Mary and the Ark

Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my recent Notice to Protestants about Mary. In the Baptist Standard, of all places, you can now read how Mary is The Coming of the New Ark to Jerusalem. It is nice to see non-Catholics recognizing the Blessed Virgin as more than just a kind of talking incubator for Jesus.

Unfortunately the Baptist writer, Bill Crittenden, does not follow his comparison to its logical end. He recognizes that the original Ark was no mere box: It was a chest built of acacia wood, a material that was considered worthy of housing God, everlasting and with no defect. Hmmm, could the New Ark also have some of these qualities? Crittenden doesn't say.

The parallels between Mary and the Ark are nothing new. Athanasius saw it in the third century. Steve Ray has an excellent article on the subject. As Augustine said: The New Testament is hidden in the Old, and the Old Testament is revealed by the New.

Notice to Protestants

In the month of December, it is okay to display statues of the Virgin Mary as part of a larger Nativity scene. During this time no one will think you are promoting idol-worship. Images of Mary and other Biblical figures may even serve as a source of inspiration during the holidays. Candles are optional.

Following the Christmas season, all such statues will once again become idolatrous and must be hidden from view for another year.

Thank you for your cooperation. That is all.

The Value of Guilt

Sage thoughts from my favorite Dominican blogger-priest, Fr. Phillip Neri Powell, O.P. He is discussing the guilt feelings of people who were involved in abortions, but the principle applies to all kinds of sin.

In my experience, people often express horrible guilt over sin. They are shocked when I exclaim, "Good! You should feel guilty! Do you know what that means?" They usually say, "That I'm a bad person, a terrible sinner?" I say, "Nope. Just the opposite. Guilt tells you that you have a correctly formed conscience and that though you have sinned, you are not fundamentally a bad person."

We have been told for too many years now that guilt is bad and we must do everything to expunge it from our consciousness. In the pursuit of a guilt-free life, we have not eliminated sin in practice but rather made sin rare by making most everything permissible and therefore no longer sinful. No sin, no guilt. But guilt is one way we know that we are good people. If you cannot feel guilt over deliberately and directly killing an innocent life, then something is very seriously wrong.

Bush Greets the German Shepherd

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Washington today, with the unprecedented honor of a presidential airport greeting. This was a nice gesture by Bush, and shows how respect for the pontiff crosses all kinds of denominational and political lines.

B16 made a little news before the plane even touched down by telling reporters he was "deeply ashamed" at the clergy sexual abuse scandal. I think it was a heartfelt statement, and may have the added bonus of disarming some of the people who were determined to make that awful scandal the centerpiece of the entire visit.

There is a lot of speculation in the blogosphere on what the Pope will say about this or that problem. Everyone wants him to validate their pet issue. I liked what Archbishop Sambi, the nuncio to the U.S., had to say in a TV interview. He suggested - in a kind and loving way - that rather than tell the Pope what we want him to say, we should listen to whatever he thinks needs to be said. Sounds like good advice.

In that spirit, I intend to watch the various events on TV and pray that much good comes from the next few days. EWTN will, naturally, have extensive coverage. If you watch/read the mainstream media, remember to deduct about 50 IQ points from whatever they say about the Catholic Church and religion in general.

Who Needs Symbols?

Steven Greydanus responds to a woman who dislikes pageantry and symbolism as practiced by the Catholic Church:

Ritual and ceremony are not contrived and unnecessary, except in the sense that all human culture and experience is contrived and unnecessary. Wedding rings, shaking hands, Christmas trees, birthday cakes, napkin on the left, pallbearers, tuck the children in at night, floral arrangements in church or at a wedding or a funeral, Easter eggs, “Hail to the Chief,” bride and groom cut the cake, stand up for the judge, mortar boards at graduation, hold the door for the lady, kiss each other hello and goodbye and good morning and good night — none of these are pragmatically necessary, and all of it is how we human beings order our lives — if not with these symbols, then with something else.

In ordinary life, what the particular symbols and gestures are often enough doesn’t matter. But to be Christian is to believe, first of all, that the Creator of the world happened to make contact with our race within the context of a specific cultural milieu, in a specific symbolic world sovereignly chosen and carefully shaped and guided for millennia by His Spirit. From circumcision to Passover, from the annual chanting of the psalms of ascents on the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to the vestments of the Aaronic priesthood, the world into which Jesus was born was full of pageantry and symbolism.

