Category Archives: lent

April 5, 2012 · 5:00 am

holy thursday foot washing

(This post was first published on April 21, 2011)

The Holy Thursday liturgy is rich with symbols and rituals. We commemorate the Passover meal, which was to be the last supper before Jesus`s death. Several themes are present: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the ordained priesthood, and the call to humble service. Which theme is highlighted and how the liturgy is celebrated can tell a lot about the theological leanings of the pastor and parish.

Here is one view from the pew…

Let us celebrate the Eucharist as the great sacrament of unity – a unity that transcends place and time. Holy Communion is healing food for us sinners. It is a source of energy on our spiritual journey. It should not be used as a tool of power or division.

In this scandal-ridden time of sadness and confusion, many of us are struggling with the exclusive and hierarchical nature of ordination. If Holy Thursday is a time to commemorate the institution of the priesthood, then we need to prayerfully ponder the meaning of priesthood for today.

The symbolic ritual of foot washing is too often a well-orchestrated spectacle. Many of us in the pews are immersed in the reality and messiness of service. We wash and care for our loved ones, from the wee babes to our elders. We teach and nurse. We serve and protect. We save and heal. We do this daily, without solemn processions and choirs singing. And, when we do, we aren`t surrounded by ministers and assistants carrying beautiful jugs, basins and fluffy white towels.

Rituals only have meaning if they are a sign of a deeper reality. Our church and our world are in need of true servant leaders. We are in need of men and women willing, like Jesus, to humbly bend before the feet of those they are called to serve.

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April 3, 2012 · 7:35 pm

The Tablet – Behold the Man of Sorrows

The Tablet – Behold the Man of Sorrows.

My mother is an accomplished artist. The two youngest of my five children are graphic designers. My own art skills have never developed beyond a young child’s attempt at daisies, twiggy trees and suns. I have a great admiration for an artist’s ability to lead you into pondering, to seek deeper meaning beyond the ordinary. Good art is, indeed, a spiritual experience.

A small hamlet in Wales has provided a unique spiritual experience this Lent. St. Michael’s church in Discoed has a congregation of only fifteen members. David Hiam paired up with Charles MacCarthy, a local artist, to commission fourteen different artists to depict the stations of the cross; one station each. The result is stunning. The diversity of art forms is matched by the diversity of the artist’s themselves.

Although most of them have an interest in religion – four belong to a group called Art & the Spirit – doctrinally speaking, they’re a mixed bag. They include an atheist, a Buddhist and, somewhere in between, “a questioning Christian of the Anglican tradition, slightly itinerant”. In a parish that once prided itself on having no resident “Papist or reputed Papist”, they also include a Catholic, and have chosen to illustrate Pope John Paul II’s Scriptural Way of the Cross.

Art critic, Laura Gascoigne provides a thoughtful review of the individual stations. The Tablet also provides a link to photos of the stations themselves. It makes for a powerful holy week meditation.

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February 28, 2012 · 7:41 pm

Finding the meaning of Ash Wednesday in a darkened movie theater | National Catholic Reporter

Finding the meaning of Ash Wednesday in a darkened movie theater | National Catholic Reporter.

Jamie L. Manson has done it again – bravely sharing from the deep, dark places of the heart. Her latest column describes her frustration in the past weeks fighting the contraception issue in the US. In her fatigue, she first forgot about Ash Wednesday then intentionally refused to participate in the distribution of Ashes.

I had a similar experience, many years ago. A dark time in our local church coincided with the Lenten season. How I struggled to attend the requisite services – more for the sake of our children than mine. I know how difficult, how impossible, it can be to walk through the doors of the church when the hurt is raw. When the anger is fresh.  I didn’t need ashes strewn across my forehead to remind me of suffering.

