Frustrations and Disappointments

I often reflect upon how the Lord, when He called Father Abraham, simply instructed him, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you" (Gen 12:1b). Notice that the Lord merely said, "Go." He didn't specify how far, or in which direction, or what lay at the end of the road. Such knowledge, then as now, was unnecessary. Faith, and trust in the Lord's providence, was essential. Not only that, but the Lord expects us to cooperate with His grace. Or, as the Chinese proverb goes, "The longest journey still requires the first step."

My own faith journey has taken some unexpected, and at times, disappointing and frustrating turns. This is especially true of my vocational discernment. Marriage or priesthood? Diocesan or religious? Marriage or priesthood (again)? Carmelite or Franciscan or Dominican? And, of course, there's the panic that ensues when one considers, what if it's "none of the above"!

In the midst of this anxiety, I hear a word from the Lord: "Someday, we will look back and laugh, and praise God for our disappointments and frustrations."

In other words, what we perceive today as disappointments and frustrations we may well understand tomorrow as blessings from the Lord. Abraham is a good example; how anxious he must have been when the Lord told him to uproot himself and his family and leave behind everything he had ever known! Of course, the other biblical model is Jesus himself. There is a temptation to read the Gospel accounts of Christ's death and resurrection as if everyone knew the end of the story. But, of course, they didn't. There was very real anxiety amongst the apostles that the mission had failed, that Jesus was another failed Messiah.

But then, that glorious morning when, against all expectations, they found the tomb empty! I rather imagine Jesus sitting there in the tomb, the burial cloths falling off His glorified body, and as He reflects on where He has been, and on the frustrations and disappointments He has known in His life, the Savior laughs.

For those troubled by frustrations and disappointments in their own faith journey (and isn't everybody?), I highly recommend Fr. Timothy Gallagher's excellent synthesis of Ignatian discernment, Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living.

Blessed John Paul "the Great"

Christus resurrexit, alleluia!

Well, Finals are finally over, and this blogger can finally take some time to rest (between blogging, of course, as well as work and studying Hebrew)! One of the greatest blessings--if not the greatest--since I last posted, is surely the beatification of Pope John Paul II, or as we are bound to call him now, "Blessed" John Paul!

While others had woken up at an ungodly hour for the Royal Wedding the day before, I slept in front of the TV, alarm set for 4:00 am, so as not to miss a moment of the blessed event. EWTN is fine, but for my money the best coverage was provided by NBC, which featured commentary from papal biographer George Weigel and the eminent theologian and evangelist, Father Robert Barron of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Word on Fire Ministries.

While I struggled to stay awake at that early hour, I did catch several key moments in the ceremony, held in St. Peter's Square to accommodate the 1.5 million pilgrims who flooded Rome for the historic event. After sleeping through my alarm, I awoke just in time to hear Pope Benedict read out--in Latin--the proclamation of beatification, which officially declared JP2 to be among the blessed in Heaven. The beautiful song, "Aprite le Porte a Cristo" ("Open the Door to Christ"), composed especially for the event, was sung, and the enormous tapestry of a smiling JP2 was unveiled. Meanwhile, a small phial of the late pontiff's blood, encased in a shining silver reliquary, was brought forward for the veneration of his successor.

All in all, the ceremony was breathtaking, as befits the man who is bound to be known as the most influential man of the century, not only within the household of the Church, but also in the wider world. His legacy, if I may thus summarize: The value of a human life is defined by nothing more or less than the love of God, and that this divine love is the grounding force of the universe, as well as the sure path to peace.

For those interested in the life and times of the Blessed, I highly recommend George Weigel's book, Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, as well as its sequel, The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II--The Victory of Freedom, the Last Days, the Legacy.

Blessed John Paul the Great, pray for us!

Why "Christian Witness"?

Well, spring is officially here, and nothing says spring to a Michigander like apple blossoms (except robins, but that wasn't a template option). Hope you enjoy the new look.

