man who is to lead the Roman Catholic Church.  Each time I hear His Holiness speak, I know the Holy Spirit is at work in his life and all the lives of the faithful.  Pope Francis is a true man of God.  He has a love for humanity, a love for the least who struggle to survive due to the burdens that life has presented them.  He is a humble man who has been called to lead the largest Christian church — over 1 billion strong.  He is a Jesuit.

And, in his homily, he gave a “clear test” to the meaning of the priesthood.  He challenged each of us to work to pass this test as we serve the poor, the sick, the prisoners, the homeless, and those who are alone.

“The Lord will say this clearly: his anointing is meant for the poor, prisoners and the sick, for those who are sorrowing and alone. The ointment is not intended just to make us fragrant, much less to be kept in a jar, for then it would become rancid, and the heart bitter.

A good priest can be recognized by the way his people are anointed. This is a clear test. When our people are anointed with the oil of gladness, it is obvious: for example, when they leave Mass looking as if they have heard good news. Our people like to hear the Gospel preached with “unction”, they like it when the Gospel we preach touches their daily lives, when it runs down like the oil of Aaron to the edges of reality, when it brings light to moments of extreme darkness, to the “outskirts” where people of faith are most exposed to the onslaught of those who want to tear down their faith.

People thank us because they feel that we have prayed over the realities of their everyday lives, their troubles, their joys, their burdens and their hopes. And when they feel that the fragrance of the Anointed One, of Christ, has come to them through us, they feel encouraged to entrust to us everything they want to bring before the Lord: “Pray for me, Father, because I have this problem”, “Bless me”, “Pray for me” – these words are the sign that the anointing has flowed down to the edges of the robe, for it has turned into prayer. The prayers of the people of God. When we have this relationship with God and with his people, and grace passes through us, then we are priests, mediators between God and men.”

I ask for prayers that I may be the priest — the Jesuit — who strives to pass the “clear test” presented to us by His Holiness, Pope Francis — a Jesuit.

White Smoke

OK, I know I am a little late with this blog post, but I have been cloistered in a Jesuit retreat center with no contact to the outside world — sort of.  Although seemingly silent, I was very much aware of what was happening within the Catholic church.  Those of us at the retreat center were able to stay abreast of current events, even when choosing to remain silent to our loved ones.  And, so . . .

Changes are brewing within the Roman Catholic church.  Pope Benedict XVI chose to live out his remaining years in prayerful seclusion at a monastery near the Vatican.  He was known as “the reluctant Pope,” never wanting to lead the worldwide 1.2 billion Catholics.  Joseph Ratzinger is a scholar, most happy with his books — the books he reads and the books he writes.  I greatly admire his decision to retire, to pass the baton to a man who is a little younger and who has more energy to lead the Church.

I have seen changes in the Church — beginning with the Second Vatican Council when I was a teenager.  Suddenly, Mass was said in the vernacular, the priest faced his congregation, and there was no more fish on Friday.  Of course, there were many other changes, but these were the changes most people, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, remember.  I have memories of each Pope who has led my Church during my lifetime.  Most significant were the changes of Vatican II, under the leadership of Pope John XXIII at its opening, and Pope Paul VI, at its closing.  I was a seminarian during the very brief time of Pope John Paul I, who died just 33 days after becoming Pope.  And, then, there was Pope John Paul II.  As part of my studies, I spent summers in Rome.  I was truly honored to be blessed by His Holiness on more than one  occasion.  Still early in his time as Pope, he was young and vivacious and full of the Holy Spirit.  It was with great sadness that the world watched as his health declined.  And, so, Pope Benedict XVI chose to retire at the age of 85 to live out his remaining years in quiet solitude.

Whether factual or not, word is that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the conclave’s second choice eight years ago, when Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope and took the name Benedict XVI.  With the election of Pope Francis, there are many firsts — the first pope from the Western Hemisphere, the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere, the first pope from the Americas, the first pope from South America, the first pope who is a Jesuit — one of God’s Marines.

