Easter

As I promised yesterday, I am back with a heaping helping of information about Holy Week. Today I will be talking about Easter services in the Catholic Church. The date of Easter varies from year to year, but is always on a Sunday between the dates of March 22 to April 25.Many Catholics have become accustomed in recent years to fulfilling their Sunday obligation by attending Mass Saturday afternoon or evening. Once again, the Triduum interrupts our routine. There are no anticipated "Easter Masses" on Holy Saturday evening. We gather for a vigil. The dictionary explains that a vigil is "a purposeful or watchful staying awake during the ordinary hours of sleep." This is what we do on Holy Saturday night. We gather; we wait; we watch. We keep vigil. We wait with the catechumens (those seeking entrance into the Catholic faith). We wait with the generations of those longing for Christ to rise from the tomb. Vigil Masses are held after sunset of Holy Saturday, or before dawn on Easter Day. There are many rituals, symbols, and signs in the vigil Mass that signify the coming of the risen Lord.

There are visible changes in the church on this night. The statues of Jesus, or any other saints, which have been veiled during the Passion (most usually throughout Lent), are unveiled for the vigil. We veil, or cover, our statues during Lent because it is a time of repentance and suffering, in which we are not worthy of looking upon the images of the holy. The deep colors used throughout Lent are removed and replaced with bright colors. White, often together with gold, is used for garments and vestments while yellow and white flowers are often in use around the altar.

As the natural light of day fades away, we turn our attention to the light that is Christ. We gather around a fire and we think of Christ, the light of God's glory. And from this special fire, we light our most beautiful candle. On Holy Thursday the entire church is darkened when all the candles and lamps are extinguished. Then, on Saturday, a special fire is lit and blessed. This represents the risen Christ, whose light dispelled the darkness (death). The Paschal candle is the first candle to be lit with this sacred flame; it represents the light of Christ which has come into the world. In most cases today the candle will display the Greek letters alpha and omega (the beginning and the end), together with the year indicated at the base. Five grains of incense in red are embedded in it to represent the wounds of Jesus Christ (from the nails in each hand and foot and the spear in the side). Throughout the year, the Paschal candle is lit in all instances of baptism and in the rituals of death: funeral, Mass of Repose and Mass of Requiem. As the light of this Paschal candle enters the church, its light spreads to the candles held by each member of the worshiping community. Our feelings during this unique ritual experience are expressed in song: "Exult, all creation, around God's throne! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen! ...This is our Passover feast....This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave....O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam, which gained for us so great a Redeemer!" (Roman Missal). In this light we keep watch. And as we wait around this special fire…the Paschal candle…we tell our story: Creation, Abraham's sacrifice, our passing through the Red Sea. Our joy and anticipation grow and we sing, "Glory to God in the highest" (a hymn we have not used since Lent began).

The Letter of Paul to the Romans makes explicit the fact that this is our resurrection night. "Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus / were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, / so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, / we too might live in newness of life" (6:3-4). We stand and joyfully sing "Alleluia" (a word we have not heard for 40 days) and the Gospel of the Resurrection is proclaimed: Christ is risen!

People desiring to be Roman Catholics (catechumens/candidates) who have completed their training in a Catholic church are formally initiated as members of the faith the Church through the Sacraments of Initiation (baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist). The catechumens now come forward and enter the waters of Baptism and rise from the tomb/womb of the baptismal font to Easter life with the risen Christ. After the elect are baptized and confirmed, the Church turns to its members and asks: "Do you reject sin? Do you believe? Do you wish to renew your Baptism?" The answers to these questions are two simple words: "I do." Simple words, but for a bride and groom on their wedding day these simple words "I do" contain years of history and even more years of promise. Similarly the "I do" of our baptismal vows is much more than two simple words. In this "I do" we renew all that this holy night promises so that in the Eucharist we can share with the newly baptized the Food and Drink that take the sting out of death and assures eternal victory. This renewal of the baptismal promises is the pinnacle of the Lenten journey. We fast and pray for forty days in the anticipation that we will be able to renew our vows with God.

On the day of Easter the Masses, held throughout the day, are similar in content to the Easter Vigil Mass. However, the Sacraments of Initiation are not performed, and the ritual of the Paschal candle is not performed (the candle is placed next to the ambo, or podium, throughout the Easter celebration). The colors in the church are still white, gold, and yellow signifying the glory of the resurrection.