I thought a reminder of why I have entitled this blog "Christian Witness" might be in order. This blog was inspired, in large part, by World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia. The theme that the Holy Father chose was the scripture you see at the head of this page, "You will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). In his "Message On the Occasion of the XXIII World Youth Day", Pope Benedict XVI observed that "the Holy Spirit continues today to act with power in the Church, and the fruits of the Spirit are abundant in the measure in which we are ready to open up to this power that makes all things new" (5). Further, "By allowing themselves to be guided by the Spirit, each baptized person can bring his or her own contribution to the building up of the Church because of the charisms given by the Spirit, for 'to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good'" (6, cf. 1 Cor 12:7). Finally, he declared, "Together we shall invoke the Holy Spirit, confidently asking God for the gift of a new Pentecost for the Church and for humanity in the third millennium" (8).

I was, at that time, experiencing something of a spiritual renewal in my own life. I was learning about the power of the Holy Spirit, as manifested in His charisms, and about the grace of the "new Pentecost". I began, that summer, to discover my own gifts, and to consider how I might best use them to build up the Church. I was especially intrigued by the idea that the Spirit is the "first agent of evangelization", and therefore of witness, as articulated by Pope Paul VI.

Now, "witness" in the context of this blog has a twofold sense. First and foremost, it denotes a witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; that God exists and that He has revealed Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, who out of love for mankind suffered and died, and on the third day rose again as a proof of His divinity and a promise of eternal life for those who believe in His Name. However, it also denotes a particular manner of seeing things, aided by the light of the Holy Spirit. By this reading, even as I "witness to" the Gospel, I also endeavor to "witness" literature, music, film, politics, etc., from a uniquely Christian perspective. Whether this endeavor is successful will be for my readers to judge. (So please comment on my posts!)

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of Thy faithful, grant that by the same Spirit we may be truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

La Santa Madre

I recently read an excellent biography of the great saint and Doctor of the Church, Teresa of Jesus, by Cathleen Medwick. Ms. Medwick, while neither a Spaniard nor a Catholic--she is, in fact, an American Jew--captures perfectly the flavor of 16th century Spain, as well as the wit, determination, and chutzpah of la Santa Madre in Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul.

I must confess that, when it comes to all things Teresian, I am very biased. Teresa is my best friend in heaven, the true companion of my soul. Still, I think that Medwick's book is as thorough and honest a reading of the life of the revered saint as one may find outside of her own autobiography, the Vida de Teresa de Jesus ("Life of Teresa of Jesus"), perhaps more so given Medwick's unique perspective. After all, Teresa was herself ethnically Jewish; her grandparents were conversos, Jews who were baptized in the Reconquista of Ferdinand and Isabella. (In an interesting turn of providence, three great Carmelite saints and spiritual masters, Teresa of Jesus, John of the Cross, co-founder with Teresa of the Discalced Reform, and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, or Edith Stein, the brilliant philosopher and martyr of Auschwitz, were all ethnically Jewish.) Medwick's Teresa is a sign of contradiction: as a nun, bold yet humble, as a religious superior, firm yet loving, and as a reformer of her Carmelite Order and founder of monasteries, industrious yet completely trusting in God's providence.

For Teresa, the Discalced Reform was, ulltimately, God's own project, and God would see it completed. Perhaps a little context is necessary here. By the 16th century, the Carmelite Order, which has been founded in the Holy Land in the 13th century, had strayed from the austerity and prayerfulness of the primitive Rule, especially in Spain, where noble ladies were permitted to bring lapdogs and servants into the convent, adapt the habit to reflect their superior station, and come and go freely from the convent, to the neglect of their religious duties. Teresa's own convent of La Encarnacion was no exception. Moved by a voice from heaven, she established the first reformed convent, called descalzo ("discalced" from the fact that the nuns wore not shoes but simple hemp sandals), San Jose de Avila in 1562, with many more to follow throughout Castile and Andalusia.