And then, when our Creator favored our race by taking on our flesh and offering us so great salvation, He left us with symbols and gestures chosen by Himself and not matters of human convention. He took bread and broke it, and wine, and pronounced them to be His body and blood. He commissioned His disciples to go about immersing people in water in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost, He did not proceed to liberate the people from pageantry and symbolism: Three thousand people were ceremonially dunked in water on the first day alone, and they immediately proceeded to devote themselves to the business with the breaking of the bread, along with the apostles’ teaching, fellowship and the prayers (Acts 2:42), particularly on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

The Lord left His church in the care of apostles who went about laying their hands on chosen men and appointing them to continue the ministry of the church. The New Testament also mentions anointing with oil and laying on of hands for the sick. The Gospels record set words given by Jesus: This is my body; in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; Our Father who art in Heaven. Given by Jesus, not made up by us.

The book of Revelation describes pageantry and symbolism even in the worship of Heaven itself: thrones, crowns, robes, antiphonal exclamations, prostration. Why should the twenty-four elders not only fall down before the throne of God, but also throw their crowns at His feet, of all things? Does God need or require such lavish outward gestures of worship and self-abnegation? No. But we creatures of bodies and senses and imagination find in such outward acts and symbols the crown and completion of the worship in our hearts.

(Mr. Greydanus is a film critic and the proprietor of decentfilms.com.)

O Death, Where is Thy Sting?

Let all pious men and lovers of God rejoice in the splendour of this feast. Let the wise servants blissfully enter into the joy of their Lord. Let those who have born the burden of Lent now receive their pay. And those who have toiled since the first hour, let them now receive their due reward. Let anyone who came after the third hour be grateful to join the feast. And those who may have come after the sixth hour, let them not be afraid of being too late, for the Lord is gracious and He receives the last even as the first.

He gives rest to him who comes on the eleventh hour as well as to him who has toiled from the first. Yes, He has pity on the last and He serves the first. He rewards the one and is generous to the other. He repays the deed and praises the effort.

Come you all, enter into the joy of your Lord. You the first and you the last, receive alike your reward. You rich and you poor, dance together. You sober and you weaklings, celebrate the day. You who have kept the fast and you who have not, rejoice today. The table is richly laden, enjoy the royal banquet. The calf is a fatted one, let no one go away hungry.

All of you, enjoy the banquet of faith; all of you receive the riches of His goodness. Let no one grieve over his poverty, for the universal has been revealed. Let no one weep over his sins, for pardon has shone from the grave. Let no one fear death for the death of our Saviour has set us free. He has destroyed death by enduring it. He has despoiled Hades by going down into its kingdom. He has angered it by allowing it to taste of His flesh.

When Isaiah foresaw this, he cried, "O Hades, you have been angered by encountering Him in the nether world."

Hades is angered because it is frustrated. It is angered because it has been mocked. It is angered because it was destroyed. It is angered because it has been reduced to naught. It is angered because it is now captive. It seized a Body and, lo! It discovered God!

O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is risen and you are abolished! Christ is risen and the demons are cast down. Christ is risen and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen and life is freed. Christ is risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead. Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the Leader and Reviver of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power unto ages of ages. Amen.

St. John Chrystostom (349-407)

Rejoice!

[Listen]

Exultet iam angelica turba caelorum: exultent divina mysteria: et pro tanti Regis victoria tuba insonet salutaris.

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

Deacon: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Deacon: Lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them up to the Lord.
Deacon: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God, the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night
when first you saved our fathers:
you freed the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night
when the pillar of fire destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is the night
when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night
when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?
Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave you gave away your Son.

O happy fault,
O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights,
chosen by God to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day:
it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night dispels all evil,
washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father,
in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

(For it is fed by the melting wax,
which the mother bee brought forth
to make this precious candle.)

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night.

