A Knight's Walk in the Kingdom

theophilus January 11th, 2009

I really don’t want to ask a priest about the new-age spirituality of Star Wars, especially “The Force,” mainly because I want to enjoy the genre for what it is, a science-fiction escape into a fantasy world of heroes, villains, exotic creatures, and daring adventures.

I fell in love with Star Wars when I was a pre-teen.  The first film caught my imagination and never let go.

And, now I am starting to realize that Star Wars is a bridge of the generations.  Why?  Because my kids are totally into it.

I come home at night, my son is ready with our light-sabres for our daily duel.  He is collecting the figures and ships (which are now somehow tied into Transformers).  Both my son and daughter are big fans of The Clone Wars on Cartoon Network.  They play Star Wars Lego on the Wii.  They have watched the first installment (Episode IV for those keeping score at home).  Tonight, they are watching Episodes V & VI.  They even beseeched me to turn off Steelers v. Chargers so they could go back to the movie.  And they seem to know who all of the characters are in the first three episodes, even though we haven’t rented them yet.

What’s really interesting is that I can’t see Anakin Skywalker as anything but a pathetic soul who succumbs to evil.  My son cannot see Anakin as anything but the dashing hero.  He cannot wrap his young mind around Anakin becoming Darth Vader.

In any case, Star Wars is bridging the generations.  My generation got into it; my kids’ generation is getting into it and doing so in a wholly new and fresh way.

There have to be traditions that tie generations together.  Sports typically fill that bill; but there can be other cultural things that do as well.  Cartoons, the arts, holidays, hunting, fishing, golf, and shopping (for the girls).

And religion.  Or should it be, and religion?

One of the endearing legacies of Catholicism throughout the ages is that there were traditions that were handed down from generation to generation.  Mass, sacraments, sacramentals, devotions, prayer books, feast day and holy day observances, organizations, sports, education.  There was a distinct identity to be a Catholic; a certain confidence that went along with being a member of THE Church, THE Body of Christ.  In Cincinnati, there were neighborhoods that were called “Catholic Cocoons” because Catholics in these neighborhoods could eat, drink and breathe Catholicism in every aspect of their lives.

Do we still have that identity?  If so, is that identity bridging the generations?  Do our kids know why we are Catholic?  Heck, do we know?

Today is the last day of the Christmas season; tomorrow starts Ordinary Time.  It is Christmas when we seem to have the most Catholic of traditions – the Advent Wreath, St. Nick, the Christmas Tree, Midnight Mass, the Creche, the Twelve Days of Christmas.  The challenge for all Catholics is to identify and put into practice the Catholic traditions for the rest of the year; and there are many.  For starters, I suggest reading Catholic and Loving It by Sabitha Narendran and Andrew Salzmann (Servant Books by St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2007).  I also suggest Catholic Culture, a web site dedicated to “Living the Catholic Life.”

We must learn, re-learn, and hold fast the traditions that make up the rich fabric of the Catholic identity.  We must ensure that the Catholic identity is never referred to as a something that happened “a long time ago, in a galaxy, far, far away.”

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!  Let’s make Ordinary Time anything but “ordinary.”

• Culture , Liturgy
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theophilus January 7th, 2009

I tend to take a lot of fears through my days.

I fear screwing up my kids’ and wife’s lives, unemployment, failure at work, terrorism, a loss of freedom, poverty, tornadoes, loss of any number of my family, jumping out of airplanes and bungee jumping, what other people think of me, car accidents in an ice or rain storm,  shingles blowing off my roof in a wind storm, the Reds with a one run lead in the 9th, the Bengals with a two point lead deep in the 4th Quarter.

Ultimately, I fear displeasing God; turning away from Him to such a degree that He turns His back on me and is done with me.  I fear He will give up on me because I just wouldn’t get His plan done.

So, today’s first reading from 1 John 4 helps alleviate this last fear.

St. John writes,

There is no fear in love,
but perfect love drives out fear
because fear has to do with punishment,
and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.

I need a reality check sometimes.  If I keep seeking God, keep trying to walk with his Son, keep Mary & St. Joseph close in my prayers, keep trying to walk in the footsteps of the saints; God is not going to turn His back on me, no matter how badly I screw things up.

Why?  Because, I am His child and He loves me.  And I cannot truly love Him back if I am in fear of Him.

Now, I know that one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit is “Fear of the Lord.”  But I think this gift is geared towards us having a complete and total respect and awe for our Creator and Heavenly Father.  It is not geared towards us being irrationally fearful of Him as we would a stern schoolteacher or boss.

God is not out to get us.  He loves us.  He is our Father, who accompanies us every moment of our days, whether or not we want him along for the ride.  He wants nothing more than for us to fill our days with Him; helping build His kingdom.  He wants to give us everything we need; if not most of what we want.

Today’s gospel (Mark 6) is about Jesus walking on water.  The disciples in the boat were in fear of the storm and of seeing him walking on the waves.  Yet, they failed to realize that God made the sea and man’s ability to float on top of it.  He made the storms and can quiet them.

