Monday Musings

A few random thoughts and musings to start the week...

Happy Easter!!! Yes it is still Easter. And don't let anyone forget it.

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This weekend we had our May Crowning of Mary at our home. It wasn’t anything elaborate. We just made a wreath of silk flowers to go on the concrete statue of Mary in our front yard. We said a Hail Mary and placed the crown on her head. As the month of May continues, we (as a family) will be learning the Hail Holy Queen and the Angelus so that we can use one of these prayer next year for the crowning as well as on important Marian feast days.

I had never participated in a May Crowning until we started doing this brief “ceremony” with the kids a couple of years ago. So I have no idea what the typical celebration should look like. I know I could look up some resources online, but we’ve just been letting it take shape for us as each year goes by. It’s a shame that such celebrations are not as common in the Church these days. I feel like our Catholic heritage has been impoverished since the time of Vatican II… but don’t get me started on that.

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Speaking of statues, I plan on purchasing a St. Francis statue soon to place near our garden at home. Our kids play outside a lot, and I’ve noticed that they do pay attention to the religious statues we already have in the yard: they bring flowers to Mary, or they pray before the Sacred Heart. Strategically placing these reminders of the faith in the appropriate place around the home (or in this case, the yard) can be a great teaching tool. As the home is the domestic church (sort of the Church in miniature), the yard is like a mini-world to kids, where shrines and monuments can call our attention and draw us in on pilgrimage.

When my wife and I plan our family vacations we always try to include some shrine or church or religious site to visit along the way. We pause for a spiritual break as we enjoy our time away from home. I see the kids do a similar thing in our yard. They may be fighting dragons or building castles in their minds, but along the way they pass a statue over in the corner near some shrubs and they pause (even if just long enough to tap its head and then move along), and so they are reminded of their faith amid their daily activities. A twenty dollar hunk of concrete and some white paint can go a long way to teach a valuable lesson.

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

Co-Mediatrix!!! What Gives? - "When I was Protestant and studying the Catholic faith, I happened upon the word "co-mediatrix" in Scott Hahn's book Hail Holy Queen. Despite what you may think about my long-term papist leanings, this word sent me into a Zwinglian down-ward spiral."

Jesus Had Laser Beams (Sharks Not Included) - "Italian researchers at the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development say they believe the image was created by an ultraviolet “flash of light."

The Welfare State’s War on Religious Liberty - "The case for limited government is becoming increasingly inseparable from the case for religious liberty."

Paul Ryan and Catholic Social Teaching (Roundup) - [A lot of ink has been spilled lately about Paul Ryan and the budget with regard to Catholic Social Justice. This piece gives a pretty good roundup of some important articles written on this subject.]

Catholic Republicans dominate list of possible Romney running mates - "Having defeated two Catholics (Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich) for the Republican nomination, Romney must now choose his preferred candidate for the vice-presidency."

Forced Abortion Converage; It’s Next - "Oakland’s Bishop Salvatore Cordileone says the federal government could require faith communities to offer abortion as a health benefit if the contraceptive mandate is not stopped."

Why Do We Call It a "Culture of Death"? - "The more I studied the Theology of the Body and took a look at human sexuality through the lens of millenia-old Christian teaching, the more the problems of contraceptive culture came into relief."

Fatherhood in a Fatherless Culture - "What does authentic fatherhood look like? An authentic father is a father of faith, strength, character and courage."

An examination of themes of keynote speeches delivered at LCWR Assemblies - [Considering the recent examination by the Vatican of this women's group, these "themes" are very telling.]

Can We Please Have Our Own Church? - "...there’s probably a church building near the local Catholic church that has everything you may believe in: women priests, gay clergy and homosexual 'marriages,' higher or lower forms of liturgy, structures that allow you to pick and choose among doctrines and practices. It’s called Protestantism, and a widely available option for whoever thinks it’s the right choice."

Closing Up Shop on Marriage? - "Why does government have a stake in this? Because it has a stake in encouraging the parents to provide a stable, loving, committed relationship as the morally best environment for raising children."

Is the Papacy in Need of Structural Reform? - [A book review - A lot to wade through in this piece, but worth the effort.]

The Structure of the Mass - [An interesting diagram (PDF document) that shows a visual diagram of what happens at Mass. May be a good resource for children.]

Pope Warns Doctors of Relativism Impacting Medicine - "Pope Benedict XVI used a May 3 address to doctors and medical students to warn that the spread of relativism is resulting in scientific advances having 'unpredictable consequences.'"

Error Has No Rights: Time to Ditch Liberalism for Theocracy - [Whoa! Now there's a bold title! Can't say that I agree with the author's conclusion, but it is an interesting proposition.]

 CDWDS Confirms Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb - [I've mentioned this here before - This is an update that includes the full text of the blessing.]

Taylor Swift, Adele and American Exceptionalism - "Both write and sing highly personal songs. Both are extremely talented musicians who paid their dues and made it big the hard way: Through persistence and hard work. But they also have very different attitudes toward life, and I wonder what, if anything, that means."

Quote of the Week

"Everyday, Jesus humbles himself just as He did when He came from His heavenly throne into the Virgin’s womb; everyday He comes to us and lets us see Him in abjection, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar."

- Saint Francis of Assisi

Studying James (Part 2)

The Protestant Facebook Bible study (of which I am a part, and about which I posted here last week) is continuing. As I mentioned last week, we were scheduled to cover two chapters per week (I know! That's way too fast for any kind of serious discussion to be had.), but because the organizer of this Bible study wishes to speed things up (??) we are now covering three chapters this week. So last week was chapters 1 and 2 of James. This week is chapters 3, 4, and 5.

There was very little discussion last week. Of the fifteen or so people who agreed  to participate, there were maybe four or five who posted comments. And the comments were minimal. Mostly people wrote about resisting temptations and trying to live a Christian life. Uuuuum, OK. That's a good start. But it seems more like a spiritual support group for struggling Christians than a Bible study. Shouldn't we dig a little deeper? Shouldn't we look at the more challenging passages and discuss their doctrinal implications? I mean, we all agree that sin is bad and God is good. We agree that we should apply God's commandments to our daily lives. But there are parts of James that are unique and challenging passages that might yield some lively discussion. We are missing a valuable opportunity, especially considering that the coordinator of this study specifically invited Christians of many denominations and even non-Christians to participate. Let's compare notes and see where we stand on some of these issues.


Thankfully there seems to be a little more interest this week, but I thought I would stir things up a little more, and so I posted the following:

Throughout James there is a constant theme of avoiding sin, living in harmony with the Christian community, and choosing God above the world. Obviously, all Christians can embrace these ideas without much disagreement. Talking about these things and encouraging each other is certainly important. But for the purposes of a *Bible study*, this only takes us so far. These general ideas are found throughout the New Testament, they are not unique to James. If all we take away from James is that we should avoid sin and turn away from worldly things, then we haven’t really scratched the surface of what makes James unique. So I’ve looked for passages in James that stand out as distinctive and more difficult to interpret. If I’m going to *study* the Bible I feel like I should put out that extra effort and go beyond the surface.

We all agree that sin is bad and that following God is better than following the world, but what about James chapter 2 and the centuries-long debate about “Faith and Works” – to me THAT is a topic worthy of discussion – that is what would elevate this to a Bible STUDY, and not merely a Christian support group. A Bible study ought to go deeper than just a quick read of the text; it should force us to think.

So in James 3-5 I would point out the following verses:

Verse: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” (3:1-2)

My thoughts: What does this mean for the leadership of the Church? Obviously it states that *few* should be called as teachers, but James also says (here and in later verses) that this small number of teachers should steer the Church as a “bit” in a horse’s mouth and a “rudder” of a ship. How does this apply to our obedience to the Church’s teachers? If I am not the “rudder” then I am a part of the ship and I go where the rudder guides me. Do we give that sort of obedience to the Church? Do our teachers rightly claim such authority over us?

Verse: "Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord..." (5:14)

My thoughts: Do Christians do this? This is a command of Scripture – “he must call the elders…” The Bible is telling us that the “elders” of the Church should anoint the sick with oil, and pray over them. This practice has ancient origins and was practiced by the early Church. Do Christians still do this today? If not, why? Should we abandon a command of Scripture that the ancient Church practiced? Can we pick and choose which parts of James are important to practice and which to abandon? Isn’t it all GOD’s Word?

Verse: "...confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (5:16)

My thoughts: Again, this is God’s Word to us – so we owe Him obedience. Do we confess our sins to others? Or instead, do we only confess internally…to God alone? Certainly we should confess to God in our hearts and minds, but James says we must confess to others, and pray together for healing. How did the early Christians practice this Biblical idea? Should we look to Christian history to see how this concept was practiced?

These are just a few distinctive passages from James that go beyond the general themes of virtue and Christian living. I think if we spend some time on passages like these we can come to a deeper appreciation for God’s Word.

Monday Musings

 A few random thoughts and pondering to start the week...

I know, it's a day late...Not much to say. Weather is improving, time to start putting out a garden and enjoy the longer days. Also time to mow the grass and do some chores that were put off all winter. That doesn't leave much time to sit at a computer and write.

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I still have not received my Sunday Missal. I ordered it at the end of October last year. For now I'll wait patiently for it, but if I see one for sale at a retail store I may buy it and cancel my online order. In the meantime, I continue to use the Android iMissal app, but I sure do miss the feel of an actual book. And I still can't get over the awkwardness of using an electronic device at church. I just feel like everyone else is looking at me. Maybe that feeling will pass with time...

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I'm continuing with a Bible study that I posted about last week. I'll post some thoughts on that again this week. Maybe that will make up for nothing to say on Monday...err, I mean, Tuesday Musings.

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One more quick thought: Today is May 1, which is the Feast of St. Joseph the worker. Also May is a month traditionally devoted to Mary. On this day, when the celebration of these two important Saints neatly coincide, this presents a wonderful opportunity to commemorate both of Jesus' earthly parents.

This Week's Headlines

As another week comes to an end, this is your chance to top off your glass with a final helping of news, current events, and just plain interesting stuff that may not have made into the mainstream media. A chance to linger for a few more moments before we close the door on the week. Below are some links to articles, blogs, and miscellaneous happenings that caught my eye over the past few days. Sample what you like - I'll serve up more next Friday...

The HHS Mandate: Is it a Religious Liberty Issue? - "The more fundamental problem with the HHS mandate, therefore, is the immorality of the acts themselves in which religious organizations are being 'required' to cooperate."

Congressman Gowdy Grills Secretary Sebelius on HHS Mandate  - You MUST watch this video! The Congressman NAILS IT!""

8 Reasons Catholics are the Worst Protesters - "In this upcoming election, the bishops have called on Catholics to protest the Obama administration's efforts to curtail religious liberty... But there are some major problems facing Catholics, namely that Catholics are the worst protesters in the world."

Hey Bishops:Offer to fund NFP for Mandate! - [No here is an interesting idea.]

Congressman Ryan on Being Guided by Catholic Social Teaching - [Great analysis by Msgr. Pope]

Pushing back the limits of subsidiarity - "Where are health care costs low? Laser eye surgery, plastic surgery, etc. Those services that are not usually covered by insurance. In those cases, people shop around for the best and most cost-effective doctors like they shop around for the best and most cost-effective car mechanics."

Of Rosa DeLauro and Other Disoriented Catholics - "The impending fiscal meltdown of European welfare states vindicates subsidiarity by making clear that providing necessary aid to those in genuine need means, among other measures, developing the associational and charitable instincts of civil society. The alternative is state bankruptcy and social chaos."

Can Business Save Your Soul? - "For everybody, holiness is found in doing ordinary daily tasks with an awareness of their importance to our God, and with Gratitude to him. If we try to perform everyday things in a way that will please and honor him, we follow his law and fulfill his even higher expectations."

The Most Pressing Issue in Global Christianity - "Of all instances of religious persecution in the world, 80% are direct against Christians."

Killing the Geniuses - [These numbers are staggering!!] "Conservatively....about 2.5 billion lives have been eliminated from earthly existence by chemical abortion. When the dust settles, and we add at least another 50 million surgically-aborted souls each year worldwide, one gets 1.2 trillion total deaths over the last twenty-four years. That’s over 1 TRILLION souls that had their mortal lives extinguished."

Eliminating The Competition - "...in America today, our government looks on churches and other non-profit organizations not as a dependable front line in the war on poverty, racism, and social injustice, but as a competitor..."

Feds regulate farm chores for kids - "As one farmer described the new regulations, the biggest 'blow is not teaching our kids the values of working on a farm. Losing that work-ethic – it’s so hard to pick this up later in life.'"

Gay Marriage, Incest, and Polygamy - "One of the most often-mocked arguments in the debate over 'gay marriage' is the argument that permitting gay marriage leads to permitting incestuous marriages, polygamy, and the like.  The  problem is, the argument is solid, and I've yet to hear a coherent answer for it ."

Secularism in America: Growing American movement raises concerns - "A survey released in 2009 by the Pew Research Center found that a quarter of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 surveyed said they were atheists, agnostics or had no religion."

Tithing on Social Media - "We could add a tithing element to our Facebook status updates and tweets on Twitter, giving 10 percent to the Lord. That means one-in-ten status updates or tweets could be related to God, spirituality, inspiration, prayer, or a link to something church-related."

Why is "Christian" Music so Awful? - "A friend of mine used to quip, 'When you’re talking about Christian music it’s pretty safe to substitute "bad" for "Christian".'"

Music for Private Devotion, Not Liturgy - [This link includes a video of GOOD Christian music.]

3 Basic Biblical Questions About the Sacrament of Confirmation - "All Seven Sacrament of the Catholic Church can be seen in Holy Scripture, but often times the biblical origin of the the Sacrament of Confirmation is missed. "

A Catholic Responds – Five Common Protestant Objections to the Sacrament of Confession - "...in my experience, the Sacrament of Reconciliation ranks right up there with Marian Dogmas among the Church’s teachings that prompt the most questions from those inquiring about the Catholic Faith. The following objections to the doctrine are those about which I am most often asked to respond."

Speaking of Christ: 10 True and False Propositions from Aquinas - "Do you know how to speak about Christ? How to use the exact words so as to avoid anything that could logically lead to — heresy?"

Book Arts: Modern Illuminators and Potentialities for Liturgical Books Today - [Proof that artistry can still be found in the written word.]

Miss America Contestant Told Not to Mention Pro-Life Views - "[Maria] Cahil is a prime example of someone who recognizes that beauty is not only seen in a beauty contest but in the wonderful and awesome development of human life before birth and she is willing to stand up to the powers that be to proclaim that truth."

Sympathy for the Devil and Mercy for the Damned - [Interesting and imaginative piece that explores the Final Judgement.]

Studying James

A Protestant friend started an online Bible study on Facebook and invited people of all faiths to join...so I did. He is beginning the study with the Letter of James because it is short and seemed like a good place for everyone to get their feet wet before diving in to a weightier and lengthier text. My immediate thought was: "Faith and Works" - you're opening a whole can of worms on this one! The Letter of James is exhibit 'A' in a Catholic case against the Protestant notion of "Faith Alone."

So here is a sample of my first comments on this Facebook Bible study. (Note: my friend wanted to cover two chapters at a time, which is rather arbitrary since the chapters in the Bible do not always correspond with a break in thought. And it can really hinder your ability to discuss themes and concepts in the text when your reading is cut off by such a constraint. And often two chapters covers A LOT of material, so the discussions will become overwhelming. But, hey, it's his Bible study, so I'll go with it.):

The first chapter begins by focusing on trials and testing of our faith. Through these trials, James tells us that we must persevere. He says that we must be slow to speak and slow to anger... (1:19). And he says that we must not only be HEARERS of the word but DOERS of the word (1:22). This whole section of James, to me, says that our faith cannot be in isolation. From the outside world we will be tested and tempted, and this will keep us on our toes. And from within ourselves we must control our response to those outside forces - we must control our anger and our words. There is always this tension in our faith from within ourselves and from without - trials and temptations and our own urges to lash out when we feel oppressed. Faith is caught in this tension.

This sets us up for the next chapter where faith is not only being pressured from temptations and trials in a constant tug-of-war, but we must also ACT in faith...we must perform good works. This is the meat of the matter, I think. Our faith is important and we certainly must stay true in our faith, but as James says, "the demons also believe, and shudder." (2:19) The demons are suffering in torment, but their response to that torment is what James is pointing to. Demons believe in God just as we do; but their belief does not translate into good works and LOVE. Belief in God is not enough to save them.

Christians will face trials and persecutions. Suffering through those trials while keeping our faith intact is a good start, but we must look outside ourselves and feed the hungry, cloth the naked, etc. Faith ALONE is no better than what the demons have - they believe in God, but they refuse to do good. We are called to an active living faith. Our WORKS justify us, not our "faith alone" (however strong that faith may be).

...The whole idea of "Faith Alone" never made sense to me. I wish someone could explain it to me in light of what we read here in James. It seems to me that the notion of justification by "Faith Alone" is simply un-biblical.

Interestingly, the ONLY place in the Bible where the words "faith alone" appear together is in James: "You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone." (2:24) So I've always found it interesting that the doctrine of "Faith Alone" is believed by Protestant/Reformed Christians.

 ...But of course that's why Martin Luther wanted to remove the Book of James from the Bible.