In the Catholic Church, the journey of Christ's death and resurrection does not end on Easter day. The day of Easter is just the beginning of a new season in the Church that is a glorious contrast to the solemn season of Lent. The Easter season extends from the Easter Vigil through Pentecost Sunday on the Catholic calendar, normally the fiftieth day after Easter. On the calendar used by traditional Catholics, Eastertide lasts until the end of the Octave of Pentecost, at Noon of the following Ember Saturday. The Easter octave allows for no other feasts to be celebrated or commemorated during it (possible exception is the Greater Litanies if Easter falls later in the year). If Easter is so early that March 25 falls in Easter week, the feast of the Annunciation is postponed to the following week. Ascension is the fortieth day of Easter, always a Thursday. I will discuss the ins and outs of the Ascension and Pentecost in the Catholic Church as they approach.

About a year ago I subscribed to a diet and exercise magazine but didn't lose a pound. I read the magazines, pored over the articles, but didn't do the exercises. In this blog and the one yesterday I've discussed the Holy Week liturgies. I can only hope that you have read and enjoyed both of them. Now I encourage you to "do the exercises." Go and experience these beautiful rites. Participate actively in the Holy Week services and together we will enter more deeply into the death of Christ "so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, / we too might live in newness of life."

Holy Week

I keep trying to think of things to write about and every time I come up with something, it just seems too involved to make into a relatively short blog. So, instead, I will write about the most important thing going on in my life right now…Easter. As a Catholic we start celebrating the actual Easter holiday on Palm Sunday and build up through the holy week. Yesterday was Holy Thursday and today is Good Friday, the beginning of the Easter Triduum. I have detailed some of the important facts about these days in the Catholic faith so that you may understand why we don’t just focus on Easter day alone. Today is also Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, which I can celebrate because I have bread now! So, I’m going to make a PB&J and try to get some school work done.

The Easter Triduum
The Easter Triduum…Holy Thursday evening through Easter Sunday evening…is the "high point" of the Church Year. The Latin word triduum means "a three-day period." We use the word to name collectively Friday (which in the Hebrew way of reckoning begins Thursday evening), Saturday and Sunday.

Holy Thursday
The Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper preserves two ancient traditions that were once common to every Eucharist. First, the Mass begins with the tabernacle entirely empty. We receive Holy Communion this evening from the bread and wine consecrated at this Mass, not from a previous Mass. Second, the entire community is gathered at this one Eucharist, with all the priests, ministers and parishioners celebrating one Eucharist together. The opening prayer sets the tone: "We are gathered here to share in the supper which your only Son left to his Church to reveal his love."

We might expect the Gospel for this Mass of the Lord's Supper to be one of the accounts of the institution of the Eucharist (Mt 26:26-29, Mk 14:22-25, Lk 22:14-20). Instead, the Church presents Jesus washing the feet of his disciples (Jn 13:1-15). And not only do we hear about Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, but we see and experience it. The leader of the parish community takes off his Mass vestment and takes water and a towel and washes the feet of parishioners. For many years I thought that washing feet was somehow "out of place" on this solemn night when we gather to celebrate the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Little by little through the years as I have watched feet being washed and had my own feet washed, I've found this ritual to be the most meaningful homily and commentary on the Eucharist. It gets to the very heart of what the Eucharist means. We gather to thank Jesus for the gift of the Eucharist; but the liturgy calls us to go deeper. The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is not an end in itself; it reminds us to go out and do as Christ did…humbling himself to serve others.

Following the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the Eucharist which will be shared tomorrow during the liturgy of Good Friday is taken in procession to a tabernacle prepared for it, and the church is prepared for Good Friday. "Then the altar is stripped and, if possible, the crosses are removed from the church. It is desirable to cover any crosses which remain in the church" (Roman Missal).

Good Friday
The liturgy of Good Friday is the most sober of the entire Church year…restrained and straightforward. The altar is bare, without cloths, candles or cross. There is no Mass: "according to the Church's ancient tradition, the sacraments are not celebrated today or tomorrow" (Roman Missal). It is a day of fasting. There are no greetings, genuflections, opening songs, processions. We simply come and prostrate in humble submission before the Word and the glorious cross of Christ.

The Gospel reading is the proclamation of the Passion according to John. If we listen closely we find that this Passion account is very different from the one we heard on the previous Sunday. In John's Gospel, Jesus' power and majesty shine through. Jesus is in control of everything that happens. He carries his cross alone. He is victorious on the cross. Jesus reigns from the tree. The cross is our glory. The instrument of death is the instrument of salvation.

The third part of the Good Friday liturgy is unique to this day. A large cross is brought forward. It is unveiled and presented to us. We approach the wood of the cross, the instrument of torture, cruelty and death, and we reverence it with a touch or a kiss! If it were not for the eyes of faith we could never understand this strange, indeed bizarre action: seeing glory in the cross. For some today this might not seem strange because the cross has been tamed and domesticated by our constantly seeing the cross only as a religious symbol or a piece of art.

