"With Open Hands"

The debate regarding the “orans posture” and hand-holding during the Our Father is contentious, at best. People on both sides look to the rubrics, which tend to be vague, and what usually happens is both sides end up thinking their way is the only right way.


In an article from Catholic Answers, that you can read here, Fr. Paul Scalia states:

“In various areas the Church grants certain options and leaves the choice to our prudential judgment. We may find certain practices preferable. Yet we cannot insist on them, because the Church does not. On the other hand, we may dislike certain practices. Yet, again, we cannot fault others for doing what the Church permits. We stray from militant to belligerent when we mandate what the Church does not, or forbid what the Church permits.”

I think these are wise words and in the spirit of dialogue, I would like to share a personal experience. I do not claim to have any answers. What I can offer is the following gift of grace I was given regarding the “orans position” during prayer times, when appropriate, in private and public.

When I returned to the Church, I was quite inexperienced in “prayer”. My prayers were more like “wish lists” or a child’s letter to Santa, asking God for all sorts of things I thought I wanted. I never really paid that much attention to posture, and often just seemed to be going through the motions. I was seriously considering leaving again when some friends suggested I talk to a particular priest, who subsequently became my spiritual director, and who introduced me to the writings of Henri Nouwen. Actually, had it not be for this priest's kind words, attentive and non-judgmental attitude, and recommendation to read “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Nouwen, I can honestly say that I probably would have turned my back on organized religion all together.

After this initial introduction to Nouwen’s work, I read everything I could get my hands on. He had a simplicity about him that appealed to me and everything I read touched my heart. And then one day, while on private retreat, I stumbled into the library at the retreat house in the middle of the night looking for something- although I had no idea what! I found this small volume, with the most intriguing title, “With Open Hands”. I brought the small book back to my room, and in the next 90 minutes my understanding of prayer changed forever!

In a nutshell, what Nouwen so beautifully reminded me is that prayer is both giving and receiving.

How can I completely surrender- my worries, my cares, my will- to God, if my hands are clenched tight?

How do I receive the gifts of God’s grace, if my hands are not open to those gifts?

This experience is one that I will never forget. How something as simple as how I hold my hands can remind me that as I offer up all of my prayers, God is filling me with His grace and love. This was, I believe, the Holy Spirit at work, leading me to where I needed to be led, so that I could cultivate that “something deeper” I had been longing for.

How could I not think that this is pleasing to God?

For St. Ignatius says:

"Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. 

And the other things on the face of the earth are created for man and that they may help him in prosecuting the end for which he is created. From this it follows that man is to use them as much as they help him on to his end, and ought to rid himself of them so far as they hinder him as to it. For this it is necessary to make ourselves indifferent to all created things in all that is allowed to the choice of our free will and is not prohibited to it; so that, on our part, we want not health rather than sickness, riches rather than poverty, honor rather than dishonor, long rather than short life, and so in all the rest; desiring and choosing only what is most conducive for us to the end for which we are created."

"Through this holy anointing..."

I recently suffered an injury that while more of an inconvenience than anything, has caused me a great deal of pain, and has prevented me from fulfilling some of my obligations this week.

Today, I had the opportunity to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. As the priest laid his hands on my head, and offered prayers to God on my behalf for the healing of not only my broken body, but also for my mind, heart and spirit, and then anointed my head and hands,

“Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
“May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up. Amen.”

I could feel the power of the Holy Spirit flow through my body. And for a brief moment, Father ceased being “Father” and became Jesus, laying His hands on me and releasing me from the burdens of my ills. And while the pain I am feeling is nothing compared to what Jesus endured, I have learned from this experience that I must learn to bear my sufferings with  grace, dignity and complete surrender to the will of the Father, just as Jesus did when he died on the cross.

It was a grace-filled moment, that did indeed lift the heaviness in my heart that was keeping me in the “Why me, Lord?” mentality rather than bringing me into joy of solidarity with Christ in His suffering.

What an awesome gift this sacrament is!

"The Church Militant or the Church Belligerent?"

An interesting article from Catholic Answers.
 

It made me think,

"Which one am I?"

