Why "me and Jesus" isn't enough!

            In our culture today, many people will say that they are spiritual and not religious.  That attending church is outdated and unnecessary.  “I have my relationship with Jesus and that is enough”, is a common mantra.

The importance of belonging to a parish community is most evident when you go through tough times.  Five years ago, my mother was dying of lung cancer that had moved to the brain.  In the five short months between diagnosis and her time to move on, there were so many days of anguish.  Especially hard was the fact that my mom was bitter and angry with God. 

At times, I could not quiet myself enough to pray; yet I felt as if I was floating on the prayers of others.  There were days when a peaceful calm came over me. I attribute the calm to the prayers being said for my mom, for me and for my family.  Without the support of my parish prayer warriors, I would have been lost many of those days.

Recently, the evidence of the importance of belonging to a faith community was in play at my parish.  A 24 years old, who graduated from the parish grade school and Catholic high school, died a sudden and tragic death.  When the news of his passing quietly emanated throughout the community, hundreds of people came to Adoration to pray for his soul, for his wife, his daughter and his parents.

At his wake, the line was long to pray at his casket and greet his parents.  The church was packed for the burial mass.  And throughout the time from his death to burial, hundreds of people prayed Rosaries, Our Father’s, Hail Mary’s, countless of other prayers. Some have fasted for his soul, others provided meals for his family and others participated in a crowd funding effort to help pay for the funeral expenses.

When tragedy strikes, there isn’t a better place to be but in a faith community.  This is true when the tragedy affects you, but also when you can be the instrument of prayer and provider of needed assistance for those affected. 

Being a member of a faith community is more than attending church.  It means getting involved at some level in a ministry, helping the poor, volunteering to read at mass, teaching religious education, participating in a Bible study and on and on.  Becoming more involved will help you and your family feel that coming to your church/parish is not just coming to Church, but is coming home.  And that is why  “just Jesus and me” is not enough.

Where Can I Find Jesus?

               This summer, over a three week period, I traveled all over the country.  As a daily communicant, I found Jesus in a plethora of sacred and beautiful places.  In my journeys, I encountered the “One Holy, catholic and apostolate church” in all of its diversity and variety and yet it’s consistency.

               In Los Angeles, I joined the more the 70 daily worshipers at the 6:30 am mass at St. Justine Martyr Church.  It is the closest church to Disneyland!  The parishioners who attend this mass greet each other with love before and after mass.

               On our way to the airport for an overnight flight, we stopped at St. Anthony of Padua in Long Beach.  The mosaic artwork was striking in this place of worship.  Father Jose gave a beautiful homily and from what I could gather, the church has claimed a four or five square block area of Long Beach and provides services for the elderly, poor, unemployed and other wise needy.

               Back at my home base of St. Bernadette in Silver Spring, I gave thanks to God for this wonderful parish and the excellent music.  My second “home” parish is St. Michael's and I appreciate the simplicity of this church and its beautiful statue of St. Michael.  The statue reminds me that we are not alone on this earth.

               My third home parish is the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on the grounds of Catholic University.  It is across the street from one of my clients and I am often able to go to their 8 am mass in the Crypt Church.  Surrounded by beautiful stone work and dozens of images of Mary, the Mother of God, it is always a treat to celebrate the Eucharist in “Mary’s House”.

               I also attend the 9:30 mass at St. John the Evangelist and spent time after in their perpetual adoration chapel.  It is a modest chapel, but Jesus is there just the same!

               In Saint Louis, I worshiped at St. Monica’s in a St. Louis suburb.  I happened to be there for the mass that opened the school year for the teachers.  It is another warm and welcoming community.

               A real treat was the opportunity to attend mass at the Basilica Cathedral of St. Louis.  This is the “new” cathedral which is over 100 years old.  The ceilings and chapels are a feast of mosaic work illustrating events from the Bible.  My favorite is one that shows Jesus, newly risen with Mary Magdalene falling to her knees without stretched arms shouting “raboni”.  Well, I couldn’t hear words, but the art clearly detailed this event.

               While I didn’t attend mass at St. Cronan in downtown Saint Louis, we had a tour of this modest church that began as a barn!

               While in New Jersey, at the Catholic Writers Conference, I had the pleasure of attending mass celebrated by well known priests Fr. Andrew Apostole and Father Donald Calloway. Mass in a hotel ballroom is always a little awkward, but the Eucharist is there!

               Finally, at home on Sunday, I celebrated mass with my Third Order Dominican Community at the Dominican House of Studies.  The chapel has the feel of an old world chapel.

