My Catholic Lens

            Today, I want to explore a concept that I stumbled upon while speaking with the reporter.  It is my Catholic lens and how it changes the way that I view the world.  About five years ago, just a few months into my renewed relationship with Jesus and the Catholic Church, I read Brideshead Revisited.  It is a classic book about a Catholic family set in England during World War II, written by Evelyn Waugh in 1945. Early in the book, the main female character notes that being Catholic means being different.

               At that point in time, I did not understand her perspective.  I thought, millions of people are Catholic, so why is being Catholic different.  I have come to believe that this character was right!  As the months have passed, and my relationship with the great Triune God has deepened, I am coming to realize what it truly means to be Catholic. So much so, that I now view the world from the Catholic perspective. Scripture study of both the Old and New Testament, reading the works of early writers and learning about the history of the church  and the lives of its Saints have all contributed to my current Catholic lens.

               In today’s day and age, we need to see and feel and touch everything. It is the Catholic faithful who believe that every time they receive communion, they are truly receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.  It is the Catholic faithful who understand that each time they go to confession, that it is the priest who is mediating for Christ and that what happens in the confessional is supernatural.  It gives a dimension to life that cannot be understood by those who do not believe the tenants of the Catholic Church.

               As I am drawn to spend time in prayer and to frequent the sacraments, the lens comes more into focus and I see the world far different than most of the world.  At times, I have pictured that my faith journey has created a huge abyss between me and much of the world.  A few months ago, at a “Girl’s Night Out”, I had little to contribute to discussions about face lifts, celebrity gossip and the hottest male actor.  As I drove home that night, I understood how the desire to follow Christ has changed my life.

               My lens has me focused on the next world, not this one.  So when speaking with the reporter about Pope Francis, I had to comment that my lens, or world view is much different than the average America.  I am listening to him as if he is speaking directly to me, not an audience on the left or an audience on the right.  His words are focusing my Catholic lens, and for that I am thankful.

You Go Cardinal Dolan!

I'm at the Catholic Writers Conference in Dallas Texas.  So I have missed most of the Republican National Convention.  I arrived at my hotel room last night to hear the last four sentences of Mitt Romney's acceptance speech. 

I kicked off my heals and layed down on the bed to see a recap.  The local station signed off before the balloons finished falling.  So I switched to CNN.  They were talking about the speech and in the background I thought I saw a sign that said "Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan". The reporter near the stage said, "They are getting ready to pray, so I'm throwing it back to you."  They went to another commentator.  

I sat up and began to flip channels.  Cardinal Dolan was on Fox News. I was privileged to hear him pray the benediction to close the convention.  He prayed that all our elected officials, and those seeking leadership, will: respect all human life, from conception to natural death; remember Jesus' example of the preferential treatment of the poor, and preserve all the blessings of liberty, in our nation and as an example to all nations, particularly our first freedom, the freedom of religion.    


Lastly, he prayed a thanksgiving to God for the blessings He has already given us in this country, the United States of America.  Thank you Cardinal Dolan!  You are a great man of God and a Great leader.  We ARE one nation under God!

Here is the link to the video, enjoy!

Video: Cardinal Timothy Dolan at Republican National Convention

Why is the American flag hanging on a church?

I didn’t think about it when I got up this morning, but I am wearing white and blue today.  Too bad that I did not reach for a red sweater while getting dressed!  This is the first day of the Fortnight for Freedom.  As an average woman in the pews, I don’t know that I have the ability to effectively speak about the issues that have brought about this Fortnight.  I wonder how I will participate and how these two weeks might change me and my relationship with Jesus.

               

Last night I attended a panel discussion at the Catholic Information Center in DC.  Three articulate women in their 30’s and 40’s traced the timeline and the events that created this need for a national time of prayer for our freedom.  For me, the issue that resonates most is that a person of Catholic faith can’t be Catholic if it is a personal religion.  If Mass doesn’t change me and if I am not able or willing to go take Jesus with me into my everyday life, then I’m not leading a Catholic life.

               

One interesting thought is that, with the government definition of what constitutes a religious institution, Jesus, who reached out to all around him, would not have qualified.  As a convert, one of the things I find most rewarding being a Catholic is the combination of faith and works.  We do reach out to all who have a need, whether it be food and shelter, healthcare, education or other needs.  It is in the Catholic DNA to extend compassion and love and assistance.

                

As I walked to the mail box this morning at work, I saw a huge American flag hanging on the tower of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  Perhaps many who drive by it on Michigan Avenue today will wonder why the flag is flying on a church.  For me, it is a reminder that these next 14 days are not just ordinary days.  We believe that prayer, study, catechesis and public action will make a difference in the battle for the right to not violate our conscious and will also make a difference in our own lives and how we interact with others.