Third Week of Advent

We're in the home stretch! Only one short week left before we enter the season of Christmas. To help our students prepare for this glorious event they will be watching The Nativity Story on Monday (1st-4th Grade) and Wednesday (5th-8th grade). Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about this viewing.

In religion class, students will be finishing Chapter 9 and preparing for this Christmas season. They will test over the Chapter on Thursday. Friday will be a 1/2 day for all students. Middle school students will attend Mass then report back to their homeroom teacher. They will be given time to exchange presents, clean out their lockers/backpacks/binders, eat breakfast, and then celebrate with a Christmas dance.

May you have a blessed and peaceful Christmas season!

Blessings & Peace,

Hugo De La Rosa III (Mr. D.)

2nd Week of Advent

This week finds us in the 2nd week of Advent, meandering ever closer to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. To help our students prepare, all students in grades 3-8 will have the opportunity to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation this week. It will be one more step in their pilgrimage through the Advent season and on to the Christmas season.

In 7th grade I am particularly proud of the work the students did on their church projects - the finished products are on display in the upstairs hallway. Everyone did a great job! :-) This week and next we will finish our religion books by finishing up the second chapter that deals with our liturgical year.

Finally, Worship Committee will not meet this week. One of my closest friends is getting married on Saturday, and the rehearsal is Friday at 5 pm. Both Ms. Camarena are involved in the liturgy, so we need to be there at 4:30, making a meeting all but impossible that afternoon.

May everyone have a blessed and holy Advent season!

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo De La Rosa III (Mr. D.)

Chapter 10 - The Sacrament of Reconciliation

This week we will focus on the sacrament of Reconciliation in anticipation of our students' celebration of confession the following week. Students' Church projects are due this week. The season of Advent began on Sunday. Here is a reflection on this important season in our church year.

Advent – A Time of Joyful Hope

Brothers and sisters: You know the time; it is the hour for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is nearly over; daylight is on its way. Let us then throw off the works of darkness, and ready ourselves for the light. (Romans 13:11-12)

Every year, our church gives us a wonderful gift several weeks before Christmas: Advent (the word means “it is coming” or “the promise is near”). It is a time of preparation for us; a time to get ready, to prepare the way, to make a space. It is a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of the light - the birth of Yeshua ben Joseph, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus the Christ.
Advent is also a time of listening, of watching, and of waiting. We look to the changing seasons to let us know that time keeps moving forward. We listen to the readings at our Sunday celebrations and we know that the time is almost near. We wait in expectation for the central time in human history, when God broke through into creation in a very tangible, touchable, sacramental way.
And it is a joyful expectation, a time to get ready for one of our great Christian holy days of celebration. We wait in joy, awesome, wonderful joy, as parents wait for the birth of a child, as flowers wait for the coming of the dawn, as children wait for desert after a meal – we wait and we wonder in deep down, soul and body filling joy.
But above all, and especially in our times of war and unrest, we wait in hope for the coming of our brother and our savior, the Prince of Peace. We wait for a time when everyone - lion and lamb, American and Afghan, Catholic and Protestant, wealthy and poor, cool and uncool, parent and teenager, teacher and student - will sit together at a common table and share a meal together. We wait for the coming of our Lord, who is Hope incarnate, and who gives us the hope that tomorrow will always better then today.
One of the ways our church helps us to prepare is with the tradition of the advent wreath. The wreath is filled with symbols and meaning: the circle of evergreen boughs reminds us that God is everlasting, with no beginning and no end, and with a love for us that never dies. The four candles symbolize almost 4,000 years of waiting for our Messiah to be born, and the light from the candles symbolizes the light of Christ, burning brightly in the darkness. The purple candles remind us that, like Lent, Advent is a time of preparation and waiting. The third candle (the pink one) symbolizes that our time of waiting is almost over, and the celebration is about to begin. The middle white candle, which traditionally is put there on Christmas Eve and lit on Christmas day, symbolizes the birth of a vulnerable, trusting, loving little boy who changed the course of history.
Our church also encourages us to spend more time in prayer during Advent. Make some time to pray by yourself. Just after rising or before going to bed are two excellent times for us to pause and spend even a few unrushed moments with our God. Before mealtimes, we can take a minute to silently (if alone), or vocally give thanks to God for the blessing of a nourishing meal. Making time for a leisurely trip to Mass on Saturday evening or Sunday morning would be a prayerful change of pace for many of us. Reading even small portions of Scripture would be prayerful. And spending time together as a family in prayer would be an excellent way to prepare for Advent, as would celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
If whatever ways you decide celebrate, my prayers are with you and your family as we prepare together for the arrival of our greatest gift ever – the gift of light and love that burned so brightly in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago and that continues to be born in our hearts and in our lives each Christmas.

Chapter 8 - Seasons of Praise

This week we start the first of two chapters covering our Liturgical (Church) year. We will look at the seasons of Lent-Easter this week, and next week we will look at Advent-Christmas. (They may download the study guide here.) Students will test over this Chapter (along with the Mass Responses - please see my web page) on Thursday. Finally, their Church projects are due next week - they may be brought in anytime between Monday & Friday.

And that's about it - I hope and pray y'all have a wonderful week!

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo De La Rosa III (Mr. D.) :-)

7th Grade Work & Project

7th Grade students are working on the Chapter 7 Vocabulary & Review Sheet. They are also working on a Seasonal Church Project that is due the first full week of December. The project usually takes a good amount of time to finish, so I encourage students to start early and work hard on it - it's worth two test grades and two homework grades.

Blessings & Peace,
Mr. D. :-)

7th Grade Retreat

Today's retreat went well. The day was focused on prayer, specifically Jesus' recomendations on prayer found in the Gospel of Matthew (Chapter 6). Students had a chance to celebrate Mass at the Basilica as well time to visit the Gift Shop. Students will test over the Mass responses found on my website on Thursday, and they will test over the Chapter next Tuesday.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

The Week Ahead

This coming week is hectic - read on! :-)

Religion Class

We will continue to explore the celebration of the Mass (Ch 5 - Celebrating Eucharist) this coming week. Students will test over the Chapter on Thursday; the chapter review will be due that day as well.

General School Life

Students will have a chance to engage in some Halloween fun during our annual Halloween Carnival. They will attend during their PE class, with Student Council. Worship Committee, Jr. Tech and 8th grade working hard to make the festival fun and engaging for all participants. Wednesday we will celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints day with Mass, while Thursday we will celebrate All Soul's Day with a special prayer service. Friday will find the 7th graders heading towards San Antonio for a day of immersion into Texas history.