Like the disciples, I miss certain things.  I miss that God gave me my family and gave me to them; that God gave me my professional gifts and my job and knows what he wants me to do for my work; that God gives me my modest and sustainable wealth, my freedom, my security; that God directs the weather; that His opinion of me is the only one that counts; that He even made the Reds and the Bengals, and airplanes for people to jump out of and bridges for people to jump off of with only an elastic band attached to their legs.

I need not fear my fears; I need not fear God.  I just need to try and do His will and walk closely with his Son.  I need to accept the Holy Spirit trying its best to grow within me.

When I lose my fear, then I will truly love God, and I will truly love others.

Fear and love cannot co-exist.  What are the fears in your life?  How are they keeping you from truly loving others and loving God?

• Divine Filiation , Liturgy
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theophilus January 4th, 2009

I often wonder about that star; the one that led those three kings to Christ.

It must have been bright, magnetic, divine; calling these three great men to what they were seeking; to their salvation.

We all see stars.  In fact, at any one time during the night, millions of us can look up at the sky and see the exact same light; the exact same star.  But we see this light in so many different ways.

Some see the light clearly because they are out in the country where the stars form a blanket of light.  Some live in the city and can’t filter out the light of God from the light of man.  Some live in areas that have periods of perpetual overcast skies and don’t see anything at all.

I’m of course painting a metaphor for our spiritual lives.  Some see the Star of Christ clearly; some have trouble seeing the Star of Christ because of our culture, internal needs, and attachment to material things; some don’t see the Star of Christ at all.

What do you see?

I’m thinking God wants us to see the Star of Christ as clearly as we possibly can.  He doesn’t just want us to look up at the sky and gaze on the stars; he wants us to grab a high-powered telescope and focus with incredible intensity on that star illuminated by his Son and our Savior.  He wants us to know everything there is to know about that star.  He wants us to have a life-long yearning to follow that star right up to the Gates of Heaven.

The Star of Christ is out there for each of us to see, each and every moment of each and every day.  We just need to ask God to allow us to see it in our everyday circumstances and follow it no matter where it leads us.

The Star of Christ is in your homes, workplaces, parishes, and every other place you spend your days.  The Star of Christ is present in every person with whom you come into contact.  The Star of Christ can be there in every detail of how you choose to prioritize your days and nights.

It’s just up to you to be like the three kings; to see the star; follow the star; look with wonder at where the star leads you.

Mary and the saints joined the three kings in seeing that star and they followed it.  It’s up to you to see what they saw and be on your way.

• Jesus , Liturgy
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theophilus January 1st, 2009

I’m not a theologian but I think I’m finally starting to get something.

Today is, of course, January 1st.  For us Catholics, it should be Mother’s Day for Mary because it’s the Feast Day or Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

It is the day for us to contemplate Mary as the Mother of Jesus, and as such the Mother of God.  Mary is also our mother, as we are all children of God (see John 1 from yesterday’s gospel and Galatians 4 from today’s second reading).  We must not forget to give her the respect, attention and love due to such a noble and caring intercessor, protector, comforter, confidante and guide.

This feast is also the time to continue our contemplation of Jesus as true God and true man.

It is this second contemplation that has had my mind turning all day.

In Morning Prayer (Liturgy of the Hours), I was struck by two of the intercessions.  One prayed that “[y]ou made yourself like us, in your mercy grant that we may become more like you.” The other prayed that “[y]ou made yourself a citizen of our earthly city, grant that we may become citizens of our true homeland, your kingdom in heaven.”

The first intercession reminds us that Jesus was true man.  He was fully human.  He was one of us.  The second intercession reminds us that Jesus is true God and he has a divine kingdom, which is heaven.

The first intercession urges us to emulate the man he was while on earth, so that our second intercession can be granted; that we may join him in heaven.  If we follow his human example, we can share in his divine and eternal life.

As I speed into this new year, I am going to try and spend more time in asking God and Mary to help me become more like Jesus in the coming year.  I really don’t know exactly what this request entails, but I know the Holy Spirit will let me know as each day unfolds.

Also, on this New Year’s Day, I was especially moved by today’s first reading from Numbers 6.  It’s the blessing we have heard so many times before.  “The Lord bless you and keep you!  The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!  The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!”

God does extend this blessing to us each and every day.  It’s up to us to acknowledge and accept this blessing each and every day.  If we allow ourselves to be so blessed, we will emulate Jesus and we will spend our eternal lives with him.

As this new year dawns, God’s firm hand is extended; Jesus is inviting us to walk by his side; Mary’s arms are open wide to greet us.  It’s up to us to accept and go to them through prayer, devotion, charity, sacrifice, commitment to work, and love for our family, friends and neighbors.  It’s up to us to have a running dialogue with God and ensure that we are offering every moment of our days to Jesus, through Mary.

It’s up to us to live as true children of God; to embrace our divine filiation with our Creator.  I’m thinking that’s not a bad New Year’s resolution at all.

• Divine Filiation , Jesus , Liturgy , Mary
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