While Teresa authored many books throughout her long life, including her spiritual masterpiece, Las Moradas ("The Mansions", more commonly known in English as The Interior Castle), as many commentators point out, her greatest work was her reform movement, which eventually bore fruit in many communities of strictly enclosed, contemplative nuns, as well as friars who, due to the requirements of their various ministries, were less strictly enclosed, but no less contemplative. To this day, these sons and daughters of Mary, Queen and Beauty of Carmel, live lives of prayer and quiet sacrifice, constantly interceding for the people of God.

A good companion to Medwick's biography is the nine-part Spanish mini-series Teresa de Jesus, directed by Josefina Molina and starring Concha Velasco as Teresa.

Religion, Violence, and True Peace

I finally had the opportunity to see The Stoning of Soraya M. The film, set in Iran in 1986, is based on the true story of a woman named Soraya. Soraya is a good, compassionate woman; she consoles the local mechanic when his wife dies, and even agrees to work for him, cooking, cleaning, and caring for his mentally handicapped son. When her abusive husband, Ali, desires to marry a younger "woman" (she is fourteen years old), he asks for a divorce, and enlists to local mullah (cleric) to help him. In return, he will grant Soraya a portion of their property and custody of their two daughters (he will, of course, take their sons). Meanwhile, the mullah will attend to any other needs, with the expectation of forming with Soraya a "temporary marriage", called a mut'ah, which is allowed by Sharia (Islamic law). Unwilling to give up her dignity to become what she calls a "holy whore", Soraya refuses to grant the divorce.

Ali, infuriated, conspires with the mullah to charge Soraya with adultery, which is a capital offense according to Sharia. They produce false witnesses, including Soraya's employer, a simpleton who is easily coerced. Together with the spineless mayor, and despite the best efforts of Soraya's noble aunt, Zahra, they convict and brutally stone Soraya to death. Buried waist deep with arms bound, Soraya is forced to watch as her own father, husband and young sons take part in the bloody scene. The next day, an Iranian-French journalist, in need of an auto mechanic, happens upon the small town. With a bit of stealth, Zahra leads the young man to her home, where she insists that he listen to her story, and tell it to the world.

Soraya's story, though saddening, must be heard, especially in the West, where we have such little direct knowledge of Islamic culture. I assert that if there is a tendency to violence in Islam--as there clearly is--it has less to do with "extremism" (whatever that may mean) than with Islam's basic conception of God. As Christians, we believe Deus charitas est, "God is love" (1 John 4:16). The appropriate faith-response to the God who is love is love. Muslims, we might say, believe Deus voluntas est, "God is will". The only appropriate faith-response to this God is submission, hence the name "Islam" (Arabic, "submission"). Because God's will is absolute, it must be done, whether by persuasion or by force.

Muslims have a custom of adding "peace be upon him" whenever they speak the name of Muhammad. I would suggest that Christians, when speaking the name of Jesus, add "who IS peace." Because only in the God who reveals Himself in Jesus Christ, and who provides in Him a model of non-violence, compassion, and love, can we truly have peace.

Why Believe in Jesus of Nazareth?

Today, as part of my Lord's Day observance, I watched the excellent documentary, The Case for Christ, based on Lee Strobel's book by the same name. In the film, Strobel, a journalist for the Chicago Tribune and former atheist, ably presents the evidence--collected over the course of years and with a journalist's critical eye--for belief in Christ.

Here are just a few highlights of the film:

The historical reliability of the Gospels. Strobel argues that, while one may choose to believe or not to believe that the four canonical Gospels (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are divinely inspired, one cannot deny that they are reliable historical sources. He notes the scholarly consensus that the Gospels were written within the lifetime of the Apostles (i.e. before 90 A.D.). In other words, they were authored by, or with the assistance of, eyewitnesses to Jesus life, death, and resurrection. Further, since the proclamation of these Gospels was a community event, and that many of these eyewitnesses were still living in the community, they surely would have corrected the Gospel accounts had they strayed from the truth.

Strobel also easily refutes the argument that the Gospels are unreliable due to inconsistencies among the different accounts. He demonstrates that these inconsistencies are relatively insignificant and observes that, in a court of law, were the testimonies of many witnesses identical, the first objection would be "collusion", that the witnesses had conspired to produce a false testimony. In this respect, the small variations among the four Gospels only add to their credibility; they do not detract from it.