Worship Committee

Students will have a long week of work. Monday afternoon they'll set up for the Halloween carnival from 3-6 pm. Tuesday they'll work the carnival all day (in appropriate Halloween costume!), then clean up from 3-5 pm. Wednesday evening they may (not mandatory!) come back to school from 6-7 pm to help set up for the Day of the Dead celebration. Thursday they will help with the celebration and then move the Dia de los Muertos altar from the gym to the front of the school (around the statue of Mary).

We've got a full week - please pray for our students! :-)

Blessings & Peace,

Mr. D.

Thanks & Info

Many, many thanks to all of the parents who donated items for the Jr. High Bake Sale this past Wednesday and for the Worship Committee concession stand the Friday before that. The movie night brought in many donations for the Projecto Desarrollo, and the bake sale brought in more funds to donate as well. We are truly showing our dedication to helping the poorest of the poor among us.

This week 7th grade religion will be starting a new Chapter. We will continue to explore the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith. Students will also celebrate non-violence and Red Ribbon weeks - be on the lookout for notes home explaining all of the exciting events!

Our Volleyball season ends Monday night with the last game of the season, with basketball season starting this week. Our student athletes make us proud - may they continue the wonderful tradition of a strong OLS team spirit.

Finally, Parent-Teacher conferences are going on as I type - please remember to review your child's report card and return the signed envelope.

Blessings & Peace,
Mr. D.

Chapter 4 Review

UPDATE: You may still use the link below to study for the test - enjoy! :-)

Students:

1. Wait for all other students to reach this page.
2. When I say go, please click here to go to the online review.
3. Enjoy! :-)

Blessings & Peace,
Mr. D.

Back from the Conference

I attended the National Youth Workers Conference put on by Youth Specialties in Austin last week/weekend. It was my first time attending, and I really enjoyed it. The first day and a half I participated in a contemplative retreat entitled "Becoming the Beloved." It was facilitated by Mark Yaconelli, and it was the best part of the conference for me. The retreat was focused on the story of Jesus walking on the water towards his apostles in the boat on the lake. We spent time in Ignation contemplation, artistic meditation, lectio divina, small group listening, and quiet, individual prayer. The rest of the conference went well, but it paled in comparison to that retreat (though getting to see Thousand Foot Krutch & Kutless in concert came close!). :-)

I bought two books that I'm reading at the moment: Contemplative Youth Ministry & Generous Orthodoxy. Both of them are fitting me quite well, and I'm trying to keep the contemplative vibe I picked up on retreat as I assimilate back into my normal life.

Say a prayer for me that I can keep this contemplative approach to my life as I decompress from a long conference/retreat/mountaintop experience.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

The Sacrament of Sacraments

Students are half-way through the first chapter on the Eucharist (study guide can be downloaded here in MW Word format). We have explored several different names for the celebration of the Mass:

• Eucharist
• The Lord's Supper
• The Breaking of Bread
• The Holy Sacrifice
• The Sacred Mysteries
• Holy Communion
• Holy Mass

We have talked about the literal meaning of Eucharist (giving thanks), and how it is the most important sacrament we celebrate.

We have also explored time from our point of view (chronos time - the kind of time that has a past, a present and a future) and from God's point of view (kairos time - the kind of time where there is no past or future: everything is now as viewed from God's vantage point).

Finally, we have begun to explore the Mass as both a communal meal and a sacrifice celebrated through anamnesis (the liturgical act of remembering - the way we enter into kairos time and are present with Jesus at the Last Supper, at his passion and death on the cross, and with the resurrected Jesus as he breaks bread with his apostles).

Students have also been hard at work on their gala project - most students have finished thier crosses and we have begun work on the three canvas backdrops. The project looks like it will turn out beautifully.

As always, please feel free to contact me through email or phone if you have any questions of comments.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

The National Youth Workers Convention

Later on this week I'm attending the National Youth Workers Convention in Austin, TX. I have to admit to being a bit nervous - this is the first non-Catholic large-scale conference that I'll be attending. I usually attend the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry (an every-other-year event), but this year my budget couldn't handle the cost so I had to look for something closer to home. The schedule looks grueling, and several workshops that I want to attend are scheduled at the same time, so we'll see what happens. More info when I return!

Blessings & Peace,

Hugo

The Week Ahead

Students will test today over Chapter 3 and begin Chapter 4 tomorrow (which focuses on the Eucharist). I will be out today facilitating a retreat for our 8th grade students. I will also be out from October 5th-9th as I am attending the National Youth Workers Conference in Austin. While I am out students will watch a movie on the life of St. Francis, receive a presentation from Ms. Bea (our counselor) on Protecting God's Children, and take a test over the Gloria. Please say a prayer both for me and for your 7th graders! :-)

In other news, the newsletter should be up for download by the end of the day from our main website and there will be no WOW program on Thursday. Spread the word!

Blessings & Peace,

Mr. De La Rosa

Finally . . . A Post! :-)

Nothing for quite a while - no excuses (except for the normal ones - laziness, work and family commitments), so here's an interview I did for a students a few years ago that I found floating around in my computer - enjoy! :-)

1. What is one of your earliest memories about God/Jesus?
The earliest memory I have is of my mom taking my siblings and I out to the backyard during summertime, spreading a blanket over the ground, and showing us the pictures from our large family Bible. She would tell us the stories (the Bible was in Spanish – she would translate to English) while showing us the pictures, especially the Gospel stories about Jesus.

2. Tell about a teaching of your childhood church that confused you
I remember being told I should not chew after receiving communion – we were just supposed to let Jesus “melt in our mouths.” :-) I could never understand why, and I don’t recall it ever being explained to us.

3. Tell about your first memories of Sunday School. Did you like Sunday School? Why or why not?
I know I attended CCD to make my First Eucharist in 2nd Grade, but I really don’t remember much about it (the classes or the day, actually). After that, I didn’t attend CCD until 6th grade, and my mom was the CCD teacher. I remember liking one of the girls in my CCD class, but not being able to do anything about it because my mom was the teacher! Again, I really don’t remember much about the content of the class – I only remember showing up for class!

4. What is the first religious song you remember learning?
This Little Light of Mine – I remember going to some charismatic prayer groups with a neighbor of ours (they had a session for the adults and a concurrent session for kids) – the first time we went to those sessions, This Little Light of Mine was the opening song (along with Father Abraham).