Pride — one of the 7 Deadly Sins.  Is it sinful to be proud that “one of our own” has been elected Pope?  With the announcement that Pope Francis had been elected, the jubilation among those in residence at the Manresa Retreat Center was — prideful?  Happy.  Joy.  Peace.  Humility.  Pride.  Yes, we are proud that one of our own is now Pope.  Jesuits not only take solemn vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, and a fourth solemn vow of Obedience to the Pope in regard to Missions, but five simple vows that, essentially, state that we will live by the Constitution of the Jesuits and we will not seek higher office, either within the Jesuit order or as a bishop.  For a Jesuit to become bishop is rare, to become pope is unprecedented.  So, yes, we are proud of our new pope — for many reasons.  He is a very humble man, who works arduously to help the poor.  He is a warrior for social justice.  By what we are learning in his first few weeks as pope, Pope Francis will be a pope of the people and for the people.  To the chagrin of his security detail, he has ventured out in an open vehicle so he can touch his public.  He has met with Pope Benedict XVI to pray together.  The Church is in good hands.

As Pope Francis leads the Roman Catholic Church into a new era, let us all keep His Holiness in our prayers.  The Church has been under scrutiny for two decades and there is much healing that must still take place.  We are a conservative church, with beliefs and traditions that date to 2000 years ago, to the time of Christ.  Many of our adherents would like to see changes — changes that would seemingly bring the Church into the 21st Century.  Change can be slow — painfully slow — but it does sometimes take place.  We must be patient and know that if it is God’s Will, changes will be made.  We must remember that everything happens in God’s time, not ours.  We must also remember that, because of our interpretation of Holy Scripture, some of the “modern, secular” changes will never happen.

And, so . . .

O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all Your faithful people, mercifully look upon Your servant Francis, whom You have chosen as the chief Shepherd to preside over Your Church.  We beg You to help him edify, both by word and example, those over whom he has charge, that he may reach everlasting life together with the flock entrusted to him. Through Christ our Lord.  ~~Amen.

Ireland

Ah, the ancestral home of my family!  Although an American, I know I have come home when I visit Ireland.  So green.  So lush.  So beautiful.  So peaceful.  So Catholic!!  And, if not for my annual Lenten fast, so much Guinness!  Imagine being in Ireland and not being able to drink Guinness.

I am 100% Irish — both of my parents were born in this incredible country.  I love everything about being here, most of all seeing family.  Yep, I have first cousins in Ireland.  Because my parents were the youngest of their families, my first cousins, once removed, are closer to my age.  I will be spending part of my visit with my cousin, Meghan, her husband, Ronan, and their family.  We will reminisce about our childhood antics during my family’s visits to the ancestral home or when her family visited us in the USA.

Ireland is in my blood — I have joked that my blood runs green.  Without being too specific about where I grew up, let’s just say I think my grandparents settled where they did because it reminded them of Ireland.  Rain.  Green.  Ocean.  Catholic churches established by missionaries of long ago.  Home.

I am taking a semester-long sabbatical from my teaching position.  It is the first sabbatical I have had — never taking more than a one month vacation from teaching/preaching, of which two weeks of that summer vacation is always spent on retreat in a Catholic Abbey.  I have filled my time with family and prayer.  I have contemplated where God is leading me as I ponder retirement.

Contemplative prayer — In a few days, I will enter a Jesuit retreat center where I will reside for an undetermined length of time.  Maybe a month, maybe more.  I do not need to be back in the USA until August.  I have spent most of my adult life in front of a classroom — teaching.  Teaching theology at the high school level, teaching ancient Christianity and world religions and all things relating to Religious Studies at the university level.  I love teaching.  I love teaching about God.  I love teaching about Christianity.  I love learning about other religions so that I can teach about them.  God led me to the classroom, and there I have been for over 30 years.

As I approach retirement age — although not mandatory — I need to figure out the next phase of this journey called life.  Thus, the extended retreat where I will be cloistered for part of the time.  God has a plan that only He knows.  As a child of God, I need to listen to Him and follow His guiding hand.  Where will He lead me next?  Each summer, when I am on retreat — for a short two weeks — it has become more difficult to reenter the world.  I am drawn to a life of contemplation.  I have spent my career being “public,” speaking before groups, socializing with fellow academics or fellow priests or congregations.  In reality, I am the ultra-introvert.  I prefer to be alone.  Quiet.  What I hope to discern during this extended retreat is whether I would serve God well by being a spiritual director at a retreat center.  Should I trade my absent-minded professor garb for my clerical garb?