The Good Friday rites conclude with a simple Communion service with the Eucharist from Holy Thursday's liturgy. Holy Saturday is a day of quiet waiting and preparation for the Easter Vigil. Tomorrow I will continue my discussion of Holy Week by detailing the unique practices of Mass on the pinnacle of the Church calendar…Easter.

It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time

I’m getting antsy. I don’t get antsy. But, I’m getting antsy. Why would I be getting this way? What would cause such irritation? It’s been three days since I’ve been able to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Three whole days! That’s a lifetime for someone who usually has PB&J every day. This isn’t like a little kid either, who gets the magic of peanut butter and jelly packed in their lunch by their parents. This is the pleasure of accomplishing the art of the perfect PB&J and satisfying your hunger at the same time. I haven’t had peanut butter and jelly in so long because I am out of bread. I don’t have new money until April 1. The financial crunch has hit me in the form of not having bread to make sandwiches. Yes, maybe I overspent last month and I’ve run dry due to my need for some other things, but that will not happen again now that I know the consequences. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is an artform. It is perfecting the correct ratio of peanut butter to jelly, choosing the best peanut butter, the best jelly, not having bread that is too thick and making sure that neither the peanut butter nor the jelly makes its way out of the sandwich during consumption. After years of hating PB&J throughout childhood, I have come into the land of loving it. This may seem trivial to some of you, but having given up most processed and heat then eat types of food for Lent (including fast food) has made peanut butter and jelly the staple of my eating for the past thirty some-odd days. Plus, PB&J is Friday Fast approved, which means I know I can enjoy it any day during the Lenten season. Now I don’t know if I’d ever go back. PB&J is at the top of my list when it comes to making a meal.

It’s something that almost all of us have come into contact with at some point during our lives, but how much do we know about it. Like did you know that there’s a PB&J Day? The timing of this blog couldn’t be more appropriate because it’s this Friday. That's right, Friday, April 2 is officially PB&J Day, an event created by the PB&J Campaign to promote that most healthy, eco-friendly of sandwiches. The PB&J is a sandwich popular in North America that includes a layer of peanut butter and either jam or jelly on bread, commonly between two slices, but sometimes eaten open-faced. A 2002 survey showed the average American will have eaten 1,500 of these sandwiches before graduating from high school. Formally created by Julia Chandler in 1901, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich was then considered a delicacy. Served as a meal staple in World War II, it quickly became popular in American homes thereafter. Other nut butters, such as almond, cashew, soybean, sunflower, or hazelnut/Nutella (cocoa flavored hazelnut butter) are sometimes used to make similar sandwiches. Many jams and jellies are used to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, though most commonly dark berries such as grape(my favorite) or blackberry are used because the flavor goes well with peanut butter. Some variants add honey, syrup, chocolate, marshmallows, raisins, bananas, butter, marshmallow fluff, other dried fruit, or another slice of bread. A combination of peanut butter and Nutella is also popular, as is peanut butter with honey or bananas instead of the jelly. The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a high energy food, peanut butter being high in fat (and hence calories), jelly in calories from sugar, and bread in calories from starch. The peanut butter provides protein, and the bread, depending upon type, some dietary fiber. Like I said, it’s a magic food.

Now I’ll give you some peanut butter and jelly tips in order to make a proper sandwich. For a good sandwich, the peanut butter should be smooth and easy to spread. One way to achieve this is to store peanut butter at room temperature. The smooth texture should have no lumps or chunks of peanuts. Smooth peanut butter is the most popular texture of peanut butter paired up with jelly in a sandwich. Two tablespoons is the recommended serving size for the average diet. When combined in a sandwich, jelly adds sweetness to each bite, finished off with the saltiness of the peanut butter. Jelly comes in a variety of flavors. Smucker's is one of the most renowned jelly brands in the world and a great choice for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Jelly is made from real fruit juice or crushed berries. Jelly, because of its consistency should be spread on after the peanut butter for proper distribution on the sandwich. Jelly should be refrigerated after opening to preserve freshness. Deciding what bread to make a sandwich with is entirely up to the person eating the sandwich. Bread can be either room temperature or refrigerated. Some prefer the softness of bread at room temperature while others find the peanut butter and jelly easier to spread on refrigerated bread. Follow these very simple rules and guidelines and you will have the perfect PB&J in under a minute, depending on your spreading speed.

Even if you don't know how to cook, you can make a PB&J sandwich! It only takes 4 steps, though there are many ways that the steps can be completed based on personal preference. It should go roughly like this: spread peanut butter, clean knife, spread jelly, and press together. It’s that easy. So, on Friday when you are thinking about what you’re going to have for lunch (or dinner…or even breakfast), remember that it is PB&J Day.