5. Were you a part of a youth group growing up? If yes, what were some of the things you did with your youth group?
My sophomore year of High School I became part of two choirs at my parish (St. Joan of Arc in Weslaco); later that year I started attending a youth group in a neighboring parish (St. Pius X). My junior and senior years in High School I became active in my parishes’ youth group, as well as the other parish in my town (San Martin de Porres),
As far as activities go, we would have weekly meetings, hold occasional retreats, do some fun stuff (concerts, trips), hold fundraisers (BBQ’s, car washes, etc.) – typical youth group stuff. :-)

6. What pastor (or priest) have you felt closest to in your life? Why?
Without a doubt, Fr. Pat Seitz (currently at St. Pius in Weslaco) is my candidate for this question. I met him when I first started working for the diocese (he would help plan the youth rallies my office held twice a year), and I immediately liked him. He was the priest who officiated at my wedding, and I still go to him for confession.
His spiritual, theological and religious outlook is very similar to mine, and his personality is similar as well. I like him both as a person and as a religious figure.

7. What do you wish your Father had told you about his faith? What do you wish your mother had told you about her faith?
My mom was actually very open about her faith. My dad, on the other hand, was not from a very religious family. So for many years, my mom would have us attend Mass with her – my dad would only attend occasionally. It wasn’t until I started getting very active in my faith that my dad got active as well. He passed away about 2 years ago – I wish we could’ve had more time to share our faith with each other, especially the way his faith became such an important part of hos life as he struggled with cancer.

8. What is your favorite Bible passage? Why?
:-) I have many . . . choosing one is hard . . . let me see . . .
Romans 8:38-39: For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord
There’s another verse, which I can’t find at the moment, which goes something like this: Do you not know that prostitutes, sinners and tax collectors will enter the kingdom of heaven before you do?”
The first quote gives me the assurance and hope that I will enjoy a timeless eternity in the presence of my Lord and Creator. The second quote reminds me not to be judgmental, and not to assume that I’m any better than anyone else simply because I had the privilege to study my faith and work in an environment conducive to practicing my faith.

9. What unique symbol of faith is most important to you?
My wife and I have a 7 ½ year old son, so when I was given this statue a few years ago it became my favorite concrete expression of my faith. It reminds me that my primary ministry, before all others, is to be a husband and a father. It reminds me that God dwells in our family just as surely as God dwells in the consecrated Host. And it reminds me of the awesome responsibility and blessing God has given me as a husband a father. [EDIT: The picture I inserted can be found here.]


10. Talk about what prayer means to you.
Prayer for me is opening myself up to the influence of the Divine. I still engage in more traditional prayer – talking to God, praying through a rosary, praying for people or situations that concern me, etc. But for the most part, I see prayer as silence, stillness and solitude – attuning myself to the rhythms of God’s grace in my life and in the lives of the people around me.

11. Did you ever pray and feel that your prayer was not answered? How did you feel?
I still haven’t won the lottery . . . :-)
Complementing the preceding question, I pray about specific circumstances and people, but I don’t expect God to send down a miracle and fix things. I believe that all of our life situations – good and bad – can become moments of grace – so I’ll pray, for example, in my illness – not that God will cure me, but that God will help me endure and learn from the illness. In financial distress, I’ll pray that God will help me appreciate what I have and not always hunger for more.
So in a sense, God does answer . . . I may just be asking for slightly different thing. :-)

12. When do you take time to pray?
Since I work in a religious environment prayer is an everyday thing. However, my preferred methods of prayer – t’ai chi; spiritual reading; spontaneous & intimate prayer – I tend to do on the weekends and in the evenings. Mass with my family is important, and occasionally I’ll participate in different prayer groups, but it’s my daily practice of reading and silence that seems to nurture me the most and that leads me deeper into the mysteries of our faith and of our God.

13. Do you remember anyone ever praying for you? What was the occasion? How did you feel about it?
In the charismatic prayer group I belonged to in High School, getting prayed over and praying over others was commonplace – we did it almost every week. So I’m comfortable with the concept and the practice. At that point, I needed it, and I’m glad it was part of my life, especially during High School. :-)

14. How does your Christian faith relate to your everyday life?
I do my best to live out the dictates of my faith and my conscience in my day to day life. I try not to segregate my beliefs from my actions – a “walk the walk” kinda thing :-)

15. Tell about a personal friend who you feel really lives his faith.
I have a friend of mine who makes time to lead his parish choir, is married with 6 children, volunteers @ church with their youth group, helps others, and is generally good to his family. He knows his faith well, and can speak intelligently about his beliefs and why he believes them. I feel he does a good job living out his faith.

16. What is one puzzling question you have about God or your faith?
J Right now? None, really – I’m at a good place with my faith. Now, if one of my students were to tell me that, I’d keep asking, but for me . . . I’ll allow it :-)

17. How has your faith changed since you were a child?
My faith has gotten less concrete and more mysterious; less parochial and more global; less rigid and more flexible; less antagonistic and more curious; it’s gotten more informed, more metaphorical, more story-centered, more God-centered, and more prayerful.

18. If your church was on fire and you had time to safely rescue four things, what would they be? (Assume all the people are safe)
Hmm . . . not sure . . . I mean, I’m sure that one of the correct answers to give would be the tabernacle and the consecrated hosts, but I’m having a hard time justifying the answer. For example, why am I running back into a burning church when I could instantly be killed, leaving my wife and child alone? How do I *know* that I have time to save four objects?
Of course, I’m just being difficult here. J If it was OLS Church (where I work), I think one of the things I would rescue (in addition to the tabernacle and the consecrated hosts) would be the reproduction of the Pieta – that carving holds a special place in my heart and in my life of faith. If it was St. Joseph’s in Edinburg (my parish), I would rescue the statue of St. Joseph – ever since I became a father, and especially after losing my father, he’s taken a more central part in my religious imagination.

19. Do you find it easy or difficult to talk about your faith? Why?
:-) Easy, obviously! :-) My degree’s in theology/philosophy, my training’s in ministry, and my own reading in Catholicism, world religion, spirituality, psychology, sociology, anthropology, developmental studies and theoretical physics seems to lend itself to spiritual discussion. :-)

20. Anything else you would like to share or ask?
Glad I could help! :-)

Blessings & Peace,

Hugo

Chapter 3 - God's Masterpieces

We're half-way through the school week - here are some more glimpses of 7th grade religion class! The students are working on definitions for their chapter test (which, incidentally, has been moved to Monday, October 2nd), and these are the words they've added:

• sign - something that points the way
• sacrament - a visible and effective sign, given to us by Christ, through which we share in God's grace
• Sacred Scripture - "holy writing"; the written story of God's plan; the inspired word of God; another name for the Bible
• lectionary - the official liturgical book that contains the Scripture readings assigned to the various days of the Church year
• anamnesis - the liturgical act of remembering
• presence - literally means "to be before one" - that is, to be here

We also talked about the different ways that Jesus is really and truly present in every act of liturgy (every sacrmamental celebration and every celebration of Mass):

• in the person of the priest
• in the gathered community
• in the proclamation of Scripture
• in the bread and wine of the Eucharist

As a side note, students in 7th grade have begun work on their Gala project. Each student is painting a wooden cross (approx. 3" x 4"), and the crosses will be attached to canvas stretched over wooden frames to form a triptych. If possible, I'll post some of their work next week.