I have much to pray about over the next several weeks — not just about my future, but prayers for my family, prayers for my friends, prayers for the world.  I know a few people who are hoping I will blog about St. Patrick — after all, I am in Ireland, I am Irish, and I was born on St. Pat’s Day!  However, I will be cloistered so I doubt if I will write anything about the patron saint of the land I love.

Until I return — my prayers to all of my readers.  Please pray for me, too!

God bless . . . .

St. Valentine’s Day

I have to laugh!  Today is Valentine’s Day — a day for romantics to remember their sweethearts.  A day of hearts, of chocolates, of kisses between lovers.  It wasn’t until I received an email from a friend requesting that I write about St. Valentine’s Day that I even gave it a thought.  I am a Catholic priest — it’s not like I have a valentine! +;-)  But, realizing that there is more to today’s celebration, and knowing what my friend was requesting, I thought I should write about St. Valentine himself.  When I opened this blog to write a new post, there was a message saying, “Inspire me or give me hints,” or something to that effect.  When I clicked on that link, here is what was given me:  Write about your strongest memory of heart-pounding belly-twisting nervousness: what caused the adrenaline? Was it justified? How did you respond?  Do you see why I laughed???  For me, my strongest memory of “heart-pounding belly-twisting nervousness” was the day I was ordained.  

I confess, St. Valentine is a saint I know very little about.  Thus, I am “cheating” and looking at Wikipedia.  Now, just so you know, if any of my students were to use Wikipedia as a resource when writing a paper, well, um, I would not be kind in grading.  Since I doubt if any of you who are reading this are going to grade me, I am allowing myself a moment of laziness.  

Rather than celebrating St. Valentine on the date of his birth, or the date he did something extraordinary, St. Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the date he was martyred, February 14, 270 — give or take a few years, since no one is sure.  I find it somewhat ironic that we celebrate the saint of love on the day he was beheaded.  Historically, there is no reliable evidence that Valentine was one person or more than one.  According to some sources, Valentine was a priest in Rome during the reign of Claudius II.  Valentine was apprehended by Roman soldiers after he was found to be marrying Christian couples and assisting those who were being persecuted in Rome under Emperor Claudius II.  Being sent to the prefect of Rome, Valentine refused to renounce his Christian faith and was imprisoned.  Claudius liked Valentine, until Valentine made a tactical error when he tried to convert Claudius II to Christianity.  Valentine was then beaten with clubs and beheaded.  In 496 CE, Pope Gelasius pronounced February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.

But, where does all the lovey-dovey stuff come from?  I am moving far out of my area of expertise with this one.  Or, could it be this is not within my comfort zone???  According to what I have been able to learn, the first recorded association of Valentine’s Day with romantic love is in Chaucer’s Parlement of Foules, written in 1382.

As all good Catholics should know, saints are not supposed to rest in peace — they are expected to keep busy, performing miracles and interceding in our prayers.  Being in jail or being dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural!  😉  One legend says that, while awaiting his execution, Valentine restored the sight of his jailer’s blind daughter.  On the eve of his execution, he wrote a farewell note to the jailer’s daughter and signed it, “From your Valentine.”  

That is all this priest can muster to write about St. Valentine’s Day! Will this do, Margy?  I won’t promise to do better with St. Patrick because I will, most likely, be cloistered in an Irish monastery.  Before I end this post, I would like to share a St. Valentine’s Day prayer:

I said a Valentine prayer for you
and asked the Lord above
to fill your heart and bless your soul
With the precious gift of love.

I asked Him for sincere love
The kind that’s meant to stay
Just like the generous love
You give to those you touch each day.

I prayed for love from family
And from every cherished friend
Then I asked the Lord to give you
His love that knows no end.

God Bless . . . .

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the first day of the 40 day season of Lent (excluding Sundays).  For Christians, Lent is a somber season of reflection, penance, and fasting in preparation of the resurrection of our Savior on Easter through which we attain redemption.