Religious Mysteries: The Shroud of Turin

In a two-hour TV special on the History Channel, which aired last night, computer artists claim to have recreated the face of Jesus Christ using digital technology. The image was created by taking information and blood encoded on the Turin Shroud and transforming it into a 3-D image. I watched this show due to my sheer curiosity about what they would find. I know some facts about the Turin Shroud and I know a lot of the speculation as well. I felt like the show used the right about of scientific fact, educated skepticism, and blind faith to create a show that doesn’t prove the Turin Shroud is the actually burial shroud of the man known as Jesus Christ, nor does it completely discredit the Turin Shroud as a fake. In fact, the show came to the same conclusion that most educated people who have come in contact with the shroud…it is a mystery. In light of the coming Easter holiday, I want to touch on this truly great mystery of Christianity.

The Shroud of Turin (or Turin Shroud) is a linen cloth bearing the image of a man who appears to have suffered physical trauma in a manner consistent with crucifixion. It is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, northern Italy. The origins of the shroud and its image are the subject of intense debate among scientists, theologians, historians and researchers. Some contend that the shroud is the cloth placed on the body of Jesus Christ at the time of his burial, and that the face image is the Holy Face of Jesus. Others contend that the artifact postdates the Crucifixion of Jesus by more than a millennium. Both sides of the argument use science and historical documents to make their case. The image on the shroud is much clearer in black-and-white negative than in its natural sepia color. The striking negative image was first observed on the evening of May 28, 1898, on the reverse photographic plate of amateur photographer Secondo Pia, who was allowed to photograph it while it was being exhibited in the Turin Cathedral. 

It is said that the Shroud of Turin is the most studied artifact in the world. Yet, after 100 years of scientific inquiry, we are left, ultimately, with the same possibilities that shroud viewers shared in the 1800’s and before: The shroud is either a genuine relic or an icon. (A relic is either the remainder of a saint or a sacred object that has come into contact with a saint’s body, or, in this case, with Jesus. An icon is a sacred image created to awaken people’s faith.) If it was a hoax, its own history has made it into an icon. The Church has never made an official ruling on the shroud. Pope John Paul II believed the image drew people to Christ, and in fact, he had stated that he considers the shroud authentic. That’s a pretty heavy endorsement, but the Church does not consider the shroud’s authenticity a matter of faith. Therefore Catholics are free to draw their own conclusions. If its roots can be traced to the ancient Icon of Edessa, as some claim, then the shroud might well be the source of many ancient images of Jesus. From 50 until 1204, there was a faint image of Jesus’ face on a cloth enshrined in two ancient cities. Iconographers copied that face. It had been brought to Constantinople, the seat of the Byzantine Empire, from Edessa, a town in southern Asia Minor that was one of the first Christian cities. Historians speculate that the earliest Christians could easily have brought the shroud from Jerusalem to Edessa. One theory is that the face was discovered to be part of an entire body image at some point during its later years in Constantinople. Though there was a major, well-documented parade and ceremony for the arrival of the Edessa icon at Constantinople, there is no mention ever of a shroud’s arrival. Yet after 1157 there begins to be mention of a burial shroud of Jesus in the records of tourists who visited Constantinople. During the shameful Fourth Crusade, when European knights occupied and looted Constantinople, the burial shroud disappeared. That was about 150 years before the shroud that is now in Turin first showed up in the possession of a French knight, Geoffroy de Charney. He may be related to another Geoffroy de Charney, a monk-knight whose order collected and safeguarded religious relics. The links among these events are tenuous, and certainly debatable.

If it’s a relic, the Shroud of Turin is invaluable. It would be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, bearing an imprint of Christ’s body, perhaps at the moment of the Resurrection. But what if it’s not real? Father Frederick Brinkmann, president of the U.S.-based Holy Shroud Guild, says the shroud would still be of tremendous value even if it isn’t authentic. Since the shroud supports the Passion narratives of the Gospel it puts us in touch with the Lord’s passion and death. He notes that the man on the Shroud of Turin bears the scourge marks, marks in the head that would suggest a crown of thorns, nail marks in the hands and in the feet, and the wound in the side. Especially the crown of thorns and the wound in the side and the lack of broken bones mark the crucifixion of Christ uniquely. Father Brinkmann seems typical of many well-educated people who are drawn to the shroud. The considerable numbers of people who write books and give lectures on the shroud tend to be scientists, he observes. That is especially true after an international team of 40 scientists and forensics experts known as STURP (Shroud of Turin Research Project) studied the shroud for five days straight in 1978. That team did a battery of tests that included even a computer imaging process developed by NASA to create 3-D maps of Mars. The 3-D image that resulted is evidence that the shroud image was not painted. No medieval painting could produce a proportional 3-D image. There are seemingly countless angles to shroud research, and each inquiry seems to have its advocates and foes. There is Swiss crime investigator Dr. Max Frei’s theory that pollen particles on the shroud prove it has been in Asia Minor and in the Middle East, even in the Jerusalem vicinity, at some point in its history. That would have to be before it turned up in France, since the Turin shroud hasn’t left Europe since.