               Three weeks, ten different churches and yet I am able to celebrate the same mass in every place.  Each place celebrates the same liturgy.  And in every place, I can find Jesus!

"Stretch out your hand"

              Congress is considering significant cuts in the food stamp program.  Our bishops and many Catholic social service organizations, including Catholic Charities and St. Vincent de Paul are urging Congress to leave the program intact.  Although I understand the reasoning for the need for food stamps, my conservative political view balks at the basic tenants of the program and my Christian world view balks at designating the government as the primary provider for the poor.

               It is my impression that the food stamp program is bureaucratic, expensive, devoid of human dignity and riddled with fraud.  Having spent most of my professional life in the non-profit world, I find it difficult to support this enormous program when those federal dollars could be much more effectively by local hunger groups who would deliver food in a caring, human environment.  Many of these groups are secular, but many are faith based. 

               The monthly food card provides temporary nourishment for the body.  Food received from a food bank also provides nourishment and the human touch.  As an example, Meals on Wheels provides that temporary nourishment along with human contact.  For many seniors, the highlight of their day is the person who brings the food. 

               And then there are the faith based organizations that provide food, clothing and shelter, accompanied by the loving and saving words of Jesus.  Catholic Charities in DC now has a program called “A Cup of Joe” that provides breakfast in DC and it is served by volunteers who can look the recipients in the eye and greet them as a son or daughter of God.

               What is lacking in these options is the individual who reaches out and does the corporeal works of mercy in his or her neighborhood or community. As a society, even Christians have become so used to giving money to organizations, or depending on government to provide for the poor that we are no longer directly involved in the corporal works of mercy. 

               In the Psalms, there are numerous references to “stretching out our hands” to God. Recently the daily Gospel reading was from Luke 6:6-11.  In it Jesus cures a man by asking him to “stretch out your hand”.  Saint Ambrose in his Commentary on Luke writes: “Stretch out your hand often by doing favours for your neighbor, by protecting from harm one who suffers under the weight of calumny; stretch out your hand to the poor man who begs from you; stretch out your hand to the Lord, asking for pardon for your sins.  This is how you stretch out your hand, and this is how you will be cured.”

               How often do I stretch out my hands?  If more people stretched out there hands to the local poor, how much better would our communities thrive? How will God look upon my activity, or lack of it, with the poor on judgment day?

               

Mary of Nazareth

               Today I drove 200 miles, mainly in sloppy rain to Somerset, New Jersey.  Tomorrow begins the Catholic Writers Conference, a three day extravaganza of workshops and presentation for writers who are “rooted in the Gospel, writing for the world.”

               Tonight there was a showing of a new movie being distributed by Ignatius Press about Mary, the Mother of God.  I was so moved by the movie that I have to write about it before I can go to sleep.  Making a movie about Mary is difficult, given the amount of first-hand accounts that are available.  It is a beautiful, viable account of Mary’s life.

               In this film, Mary is portrayed as a woman who always has faith in God.  It is that faith that allows her to live through the difficult times and to guide her family and those who love Jesus as tragedy strikes.  The relationship between Mary and Joseph, knowing they are parents to the Messiah is beautifully illustrated throughout their lives. And the unique relationship between Mary and Jesus is also well portrayed.

               Favorite scenes include:

                Joachim, Mary’s father says something to the effect of, “Mary has always been a mystery, too much of a mystery for me”. 

               When Mary tells her parents of the visit from the angel and that she wants to visit Elizabeth.  Her parents deny that Elizabeth can be pregnant, at her age.  Yet she is determined to do God’s will and cajoles them (and Joseph) into letter her go.

                 In an incredibly touching scene between Mary and Zachariah on the steps outside his house, he is puzzled that he, a priest, could not believe God.  And yet Mary, a young girl, was able to have faith and believe in God’s plan.

               Mary and Joseph first became aware that Jesus was not to belong only to them in the scene when the three dozen or more shepherds arrive to see the Messiah. One shepherd wanted to hold Jesus and Mary lets him and then he passes Jesus to the next and on and on, each person gently kissing the new born.

               Mary’s telling of the story when Jesus was lost in the temple was beautifully depicted, as is the near stoning of Mary Magdalene, and the telling of the prodigal son parable.  The trial, scourging, and crucifixion are always difficult to watch.  I love the resurrection scene with Mary Magdalene. (I hope I didn’t give away the ending.)

               After I have digested the contents of the movie, I want to write in detail how this movie has changed how I view Mary.  It will help me to love her even more.