Blessings & Peace,
Mr. De La Rosa

Chapter 3 - God's Masterpieces

This week we started working on Chapter 3 in our book. The chapter deals with sacramental theology at a 7th grade level. Students are working on a set of vocabulary words as we read through the chapter (you can download it here). We've reviewed the teaching on the two creation stories from Genesis, as well as the mythological basis of the first several chapters of Genesis. We talked about how God intended for the world to be one of peace: peace between people, between humanity and the world, and between humanity and God. We also talked about the way that peace was broken through our first sin - our original sin. We also talked about the effects of original sin: weakness of will, tendency to sin, suffering, and death. Finally, we've touched on the fact that from the first moment of creation God was already envisioning Jesus as the crowning point of creation, and how the Paschal Mystery of Jesus (his incarnation, life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension) have redeemed the whole universe.

Next week we will focus on the definitions for sign and symbol, look at how we celebrate the sacraments, and see how all of this ties in to our celebration of the Sacred Liturgy (the Mass).

Blessings & Peace,
Mr. De La Rosa

First Post

Greetings fellow OLS parents (and students)! I'm creating this blog for those of you out there that would like to know what your 7th grade students are doing in religion this year. This won't, however, be a homework site (check my web page for homework). I see this as a place for me to post tidbits of info so that you (as parents) can have a better grasp of what your children are learning, and so that students can ask questions we may not have time for in class. You are welcome to leave comments here, ask questions, or just let me know if this is something you think you'll visit on a regular basis. May God bless you all this wonderful Thursday afternoon!

Blessings & Peace,
Mr. De La Rosa

Galveston Vacation

Our Galveston vacation was cut short with the threat of flash flooding and tropical stom winds and rain, but otherwise it was fun. We did the beach, the pool, four-person bicycling, window-shopping, Moody Gardens, paddleboat ride, dinner at a tropical-rainforest-themed resteraunt, dinner at an excellent steak place, and catching up with my sisters.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

Vacation Time At Last :-)

I'll be off to the coast for a few days, so my posting will be erratic.

Granted, my posting has been erratic for quite some time, but at least this way

1. I have a reason for the lack of posting, and
2. I get to brag about going to the coast for vacation.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo :-)

Dark Nights of the Soul

I'm reading through Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore (not to be confused with Dark Night of Soul by St. John of the Cross or with the man [Thomas More] who died staying true to his faith), so my next several posts will deal with quotes from the book. The book deals with the states of pain, fear, depression, disillusionment, despair and grief that every human being experiences at some point in their lives. So to begin with . . .

Religion, too, often avoids the dark by hiding behind platitudes and false assurances. Nothing is more irrelevant than feeble religious piousness in the face of stark, life-threatening darkness. Religion tends to sentimentalize the light and demonize the darkness. If you turn to spirituality to find only a positive and wholesome attitude, you are using spirituality to avoid life's dark beauty. Religion easily becomes a defense and avoidance. Of course, this is not the real purpose of religion, and the religious traditions of the world, full of beautifully stated wisdom, are your best source of guidance in the dark. But there is real religion and there is the empty shell of religion. Know the difference. Your life is at stake. (pg. 15)

Ever since I read Care of the Soul several years ago I have enjoyed books by Moore. This one is no exception. In this passage he is talking about something that falls close to my heart - religion used as a means of avoiding immersal into life. I have heard good Christians from many different denominations utter phrases like "it's God will," "God's in charge even if we don't like or don't understand what's happening," etc. Sometimes, upon hearing these phrases, I catch a glimpse of the river of uncertainty that underlies those words.

Is God really in charge? Does God have everyone's best interests in mind? Is there really a God? Was Jesus a real person? Can I trust what my minister/preacher/priest/church tells me?

Moore asserts that true religion will not make you shy away from asking those hard questions. Rather, it will support you in your quest for knowledge and truth, and it will help you even as you struggle in your own dark night, fumbling in the shadowy half-light of your still-being-born faith.

In The Princess Bride, Westley (posing as the Man in Black) says this to Princess Buttercup: Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something. (If you've never seen the Princess Bride, stop reading this, go rent it, and watch it. I'll wait. Hmm . . . I guess you could read it, too, but I've never read it . . . but I digress.)

Truer words have never been spoken. And I think our churches and synagogues and temples and mosques and psychotherapists do us a disservice when they attempt to sell us on a vision of humanity that can be totally pain-free, as if this were an option we could choose and strive for: perfect balance with nary a care in the world.

Real life hurts sometimes, and real spirituality and religion isn't there to lift us out of the transforming and beautiful pain of life - it is there to help us appreciate our moments of darkness and confusion, appreciate our link with other humans who are also stumbling about, soften our hearts and flood our hearts with compassion for our fellow sufferers, and make us people who can truly become compassionate, as God is compassionate with us.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

The Blessings of Imperfection

Ever since I can remember I've set off fireworks on the 4th of July (and on New Year's Eve), which, in my corner of the world, is against the law . . . has been since I was little (as far as I know and can remember).

When we moved into our home 4 years ago I continued the proud tradition my Father taught me of breaking the law twice a year and popping fireworks. I know it's illegal. :-) I know that, if caught, I'll be issued a citation and will have to pay money, which, for some odd reason, I don't always have an overabundance of. :-)

But I do it anyway. I do it, I think, partly to honor my Father who considered this minor infraction of the law necessary to our upbringing. I do it because it brings back wonderful memories of my siblings and I learning how to light a fuse and run like hell to make sure we weren't blown up or set on fire. I do it because I love the excitement that bubbles over in my son as we go buy fireworks, and I love the look in his eyes as he lights his own fuse or watches me light a fuse, anticipating the lights or sounds that will come forth. And I love it because five years ago was the last time I got to light fireworks with my Dad, and in this way I keep a tradition going, one which I thouroughly enjoy. :-)

However, this post takes a turn, because I'd like to meditate on something else for a bit.