The consistent witness to the personality of Jesus. Strobel also refutes the argument that it is impossible to know who Jesus really was or what He really did, considering the proliferation of apocryphal "gospels" and other scriptures, particularly originating from the Gnostics (an early Christian sect that taught that matter was inherently evil and that salvation was achieved through esoteric knowledge, in Greek, "gnosis"). These Gospels, however, are universally recognized by scholars as being written well after the Apostolic era, and present a portrait of Jesus that is often disconsonant with the earlier, eye-witness accounts of Jesus and His ministry.

The joint witness of the empty tomb and the blood of the martyrs. For Strobel, as for most Christians, the primary issue is Jesus' resurrection from the dead. He observes several idiosyncrasies (as we might call them) about the Gospel accounts of the resurrection. For instance, the Gospels report that it was women (including Mary Magdalene, a woman with a dubious past) that were the first witnesses to the resurrection. Strobel argues that, had the story been fabricated, the Gospel authors certainly would not have relied on the witness of women, distrusted as they were in first century Palestine. Further, the Gospels report that it was Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish governing body that condemned Jesus to death), who offered his new tomb for the burial of Jesus. Surely the Gospel authors would not have reported this potentially embarrassing fact had they fabricated the story. Finally, Strobel observes that after His resurrection, Jesus appears not to a select few, but to hundreds of people. Many, if not most, of these early witnesses to the resurrection gave up their lives in martyrdom rather than deny what they saw with their own eyes, and heard with their own ears, and touched with their own hands. And not only these, but others who were initially opposed to Jesus, such as the Pharisee Saul of Tarsus (a.k.a. Paul the Apostle). It is highly unlikely, Strobel argues, that people would choose to die for what they knew was false.

Strobel, fine journalist that he is, has certainly done his homework. I highly recommend this film to both believer and skeptic alike.

Watch the entire film here (or on Hulu.com):

Angels With One Wing

I recently finished Anne Rice's Of Love and Evil, the second novel in the Songs of the Seraphim series. Toby O'Dare, a hit man who has known profound grief, is visited by Malchiah, an seraph who bears a message of God's mercy and the need to make reparation for sin. Thus far, that opportunity has involved travelling back in time and space ("Angel Time") to protect God's chosen people, the Jews, from persecution. In the first novel in the series, Angel Time, Malchiah brings Toby to thirteenth century England where, in the guise of a Dominican friar, he defends a Jewish family that has been falsely accused of murdering their young daughter. Similarly, in this second novel, Toby is taken to sixteenth century Rome, where he intervenes in the case of a Jewish physician, who has been falsely accused of poisoning his Christian patient. It is a delightful series, well-grounded in the Catholic theological tradition with much owed to Thomas Aquinas, the "Angelic Doctor", that creatively explores the rapport between angels and humans. One hopes that Ms. Rice's recent defection from the Church (which is a topic for another post) will not adversely impact the series.

Here a just a few things that I love about the series:

It recognizes angels as the personal representatives of God's love and protection. In other words, God could--and often does--protect and guide us humans directly, but His love is such that He creates spiritual beings for the sole purpose of bearing His love to us.

It acknowledges the reality of spiritual warfare. If there are spiritual beings who have chosen from the moment of their creation to love and serve God and to collaborate in our salvation, then there must also be spiritual beings who have chosen to not love and serve God and who work toward our destruction.

It has an historical perspective. There can be no doubt that Ms. Rice is an enthusiastic student of Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance history. I am particularly appreciative of the fact that Rice has chosen neither to defame the Church (in a Dan Brown-esque way) nor to ignore her very real faults and failures through the centuries. Especially heartbreaking is the mistreatment of the Jews in Medieval and Renaissance Europe.

On a final note, I thought that a quotation prefacing the book reflects well the overarching theme of the series:

"We are each of us angels with only one wing; and we can only fly by embracing one another."
--Luciano de Crescenzo

Highly recommended.