               Ignatius Press is releasing this movie on September 8^th for use by non-profit groups to show it in movie theaters.  This is the same method they used for Restless Heart, the movie about St. Augustine last year.  To get information on how to screen this movie, contact screenings@carmelcommunications.com.

Hello readers.  I wrote the message below to my women's prayer and bible study group at home.  I thought it was worth sharing more broadly.

Hello Women of St. Bernadette from Rome!

Courtney, Karen and I are three of 38 pilgrims being led by Monsignor Smith on a pilgrimage to Italy.  Today (Thursday) was a highlight.  We attended the Deaconate Ordination of Pat Lewis, a man who grew up as a member of St. Bernadette.  Thirty-five young men make their vows as a Deacon today in St. Peter's Basilica. God willing, they will all become Priests in May and June next year.  These young men can now preach, bless things (not people), and baptize.  They have also chosen a lifetime dedicated to Christ and therefore a celibate life.

I can't even begin to describe the joy and love of that Mass.  Monsignor Smith was one of 150 or more co-celebrants.  Sitting just a little left and a story above the tomb of St. Peter was an experience that I would wish for all of you! 

This afternoon, I took a walk across Rome.  My goal was to pray a decade of the Rosary in five different churches.  The focus of my walk was to get to Santa Sabina, a church build in the 4th century.  It was there that St. Dominic built his monastery in 1220 and where St. Thomas Aquinas studied and prayed. 

As I walked along the Tiber River, I realized that Basilica S. Bartholomaei in Insula (the church of St. Bartholonew) was on the island.  I walked over the bridge, resisting the call of the souvenir peddlers and the gelato shop, to the church.  It houses the remains of St.  Bartholomew and has two beautiful paintings - one of the visitation and the other the annunciation. I found the Annunciation unusual in that it has both God the Father and the Holy Spirit in it.
There, I paused to pray a decade of the rosary and then lit a candle and prayed for the Women of St. Bernadette.  Specifically, I prayed that through our work, we would strengthen our relationship with Jesus and that we would bring many women to a better understanding of the Catholic faith.

I wish every woman in our group could have experienced this trip.  We celebrated mass in inexpressibly beautiful and sacred surroundings.  We walked in the places that St. Peter and St. Paul were martyred.  We saw the light go off in the papal apartment at 11 one night and saw him in person.  We prayed in front of the crucifix that St. Catherine of Sienna used.  We walked into the tiny, one room chapel used by St. Francis.  And we ate delicious food, laughed until our sides hurt and toasted our new friendships with smooth Roman wine! Our pastor poured himself out in homilies that touched our souls and challenged us to life faithful Catholic lives.
I look forward to seeing all of you soon.

Your sister in Christ,

Mary Ellen

Storms

An earthquake on Tuesday and a rain/wind weather event from Hurricane Irene on Saturday.  It has been an eventful weather week in the DC area.  During the past 24 hours, I don’t think I’ve had a conversation that hasn’t referenced the storm.  The news media has done nothing except play on our human fears, causing people to buy far more water, batteries and peanut butter than they will need in the coming year.  (I’m just thankful that they didn’t know the earthquake was coming.)

However, another event, with only a local impact, will most likely affect my life more than either of these events over the next months.  On Friday, I learned that a parish member, who has several young children, has ovarian cancer.  While we hear about all types of cancer in the news and are bombarded with requests to support cancer research, somehow when someone I know is diagnosed, cancer is spelled with a capital “C”.  Having lost my grandma, for whom I was named, and both parents to cancer, the news evokes all kinds of emotions. 

It makes me realize that it is time to get on my knees and pray for this family, as well as offer assistance with things like transportation, childcare and meals.  The forecasters of the outcome of this storm will not be meteorologists, but a variety of oncologists and their colleagues.   Family and friends at times will feel helpless, but those who trust in Christ and ask, “His will be done”, will not be hopeless.  Whatever the outcome of this storm, the suffering endured will create many blessings. 

When I think of the event of the past week, I realize that I must trust in Jesus.   No matter how unexpected or frightening the storm, I must believe that He knows what He is doing.  No matter how sorrowful or joyful the event, it is what I need at this moment.  Even when I would rather not hunker down, waiting for Irene to arrive or to hear of the illness of a friend, there is a reason for the event.

On this Monday morning, the weather forecast is for sunny, clear skies for the next few days.  The effects of the earthquake and Irene will soon be forgotten.  My fellow parish member and her family are adjusting to the unexpected news and assessing the next steps.  It is trust in our great and mighty Lord that will take us through this day and beyond.