I've been watching more TV in the last two months. My son and wife have a virtual monopoly on our television, so I had resigned myself to renting movies and watching them on this very computer monitor where I am typing. But I caught an episode of the show House, and I liked it. It's a drama about a doctor who is arrogant, womanizing, stubborn, egotistic, and brilliant. Each episode has him saving lives in spite of his flaws.

I've been watching Monk, a series about a private detective who is obsessive-compulsive, and yet who manages to solve crime after crime by bringing his unique condition to bear on the mystery at hand.

Boston Legal is the show that started me back on watching TV. All-too-human (read: flawed) lawyers deal with their profession, their lives, and the lives of their clients as we watch good lawyers and bad lawyers help guilty and innocent people avoid or receive penalties for crimes.

And finally I've been watching The 4400, something more along the lines of what I traditionally like to watch (sci-fi / fantasy /horror), but which also showcases the way not-so-perfect humans can make mistakes in thought, word and deed.

And I think I like those shows because they remind me that, even as imperfect as I am - prone to laziness and selfishness - I can still be myself. I don't have to be a saint, or a paragon of virtue, or a shining example of light and love . . . I can be myself, with all of my strengths and weaknesses, my vices and my virtues, my light and my darkness, my yin and my yang.

I don't have to be perfect.

At 11:00 pm last night a police officer pulled over in front of my house last night as were popping fireworks. Some friends and their families were over with us, and we were all in the front yard. I walked over to talk to the police officer, and he very cordially reminded me that there while there were many, many people playing with fireworks, it was still against city ordinances to do so. He did not issue me a citation, but told me that if he drove past my house again and we were still setting off fireworks he would have to give me a citation. He explained that it was late and that many people had to work tomorrow, so he asked us to please stop. I let him know that I knew we were not supposed to be doing it, and he gave me a knowing smile and let me know that he was the only officer on duty who was checking our whole area for offenders. He wished me a Happy 4th and a good night, and then he drove off.

We stopped breaking the law (it was pretty late), but I couldn't help feeling that, in some way, I had allowed myself to become a deeper, more soulfull person. There was no shame in my actions, no self-righteous indignation that I was singled out, and no shades of guilt at what my family, friends, neighbors or co-workers may or may not have thought. I fully accepted the consequences of my actions.

I think that, in some small way, I grew up a bit more last night. And I pray that, as I continue to grow, I remember that no one in this world will ever be perfect. That is kept for a world yet to come, a world in which I know my Dad and my Father are waiting for me.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

My Creed

This is a creed I composed for the class I'm teaching on Doctrine - it's modeled on the Nicene-Constantinople creed recited at every Catholic Mass (and many non-Catholic Christian churches). The students are given time, at the end of my course, to reflect on what they've learned and what they believe. They write down their creed, and then we pray them together to finish up the class. This is mine.

I believe in God our Creator
in his undying and steadfast love
in her ready forgiveness and abounding generosity
in the goodness of a creation shaped and molded by his hands
in the vigilance and protection she has for us

I believe in Yeshua ben Joseph, the Christ of God, the sacrament of God
I believe we can look to him as the center of our Church
As the model for our faith
As the bearer of God’s Good News
As the bridge between heaven and earth
I believe in the brotherhood and sisterhood of all humanity
One in Christ Jesus
Brothers and sisters all
I believe in the goodness and the holiness of all humanity
Symbolized in Mary our mother and Joseph her husband
I believe in the sanctity and holiness of the family
Heaven’s presence here on earth

I believe in the power and ever-presentness of the Great, Sacred and Holy Spirit
God’s own life breathed into us at the moment of our conception and creation
I believe in the animating and transforming power of this Spirit
And in the gentle ways she leads us closer to our Creator and Father, Yahweh

I believe in the inherent goodness of each and every person
I believe that grace – God’s own life – is a at the heart of our Church and faith
I believe in the sacramental reality of our faith and of our lives

I believe God speaks and works through us
I believe that we are still very much connected to our loved ones that have passed away
I believe that God’s work on this earth is greater they any of us

I believe because it is akin to breathing . . .
Without my faith, I would surely die.

Blessings & Peace,

Hugo

Happy Two-Year Anniversary

I just noticed that I've been on Blogger for two years this month! :-) I've had stretches of lots of posts and stretches of no posts . . . hopefully I'll keep this stretch going well! Da Vinci thoughts coming up soon!

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

School's Out for Summer!

Today was the last day of school for staff at OLSS (students finished on Friday). I'm still working the next three weeks, but it's administrative stuff (paperwork and moving to a new office) next week, and Diocesan Religion Teacher Certification Courses the next two weeks (I'm teaching on the Creed one week, Social Justice and Church History the next).

On my agenda for the summer:

• playing with my son (he puts up with a lot of down time having two teachers for parents!)
• painting (the dining room, maybe the library or the kitchen as well)
• yard work (I've let my yard go - this is the summer I take it back!)
• exercise (I lost the habit of daily morning exercise - I hoping a summer of doing it every morning will make it a life-long habit)
• prayer (I feel like I need to reconnect - will make it a point to do it daily in the morning as well)
• reading (lots of books to catch up on/finish/start!)
• playing with my wife (just use your imagination!) :-)

I will also have time to blog once again - I think my first blog (tomorrow or later on tonight) will be Da Vinci code stuff - I did a presentation to the staff two weeks ago - I'll post some of my thoughts here, too!

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

I'm Spiderman :-)

I'll be gone for a week to the NCEA conference in Atlanta, Georgia (no idea what the abbreviation is for the state so I spelled it out :-)

In the meantime, here's a quiz you might like to take! :-)

Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man 80% Superman 60% Supergirl 50% Robin 50% Green Lantern 50% Hulk 45% The Flash 40% Catwoman 30% Wonder Woman 20% Batman 15% Iron Man 15%

You are intelligent, witty, a bit geeky and have great power and responsibility.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Happy Feast of the Resurrection of the Body!

Brothers and sisters: If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. - Colossians 3:1-4

Jesus disappeared from before our eyes, that we might find him in our hearts. - St. Augustine

The central message of all four gospels in our New Testament is this: Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified and died, rose from the dead on the third day, and ascended into heaven. St. Paul even writes that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, we are the most pitiable of creatures, for we have put our faith in something false. But we believe that Jesus did rise from the dead. Our Scriptures tell us of several resurrection appearances. One of them, Jesus’ appearance to Mary of Magdala, bears special mention.