May the Morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star,
who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on all mankind,
your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Day He Died For You

Some Good Friday meditations:

Via Crucis slide show from Leticia
Physicians discuss Christ's death: at Mike Aquilina and Steve Ray
Virtual Stations of the Cross from Jerusalem
Wherein Lies The Kingdom? from Against the Grain
Leo the Great's Judgment Seat of the Lord, via Darth Beckman
Ubi Caritas video via Pauli
Hatred and the Chief of Sinners from Crunchy Con
The Passion from St. John, chanted in Latin

Finally, this video will bring you to tears - but you must watch it.

So Grandma Isn't Perfect

Obama's speech about race is drawing rather vicious attacks from Ann Coulter and other conservatives. Before I go on, let me be clear: I disagree with Barack Obama on almost every political issue. I do not want him to be president. I will never vote for him unless he makes some truly dramatic philosophical changes. I think many of his followers are a little wacky.

This, however, does not mean I automatically disagree with every word Obama says simply because he is the one saying it. The truth is the truth, even when it comes from the mouth of someone who is not part of my Tribe and with whom I have many other disagreements.

Speaking of Jeremiah Wright, his stridently opinionated pastor, Obama said this:

As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. He contains within him the contradictions – the good and the bad – of the community that he has served diligently for so many years.

I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.

These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.

Coulter uses this to accuse Obama of "throwing Grandma under the bus." Does this really make sense? I think of my own late grandfather. I heard him say things about black people that I thought, even as a child, didn't sound right. I've now learned they were absolutely wrong. Yet I loved him dearly. I know he wasn't perfect, and I don't respect him any less because of it. I think I understand how he came to have such attitudes. It was hard to think otherwise during the formative years of his life. If he were alive today, I would love him even as I disagreed with him.

I suspect most people can relate to this. We all have people in our lives that are close to us, but with whom we have significant differences. We find ways to get past the differences so we can enjoy the positive aspects of these relationships. So I have no problem believing that Obama loved his grandma at the same time he cringed at her remarks - and I don't expect him to disown her.

This is not, of course, the view of most people on the political right. To them, Obama is from the other tribe. He is a threat. He is the enemy, and must therefore be destroyed, whatever it takes. As noted above, I have no political sympathy for Obama, but this Grandma angle is a tactic I choose not to use. A few others agree. Here's Mark Shea:

Sorry, but I don't see that as "throwing grandma under the bus". I see it as pretty much resonating with my own experience of living in community with people who have real faults and sins on their heads. There are members of my family who were quite as unabashed in their racism as Obama's pastor or grandmother. There are people I love and care deeply about who hold opinions I find repellent or kooky. Hell, in my parish there are people with views on everything from Jews to 9/11 conspiracy theories I think are nutty. I've never believed people are binary. I think it's quite possible for the most saintly person to have some thoroughly disgusting streak of wickedness.

Steven Taylor at Poliblog:

To me, this was an intensely honest portion of the speech and one of the best arguments for explaining how Obama could tolerate things that Wright has said. I find the assertions noted above that this was throwing grandma “under the bus” to be a combination of disingenuous and ignorant.

First, this was not sacrificing his Grandmother for some political gain. For crying out loud, in this passage, the man is proclaiming his love for his grandmother, and noting how she is part of him. That is hardly throwing her under the bus–this is biography.

Second, what he is clearly saying is that people we love sometimes say things that we disagree with–even sometimes saying things that we find repugnant–and yet we still love them. What is so hard to understand about that? Now, I will grant that part of the reason I find this to be an honest and easily understandable portion of the speech is that I directly identified with it, as I have had older members of my family say things about race that have made me utterly cringe. Yet, oddly enough, I continued to love them. My guess is that most people have had this experience. As such, there is not bus-throwing here, but rather a simple reflection of a common occurrence in most of our lives.

The conservatives who attack Obama for these things are not helping their cause. They are, instead, allowing ideology to overcome common decency. I prefer the approach of Peggy Noonan, who reviewed Obama's speech and found it "strong, thoughtful and important."

Today is Good Friday, when we recall the suffering and death of One who loved us all, despite our many faults. It's a good time to remember the example Christ gave us. We can disagree with ideas without hating the one who holds them. Personally I have great difficulty with this, but I'm working on it.

Why I Love Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday may be my favorite Mass of the year, and not because of the procession or the palm branches. What I like is the Gospel reading. I do not know if this is common elsewhere, but in my parish the the Passion story is done with several people playing the different parts. A narrator reads most of it, with others voicing the words of the Disciples, Judas, Pontius Pilate, etc. The priest speaks the words of Christ - which in terms of quantity is a very small part.