So how’s that for a story? Experts taking opposing sides viewing the same evidence…that seems unavoidable when it comes to the shroud. Meanwhile, the faithful throng to the shroud during instances when it is on display, simply praying for the Lord’s presence. Father Brinkmann of the Holy Shroud Guild puts things into perspective. He says he considers the shroud "the real McCoy," but doesn’t make it the center of his faith: "For me, it’s a curious relic. If it were determined to be absolutely false, to have nothing to do with Christianity, I would let it go in an instant, and it wouldn’t affect my faith." In the meantime, preservation of the shroud has become an issue. The shroud will remain in Turin, but it has been decided that the shroud will never be rolled up again. There is talk of a hermetically sealed, leaded crystal display case that would protect the shroud from further harm for future generations. Those generations might develop new ways to determine the date of its creation and discover how the image was created. These things have natural answers because the thing exists in nature. Until then the shroud will continue to be an enigma based on the Passion and the mystical thing that happened to Christ in the Resurrection. The tantalizing notion that this is a relic of the Resurrection itself is far too great for any Christian to simply dismiss it.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil...

Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle;
be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray:
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

This is hard to write about. Currently it is a hot topic running through the web and major news sources like wild fire. This seems to happen every few years now like a tide that rises before slowly ebbing back out to sea. Catholic Church sexual abuse allegations have flooded the airwaves. The Vatican hierarchy has been swamped with accusations concerning sexual abuse of children perpetrated by priests in Wisconsin, Germany, and Ireland. The emerging stories all suggest that church leaders had been, at best, grossly negligent in handling the abuse charges brought to their attention.

 Earlier this month a senior Vatican official disclosed that a German priest working in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, while Ratzinger was the administrator, was accused of molesting boys. Church officials approved a treatment course of therapy for Hullerman in 1980, after which he returned to his pastoral duties. This was approached by Ratzinger at the time, but subsequently one of his subordinates has taken responsibility. Hullerman continued working with boys, and was convicted in 1986 on sexual molestation charges. Even after that he retained his position within the church until earlier this month when a man whose wedding was to be officiated by Hullerman revealed his criminal history to the church’s congregation. Only then was Hullerman suspended from his work as a priest. The German branch of the Catholic Church has committed to investigate Hullerman and all other accusations and has attained the help of an attorney. The Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse, an investigative body commissioned by the Irish Church, recently ended its nine-year investigation of abuse allegations stretching back 60 years. In a five-volume report, the commission has collected testimony from more than 2,000 witnesses, who detailed that church officials used rape, beatings, and other tactics of humiliation. Benedict XVI released a pastoral letter in response to the report, condemning the abuse of children by priests in Ireland as “sinful and criminal.” Catholic leaders read the missive before their congregations throughout the country. Additionally, more cases of abuse are currently percolating in other parts of Europe, such as Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The Vatican has gone on the attack, accusing the media of an "ignoble attempt" to smear the pope and his church. In an interview today with MSNBC, Father Thomas Reese, a senior fellow at Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Center, responded: "I'm afraid that in Europe they may be making some of the same mistakes that the American bishops made. It does no good to attack the media. This all sounds like excuses." This is an incredibly insightful point. The media has the ability to present information as facts, so of those “facts” are presented above. You can’t hide from facts and you can’t deny facts, no matter how much you may want to or how much you think it will serve your purposes. Thus the Church goes defensive, instead of presenting facts of their own. The truth of the matter is that the Church has always failed to meet these allegations head on. I know this may be a terrible comparison, but look at Tiger Woods. Does anyone dispute the fact that if he had come out right after the first mistress came forward and admitted what he did and that there were others, then he would have been in control of the situation. But, Tiger didn’t do that, and the media took control of the situation by parading mistress after mistress and torrid detail after torrid detail in front of the public. Tiger lost some of his credibility by keeping his mouth shut and trying to ignore it. The Church is doing the exact same thing by waiting for sexual abuse accusations to come out rather than being proactive to control them. The Vatican has failed to handle these situations properly. This doesn’t make them monsters, it doesn’t indicted every Catholic everywhere (though there are many who think it does), and it doesn’t call into question the validity of religion in modern culture.  It makes them human, which is all they are, humans trying to serve the people of the Catholic faith. Humans can be wrong and these priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes have all been wrong.