John’s gospel (Ch. 20) tells us that early on the day of the resurrection, while it was still dark, Mary went to the tomb. The stone was rolled away. She went and told the other disciples, who went to investigate. After they had looked into the tomb and found it empty, the disciples left, but Mary stayed. Jesus approached her, but she did not recognize him. They talked for a bit, and then Jesus uttered one word: Mary. In that instant, Mary knew who he was. She recognized her Lord, her Teacher, her Master. She clung to him with a furious strength, hardly daring to believe what her heart and soul told her were true—that the man who had given her new life had in turn received new life as well.

Jesus calls us in the same way. Every Lent and Holy Week we are challenged with the suffering and death of our Lord & Master. That is not too hard to accept, that a man with so radical a message and lifestyle might be tortured and murdered by those in power.

But then, we are challenged with a far greater mystery—that this man was in fact more than his followers could ever imagine—that he was raised from the dead, that he destroyed death and sin, and that he offered the same gifts of liberation and new life to the whole world.

This Easter season, Jesus calls us to himself. He calls us to not just bear, but rejoice in our suffering—physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. He calls us to fully live out our humanity with its joys and struggles. And he tells us that in the midst of our lives, he holds onto us, with a great and furious strength, and an unparalleled depth of love and service.

He calls us each by name . . . and he offers us freedom from our addictions, freedom from the shackles of sin, freedom from death. He offers us new life, life beyond our wildest dreams, life that drenches our thirst for God, for meaning, for wholeness.

St. Augustine said God had made us restless so that we could find our rest in Him. May the God who calls us each by name quiet our wayward hearts this Easter season and lead us back home to Himself.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

The Paschal Triduum: Entering into the Mystery

As I write this, we are coming to the end of the Lenten season. Many of us are struggling with our Lenten promises/sacrifices. Many of us may have given up on our Lenten promises & sacrifices. :-) All of us, however, are getting ready. But getting ready for what? Most people would answer “Easter, of course.” And that reply, however true, needs more.

Lent officially ends (as many of you will be happy to hear) Thursday, April 13th at sundown, with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday). At that celebration we enter into the Paschal Triduum (“paschal” for “Easter/passage/Passover” – it refers to the life, death & resurrection of Jesus; “triduum” for “three days”).

To mark the beginning of this holiest of times, there is only one Mass celebrated on this day. Because this Mass actually begins a three-day celebration, the entrance procession at many parishes may be longer and more symbol-filled than at other times. It is at this celebration that we encounter John’s account of the last supper (John 13:1-15).

Here we have the story of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles. Accordingly, the liturgy encourages us to enter into that moment by reenacting it during our Mass. This isn’t a play put on for us to watch, though. It’s supposed to remind us of our essential call as followers of Jesus – service. And not just any service, but direct and personal service, the kind where things may get messy and intimate. This day and this liturgy challenge us to do something that is a bit too uncomfortable, a bit too vulnerable – touch others and let them touch us. It’s good to remember that unlike the other gospels, John does not have Jesus saying any words of consecration over the bread – the act of washing & serving are his Eucharist.

In many churches this is a time to remove everything from the altar and in general make our parishes look bare. We also reserve (put away from the church) any consecrated hosts. Finally, we end the liturgy in silence, because in fact this same liturgy continues tomorrow at our celebration of Good Friday. Think of it as a celebration in three parts, broken up over three days.

On Friday, we celebrate our Lord’s Passion. We begin the service in silence, because the celebration has already started the day before. The readings for the day (Isaiah 52 & 53, Psalm 31, and John 18 & 19) all serve to remind us of the great sacrifice that Jesus gave for us. However, this is not a funeral liturgy for Jesus. It is another chance for us to enter into the mystery of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice, a chance for us to live out our own dying and rising. It is a chance for our Lenten promise & sacrifice to be meaningful in the context of Jesus’ sacrifice. On this day, more so than any other day, we hand ourselves over to God and pray, along with Jesus, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

Many parishes will hold reenactments of the passion and death of Jesus, stations of the cross, rosaries, and many other forms of communal prayer. They remind us that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are for all of us a people, as a family, not for each of us individually. They give us a chance to reconnect with our faith as a family and as a church.

The Easter Vigil on Saturday night is one of the holiest times of our faith, and also the one most filled with symbols. Fire, water, bread, wine, oil and story all powerfully remind us that God is present everywhere. We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, and in so doing celebrate our bodily resurrection as well. We rejoice in the triumph of the cross and we are ecstatic at the humbling of death. We enter 50 glorious days of Easter, not just one Sunday of Easter, and we use this time as church to remember that our faith is a living faith because our God is a living God.

May our three-day preparation for the Easter season be a time of renewed faith, a time of renewed hope, and a time of renewed love. May we be able to sing and pray in the words of the psalmist, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad!”

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

The Earring of Great Price

Another confession for me: my left ear is pierced twice. I've had it pierced since my freshmen year at college. I haven't actually worn an earring in several years, and I know that one of my piercings has closed already . . . but the option's there. :-)

I say this because last week at work we were having a conversation over lunch (myself and a few coworkers) about a young woman who applied to work at my Catholic school the same year that I was hired. Apparently, she came in the week before school started to get her room in order, and our principal noticed that she had approx. 9 piercings on one of her ears. The team leader was asked to explain to her that she was now employed by a Catholic school and that an excessive amount of earrings would not be appropriate for a teacher - she would only be allowed what a female student at our school would be allowed: one small pair of earrings, one on each ear. The young teacher said she understood and resigned that afternoon.

While I can understand the reasoning behind uniform policies for our students and our staff, I'm wondering what kind of teacher she would have made if given the chance. I can see it from an administrator's point of view, and I can see if from a parents point of view - administration is worried about image and lifestyle, while parents are worried about example and teaching. However, I can't help but think that Jesus himself lived and breathed among the most undesirable of people during his time: lepers, tax collectors, prostitutes, the poor (who were, for the most part, sinners by definition), etc. He did not worry about his image, or about the clothes he wore, or about the homes he ministered in, or about any of the external things that we seem to emphasize so much (either positively, by saying that we should wear these things instead of those, or negatively, by saying that we should never wear certain things).

I know this is a conversation that many people have had in different circumstances, but I was struck by the fact that if I would have entered my school wearing two earrings on my left ear, I may have been not-so-welcomed. And I don't think that my ministry would have suffered one iota if I did wear earrings or not. The perception of my ministry may have changed in the mind of my coworkers and in the mind of the parents I minister to, but that in no way would affect my ministry in and of itself.