The Gospel attributes some words not to any individual, but the "the crowd" that was present. So when we come to the part where the people cried out "Crucify Him!," the entire congregation speaks in unison. This is fitting, is it not? It reminds us that we are the reason He suffered and died. We demand "Give us Barabbas!" We taunt Him, saying "Hail, King of the Jews!" We say these things because people just like us said them on the terrible day so many years ago. We say these words so that we remember we are no better. It touches me in a way that listening to someone else read the same words, or reading them to myself alone, does not.

When the moment comes that Christ cries out and gives up His spirit, we pause, we kneel, and we reflect in silence for several minutes. Then we hear how the Temple veil was torn, the earth shook, the rocks were split and the tombs were opened. We think about how the world changed at that moment. For me, at least, it is a very moving part of the liturgy.

This is, incidentally, something that could also be done very effectively in Protestant and Evangelical services. I can think of no better way to get every individual in the congregation involved in the story. All you have to do is hand out a script to everyone (here is an example), assign parts to some of your leaders, and read it during the service. Families could also do it at home, with children assigned different parts. Since this reading doesn't include the Resurrection, it is best done during the season but before Easter Sunday.

Obama's Preacher

This week Barack Obama denounced a number of "inflammatory" statements made by his longtime pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I think it is a bit surprising that so many people are so upset by brief snippets of very long sermons. It would be nice to see them in full context before jumping to conclusions.

However, I will concede that Rev. Wright appears to have some far-left political views. Why, exactly, does this surprise anyone? Pulpits across America are regularly occupied by liberals of every color. It is more common in some denominations than others, but the things Rev. Wright said are not that unusual in certain quarters. He is just more forceful and colorful than most in expressing what he thinks.

It is also not news that Rev. Wright and Sen. Obama are close associates. Anyone who was paying attention to the presidential campaign knew all about Rev. Wright and his rhetoric over a year ago. Why is it suddenly a big deal? Perhaps because the media wishes it to be so?

I'm also not sure which of the things he says are so wrong. Rev. Wright thinks that black people still lack equality in America. He mentions the KKK and wants black Americans to embrace their African heritage. From this some people conclude he must be a kind of reverse racist. Yet this doesn't fit with the many self-help initiative his church has sponsored. Wright often, according to reports, exalts his black congregation to stand on its own feet and stop waiting for handouts. These are all good things. Furthermore, Wright's church is part of the largely white United Church of Christ denomination. None of this is consistent with the racist attitudes some think they see in him.

We also saw clips this week of Rev. Wright talking about U.S. military actions he thought to be atrocious, like the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Whether you agree with him or not, this is not exactly a fringe view. There are plenty of people from all backgrounds who think Truman should not have used nuclear weapons. Among these are many preachers, teachers, professors, popes, politicians, diplomats and war heroes.

The one thing that probably resonates the most is the clip of Wright saying "G-- D--- America." This is from a sermon he preached right after 9-11, the theme of which seems to have been that we in America brought the attacks on ourselves. Again, this is not an unusual view. Last year on the sixth anniversary of 9-11 I posted this speech and video by Rev. John Corapi suggesting much the same thing, albeit for different reasons. Many, many pastors made similar comments about God using the terrorists to send a message to America. Wright's crime seems to be that he said it a little louder.

If you're wondering whether I have gone off the deep end here, calm down. I will never vote for Obama as long as he favors legal abortion and infanticide. There are plenty of reasons to hope he never becomes president. What I'm saying is that the fact he has a fiery, opinionated pastor is not one of those reasons. I feel sure that every politician in both parties has some close associates who have said outrageous things. What counts is what the person who wants our vote thinks, and what he intends to do if elected.

Frankly, I'm glad that Obama at least has a pastor and professes some semblance of Christian belief. It gives us hope that he will someday see the error of his ways. A crazy pastor is better than no pastor at all.

An Invitation Home

Watching this video moved me to tears. Here is a direct link to YouTube in case you don't see it below.