Many Christian churches have Ash Wednesday services in which the priest or minister places a cross of ashes on the foreheads of the believers. The ashes are made by burning the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year.  The ashes are then christened with Holy Water and are scented by exposing them to incense.  While the ashes symbolize penance and contrition, they are also a reminder that God is gracious and merciful to those who call on Him with repentant hearts.  God’s Divine mercy is of paramount importance during the Lenten Season, and the Church calls on us to seek that mercy during the 40 days of Lent with reflection, prayer, and penance.

The ashes are a symbol of the sacrament of penance, and they help us to develop a spirit of humility and sacrifice.  “Remember, you are from dust , and to dust shall you return” (Genesis 3:19).  In ancient times, Christians who had committed grave faults were required to perform public penance.  On Ash Wednesday, the Bishop blessed the shirts worn by the penitent and sprinkled over them ashes made from burning the palms from the previous year.  Then, while the faithful recited the Seven Penitential Psalms, the penitents were turned out of the church because of their sins.  This turning away was symbolic of Adam being turned out of the Garden of Eden because of his disobedience.  The penitents did not enter the church again until Maundy Thursday after having been reconciled by the toil of 40 days’ penance and sacramental absolution.  Later, whether public or secret penitents, all Christians came to receive ashes out of devotion.

Ash Wednesday and Lent are times of fasting and abstinence.  From the time we were children, my brothers, sisters, and I learned the importance of fasting to become closer to God and his merciful forgiveness.  Traditionally, Christians “give up” something for Lent — chocolate, coffee, soda pop, or cussing seem to be common.  My parents asked us to “give up” something that would “give gain” to someone else.  We would “give up” our allowances to buy food for the hungry, we would “give up” play time with our friends to spend time with the elderly in nursing homes or the crippled children at Shriner’s Hospital, we would “give up” piano lessons and ask our piano teacher to give “free” (we would still pay the teacher) lessons to kids whose parents couldn’t afford music lessons.  By “giving up” to help others “gain” we learned of the sacrifice Jesus “gave” so we Christians could “gain” salvation.  Fasting from food was sometimes more difficult when we watched our non-Catholic friends enjoying after school snacks.  Lent for us meant smaller meals, no in-between meal snacks, no meat on Fridays.  Fortunately, from a religious perspective, we attended Catholic schools so all of our classmates were also “suffering” through the fasting of Lent.  It was when we got home from school and our public school friends wanted to play and eat snacks that it became more challenging.

What will be interesting about this Lenten season, for me, is that I will be in Ireland for most of it — cloistered in a monastery.  Ash Wednesday will be honored, as usual, and then I depart for my ancestral home the following week for an undetermined length of time.  I can’t recall ever spending Easter in Ireland, a country that does not understand the concept of “separation of church and state” as we Americans do.  The State is Roman Catholic.   The Irish imp in me is feeling a need to stir up the pot — to rebel against authority.  My parents taught us well to believe in social justice, to work towards making better lives for the least.  Ireland has a few social justice issues that I believe need to be addressed.  It is quite possible that this Lenten season, I will look for an Irish cause to donate my time, to “give gain” to a worthy cause.

My prayer for all who read this is that you have a very blessed Lent — that you allow for time to reflect, to repent, and to fast in order to bring your spirit closer to God.

Married Priests???

St. Ignatius of Loyola

I am also a Jesuit.  A Catholic priest.  My vows are sacred and I would never do anything, knowingly, to break those vows.  I love the Catholic Church and what it represents in my life, in the lives of my family, and to the world as a sacred place of worship.  My personal relationship with Jesus began when I was five years old, sick with polio.  Jesus visited my hospital bed and he comforted a scared, sick little boy.  Jesus has walked beside me ever since.I teach.  It is what God has called me to do.  Teach.  I love my job.  I love my students.  I love sharing my passion for historical Christianity with those who have a desire to learn.  I have been a teacher for so long I think I have lost track of the years — high school, elementary school, college.  My present job as professor of religious studies began almost 20 years ago.