I hope that many will read Jamie’s powerful and honest reflection. Perhaps you, too, can relate. It is also a reminder for us all not to judge those who are missing from the pews. Don’t assume that absence connotes a ‘bad’ or ‘fallen away’ Catholic. Absence can be a survival technique for those who truly love the Church, but need an intentional time of exile.

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February 24, 2012 · 11:42 am

40 days with the 40 least

40 Days with the 40 Least is a powerful Lenten reflection produced annually by the Marianists in Spain. 40 Days is an opportunity to increase our awareness and unite in solidarity with the 40 least developed countries in our world. This year’s theme focuses on Human Rights. The following is from the introduction to the resource,

This year we wish to focus our gaze, our heart and our mind on the reality of the human rights of the people who live in the last forty, the forty countries with the lowest Index of Human Development, according to the 2011 Annual Report of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). We will do this in union with the social pain of those who are victims of the violation of their rights, and also with the witness of those who, in the midst of that situation, embrace the responsibility of denunciation, promotion and defense of those rights…

In identifying the current situation of human rights, contemporary reflection tends to highlight three concerns: the degradation of life, the loss of liberty, the lack of justice. Around these three universal principles – life, liberty, justice – in situations where they are lacking and in the forces that defend them, revolves our Lenten campaign this year…

As in other years, for each day of Lent we are offering a passage of testimony and, following it, a juridical text Signed and ratified, taken from the very rich universal legislative sources, which we will see. To help us pass from right to deed, there is a commentary and a proposal for action. Finally, a short Prayer will help us place into the hands of God both our plans and the situation of which we are witnesses. We hope that for another year this recourse to the situation of human rights in the last forty might help us to live this Lent in solidarity and compassion, as we walk with our Savior on his ascent to Jerusalem.

40 Days with the 40 Least is available in English, Español, Français, and  Português. Click on the Calendar on the home page for each day’s resources.

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February 23, 2012 · 4:45 pm

choose life

“I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days.” Deut. 30: 19-20.

When I was a young university student, our faith sharing community had a long discussion on morality. How do we discern what is right and wrong? We all knew the basic black and white rules and commandments. But what about all those situations in the fuzzy, grey in between? What do we do when the answers aren’t clear? We debated long and hard, with the passion of youthful adults, and came up with the following guide-line… When in doubt, choose the path that is most life-giving. Choose life!

Of all the discussions we had in those early years, this one has remained with both hubby and me. It continues to be at the base of many of our decisions, and a piece of wisdom we’ve tried to pass on to our children. In difficult situations or relationships, we often ask the question; is this situation (or relationship) life-giving or an energy sucker? Life-giving does not mean without challenge, for challenges provide experiences for growth. Also, we can’t just do things that please us, or hang with folks who make us happy all the time. But, if it’s one energy sucking experience after another than we need to re-evaluate our choices. We need to choose life.

I confess to also using this approach when it comes to faith issues and beliefs. Many well-intentioned Catholics will accuse me of being a “cafeteria Catholic”; picking and choosing what I want to believe in. Let’s just say that the over-loaded, groaning buffet table offered by the Church is sometimes too much for me to handle. Trying to take it all in gives me a nasty case of indigestion! I need to focus on that which is pleasant to the palate and leaves me nourished and satisfied. I need to politely refuse that which leaves me angry, frustrated, saddened, and drained of life-giving energy.

There are those who say that if you can’t handle the whole meal deal offered by the Church, then you should dine somewhere else. This is the height of in-hospitality. Would you ask a friend to leave the table just because they don’t like one of the dishes you have offered? Would you leave a table where you are being nourished just because your favorite dessert wasn’t served, or wasn’t served to your perfect standard?

So, what about those issues that we struggle with? A very dear priest friend, whom we’ve known since those early university days, used to tell us to put those issues on the back-burner. Re-visit them as time goes by, but don’t let them drain you of the life-giving energy at the core of our faith. He patiently explained the teachings of the Church to us, but never used vigorous debate to convince us. He encouraged us to question and dialogue without judgment. And, he nudged us to nurture our spiritual lives so that we could listen to the voice of God deep within.