It comes from a group called Catholics Come Home which seeks to bring lapsed Catholics back into the Church. The narration is as powerful as the images. This line struck me:

"For centuries we have prayed for you, and our world, every hour of every day, whenever we celebrate the Mass..."

This is no exaggeration. Every minute of the day, Mass is being offered around the globe, and in each Mass the faithful pray that all the world will be brought to Christ. It is a profound and humbling thought. Centuries ago, people were praying for me. Did they know my name? No, but the God to whom they prayed does know me, and knows you. Because God exists outside of time, in a kind of eternal Now, He knew us a thousand years ago just as well as He knows us today. He knew by name every soul for whom those prayers were offered.

By God's grace these centuries of prayer were answered, and I was brought home. Like those who prayed for me decades and centuries ago, I'm praying for you - and for those who will come after us. God loves you and calls you, but because He loves you He gives you a choice. I pray you find your way Home.

(Hat tip to The Catholic Knight for posting this video.)

Baptist-Catholic Dialogue

Someone drew my attention to this article from Baptist Press about Baptist-Catholic ecumenical talks that are currently underway in Rome. That reminded me of this story from Zenit back in December about the Pope's welcoming address to the same group.

Since the substance and results of the meetings are not yet known, the Baptist Press article mainly quotes other people who are not involved in the current talks. Their opinions generally boil down to this: "Sure, we can agree about abortion and stuff, but we'll never get anywhere on the theological issues. Those Catholics just won't admit they're wrong and we're right." Here is a good example from Steve Lemke, provost of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary:

"First of all, it bears noting that the pope initiated dialogue with Muslims before he did so with Baptists," Lemke said. "Secondly, in the light of Pope Benedict's repeated strong and unambiguous statements that Protestant churches 'suffer from defects' and 'cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called 'Churches' in the proper sense,' genuine dialogue appears to be impossible."

I discussed the differences regarding the term "Church" in this post last summer. News flash: Catholics and Baptists actually believe different things! Why this would surprise a seminary professor is a mystery. No doubt Rev. Lemke thinks the Catholic Church "suffers from defects." That is why he is Baptist and not Catholic. Yet the fact that Catholics have similar thoughts about Baptists seems to aggravate him, enough so that he thinks "genuine dialogue" is impossible. Weird.

The shot about the Pope speaking to Muslims first also needs a response. I feel sure that the Pope would love to reach out to all other religions and the various branches of Christianity as quickly as possible. There are many branches, of course, so he has to prioritize. I can think of at least three reasons why dialogue with Muslims might be prioritized ahead of dialogue with Baptists:

1. Muslims were first in line. Muhammad died in A.D. 632. The Baptist World Alliance was formed in A.D. 1905.
2. There are more Muslims in the world than Baptists. Far more, in fact - over a billion Muslims vs. less than 100 million Baptists, depending which of the many sub-groups you include.
3. Baptists are not currently engaged in acts of violence against Catholics around the world. Various groups of Muslims are. This lends a certain urgency to opening dialogue with Muslim leaders as soon as possible.

I'm sorry if Rev. Lemke feels that the Pope did not move quickly enough to begin these talks that Rev. Lemke has already decided will be useless. As you can see, Baptists are not the only group the Vatican has to consider. The important thing is that dialogue is now underway.

I think the Baptists who fret that such talks are a waste of time are missing the point. The Pope is well aware of the theological differences between Baptists and Catholics. He does not expect the Baptist representatives to compromise their beliefs. Likewise the Catholic delegates will defend their church's teaching.

The fact that Christianity is divided into so many factions is a great scandal. It prevents us from setting an example to the fallen world. If we want to follow Christ, we need to work toward unity, but without compromising Truth. What needs to happen is for all the different groups to come to the same understanding of what the Truth is. The way to accomplish that is to talk about it - not throw up your hands and say "This will never go anywhere."

What would be nice is for Catholics and Baptists to at least understand each other's beliefs. Having been on both sides of this divide, I can testify there are plenty of prejudices and misperceptions by Catholics and Baptists about each other. There are real differences, too. Removing the stereotypes is a necessary step toward discussing the more important issues in a serious way. This is why interfaith dialogue is useful even if no one changes his mind about anything.