"And in acting the way I do am I giving glory to God or looking for it for myself?"

Excellent questions to ponder this Lent, don't you agee?

Lent & The Spiritual Exercises

I came across this resource for Lent on Fr. Longenecker’s blog Standing on my Head. Since I am in the middle of the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, I am looking forward to using this.

From what I understand from the site, four Jesuits (3 priests, 1 deacon) will guide the reader through Lent and give a brief introduction to and understanding of the Spiritual Exercises along the way.

The “Exercises”, have for me been life-altering and life-giving. My prayer life has been greatly enhanced, I have matured in my spirituality and I have been called to look deeply into myself. They have been a great gift, and one who’s graces I wish to share.

If you are still looking for something to enhance your prayer life this Lent, why not give this a try!

Sometimes something so simple...

can be so profound!

“You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

~Winnie the Pooh

                                                                              

   

                                                                                                Disney

Are we "One body"?

Cleansing Fire and Fallacies & Fashions, two of the blogs that I read daily, have had some very interesting posts the past week or so regarding Bishop Clark’s book, Forward in Hope, as well as information for local Catholics as how to go about writing to Rome with their grievances, which got me to thinking about some things.  I will admit that, in some cases, some of the things that are going on in the DOR are, in my opinion and based on my (limited) understanding of Church documents and Canon Law, not “kosher”.

Here are a few of the things that I see as problematic (not an inclusive list and in no particular order, just a few that come to mind right now):

1. Lack of respect for the “ordained” on the part of some lay ministers

2. Liturgies and homilies (and/or “reflections”) that are usurped by political and/or social agendas, that in many cases are contrary to Church teachings

3. Liturgical dancing (I still shudder every time I think of the “Chrism Mass” last year)

4. Poor catechesis for our young people

          5. Lack of any meaningful adult education programs

6. The confrontational attitudes of people on both sides of the “orthodox vs. progressive” debate

I am sure that many people could add to this list and think that it does not go far enough, and that there are many out there who feel that I am “too traditional” in my thinking (something I have to say I have never been accused of!). But those are the extremes, and quite honestly, I am getting very tired of “extremes”.
Why does it always have to be “either/or” and not “both/and”?

CF has a tag that says

“Cleansing Fire is part of the daily reading of over 300 Rochester area Catholics, as well as several more Catholics across the globe.”

which I think is awesome! I have learned a lot from the guys over at CF, even though in the beginning, I thought they were “the enemy”. But as I was reading this past week, especially the posts linked above, I started to wonder- how many Catholics are we really talking about, on both ends of the spectrum?

If the DOR has 360,000 Catholics (according to it’s website) and 400 (I am rounding up) read and agree 100% with the views of the gang at Cleansing Fire, we are still only talking about 0.1% of Catholics in the Rochester area. 
Now, I will say, for arguments sake, that 10% of Catholics in the Rochester area are “ultra-orthodox, say the black, do the red” Catholics and 10% are “ultra-liberal, let’s throw the book out the window and let the Spirit prevail” Catholics, what about the other 80%? What are they thinking and feeling about Catholic life in the Rochester area? How do they handle the changes that leave them wondering?

I can’t help but to think that our Church would be better served by more cooperation and understanding among the extremes, and less division and “cafeteria-ism” from both ends of the spectrum.
As St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians: 12-27

As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.
Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, "Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body," it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, "Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body," it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," nor again the head to the feet, "I do not need you." indeed, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are all the more necessary, and those parts of the body that we consider less honorable we surround with greater honor, and our less presentable parts are treated with greater propriety, whereas our more presentable parts do not need this. But God has so constructed the body as to give greater honor to a part that is without it, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same concern for one another. If (one) part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy. Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it.

Are we, here in the DOR, “one body”? As much as I hate to say it, I don’t think we are quite there yet, but I will keep praying!