There is so much that is life-giving in our Catholic faith. In this season of Lent, I’m going to try and focus on that which gives me much needed energy, and put aside that which gets my knickers in a twist. I’m going to have a Happy Lent!

(Note: the CHOOSE LIFE logo on the famous Wham T-shirt worn by George Michael above, was promoting an anti-drug and anti-suicide message in the 80′s. It is also used by the pro-life movement. A great logo. A great message.)

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February 22, 2012 · 10:38 am

remember that you are dust…

My Lenten resolution this year is to rise above the doom and gloom and have a ‘happy’ Lent. Yet here we are on Ash Wednesday, being reminded of our mortality. We are signed with ashes and the words Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. The gentler version intones Repent, and believe in the Gospel. A nice thought, but it lacks the spiritual kick in the rear-end of the former.

Our society is programmed into avoiding thoughts of death. Funeral parlors now handle the messiness of dying and grieving for us. We forget that the process of letting go of a loved one doesn’t end when the funeral lunch is cleared away. Last Sunday, I greeted a man in our parish that lost his wife several months ago. “How are you doing, E—?”, I asked. He answered, “I’m doing it alone. It’s really hard after 47 years together.” With those words, he invited me to share his grief. He reminded me that his grief needed to be shared and not forgotten.

St. Benedict wanted his monks to daily keep death before their eyes. It seems such a morbid practice. But, speak to anyone who has faced and escaped death and they will tell you of a renewed appreciation for life. Keeping death before your eyes helps put the pettiness into perspective. It encourages you to revisit your own “bucket list”, those things that you want to do before you leave this world. These aren’t so much the grand gestures or great adventures, but the more simple “how do I want to be remembered?” Usually the doing won’t be remembered as much as the loving.

Over at the Prairie Messenger, staff and readers are mourning the loss of a great Catholic voice here on the Canadian prairies. Fr. Andrew Britz, OSB, was the editor of the PM from 1983-2004. He fearlessly challenged the Church and each of us to keep the spirit of Vatican II alive. The newspaper he led became known for allowing all voices to be heard in a true spirit of catholicity.

Maureen Weber, associate editor, wrote a tribute to the man who was both long-time friend and mentor to her. She describes well the paradox of death to persons of faith,

Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin of Chicago, one of Rev. Andrew Britz’s heroes, once said, “We can look at death as an enemy or a friend. If we see it as an enemy, death causes anxiety and fear. We tend to go into a state of denial. But if we see it as a friend, our attitude is truly different. As a person of faith, I see death as a friend, as the transition from earthly life to life eternal.”

When we lose someone, though, death is seen as a thief, not a friend. My friend Andrew Britz, OSB, died Feb. 14. A man of great faith, Andrew viewed death as a friend. But we were robbed. read more

 

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February 21, 2012 · 11:40 am

happy lent!

Lent begins tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. Today, a friend wished me a Happy Lent! I chuckled at the oxymoron. Isn’t Lent all about sack-cloth and ashes, fasting, giving up pleasurable tastes and treats, and focusing on the poor and needy in our world? Hardly stuff to be happy about.

But, I really do need a happy Lent. I need to focus on the proverbial half full glass instead of wallowing in the half-empty shallowness. I’m tired of reading about the unbelievable stupidity coming from some of our political and church leaders. I’m even more tired of the same ranting voices on discussion boards; voices that loudly promote their own narrow views, refusing to listen to the other. The focuses on issues that have little connection with real life, but much to say about power struggles are dragging me down. The loud railing against the so-called ‘culture wars’ and anti-Catholic persecutions in North America are not firing up my Catholic soul and readying me for a righteous battle. They are making me want to hide in a quiet corner until the kaka clears.

The following words are in today’s Psalm reading, (Psalm 55),

If only I had wings like a dove that I might fly away and find rest. Far away I would flee; I would stay in the desert.