Change comes slowly, bit by bit. Christianity was unified for its first thousand years. In that time, the Gospel spread like wildfire through the known world. The Great Schism and the Reformation were the result of human weakness. Putting the pieces back together is not an easy task. It may take another thousand years but it must be done, and the effort cannot be abandoned no matter how hard it looks. We have to keep planting seeds, even knowing that we may not live to see them sprout.

Ash Wednesday Reflections

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. From now until Easter we are called to meditate on our sinfulness and practice repentance. Here is an informative article on the customs of Lent. Red Cardigan and Teofilo have good reflections about the season. So does Darth Beckman.

Today's Gospel Reading from Matthew 6 is a good primer on what to do during Lent (and the rest of the year, too, but especially now). That is why it will be read out loud today in every Catholic church around the world. For those of other traditions, here it is:

1 "Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 "Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,

4 so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

5 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

16 "And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,

18 that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Mercy for the Unspeakable

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.

Rod Dreher shared a terrible story on his blog yesterday. In Massachusetts, a 6-year-old boy was raped by a convicted sex offender in the public library. The boy's mother was nearby; the rapist lured the boy behind some shelves and he was too paralyzed by fear to cry for help. Here is more from the NY Times and AP.

When we see stories like this, the visceral reaction is usually to wish pain, suffering, and death on anyone who would do such things to a child. In the rush to condemn we sometimes forget that the offender is human, too. His name is Corey Saunders, and here is a bit of his background.

Court records show that Mr. Saunders’s mother left him when he was 9. At 14 he was found wandering the streets clutching a teddy bear and was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward for a month...

Saunders, 26, was convicted in 2001 of indecent assault and battery and attempted rape on a child for attacking a 7-year-old boy in a foster home where he was placed. He was released about a year ago by a judge even though prosecutors and three psychologists said he was likely to strike again.

Bristol Superior Court Judge Richard Moses denied a motion by the district attorney's office to keep Saunders in custody under what is called a civil commitment... Moses cited Saunders' low IQ, his history of being sexually abused as a child and his lack of sexual offenses in prison as reasons to let him out. Also, a psychologist for the defense said Saunders was not likely to attack again.

Obviously the judge made a terrible mistake, but the rest of us have to share the blame. Such things are the inevitable result of the decision we as a society made back in the 1960s to "de-institutionalize" the mentally ill (which anyone who rapes a 6 year old clearly is, by definition). In most states it is practically impossible to force people like Saunders to accept any kind of treatment against their will unless they are "imminently" dangerous - which usually means gun in hand, finger on trigger. You have a constitutional right to be crazy in America.

A lot of these people would be fine if they just took medicine regularly. Instead of making them do so, we abandon them to their own private hell. They end up living on the streets, in prison, or dead. It is no accident that this crime happened where it did; in many cities public libraries have become de facto day care centers for homeless people, especially when it is cold outside. Since many homeless people are mentally ill, it should surprise no one if they commit crimes in libraries. It will continue to happen until we fix the mental health system.

Both Corey Saunders and society will finally get what they need now: separation. Hopefully he will get some effective treatment as well, but he sounds like a tough case. I would bet that his mother who abandoned him was herself mentally ill. There are strong genetic connections to these things.

I began this article with a verse from the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Does Corey Saunders deserve mercy? No, he doesn't. None of us do. Yet the Lord expects us to show mercy if we want to receive mercy ourselves. And mercy is something we will all need when we face Him in judgment.

This is a hard teaching to follow. We want vengeance against people who do these things. Yet vengeance has no place in the life of a Christian; God reserves that right to Himself. From us he expects mercy, and particularly toward the weak and helpless.

It is ironic that some Christian "pro-life" advocates turn so bloodthirsty in these situations. People with serious mental illness are not morally culpable for their actions, any more than the unborn babies we fight so hard to protect. The very concept of "punishing" such people ought to be repugnant to anyone who really cares about defending innocent life.

Yes, we need to protect society from such persons. Lock them up for life if necessary. But we owe them mercy at the same time. This is an area where we have failed miserably as a society. Men like Corey Saunders, and a little boy he met in the library, are both paying the price.

Generic Churches

Last week Rod Dreher had this post about the question of Baptist churches taking the word "Baptist" from their names. This is a growing trend in Evangelical Christianity. Many large "megachurches" either have no denominational affiliation at all, or downplay it if they do. Ditto for thousands of tiny storefront churches that can be found throughout the U.S.

