Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

As  I look out my window and see the hills of buildings here in Bethlehem I think of that morning, after the birth of our Lord, when Mary and Joseph started planning their next move to Egypt so they could escape Herod's massacre of all infant boys (Matthew 2:13-16).  I too will be leaving Bethlehem, in about two weeks, and traveling in the footsteps of our Lord.  While Egypt is not one of the stops my seminary classmates and I will be making we will be traveling to Nazareth, Galilee, and then Jerusalem.  We are making a pilgrimage, much like the one Mary and Joseph made from Nazareth to Bethlehem to Egypt back to Nazareth and then Jesus' pilgrimage from Nathareth to Jerusalem.  During my pilgrimage it is my intention to write at least one blog a week as a way to reflect on my pilgrimage.  My seminary brothers are keeping a daily blog that you can follow here if you wish.  

One week has past since landing here in the city of David. I would have to say that the main theme that has stuck out to me this week has been the awesome spiritual tradition of our faith, specifically the monastic tradition, both East and West.  Almost every site that we visited this week either had or currently has a monastery.  When we visited Masada, an ancient fortress built by Herod the Great around 37BC, and since then many people have taken pocession of it for various reasons including an ancient Byzantine Monastery dating back to the 4th century.  This mountain was in the middle of nowhere, next to the dead sea, and it was so peaceful and quiet.  No wonder Monks went there for peace and solitude to reflect on our Lord.  As I stood in the ruins of this monastery I could feel the monks still praying on our behalf to the Blessed Trinity.  

This week we also visited Mar Saba, an ancient Monastery built in the 5th century, and the beauty of this place was breathtaking.  Even though the Lord is not calling me to monastic life I could definitely be a monk there.  Just knowing, and in the case of Mar Saba seeing, monks praying for the world is a beautiful thing.  These holy men don't leave their monastery, have no connected to the outside world at all, don't have any luxuries, and they are joyful and filled with the Love of Jesus Christ.  This is a Love I wish to cultivate in my own heart and God willing this pilgrimage is a time where I can start this cultivation.  

Please, keep my brother and I in your prayers as we continue traveling to various Holy sites and walking in the footsteps of Jesus.  Be assured of my prayers for you.

Assumption of Mary into Heaven

It has come to my attention that there are many Catholics who don’t really understand the importance of our upcoming Solemnity, and Holy Day of Obligation, celebrating the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. It’s easy for me to understand the confusion behind the importance of this feast day because I too used to question its importance. Don’t get me wrong…I love Mary and I want to celebrate her as often as I can…but why make this day obligatory? Don’t we have enough obligatory Mary feasts? To take this a step further, it seems that this feast of Mary’s assumption, although important, doesn't compare to her Immaculate Conception or her role as Mother of God. So why is this day obligatory to celebrate?!

     As always, it is important to look at the big picture of our liturgical life and rich Traditions. It’s fitting that we celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Conception just before Christmas (December 8) because it assists us in understanding the mystery of the Incarnation (God becoming Man). We also can’t argue the logic in celebrating Mary as Mother of God just after Christmas (January 1). This is where we need to see the big picture; Mary was immaculately conceived without sin, totally giving herself to God and led to her fiat, accepting her new role as Mother of God. Mary was intimately united to God as both a beloved daughter and his Mother and these roles were lived out in her total commitment and acceptance of Gods will, as well as, giving birth to and raising the second person of the Blessed Trinity, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Because Mary lived her life in accordance with Gods will, and became the Mother of God, she was graced with the blessing of being assumed into Heaven, body and soul, to live with her Son and be crowned Queen of Heaven.

     I do not want this blog post to become a theological debate over the question of "did Mary die or fall asleep?" The question at hand is why this day is obligatory to celebrate. The answer is because it completes Mary's mission and vocation as Mother of God and model disciple. Mary is proof that when Christ promised a resurrection of the dead and eternal life in Heaven, for those who follow the New Law (Jesus Christ), that Christ wasn't kidding. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the model disciple, our natures solitary boast, and because of her choice to follow the will of God she was rewarded with everlasting glory! We are obligated to celebrate this great feast because it reminds us of our own future resurrection day when our bodies will rise from their graves and enter the eternal glory of Heaven!

     It's my prayer that all Catholics will spend this day in prayer asking for our Queens intercession and protection that we can faithfully follow the will of God and grow closer to her Son. Only by taking up the Cross of Jesus Christ and following the will of our Father in Heaven will we be able to enter the new and eternal Jerusalem. Have a Blessed Feast Day!

Mary, assumed into Heaven, Pray for Us!

Experiencing the Wounds of Christ

                After naming this particular blog post I see an unwarranted pun…trust me it’s not intended and you should understand by the end of the post.  This summer I have the opportunity to gain experience in a very specific ministry known has hospital chaplaincy.  Part of our seminary training here in the U.S.A (and I’m sure other countries as well) is taking part in a hospital chaplaincy internship.  Most diocese’s take advantage of a nationwide program called Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).  This is a program designed to train hospital chaplains and involves a very rigorous certification process (praise Jesus we are not required to be certified).  Chaplains who are CPE certified are held to a prestigious level and take precedence in hiring (most hospitals require at least some CPE training).  For this reason many Bishops make good use of this resource to assist their future priests. 

       My CPE site is right here in Chicago at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.  This is a very busy hospital due to our level one trauma center, top doctors in multiple areas of medicine, our children’s hospital, and our prime placement on Chicago’s Southwest side.  Christ Medical Center is a great hospital with a wonderful staff who truly care for each patient and work hard to keep people alive.  I must admit that I am very impressed by all the doctors, technicians, nurses, security, secretaries, maintenance, etc. and how well we all work as a team for our patients.  However, because this is a busy hospital, full of sick and suffering patients, the chaplains have a lot of work to do and people to minister to.  I have seen more pain and suffering in this hospital than I have ever wanted to witness.  From gunshot victims to car accidents, domestic violence to failed burglaries, kids making mistakes to children drowning in pools, cancer patients to strokes, I have seen it all and ministered to these people and/or their families…and it isn’t easy. 