**I have disabled the comment box for this post.  If you have something relevant to the orignal post  that you would like to comment on please send me an e-mail at oneofthewoman@gmail.com, (names and e-mail adresesses will be held in strictist confidence and not be posted unless your permission is given) and I will post as appropriate.  A special "thank you" to all who added constructive comments to this post and helped to facilitate the dialogue I am always looking for.
Peace, Persis
2/12/10 10:57pm

Tolkien~ not just hobbits, wizards and ogres

I recently found a new blog, Standing on My Head, by Fr. Dwight Longenecker. So far, I really like what I see, so much so I ordered his book “The Gargoyle Code” for Lent. It is a book written in the same spirit as “The Screwtape Letters”, by C. S. Lewis.  I am planning some Lenten reflections, so I will be sharing my thoughts as I use this in my Lenten practices this year. I can't wait!

I want to thank Fr. Longenecker for  posting this quote by J.R.R Tolkien today~

"The only cure for sagging of fainting faith is Communion. Though always Itself, perfect and complete and inviolate, the Blessed Sacrament does not operate completely and once for all in any of us. Like the act of Faith it must be continuous and grow by exercise. Frequency is of the highest effect. Seven times a week is more nourishing than seven times at intervals. Also I can recommend this as an exercise (alas! only too easy to find opportunity for): make your communion in circumstances that affront your taste. Choose a snuffling or gabbling priest or a proud and vulgar friar; and a church full of the usual bourgeois crowd, ill-behaved children - from those who yell to those products of Catholic schools who the moment the tabernacle is opened sit back and yawn - open necked and dirty youths, women in trousers and often with hair both unkempt and uncovered. Go to communion with them (and pray for them). It will be just the same (or better than that) as a mass said beautifully by a visibly holy man, and shared by a few devout and decorous people. (It could not be worse than the mess of the feeding of the Five Thousand - after which [our] Lord propounded the feeding that was to come.)"

Now, I have never been much of a Tolkien fan. Oh, I read “The Hobbit” & the LOR Trilogy, but 'Narnia was where it was at', as far as I was concerned! I am a Lewis girl, and have been since my childhood. I must have read “The Chronicles of Narnia” a thousand times. In my teen-age years, “The Screwtape Letters” became my “bible”, and as an adult I have gained great appreciation for C. S. Lewis and his writings on Christianity and his journey. (As an aside, if you have not yet seen the movie “Shadowlands” I highly recommend it, it is a wonderful portrayal of Lewis, the man, brilliantly played by Anthony Hopkins) I have discovered that, in most cases, one is either a Tolkien fan or a Lewis fan, but usually not both.
Odd, especially considering that they were great friends and mentors to each other.

I have never seen this quote before, and only recently have actually read some of Tolkien’s writings on Christianity, so when I read this quote, it really stuck a cord with me. I know it is something that I will pray with the next few days and I invite you to do the same. These are wonderful words of wisdom for the people of the DOR, for those entrenched at both ends of the spectrum and the ones who are adrift in the middle.

"Spirit of Vatican II"

The Church, post Vatican II, is all I know and I have, for most of my life, embraced the "Spirit of Vatican II" without really knowing what that meant. The past few months, I have begun to see that much of what has been touted as the "spirit of Vatican II", is a far cry from what I actually see in the documents.
I just took a class in sacramental theology, and had to read portions of Sacrosanctum Concilium, and as I was reading, I couldn't help but to think

"I am reading the same documents that our leaders in the DOR did?"

Because I am not taking a class this semester, I decided that I was going to use this time to actually read the Vatican II documents, so I have spent the better part of the past 3 weeks doing just that. And now, I have come to understand the need for and find myself hopeful about the “reform of the reform”.
That said, I do not believe that all of the changes that have come about in the past 40 years are necessarily a “bad thing”, but I do believe that the “envelope” has been pushed a little too far. I believe though, that any reform must be handled very carefully. It is my understanding that the initial reforms of VII were thrust upon the people, with no catechesis, no transition and with much admonishment of beloved traditions as “not part of what we do anymore”.
As we travel this road of reform, let us remember  these words from Sacrosanctum Concilium

The Council also desires that, where necessary, the rites be revised carefully in the light of sound tradition, and that they be given new vigor to meet the circumstances and needs of modern times.(emphasis mine)

and in this effort to “reform the reforms” let us remember the mistakes that were made in the years after the 2nd Vatican Council, and try not to make the same mistakes again.