Or would it? I'd be interested in feedback as I get ready to catch some sleep. :-)

Blessings & Peace,

Hugo

Our Proposed Budget

President Bush has proposed a new budget . . . and while I'm not the most politically-minded person, from what I've read parts of this budget will mean that many underprivileged / low-income kids and families will lose medical and support benefits while our military spending will continue to increase by leaps and bounds.

If you'd like to send a petition to your congressmen and senators, you may click here. Hopefully, if enough voters spread the word, we may have an impact on this coming year's budget.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

Quotes

I just finished reading this months US Catholic, and I found two quotes I just had to share . . . they're full of evocative imagery and, I confess, they sound like things I wish I'd written:

Subdued and domesticated by God, water becomes the holy weapon of choice against original sin. The waters of Baptism banish original sin to its primordial home in the abyss. Choas learns its limits once more. - Alice Camille

And one from one of my favorite theologians:
To be religious is to believe that it is meaningful to speak into the endless desert of God's silence. - Karl Rahner

Enjoy them as we travel through this Lenten season. :-)

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

SnapShirts.com

I found this site at another blog (and I read several so I'm not quite sure which one it came from, and I don't feel like going through the whole list of blogs I just read - sorry!), but it's quite cool - it pulls words from your blog and creates a customized image that you can order on a shirt - mine's above my post - enjoy! :-)

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

Shades of Martydom

I saw this post on Michelle Malkin's blog, so I though I'd post it here:

Afghan Man Faces Execution After Converting to Christianity
By Benjamin Sand
Kabul
18 March 2006

An Afghan man who recently admitted he converted to Christianity faces the death penalty under the country's strict Islamic legal system. The trial is a critical test of Afghanistan's new constitution and democratic government.

The case is attracting widespread attention in Afghanistan, where local media are closely monitoring the landmark proceedings.
Abdul Rahman, 40, was arrested last month, accused of converting to Christianity.
Under Afghanistan's new constitution, minority religious rights are protected but Muslims are still subject to strict Islamic laws.
And so, officially, Muslim-born Rahman is charged with rejecting Islam and not for practicing Christianity. Appearing in court earlier this week Rahman insisted he should not be considered an infidel, but admitted he is a Christian.
He says he still believes in the almighty Allah, but cannot say for sure who God really is. "I am," he says, "a Christian and I believe in Jesus Christ."
Rahman reportedly converted more than 16 years ago after spending time working in Germany.
Officials say his family, who remain observant Muslims, turned him over to the authorities.
On Thursday the prosecution told the court Rahman has rejected numerous offers to embrace Islam.
Prosecuting attorney Abdul Wasi told the judge that the punishment should fit the crime.
He says Rahman is a traitor to Islam and is like a cancer inside Afghanistan. Under Islamic law and under the Afghan constitution, he says, the defendant should be executed.
The court has ordered a delay in the proceedings to give Rahman time to hire an attorney.
Under Afghan law, once a verdict is given, the case can be appealed twice to higher courts.
This is the first case in which the defendant has admitted to converting and is refusing to back down, even while facing the death penalty.
If convicted, the case could ultimately force President Hamid Karzai's direct intervention.
The president would have to sign the papers authorizing Rahman's execution, a move that could jeopardize Mr. Karzai's standing with human rights groups and Western governments.
So far, President Karzai has not commented on the case.
But political analysts here in Kabul say he will be under significant pressure from the country's hard-line religious groups to make an example of Rahman.

I feel humbled and convicted by a man who's willing to stand up for his beliefs in his faith, even and especially in the face of death. My prayers go out to him, his family, and all those involved in persecuting this case. I have a profound respect for Islam, as I do for most world religions, but the people who are pushing for his death . . . . I pray especially for them, because I can't imagine what kind of faith would lead someone to make that decision and I'm having an extrememly hard time loving them right now.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

First Eucharist

In the Catholic Church most people take Eucharist for the first time as children (approx. 2nd-3rd grade). This is preceded by one or two years of catechesis/religious education either at the child's parish or in a Catholic school (parochial or stand alone). This school year I've been giving First Eucharist "classes" to three children of one of my closest friends (and of one his sibling's children), and I've got a few thoughts about the process.

The program of religious education stresses preparation to receive reconciliation for the first time and then to receive Eucharist. The preparation is age-appropriate, which means that story and experiential actions take precedence over mystical theology or religious philosophy. For example, in my preparation of the four children I have stressed the New Testament stories where Jesus talks about reconciliation and the stories in the New Testament that give us the narrative of the last supper and it's transformation into the paradigmatic models that give us the framework for our modern celebration of our Eucharistic liturgies. Stress is given to the Catholic teaching of the real presence in the Eucharist as well as to the necessity and importance of the regular celebration of reconciliation, but it in no way is a course in sacramental theology.

So what are my thoughts?
1. There is no "best time" for first reconciliation and first Eucharist. Some parishes / individual diocesan entities / individual theologians will argue that for historical / theological / pastoral reasons the age of first reconciliation/Eucharist should be: birth, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, Jr. High, high school, or adulthood. The New Testament posits that baptism (and, by inference and anachronistic language) confirmation and Eucharist pretty much took place at approximately the same time (and for whole households on occasion). Modern sacramental theology and practice gives us baptism, confirmation and Eucharist all prepared for at the same time as the norm - the Church as a whole seems to be reluctant to make that the norm in lieu of baptism as an infant, Eucharist as a child and confirmation as a teen.

2. Since I do sacramental prep at my work place, I have a small sample of parents to draw from for this observation, but it's also a general observation as the campus minister for my school: there are some parents who want the whole of Catholic theology, culture, and history taught to their students every year. Perhaps it's my youth ministry background, or perhaps it's the fact that I did not attend Catholic school until I hit college, or the fact that I firmly believe in a youth ministry model as the proper place for teen/preteen/child catechesis - whatever the case, I prefer for religion to be taught on an experiential level with an academic or intellectual component, and not the other way around (where academics and intellect are stressed to the point where any other type of learning is put out by the wayside). I think kids get more from being engaged in their faith development then just from lectures and reading.

3. Being in ministry (this is a side rant) seems to be a compromise between being not Catholic enough and being too Catholic for the Pope. If we're stressing Eucharistic Adoration we have some families who want more social engagement. If we're teaching the social teaching of the Catholic Church there are some who want to know why their child does not know how to pray the rosary. If we talk about Mary there are some who want to know why we don't talk about Dorothy Day and vice versa. It seems a hard, thin line to follow where I (and the school in general) are not veering too much in one direction.