Why is this? Moreover, why do independent churches seem to be growing so quickly? I have a theory. When a local congregation aligns itself with a denomination, whether Baptist, Lutheran, or whatever, they are making a statement. The statement is this: "We are part of something bigger and broader. There are certain things about this church that are distinctive and non-negotiable. This is who we are."

This sort of thing is not consistent with modern American culture, in which we expect everything to be customized, adaptable, and personalized. When a church has "Baptist" in its name, people think this: "If I go there, they might say things I don't want to hear! I won't be re-affirmed in my desire to do whatever I want! I may even be told there are parts of my life I ought to change!"

It is far easier and more pleasant for most people to go to a church that doesn't ask much of them. The generic churches offer entertainment and a sense of community. In many cases they do a lot of good work by helping people deal with life and its problems. This is great - but is it enough? Shouldn't there be something more? Something transcendent and eternal? Something that goes beyond this life and anticipates the next one? Is the generic church really the church Christ founded?

No, it isn't. Christ gave us one Church, and He didn't intend for it to be some squishy "I'm ok, you're ok" concert hall where everyone has a good time and believes whatever they want to believe. He prayed at the Last Supper that we would be one, that we would be brought to perfection as one. The Apostle Paul wrote this:

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

Paul did not endorse generic Christianity. He said that the Church of the Living God is the pillar and foundation of the truth. Pillars aren't supposed to break. Foundations are supposed to be firm. You don't want your pillar and foundation shifting itself around because it thinks "circumstances are different now."

A church with no foundation is no church at all. Yes, it may look strong enough for now. Yet it will not last. Human weakness will let it start to crumble, and time will bring down its walls. The true Church is built on a rock and the the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Christ Himself told us so. Any church not built on that rock will not last - no matter what it calls itself.

New Day's Resolutions

I've never been much for New Year's resolutions. I know they will fall by the wayside within a few weeks, if not days, so it's easy to say "Why bother?"

Jen has the answer in another excellent Et Tu post. It comes to us from Pope Blessed John XXIII, who wrote something called the Decalogue for Daily Living. This is a kind of ten commandments, with a twist: you just have to follow them for just one day. We can handle anything for just one day, right? With that success under your belt, just do it again the next day. Breaking the big challenges into small pieces makes success a lot easier.

That's the theory, at least. It's plausible enough that I feel like giving it a try this year. Here's the list:

Daily Decalogue of Pope John XXIII

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.
   
   
2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.
   
   
3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.
   
   
4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.
   
   
5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.
   
   
6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.
   
   
7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices.
   
   
8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.
   
   
9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.
   
   
10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

Admittedly, anyone who actually manages to do all these things even for one day ought to be a candidate for sainthood. Nonetheless they are worthy goals for 2008. Give them a try. And be sure to read Jen's post for some more good thoughts.

Happiness vs. Peace

Jen at Et Tu? has an insightful post about our attempts to find happiness. She is reacting to one of those don't-worry-be-happy sayings people pass around in e-mail:

Our culture takes it for granted that the pursuit of happiness is a worthy and important goal. I always believed that too. But having observed the fruits of that worldview in my parents' generation, and having lived most of my life that way myself, I've come to believe that it ultimately leads to misery.

That last line, "never regret anything that made you smile," brings to mind so many examples of just where this worldview leads us astray. Sure, I smiled when I held my newborn baby or when I got married. But I also smiled that time I told a joke at another person's expense that got big laughs; I smiled when a dangerously unhealthy diet plan allowed me to be considered attractive by society's standards but left me at a weight that was clinically anorexic; I smiled when I heard that something bad happened to someone I really disliked. All of these things made me happy. None of them brought me peace.

I've come to believe that when we chase happiness, what we really want is peace.

Click here to read the rest. Jen's post matches something I've only recently started to figure out for myself. We all pursue things we think will make us happy - money, power, sex, drugs, sports, whatever. Maybe they do make us happy - but then we learn happiness isn't enough. We still don't have peace. Moreover, happiness for ourselves can often mean unhappiness for others.

How do you find peace? I can't claim to have the complete answer. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with discerning God's will and then accepting it. A lot of times this will lead us away from our own desires and toward helping others. There we often find peace and true happiness.