Ah, the classic Lenten image of a desert. A harsh place, yes. But also a place of solitude and deep silence. A place of vast horizons of sameness, forcing you to spend time in what can be the harshest and most challenging of places – your own interior life. Forcing you to be still. To listen. To seek the wisdom within.

Of course, I can’t escape the late winter prairies to go tenting in the desert for forty days. But, I know that I can be more intentional in seeking the silence. I know what I need to turn off and when. I know how I can carve out time in my day to be still, and know better our God.

This is my Lenten resolution. This, and a commitment to put rants aside for a while. This doesn’t mean embracing a Pollyanna existence, closing my eyes to hide the darkness. I don’t trust the perpetually optimistic if the optimism comes from a place of denial or refusal to face reality. But, I do find energy in those who, in the midst of struggles and despair, can see the face of hope. Can be the face of hope to those around them.

I’m still not sure what a happy Lent will look like. But, I’m willing to give it a try. And, of course, I’ll use this blog to help map out the journey; hoping that others will add their wisdom along the way!

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April 22, 2011 · 6:00 am

behold the wood of the cross

The emotional heaviness of the Good Friday liturgy draws us into the darkness of that day. From the suffering servant  reading from Isaiah (52:13-53:12) to the passion reading from the gospel of John, we are immersed in images of betrayal, abandonment and suffering. We stand and kneel, and stand and kneel again as we pray for all God`s people. We solemnly process forward to venerate the cross. We enter in silence, and we leave in silence.

Good Friday is a difficult day to explain to wee ones. What`s good about it? When is it going to be over? It is still difficult to understand as an adult. Yet, we know that Good Friday is part of all of our lives. From global tragedies to personal struggles and losses, suffering is all around us. It cannot be avoided. It must be lived through.

As Christians, we proudly wear and display the cross. It is the deepest of ironies that a torture instrument and means of execution has become a symbol of faith. (Imagine wearing a guillotine or gallows around your neck.) Yet, out of the darkness comes the hope of Easter joys. The cross is transformed from a sign of death to the glories and promises of new life.

Perhaps Good Friday is not meant to be understood. It is meant to be experienced.

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April 21, 2011 · 6:00 am

holy thursday foot washing

The Holy Thursday liturgy is rich with symbols and rituals. We commemorate the Passover meal, which was to be the last supper before Jesus`s death. Several themes are present: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the ordained priesthood, and the call to humble service. Which theme is highlighted and how the liturgy is celebrated can tell a lot about the theological leanings of the pastor and parish.

Here is one view from the pew…

Let us celebrate the Eucharist as the great sacrament of unity – a unity that transcends place and time. Holy Communion is healing food for us sinners. It is a source of energy on our spiritual journey. It should not be used as a tool of power or division.

In this scandal-ridden time of sadness and confusion, many of us are struggling with the exclusive and hierarchical nature of ordination. If Holy Thursday is a time to commemorate the institution of the priesthood, then we need to prayerfully ponder the meaning of priesthood for today.

The symbolic ritual of foot washing is too often a well-orchestrated spectacle. Many of us in the pews are immersed in the reality and messiness of service. We wash and care for our loved ones, from the wee babes to our elders. We teach and nurse. We serve and protect. We save and heal. We do this daily, without solemn processions and choirs singing. And, when we do, we aren`t surrounded by ministers and assistants carrying beautiful jugs, basins and fluffy white towels.

Rituals only have meaning if they are a sign of a deeper reality. Our church and our world are in need of true servant leaders. We are in need of men and women willing, like Jesus, to humbly bend before the feet of those they are called to serve.

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April 20, 2011 · 6:00 am

holy week stillness

Deep silence is one of the most powerful symbols of holy week. Gift yourself a moment of silence. Hands off the key-board…take a breath…close your eyes….and be still…

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