I want to clear the air of some rumors and falsehoods that surround the question of clergy sexual abuse. Some critical things to know about the nature of acts of sexual abuse committed by priests, its prevalence among Catholic clergy compared to its incidence among other groups, and the response of the Church to the sexual abuse crisis:

-          From available research we now know that in the last 50 years somewhere between 1.5% and 5% of the Catholic clergy has been involved in sexual abuse cases. The Christian Science Monitor reported on the results of a national survey by Christian Ministry Resources in 2002 and concluded: “Despite headlines focusing on the priest pedophile problem in the Roman Catholic Church, most American churches being hit with child sexual-abuse allegations are Protestant”.[ Mark Clayton, “Sex Abuse Spans Spectrum of Churches”, Christian Science Monitor, April 5, 2002] Sexual abuses within the Jewish communities approximate that found among the Protestant clergy.[ Rabbi Arthur Gross Schaefer, “Rabbi Sexual Misconduct: Crying Out for a Communal Response”, www.rrc.edu/journal, November 24, 2003]

-          About 85% of the offenders of child sexual abuse are family members, babysitters, neighbors, family friends or relatives. About one in six child molesters are other children, while most of the offenders are male.[Dr. Grath A. Rattray, “Child Month and Pedophilia”, The Gleaner, May 14, 2002]

-          According to a major 2004 study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 10% of U.S. public school students have been targeted with unwanted sexual attention by school employees. The author of the study concluded that the scope of the school-sex problem appears to far exceed the clergy abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church and concluded in an interview with Education Week “the physical abuse of students in schools is likely more than 100 times the abuse by priests”.[ Caroline Hendrie, “Sexual Abuse by Educators Scrutinized”, in: Education Week, March 10, 2004]

-          The Church is very conscious of the seriousness of the problem. The Code of Canon Law stipulates that priests involved in sexual abuse cases must be “punished with just punishments, not excluding expulsion from clerical state”. [CIC C. 1395 § 2] The American Bishops Conference issued in 2002 “essential norms for diocesan/eparchial policies dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors by priests or deacons”.

The issue is not wholly that of the prevalence of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, but the prevalence of sexual abuse among everyone in a position of leadership or power over young people. Coinciding with that is the issue of how the Catholic Church has failed to handle these cases properly, like I mentioned before. Let us not lash out at inept leadership in the Church, but rather hold to Church accountable, which has become the major theme of sexual abuse cases in the United States. After all that the Catholic Church went through in the United States, it has come to realize that the best answer is for there to be an answer. The Church in Europe and the Vatican could take note of this if they ever want this tide of abuse scandals to subside for good. I’m not saying that this is a problem that can be fixed, but this is a problem that can be handled and controlled to prevent it from tarnishing a religion that has otherwise done great things for the world. The Catholic Church’s history is marked by the mistakes of its leaders, though somehow it has prevailed. That’s because the Catholic Church is not the men in robes sitting in fancy chairs in Rome…it is people like me and my family and my friends. The Catholic Church is its people and the Catholic people love the Church too much to watch it fold under the weight of its own mistakes.

*Note: I am not a papist. Papist is a term, usually disparaging or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Catholic Church, its teaching, practices or adherents. It was coined during the English Reformation to denote a Christian whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England. Over time, however, it came to mean one who supported Papal authority over all Christians and thus became a popular term, especially among Anglicans and Presbyterians. I am a supporter of Jesus Christ, my savior. I show my support through participation in the Catholic faith. Very little, if any, of my loyalties lay with the Pope. If you are a Catholic and have read this or followed the news about the situation and feel you need to distance yourself from the Church or leave the Church, then what kind of Christian are you.