A missed opportunity?

Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid;

from now on you will be catching men.”

When they brought their boats to the shore,
they left everything and followed him.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition

As I was reading through some of the blogs I came across this post from Fr. Kyle Schnipple, the Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

As Fr. Schnipple points out, this weekend’s readings are all about hearing and answering God’s call. What better weekend for priests everywhere to use the opportunity provided them as proclaimers and preachers of the Word, to share the stories of their own vocational call, and encourage other young men to listen to that voice that may be calling them also.

I wish I could say that this is the homily I heard this weekend. I am sorry to say, it is not.

What I got was a well-meaning, yet overly simplistic view of how we are all called, in some way, to serve God. Yes, vocations to the priesthood and religious life were mentioned, but the general theme was that we all have a calling and all of those callings are equal. I should also probably point out that this was not a homily by a priest or deacon, but by a “certified lay preacher”.

Now, I know that many can, and probably will, use this as an example of why lay preaching is “bad”, and in this case I have to say, I tend to agree. This, however, does not change my opinion on lay preaching, in general, as I believe that in the proper circumstances, lay preaching should be allowed.  I do not want to make this post about that, while I agree that it is part of the problem, it is not the problem I see as being the biggest one in this case.

In my vast and varied career, one of the things I have learned is that a little planning goes a very long way. Knowing that these readings are part of the lectionary, one would think that the people, who are in charge of the Office of Vocations, would have used this weekend as an opportunity to reach out to young men in our dioceses. By encouraging priests (and deacons) to use the homily to talk of the importance of vocations to ordained ministry they could have opened the lines of communication for young men who think they are “being called”, planted the seed in the heads of young men trying to figure out what they want from their lives and helped others in the congregation to see the importance of praying for and nurturing of young men in the discernment process.

Sadly to say, I believe what we have here is another missed opportunity here in the DOR.

What is he thinking...?!

Di Fide Catholica and Fallacies & Fashions both have excellent posts about Bishop Hubbard of the Diocese of Albany’s decision to distribute free needles to drug addicts.

I could speak volumes about this, and maybe I will in a later post, but for now I leave you with this…

Giving free needles to drug addicts is like treating a bullet wound with a band-aid.

It’s not going to work, and it will only make the problem fester even more.

Praying the Rosary

Praying the rosary is not one of my favorite forms of prayer.


That said, the following plea for help comes as a great surprise to me.

A few years ago, I came across a way of praying the rosary that was a little different than anything I had ever heard before. I believe it was from a convent in France, but I have since lost the link.

The rosary was prayed in the typical matter, except that the mystery being meditated on was recited between the two stanzas of the “Hail Mary”, and included a petition for the grace to live the mystery as Jesus did.

For example, using the 4th Sorrowful mystery, (these are my words, just so you have an example of what I am looking for) one would pray~

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee,

blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Jesus, as you carried your cross, you showed us the perfect example of what it means to do your Father’s will. Grant me the grace so that I too may bear my crosses in that same example of love and obedience.

Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Does anyone out there is “blogland” have any idea where I might find something similar to this. I am feeling called to maybe try this devotion again, and am thinking about using it as part of my Lenten practices this year, so any help or suggestions for praying the rosary would be much appreciated.

"Teaching" Mass

Cleansing Fire had a post about an upcoming “teaching” Mass at St. Jude’s. The idea intrigues me, as I have never been to a “teaching” Mass. In theory, I have no problem with the idea. Actually I think it may be a good one, if it is done properly.


I know that, especially in the DOR, there is always a fear that things like this will not be done in a dignified and respectful manner.

I came across a “teaching” Mass program that covers a different part of the Mass, one each week for 5 weeks on the web from the Diocese of Baker in Oregon. I like the idea of stretching the teaching out over 5 weeks, and the hand-outs are a great idea. I am not sure if something like this format, all at once, in one Mass will be as effective, but I guess it is worth a shot.

I have no idea of what the “teaching” Mass at St. Jude’s will be like, but if it is anything like this format, I think that this may be a very good thing.

Thoughts, comments?