The days of polio are long forgotten by those never touched by that horrific disease.  The vaccine became readily available the same month I got sick.  My brothers and sisters were inoculated in their schools; I hadn’t begun school, yet, so I was the “lucky” person to contract polio.  Very few Americans remember the disease, nor do they know of anyone who is a survivor.  Unfortunately, polio remains prevalent in some underdeveloped countries — unlike smallpox, polio has not been completely eradicated from the earth.

As I recovered from that bout of polio so many years ago, I spent a great deal of time with our family priest, who was also a family friend having been a childhood friend of my parents.  Father Mike was permitted to visit me every day in the hospital where he taught me the Rosary and read Bible stories.  After being released from the hospital, I still had months of rehabilitation.  I couldn’t run and play with my siblings and my friends, so I’d hang out with my priest, my friend, my godfather.  I’d been named for Father Mike and, because of polio, we had a very special bond which remained tight until his death at the age of 95.  It was that bond and my friendship with Jesus that led me toward the priesthood.

From the time I was five years old I knew I wanted to serve God and those feelings never wavered.  As I was studying and training, I realized my talents would better serve in a classroom rather than in a parish.  It was Father Mike’s dream that I would come home and become the pastor of “our” parish when he retired.  For two years I tried but I missed the classroom — hence my move to another state where I was hired at a public university.

Jesuit Circuit Rider

After 18 years of teaching at that university, I am taking a semester sabbatical.  I came home to spend time with my family and to enjoy the beauty of my home state.  I have also been filling in for vacationing priests — the past few weeks have been fulfilling and exciting.  At times I have felt like a circuit riding Jesuit of years gone by  — all I needed was a horse, a long black cassock, and a big brimmed hat!

At one of the churches I visited this past week, I had an experience that proved to be more emotional than I expected.  One of the priests I filled in for was vacationing with — his wife.  His wife.  How, do you ask, can a Catholic priest be married?  This particular priest, as with most married priests, comes from a Protestant background, most of them Episcopalian.  Following God’s call, he was first ordained in the United Church of Christ and later in the Episcopal Church.  Because I never met the man, I do not know his reasons for renouncing his Episcopal orders, but I can guess.  The Episcopal Church has become, in the eyes of many, too liberal — ordaining women, ordaining gay priests, acknowledging gay marriage.  I do not know if these are the reasons this particular priest left the Episcopal Church, but it is a good guess.  I have known for quite some time that Episcopalian priests have been given permission by the Holy See to be ordained as Catholic priests.  But, this was the first time it hit me in the face, so to speak.

I live all my vows faithfully — the vow of chastity, the vow of poverty, and the vow of obedience.  Over the past 30 + years, there have been times when I have doubted my human ability to be faithful to my vows.  But, the strength of my devotion to God has always prevailed and, with Jesus standing by my side, I have found the courage to work through my doubts and to remain faithful.  And so, this week, I wondered why it is possible for a former Episcopal priest to be ordained Catholic and bring his wife and children with him?  Why can he be married and I can’t?  Why can he come home after a long day “at the office” to the loving arms of his soul mate and I can’t?  Why?  Why must I suffer through bouts of loneliness when he doesn’t?  I was born Catholic — a cradle Catholic.  I knew when I was a child I wanted to become a priest.  Being as idealistic as any young man entering the priesthood, I wanted to save the world and I knew I could live my vows.  What I did not know is how difficult it is sometimes — to be lonely.  To come home to an empty house.  It just doesn’t seem fair.  I can hear my mom saying, “But, Michael, life isn’t fair.”  Every kid learns that lesson.  Right?  Right.

This, too, shall pass — like all the other times I have wondered about the fairness of the vow of chastity. Priests haven’t always been required to be celibate and, I believe, sometime in the far off future, a liberated Pope will change the “rules” and allow priests to marry.

I know many who are reading this are saying, “Yeah, right, a celibate priest.”  We all know what has been in the media for the past couple of decades.  Please remember how the media plays on the negative.  With all the “bad” priests that have made the news, how many “good” priests have you heard or read about?  Not many, I’d guess.  For the record, the good priests do outnumber the bad ones.