Is this easy? No, far from it. That's why there are so many unhappy people. Our propensity to sin discourages us from doing the things that will bring true peace. Yet we all have within us the ability to find peace. Take the first step, and God will lead you the rest of the way.

When Did God Become Man?

I had a new (for me, at least) thought about Christmas this year. We hear all the time that Christmas marks the day when God became man through the birth of Jesus. Is this correct? Actually it's a little more complicated.

We who are pro-life believe that human life begins not at birth, but at conception. That's when a unique human being comes into existence, and when a new eternal soul is created. To be consistent, then, we should really say that Christ became man not on Christmas, but nine months earlier when the Holy Spirit caused Mary to conceive the baby Jesus. We are told of this in Luke 1: 26-38, just before the more familiar Christmas story.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

This is called the Annunciation and was an important date in the Christian calendar beginning in the fifth century, at least. To this day it is celebrated by the Catholic, Orthodox and some mainstream Protestant churches on or about March 25 - nine months before Christmas. This is also about the same time as Easter, depending on how the moon phases fall in any given year. Indeed, many early Christians believed Christ died on the anniversary of His conception, which they also thought to be the same day the world was created. This genealogy lives on today in the Proclamation of Christmas, which is sung at the beginning of Midnight Mass.

The two holy days, Annunciation and Nativity, are each important in their own ways. Christmas has obviously grown to be a bigger occasion. Maybe this is because it marks the day Christ became visible in human form to His mother as well as the shepherds, Magi and the entire world. Yet He had been fully human for nine months at that point. A subtle distinction, perhaps, but one that matters.

Huckabee's Cross

Mike Huckabee's Christmas commercial (video) outraged both secularists and some Christians. I don't have a problem with politicians wishing the public a Merry Christmas or, as Huckabee did, talking about how Christ is too often missing from the season. Huckabee is a preacher and it's fine for him to let people know what is important to him.

However there comes a point when the religious imagery goes too far. The bookshelf/Cross that appears behind Huckabee in the ad may have been coincidental. The way the camera pans across the room makes me wonder, though. Peggy Noonan says these things don't happen by accident.

In 1989 there was an uproar about this "artistic" photograph of a Crucifix immersed in a jar of urine, at taxpayer expense no less. It was a blasphemous outrage. I'm not sure that dropping the Cross into a political campaign, however subtly, is a great deal more appropriate.

Be that as it may, Noonan's column mentions something else that I thought was interesting.

In an interview this week with David Brody of CBN, Huckabee said people everywhere were coming to him and saying, "We are claiming Isaiah 54 for you, that the weapons formed against you will not prosper."

This language calls to mind the "Name it and Claim it" theology of certain fundamentalists like Kenneth Copeland. Sometimes it is called the "Positive Confession" or "Word of Faith" movement. These people believe that God wants us to be healthy, wealthy and successful. In their view, if we simply pray hard and show our faith God will give us what we ask for. Those who are poor and sick obviously don't have enough faith.

Needless to say, I don't accept this view. Does Huckabee? I don't know, but he's the one who brought it up. At the very least it's an odd choice of words. It's also an odd interpretation of Isaiah 54, in which the prophet describes "New Zion," the restored and glorified Israel. If, in fact, some of Huckabee's supporters are "claiming" this chapter for him, they seem to be equating their candidate with God's Chosen People. Maybe they don't mean it that way, but the implication is inescapable.

They might want to read the whole chapter, too. The line about weapons is in verse 17. Back up a little to verse 4, where we read "You will forget the shame of your youth." This is not politically helpful. What part of Huckabee's youth was shameful, and why did he forget it? Inquiring minds want to know.

While I still support Ron Paul, I was initially open to Huckabee. Some bloggers I greatly respect like The Catholic Knight are pushing for him. He may be the best available option, all things considered. Yet as I learn more, I still can't muster much enthusiasm for Huckabee. The most I can say is that he seems sincere in his faith and is on the right side of the life and social issues.

In other words, Huckabee is essentially George W. Bush without the pedigree: a big-government conservative who wants to save the world. If you liked Bush, you'll love Huckabee.

Think I'm wrong? Leave a comment and tell me why.