Opening Day is One Week Away

It’s only one week away. Exactly seven days from right now, as I am writing this, will the beginning of the greatest spectacle to befall the eyes of man. Perhaps the comforting thing a person can experience. It simultaneously delights, frustrates, and excites whoever comes in contact with it. It is the Opening Day of Texas Rangers baseball. Where rich man and poor man alike schedule themselves off of work, round up their friends, pack a cooler full of beer and hot dogs, and make the pilgrimage to the cathedral of baseball in Texas (the Ballpark in Arlington). Sure, you could not put the time and effort into it and just hope that you don’t regret it, or you can make every effort to be a part of it. My feeling is, when they finally make it to the post-season and even the World Series I am going to want to be able to say that I was there when that season began. Baseball runs in my blood. My father played ball and so did I. I’m a T-Shirt League Champion and I’ve got the trophy to prove it. It is just an amazing sport. Where can you go and enjoy the weather, have a conversation, drink beer, experience a live sporting event and catch a souvenir? A baseball game. The scent of fresh cut grass drifting through the ballpark mingles with the smell of hot dogs and popcorn in a delightful millage of olfactory goodness. The sun drenching the bleachers and reflecting off of the freshly polished helmets creates a dance of light that is irreplaceable. And don’t forget the sounds, the crack of wood on leather, the rush of the breeze through the stands, and the sudden uproar of fans when the ball goes sailing over the wall, that is what baseball means. 

My friends and I have been doing this for years now. We all make sure that we can make it to Opening Day. Things have changed, but not our trips to Opening Day. Three of us are married now, two of us have kids, and one of us doesn’t live in the state anymore, but we still find a way to make this happen. I think I take this more seriously than the others. I’m completely committed. I am the one who makes sure the tickets are bought. I plan out how we can make it work, whether we could tailgate or just go to the game. I am the only one of us that makes sure to buy a new jersey to wear each year. It is not to say that any of the others of us are not into this as much as me, but I feel like I go the extra mile. I feel like I take the steps that the others either don’t think about or don’t have time to think about. But, it’s Opening Day and you have to go all in or you might as well stay home.

Guess what I have to look forward to with my Opening Day festivities. Roger Staubach, who led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl titles, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day against the Toronto Blue Jays. Yes, Roger the Dodger is going to be throwing out the first pitch. It is not like living in Dallas doesn’t give you opportunities to see or meet Staubach, but you rarely get to see him do anything not football related. Staubach is being honored not only for his Hall of Fame football career, but for his instrumental role as the chairman of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee. Arlington will host the 2011 Super Bowl at nearby Cowboy Stadium. Ryan said that the ball club felt that Roger Staubach was a very appropriate choice for this year's first pitch. Having him do this gives everyone the opportunity to salute his efforts in bringing Super Bowl XLV to North Texas. Staubach follows in the Rangers' long tradition of Texas heroes who have thrown out the ceremonial first pitch at the home opener. Former president George W. Bush did the honors last year. Staubach, who played baseball at the Naval Academy, was with the Cowboys from 1969-79, leading them to Super Bowl titles in 1971 and 1977. The Cowboys played in five Super Bowls, overall, during Staubach's time with them. Staubach, a six-time Pro Bowler, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1985. He is currently a successful businessman who still makes his home in Dallas.

Speaking of pitching, the Rangers have set their starting rotation, optioning pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Derek Holland to Triple-A Oklahoma City and naming Scott Feldman as their Opening Day starter. The rotation was set up this spring for Rich Harden to be the Opening Day starter, but an adjustment will be made so that Feldman will take the mound on April 5 against the Toronto Blue Jays. I agree with this decision because Feldman deserves the honor. He won 17 games for us last year, and he's throwing the ball very well so far this spring. After Feldman comes Harden, followed by C.J. Wilson, Colby Lewis and Matt Harrison. Wilson has been in the bullpen for the past four seasons, but has won a spot in the rotation. It’s hard to say that I’m not skeptical about C.J. moving into the rotation, but there is nothing that can be done about it now. Personally, I would have given Neftali Feliz a rotation spot, instead of sending him to the bullpen. So go ahead and place a check mark next to the starting rotation and starting lineup for opening day because Ron Washington and the rest of the Rangers' brain trust have. But when Washington sits down to put the final touches on the full roster, he still has some evaluating left to do. Three openings remain…two on the bench and one in the bullpen. A second relief slot could develop if Darren O'Day's elbow hasn't healed before April 5. The relief situation will be determined between Doug Mathis and Willie Eyre. Among the position players, no one has left enough of an impression on Washington to have secured a job, and newcomer Andres Blanco is now a front-runner to be on the roster. Washington wants the utility infielder to play defense first, while the ideal candidate for the backup corner spot can hit left-handed pitching and play first base. They don't have to be stars, but they have to be able to step in and execute.

On a sad note, unfortunately Ian “The Franchise” Kinsler is teetering on the edge of the disabled list. The high right ankle sprain suffered by The Franchise could have an impact on the roster situation if he winds up on the disabled list to start the season. More importantly, it could have an effect on the morale list if he isn’t there for Opening Day. Ian’s my boy and I want to see how far he has come since the ridiculous errors and streaky batting of last year. Luckily, the Rangers will wait on Kinsler as long as necessary, so a decision might not come until after the weekend exhibition games in Arlington and Frisco.