As a dear friend tells me frequently, I will sleep with my angels, and pray they soothe my soul.  God bless each and every person who reads this.  God bless all those who serve Him, whether they be Catholic or Protestant or Jewish or Muslim.  God bless.

Happy New Year 2013

Whew!  We made it through the end of the Mayan calendar and survived December 21, 2012.  We survived another Presidential election and, no matter which side of the fence each of us sits, the United States of America is still the greatest country in the world.  Just ask all the immigrants who are crossing our borders — whether from Central and South America, or from Africa, or from the Middle East, or from . . . wherever.

I am visiting my family in my home state.  I love coming “home.”  My parents have long since passed, but all my brothers and sisters and their families live in our hometown.  My sister, Kelly, is the social butterfly who loves to entertain.  Every year she manages to coordinate a spectacular Christmas Eve celebration and feeds about 75 people — yes, our family is HUGE.  After dinner, we open presents before attending Midnight Mass at our family church where we fill several pews.  Christmas morning is quiet, with individual families opening stockings and gifts from Santa, breakfast, and then Mass at noon.

New Year’s Eve traditions change — some years there is a party, some years are quiet, some years we see a movie.  This year, several of us drove to a ski resort to watch skiers ski down the mountain carrying torches.  There must have been about 100 skiers and it was spectacular.  Once the skiers were at the bottom, the fireworks began.  Beautiful against the white snow.  Although the revelers continued to party, we had movie tickets and needed to head back down the mountain.

“Les Misérables”, the movie.  Wow!  Wow!  The consensus among the family is that Hugh Jackman should be nominated for an Academy Award for best actor.  Anne Hathaway should be nominated for best supporting actress.  The movie is excellent and seeing the scenes helped to make the plot more understandable from the theatrical play.  By the time we arrived home, it was nearly 1 a.m. — late for this early riser.

New Year’s Day 2013 — a quiet day to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.  For Catholics, January 1, the Octave (8th) day of the Christmas Season, is the day designated as a liturgical feast honoring Mary’s divine motherhood of Jesus the Christ.  The title “Mother of God” is a western derivation from the Greek, Theotokos, the God-bearer.  The term was adopted at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431 C. E. as a way to assert the Divinity of Christ.  If Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God.

Those outside the Catholic tradition view our veneration of Mary has a form of worship.  What we worship is her saintly motherhood.  Mary is the ideal mother.  Mary’s mother, St. Anne, is the patron saint of mothers.  To my Catholic family, there is no better way to begin a new year than by honoring Our Lady.  We welcome her in prayer and turn the page of the calendar imploring her blessing and intercession.  As children, we not only celebrated the Mary but our mother, Mary, on this feast day.  My dad taught us well how to honor our mother, the woman who gave us life and who nurtured us until her death at the age of 90.

Traditions — family, feast meals, celebrating the lives of the Holy Family, ringing in the new year with family and friends, and laughing about New Year’s resolutions unfulfilled.  The same resolutions are made year after year after year and most of them are forgotten within a few weeks.  My very dear friend, who is Methodist, made a commitment to read the entire Protestant Bible in 2012 — and she did it!!  Her resolution for 2013 is to read the rest of the Bible — the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books plus the essays that are included in The New Oxford Annotated New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).  Her husband’s New Year’s resolution is to guide his wife on an amazingly wonderful trip to Southeast Asia.  My New Year’s resolution for 2013 is to enjoy my semester-long sabbatical!!!!!!  No classes, no students — whatever shall I do?!

And, so, we begin another year.  Another year of ups and downs, of hills and valleys, of traveling life’s highways.  My prayer for all — for our world, for all nations, for Mother Earth, for all Earth’s inhabitants, for my family, for my friends, for my colleagues both at the university and at church — is that we find peace.  The world has never been peaceful, nor will it, but may we find peace amongst ourselves.  I pray that families find accord when they are faced with difficult decisions, I pray our government can learn to compromise on all issues, I pray the United States becomes “one nation, undivided” once again.  We have become so polarized over the past two decades, that we are in need of much healing.  My prayer is for peace, for contentment, and for happiness for ALL.

God Bless!