4. 2nd and 3rd graders are enraptured by the rituals, smells, sounds, sights and pomp of their First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. At their first reconciliation these 7 year olds go into the confessional looking like they've just committed multiple homicides - they come out floating on air with halos and wings. Nervous as they may be before they confess for the first time, they obviously feel the benefits of a good confession. Same with their First Eucharist - they partake of the sacrament with more reverence and joy and awe then most people I see taking communion (and I place myself in that group!). Even thought I don't think there's a magical age at which these sacraments would first be taken, I like that younger children are usually the lucky ones for this - they still have a comprehension of the mystery alluded to by the sacraments that older people will tend to gloss over in their desire to achieve factual and theologically nuanced mastery of the sacramental principals.

And that's about it for now - for those that can, enjoy the rest of your Spring Break! :-)

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

And the Award Goes To . . .

I like to watch movies. I have a membership with Hollywood Video that lets me rent up to three non-brand new releases at a time for free (I pay approx. $16.00 a month for this privelege). The Hollywood Video closest to me is only a few minutes away, and I've been renting movies there for a while. Most nights outside the Hollywood Video there's a young man who sells home made candy apples for a dollar a piece. Most nights when I rent a video I make sure to have a dollar ready.

Last week I had several videos to return, and I was going to look for several more to rent. As I approached the Hollywood Video I shook hands with him and talked for a bit, then gave him my dollar and told him I'd grab the apple when I came out. I spent an inordinate amount of time browsing (I was looking for something for my wife and I couldn't find it, and of course I didn't ask for help because I'm perfectly capable of finding one DVD on my own!), and when I walked out the Candy Apple Vendor was gone. At the time I didn't think anything of it - I'd forgotten about the dollar.

Monday night I went back to return the videos and game I had rented, and I saw him farther off from his usual post next to the return box by the door. I went in, thinking I'd say hi to him when I came out. About a minute after I came in he approached me and apologized for leaving early the week before . . . and he was holding a candy apple in his hand which he owed me.

I was touched by his honesty and by his desire to make sure I understood why he had to leave (his dad came to pick him up earlier than usual). I was challenged by his honesty as well . . . would I have done the same? I was impressed with his character and know that he has jumped forward by leaps and bounds on my internal trust-o-meter.

Please keep him and his family in your prayers - they struggle for cash and do their best to make ends meet. I pray that in all of my theological meanderings I remember his example.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

The Historical Jesus

I'm reading a book by Dominic Crossan titled The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant. The first half of the book is spent trying to get at what life would have been like for a, well, a Mediterranean Jewish peasant. He spends time with source documents from the time before Jesus' lifetime, during his lifetime, and after his lifetime, as well as with the canonical Gospels and other gospels and letters that did not make the cut into Scripture.

Parts of the introductory material were boring (to use a technical theological term!), but some parts were veryinteresting. I'm currently in the 12th chapter titled Kingdom and Wisdom. Crossan has been discussing the parables about the kingdom, and one thought in particular struck me.

He writes about the various levels of meaning in ascribing the kingdom of God to children, and he develops three thoughts in particular:

- A kingdom of children is a kingdom of the celibate (since children are seen as "asexual or presexual or nonsexual")

- A kingdom of children is a kingdom of the humble (as opposed to the disciples who were arguing about who would be the most important in the coming kingdom)

- A kingdom of children is a kingdom of the baptized (emphasizing the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus where a newly born child is compared to a newly baptized Christian)

But the one that hit me the most was this one:

- A kingdom of children is a kingdom of nobodies.

He writes that infanticide was common in Greek and Roman and Egyptian cultures, especially for the less desirable female children. For most adults, being compared to children was like being compared to someone who did not matter, who could not make decisions, who could not help provide effectively for their family, who could not do very much.

In accord with the concept of honor and shame that permeated Mediterranean culture at the time of Jesus, calling his followers to be childlike was not first an invitation to humility, celibacy or baptism: it was an invitation - a demand - to overturn the approved mores of a society that put eminent value on adults and very little value on children. Jesus was asking his followers to give up their political, social, religious and monetary power in exchange for the powerlessness of children.

I believe that this call - this challenge - still applies to us today. We are called not to put our trust in our own power - we are called not to give ultimate power over to our society, our government, our parents, our spouse, our church, our friends, our job. We are called and challenged to live as nobodies in a world that often overlooks those who do not blow their own horn. And we are called to do this so that we can claim ownership in the kingdom of God that is at once permeating our world and yet to come.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

So You Want To Be A Wizard

I read through a book series which started with the book So You Want To Be A Wizard. In it, wizardry (the power to create magic in many different forms) chooses who it will live in (magic will not live in the unwilling heart is the mantra all beginning wizards learn) and wizards can choose to use their powers for good (to promote law and the conservation of cosmic energy) or evil (to advance the cause of chaos and entropy).

I haven't read the latest book (Wizards at War), but all of the other books are very . . . Catholic, for want of a better word at this moment. They envision a universe with the forces of goodness (wizards living among us who have taken a vow to protect and nurture life) arrayed against the force of chaos and entropy, anthrpomorphized as the Lone Power, the primordial entity who rebelled against life at the beginning of time and who now works to subvert everything that is good in the universe.

In the first book the two main characters (young teen wizards, though the series is not similar to Harry Potter, in case you're wondering!) fight against the Lone Power after accidentaly being sucked into it's own world/parallel universe. Each subsequent book pits them against this Lone Power or some aspect of the Chaos/Entropy it promotes.

What I thought interesting is that in one of the books Kit (one of the the main characters) helps redeem the Lone Power through her actions, her sacrifice, and her courageous love. However, since the Lone Power lives outside of time (theologically speaking, in kairos time, not chronos time), the Lone Power is now always rebelling and always redeemed.

I like that image for us. Since I like to think of heaven as being timeless (see here and here), I can readily appreciate such a construct as a being who is at the same time unredeemed and redeemed. It reminds me of us (people) - we stand on the threshold of being saints and sinners. Everyday we have to make (mostly unconscious) decisions to live a life that we are proud of or one that we are ashamed of. We struggle to define who and what we are in relation to our God, our world and our inner sense of self.

This Lent would be a wonderful time, then, to spend some time in introspection. Instead of making grnad, sweeping commitments and promises of how we would change our lives, I think making one concrete change every day would serve us better.

As the counselor at my school is fond of saying, one random act of kindness every day will slowly make this world a better place (paraphrased).

As an aside, I've been away from my neglected blog for almost three months - one of my Lenten promises obviously then becomes to write more! :-)

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo