The days are getting shorter. The sight of school buses will soon be prevalent, if they are not already. It is a time of transition once again. However, today is Friday and that means it is time for the weekend. I hope you take some time to get out and enjoy these final days of August.
As for me–I’m on the road again. I am looking forward to spending Saturday with the catechists at Holy Name Parish in Sheridan, Wyoming. The 325 mile trek from Cheyenne to Sheridan is not a problem during the summer. I will get an opportunity to enjoy the mountains and the vast wide-open spaces. On Sunday, I will be back in Cheyenne to join Bishop Etienne for the 9:00 A.M. Mass at the Cathedral. On Monday, I will be headed to Laramie to finalize details with the hotel and conference center for the diocesan September Institute. On Tuesday, I will venture down to Loveland, Colorado for a new experience as I serve as the speaker for Night With The Knights.
Finally, please check out www.catholic365.com tomorrow at 1:00 P.M. Eastern Time (12:00 P.M. Central and 11:00 A.M. Mountain) as my next article is published, Selfie Stick Christianity.
Look at the picture. Study it for a little bit. What captures your attention? Is it the height of the swing? Is it the speed at which the swing must be going? Do the dark clouds in the background make you pause a moment? Do the cables all appear to be secure? Is the swing safe?
I snapped the photo during Cheyenne Frontier Days. I had no reason for the picture at the time and had no topic in mind to connect with the photo. I just took it to have it in case I wanted to use it on my blog. I was going to delete it today without using it, but then something caught my eye. It reminded me of some criticisms I have heard in regard to the life of the Church.
Have you ever been scared and needed someone to cling to for comfort? Have you ever been excluded from a group because you weren’t part of the clique? Have you every yearned for a suitable companion to share your life with as husband and wife? Have you ever felt the desperation and loneliness that comes from being alone almost constantly? Have you ever been in a crowded room and still felt all alone? Have you felt the devastating loss of a loved one after many years of marriage? Have you ever felt invisible–and not in a cool, exciting sort of way?
Single people have frequently expressed their discontent in regard to life at church? Some have told me, “The church ministers to married people and children. Sometimes the elderly get a little more attention as well.” One person went on to say to me, “Do you know why young people aren’t in church?” I didn’t have to respond because the answer immediately followed the question. “They don’t come because they think no one cares.”
Obviously, this discussion gave me food for thought. It compelled me to do some evaluations and assessments of things. Look at the programs offered at most churches. How much is addressed toward single, young adults? How much attention is paid to the single, divorced individual? Six months after the funeral is over, how much attention is paid to the surviving spouse? Are we simply a church for couples?
When Jesus invited people it was a widespread invitation. “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Where have we failed in communicating that same message today? How can we better extend that type of hospitality which brings rest for the weary? There is no simple “one-size-fits-all” approach to the dilemma. However, intentional effort to include single people in our outreach can make a huge difference. What is included in the homilies? What classes are offered and promoted at the parish? What programs of interest are developed? Are we listening to the parishioners in regard to their needs and desires?
What caught my attention in the photo above? It was the empty swing. Was the individual alone or was there an odd-number of people in his group? Was the individual with someone who was too scared to go on the ride so he just went alone? I have no idea what the story is behind the picture. All I know is that the empty swing reminded me of the loneliness we can sometimes feel. If that loneliness persists for a long period of time the consequences can be devastating.
Let’s be honest. Life can be very difficult and painful at times. This is true whether we are single or married, young or old. It is my prayer that the local church community will always be a place of hope when we are afflicted. This includes everyone. It is my desire that we serve others well by being attentive to their needs. May each of us bring the love, mercy, and comfort of Jesus to those who are hurting!
“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30)
My thanks to Wyoming Catholic College for an interesting gathering Thursday evening in Cheyenne. The Liberty Lecture Series is certainly raising awareness about the issues we face in modern times. I am grateful for the presentation by Kyle Washut and for all of the interesting discussions following his presentation.Speaking as Friends: Freedom of Association as the Peak of the First Amendment and the Foundation of Civil Society Kyle Washut, Instructor of Theology
While freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and even freedom of the press are much discussed freedoms of the first amendment, the right to free assembly is often forgotten in the public mind. As pressures mount to force associations to be sufficiently inclusive of various identities and positions, the vibrant life that free association offers to civil society is being slowly smothered. Correctly considered, freedom of association is the right whereby men gather in community to speak freely with each other and lay claim to the public square in so doing. Such association is the very source of healthy democratic life, and it is essential in order to allow freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to petition their full force.
You never know what might pop up on your social media pages. Last night I received a link to an article on Facebook and was asked to comment. The article appeared on www.dailykos.com and was written by Leslie Salzillo entitled, Catholic Nun Explains Pro-Life In A Way That Will Stun Many (Especially Republican Lawmakers). The article goes on to quote Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B. after a lead in sentence to let everyone know Sister Joan is going to expose the hypocrisy of the pro-life movement.
Sister Joan said, “I do not believe that just because you’re opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, not a child educated, not a child housed. And why would I think that you don’t? Because you don’t want any tax money to go there. That’s not pro-life. That’s pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is.”
The author of the article then adds to Sister Joan’s comments with words like “anti-choice extremist” and referring to “misogynist laws.” No bias in this article, right? Sister Joan is lauded near the end of the article highlighting her accomplishments. She is the author of 50 books, holds a Ph.D., and has appeared on many major television shows. Sister Joan certainly has an impressive resume and is well-known for her stance on women’s issues. One thing the article didn’t point out is that Sister Joan also writes for the National Catholic Reporter. This is a publication which many have asked to please drop the word Catholic from its title because it frequently promotes agenda items clearly in defiance of Church teaching. Knowing this bit of information may assist in putting Sister Joan’s comments in larger context.
The paragraph-long quote from Sister Joan assumes many things and makes some generalizations that are simply not the reality of my own lived experience. My work and cooperation with pregnancy care centers has shown me that many people are striving to feed children, house them, and provide other material necessities to support parents in need of assistance. To make the assertion that these people in the pro-life movement have a “morality that is deeply lacking” is quite judgmental and inaccurate. The hours of volunteer work provided by well-formed Christians not lacking in sound moral judgment is phenomenal. Their direct financial support of these institutions reaching out to women in difficult pregnancies is also amazing.
How did Sister Joan reach her conclusion about people being pro-birth and not pro-life? Simply stated, “Because you don’t want any tax money to go there.” I have one question for Sister Joan. Why is the government viewed as the answer? We have all witnessed government waste and the ineffectiveness of government bureaucracy. Over a half billion dollars a year going to Planned Parenthood is not exactly providing the kind of help that feeds a child, houses a child, and educates a child. Why would Sister Joan believe that the only logical response to caring for children and families is through the institution of the government with direct handouts to anti-life organizations like Planned Parenthood? Where is the morality in that?
Kill a lion and be prepared for some harsh consequences. Protests outside your place of business will make it impossible for you to stay open. Calls for your arrest and extradition will be made publicly and loudly and covered on every major mainstream media outlet.
Basically, life as you know it will never be the same.
On the other hand, kill a baby; get paid. Dissect the parts of the baby and sell them; get paid. Are there harsh consequences to be endured for this practice? Apparently not! Taxpayer dollars still flow to your organization at the tune of over a half a billion dollars per year.
An undercover video that released details regarding the practice of Planned Parenthood triple-dipping has brought the wrath of others down upon them for releasing the video rather than the organization engaged in the horrendous practice. Follow the money: (1) taxpayer funding; (2) abortions; (3) sell the body parts. Why is this less newsworthy than the death of a lion? Furthermore, why would we persecute the whistle-blowers?
This morning I realized it was even worse as I briefly watched one of the TV networks cover the top stories of the day. What can be worse than killing a baby or killing a lion? According to our major news outlets there is something even more devastating. Deflate a football and make headline news. Wow! We are in deep trouble in our country. Cling to Christ!
Are you a single woman, Catholic, and between the ages of 17 and 30? Have you considered a vocation to the religious life? If you are actively discerning God’s call in your life, a vocation retreat may be helpful in your discernment process. The Nashville Dominicans are offering two vocation retreats in 2016 at the St. Cecilia Motherhouse. They are January 6–10, 2016 and May 25–29, 2016. Check out their website for more details.
After you click on “Enter Site” you will be taken to the home page. Put your mouse over the “Vocations” tab at the top of the page. A drop down box will appear. Click on “Retreats at the Motherhouse.” Then click on “Vocation Retreats” to see the details.
Discerning God’s call in our lives can seem like a daunting task at times. There are many resources available to aid us in our discernment process. This particular retreat experience is just one way of exploring the possibilities a little deeper. If you want more guidance or suggestions in this area, feel free to contact your local diocesan vocation director–or get in touch with me.
If you live in the Cheyenne area make plans to attend the next presentation of the Liberty Lecture Series this Thursday evening (July 30) at the Laramie County Library.
Speaking as Friends: Freedom of Association as the Peak of the First Amendment and the Foundation of Civil Society Kyle Washut, Instructor of Theology
While freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and even freedom of the press are much discussed freedoms of the first amendment, the right to free assembly is often forgotten in the public mind. As pressures mount to force associations to be sufficiently inclusive of various identities and positions, the vibrant life that free association offers to civil society is being slowly smothered. Correctly considered, freedom of association is the right whereby men gather in community to speak freely with each other and lay claim to the public square in so doing. Such association is the very source of healthy democratic life, and it is essential in order to allow freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and the right to petition their full force.
Cheyenne ~ July 30th, at 7:00pm in the Cottonwood Room at the Laramie County Library
Did you attend any of the Cheyenne Frontier Days festivities? If not, here is what you missed.
A CFD release puts total attendance for 2015 at 266,030. This is the second largest ever and an increase of almost 16,000 over 2014.
The rodeo brought in 98,246 people. That is up almost 11,000 from the previous year.
Over 120,000 people attended the night shows. Miranda Lambert drew a crowd of 19,451. That was the biggest night show attendance for 2015.
Let’s get to the pancakes. There were 25, 190 people at the pancake breakfasts. (Even though that is the three day total, I would have sworn 20,000 people were in line in front of me on Wednesday morning.)
There is no exact way to count attendance at the Frontier Days parades, but CFD officials are estimating total attendance at the four parades was in the 100,000 range.
Life goes back to normal now in the streets of Cheyenne. Oh wait, it is time for the Laramie County Fair August 1 through August 8–let the fun continue.
How do we stay positive when many things around us seem to be collapsing right before our eyes? We look to the Bread of Life–Jesus Christ! Today’s Gospel from the beginning of John chapter 6 reminds us of the abundant love of God. That should fill us with immense hope.
The multiplication of the loaves and fishes isn’t just a nice story from many generations ago with no significant relevance for us today. It has the potential to speak to us in a profound way in modern times and is very applicable to our current circumstances. Put yourself in the story. Are you one of the thousands following Jesus? Are you the boy with the five barley loaves and two fish? Are you one of the disciples? Imagine yourself as Philip receiving the question directly from Jesus, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” What are the emotions you experience as you role-play each of the parts?
A couple other components of the story also serve as good reminders. Jesus gave thanks. How faithful are we at being people of gratitude? Is a prayer of gratitude and blessing before each meal part of our regular routine?
There was food left over. Do we trust in the abundance of God’s love or do we only see ourselves as lacking this or that?
What message is there for the Church in regard to caring for those who have needs–food, shelter, clothing? What is the message for us as individuals in regard to caring for those in need?
What does the Gospel account say to us in regard to approaching our Lord in Holy Communion? Do we believe in the True Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist? Do we believe we are receiving the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ each time we receive Holy Communion?
I invite you to review your demeanor at church, especially at the time of receiving Holy Communion. How do you approach the altar? Are you distracted, nonchalant, unbelieving? Are you filled with wonder and awe that you have the opportunity to approach the table of the Lord to receive the King of Kings and Lord of Lords? Based upon what you experience in the depths of your being as you approach the communion minister, how humbly are you receiving our Lord? Did you truly mean it when you said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.” Did you even give it any thought when you uttered the words?
We are going to continue to hear from John’s Gospel chapter 6 for the next few weekends at Mass. I want to encourage you to take out your Bible at home and prayerfully read Chapter 6 in its entirety. Allow God to speak to you in the depths of your being. Know of His Presence in the Word and in the Eucharist. Experience the abundant love of God!
“I Am The Bread Of Life. He Who Comes To Me Shall Not Hunger.”