I've chosen my path...and you can choose yours

Palm Sunday (Passion Sunday)
"On this day the Church celebrates Christ's entrance into Jerusalem to accomplish his paschal mystery" (Roman Missal). "Entrance" is the key to understanding the liturgy of Passion Sunday. We enter into Jerusalem with Christ. We enter into our holiest week. We enter into our final preparation for the Easter feast. Ordinarily when we go to Sunday Mass we enter the church one by one, as we arrive. But for the principal liturgy on this Sunday we enter the church together. We make a grand entrance. The parish gathers in another location (outside the church, for example, or in the school hall). There one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem is proclaimed. "The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, / while others cut branches from the trees / and strewed them on the road. / The crowds preceding him and those following / kept crying out and saying: / 'Hosanna to the Son of David'" (Mt 21:8-9). And then we "enter into" the Gospel. We go with Christ into Jerusalem. We process into the church. This is one of our most joyful and triumphant processions of the entire year. As we gather on this Sunday we receive a branch of palm or olive (or other green plant). The palm represents the palms that were spread on the road in front of Christ as he entered Jerusalem. The palms are blessed by the priest and are keep the entire year as a reminder of your commitment to God. The Gospel proclaimed on this day is one of the accounts of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew, Mark or Luke. (The Passion from the Gospel according to John is read each year on Good Friday.) As the Passion is read we find ourselves going with Christ to Calvary and standing at the foot of the cross. We find ourselves calling out "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Yet only a moment ago, when we were entering the church, we were triumphantly singing, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" The contrast is striking. Is this not all too often our story? One moment I am full of good resolutions and promises to follow Christ; but when the times get hard, I find myself ready to crucify Jesus by my sins.

In the spirit of coming into Holy Week and the fullness of the Christ’s promise, I thought it would be time to write about this important issue. Religious tolerance is a buzz word for many groups and lobbyists, but it is something that needs to be appreciated. As a staunch Catholic I was raised by many old school Catholics who would have said there is only “one true religion”…of course they’d be talking about Catholicism. But, in this day and age it is hard to dispute that the reason there are different religions is because there are different groups of people in the world. Each group has its own values, its own traditions, and of course it would make sense that they would want their own religion. I try to observe the idea that there are many paths to God and you are supposed to be able to find the true path that fits you. I’ve studied several religions in order to gain more understanding of my own and they all have their unique qualities that could appeal to different people. I am not going to innumerate them all here. Just think about it this way…how can you be a part of any religion that teaches that God is merciful and forgiving and believe that He would leave someone out of his glory because they didn’t worship the way He wanted them to. Food for thought, my friends.

This is going to really confuse you. I was a strong supporter of George W. Bush, but this is one of the things that bothered me about him and his presidency. He used religion, especially Christianity, as a tool to rally the fundamentalist Christians around him and his policies. I feel like he alienated some at the expense of this “cause”. Going forward now from his presidency there seems to still be this over-grown sense of entitlement within the Christian community of the United States. This goes so far as to question and belittle the current president, Barrack Obama. So many of the fundamentalist Christian powerbase wants to believe and infer that President Obama is a Muslim or even worse, doesn’t believe in God at all, in order to create a fictitious enemy in him beyond secular party lines. Listen, Muslims believe in a level of tolerance beyond that of Christians in most cases, and it is only the fundamentalist Muslims that give all Muslims a bad name. If Christians are not careful, it is the fundamentalist Christians that will give all Christians a bad name. It’s coming, just keep your eyes peeled and wait for the backlash.

Like I said, I believe in all paths to God, within reason of course. As a Catholic, I find the presence and fulfillment of God’s message in the tradition and ritual of the Catholic faith. This won’t work for all people, but that doesn’t mean it is the wrong way to go. I grew up in Texas where being a white Catholic was tantamount to being a traitor to Christ. Staunch Protestants have always held that the Catholic Church is wrong stemming from five hundred year old disputes that they have not put to rest. Their attacks lead to the belief of most Catholics that it is the “one true religion” because it creates a culture of “us” versus “them”. Honestly, the only difference between us is how we practice and how we preach. Or core believes as Christians are exactly the same. I understand that some of you reading this may have been told differently all your lives, but as a free thinking person you should be able to work it out. And truthfully, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all share a belief, essentially, in the same God. One God, three different faiths, within which there are many variations. Outside these faiths, there are other religions that believe in paths of enlightenment that bring you closer to perfection. How are these much different than the big three religions, that teach purification of mind and body of sin brings you closer to God? Seriously, there are many paths to God and I have chosen mine, but that doesn’t mean you need to share that path with me.