                Amid all the suffering, pain, exhaustion, depression, and sadness that I have witnessed I have also witnessed a profound love of God.  I can honestly say that most of my patients love God very much and don’t blame him for their suffering.  As a matter of fact they grow closer to God through their suffering.  I have witnessed this for not only my Christian patients but also non-Christians.  These people seek prayer and feel its benefits even if their prayers don’t seem to have been answered.  My Catholic patients I've visited trust in redemptive suffering, where one unites their pains to Christ on the Cross for the salvation of their soul or others, and which St. John Paul the Great wrote about in his Apostolic Letter, Salvifici Doloris (on the Christian meaning of Human Suffering).  These patients have, in a way, proven to me that God exists.  I have not been questioning Gods existence at all but these patients who love God amid their terrible pain and suffering are just more proof that God is present and real.  Much like the Apostle, St. Thomas, who needed to touch the wounds of Christ, I feel that I am touching those wounds when I interact and pray with these holy men and women.  I should be ministering to them; however, they are ministering to me and I feel God speaking to me through them.  I hope that they feel God speaking to them through me. 

While hospital chaplaincy is not my vocation within priesthood I have a new respect for hospital chaplains.  This is not an easy ministry and it is certainly not for the faint of heart.  These brave men and women are willing to sit, talk, pray, and even be silent with many different people who experiencing terrible pains and suffering.  Their main concern is the comfort of the patient and then we focus on the family.  This is one of the most selfless ministries I have been a part of.  Please say a prayer for full time hospital chaplains and their families and please keep my brothers and me in your prayers as our summer chaplain internships come to a close.  And always keep the suffering members of the Body of Christ in your daily prayers that, if God wills them to come home, they may be welcomed into his Heavenly Kingdom.  

My review of NOAH

Last night I saw the newest biblical epic out in theatre's...NOAH.  I went into the film hearing many negative reviews on the films theology and overall quality.  I tried my best to keep an open mind so that I can make my own decision on the film.  I am very happy to say that I liked it and enjoyed myself a great deal!  The over two hour film felt like one hour.  The story moved pretty quick and kept my interest.  I enjoyed it very much.  I am writing this blog on the film in response to the negative reviews I've read.

 A word on the inaccuracy of the movie compared with Sacred Scripture.  The creators of this film definitely took their liberties with the story and added a lot of new plot points, and even characters, who are not mentioned in the original.  Is this something we should be concerned about?  Not at all!  The story of Noah is made up anyway in Sacred Scripture.  It was taken from a collection of myths (similar to that of the Epic of Gilgamesh) and fit to help the writers of Sacred Scripture make God relatable to the people of their time.  Noah is the BC version of the New Evangelization.  Because of this historical fact no good Catholic should fear seeing this movie; however, fundamentalist Protestants will have a hard time given their literal interpretation of their bible. 

On the tree-hugging, human killing, bad father character of Noah all I have to say in response to these critiques is to look at the whole picture and not just the one character.   In the film we have, of course, Noah who is the son of Lamech (correct in Scripture) and has evil cousins who are from the blood line of Cain, who killed Able (not correct in Scripture).  Our main antagonist is Tubal-Cain (Uncle of Noah) who is a King and whose family line has destroyed the land they live in.  All the food has been eaten, trees are cut down, animals killed, and all of God’s creation is being destroyed by the glutinous materialism of Tubal-Cain and his kingdom.  Noah, on the other hand, has a great love and devotion to God’s creation.  Noah doesn't kill animals for food, he only takes plant food that his family needs to survive, and tries to re-plant seeds in hopes Gods creation will come back.

It must be known that BOTH NOAH AND TUBAL-CAIN ARE TRYING TO DO GODS WILL!  Both men share their own view on God’s creation: Tubal-Cain focuses on humanity being created in the image and likeness of God and humanity has dominion over the whole created world while Noah focuses on all of creation being made good in Gods eyes and since humanity turned away from God (the fall of Adam and Eve) we no longer deserve to share in Gods good creation.  None of this (in terms of character and story) are true in Sacred Scripture; however, we are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:27) and all of God’s creation is made Good (Gen 1).  So who's right and who's wrong?  They are both correct; however they look at it as an "either, or" situation when it's really a "both, and!"

In the movie universe Noah is the less of the two evils and God chooses him to carry out His plan.  Noah does make many bad decisions with his family and others but in the end Noah is just trying to do God’s will, which isn't always easy to figure out.  Love, obviously, wins in the end.  Noah realizes that man is created good just like the plants and animals.  Noah sees God's image and likeness in his family which gives him hope for the new creation to come after the flood. 

There are so many great themes in this film!  It's a great witness to what it means to be a beloved child of God, we get a better understanding of us being made in God’s image and likeness, and we are challenged to be the good stewards of creation that God created us to be.  Yes, God gave man dominion over the planet but not as a Lordship, as Tubal-Cain understood it, but as a ministry, as Noah understood it in this film.  Nothing, not even our own bodies, belong to us.  Everything will eventually go back to God who gave it to us out of Love in the first place.  How do you take care of this precious gift God gave us?  NOAH challenges us to look at our relationship with God and see if it's healthy, good, holy, and orthodox. 

Go and see this film!  It's great!  Even if you don't like the production quality (it's ok) you will still leave with a better understanding of yourself as a beloved child of God and hopefully asking yourself how you can be a better person and how you can make your relationship with God stronger.