I love this line, which is apparently from an ancient Chinese curse. (I have neither the time nor the inclination to verify the veracity of this claim, readers?)
The thought goes that 'interesting times' will not be quiet times. There is going to be a great deal going on, and there will not be much rest available: everything is up for grabs.
I think, for example, of the American Civil War, the Reformation, the Barbarian Invasions, as periods in history that were 'interesting' to say the least.
Are we entering another?
What brings this up, you ask? It was stirred for me by today's First Reading from Mass, (Romans 8:18-25), which begins thus:
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothingcompared with the glory to be revealed for us.For creation awaits with eager expectationthe revelation of the children of God;
In response, I offered the Mass for Persecuted Christians to go with this reading. I wonder if we are moving into a period of outright persecution for the Church. Some could already say that we are living in a time of implicit persecution, but will it get worse? Are we heading for a time of martyrdom, and not just white, not even green martyrdom (financial penalties), but down and dirty, outright red martyrdom where to profess faith in Christ is to meet him face to face?
The cynic in me wonders if this would be all bad. Afterall, the Church usually flourishes during periods of persecution and hatred. Sure, we may loose members as there was also Apostasy (denying the faith during periods of duress) during the Persecutions under Domition and Diocletian. But there were also wonderful heros during those times, as one need not search any further than the letters of St. Ignatius of Antioch.
Christ has raised up for us wonderful examples already in John Paul II and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and is currently raising up new witnesses.
So, the question continues to echo through time from Our Lord, himself: "Do you also want to leave?" Will any answer with Simon Peter: "Lord, to whom else shall we go? We have come to know and to believe that you have the words of Eternal Life!"
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
The importance of the Rosary
Catholic Exchange is a great wealth of articles and support for the faith. They are running an article on Bartolo Longo which is well worth the read.
Among the wayward students in Naples, one stood above the rest in the depths of his depravity. As a young man, Bartolo not only participated in the anti-Catholic demonstrations, he not only preached publically and vehemently against the faith, he not only sought psychic mediums with his friends — he went even further and became a Satanic priest. Later on, Bartolo would describe how, in the rites of his blasphemous "ordination", he promised his soul to a spirit-guide, a demon, which shook the walls and manifested itself with blasphemous shrieks.
Among the wayward students in Naples, one stood above the rest in the depths of his depravity. As a young man, Bartolo not only participated in the anti-Catholic demonstrations, he not only preached publically and vehemently against the faith, he not only sought psychic mediums with his friends — he went even further and became a Satanic priest. Later on, Bartolo would describe how, in the rites of his blasphemous "ordination", he promised his soul to a spirit-guide, a demon, which shook the walls and manifested itself with blasphemous shrieks.
Following the Anti-Hero
My homily, as heard this past week on Sacred Heart Radio's 'The Gospel Today.'
Every once in a while, especially in the Gospel of Luke as we have been hearing over the past year, Jesus presents us with a type of ‘anti-hero,’ someone who on the surface should not be held up as an example for us to follow, yet there is a depth to this person’s own self-awareness that we cannot help but be drawn into the experience. This happens again this week as it did in last Sunday’s Gospel with the Unjust Judge. Today, we see the contrast between the self-righteous Pharisee versus the humility of the tax collector. The former, the Pharisee, is the example that every believing Jew at the time of Jesus would want to follow after: they looked the part, they said the right things, they held the prominent places at the synagogues, in the Temple and at banquets.
Yet, Jesus tells us that his prayers are not answered, they fall upon the deaf ears of God.
In contrast, Jesus holds up the example of the tax collector: one who is shunned, one who is reputed to be a thief, a cheat, a cooperator with the evil Roman Government. I always get the sense that when the tax collectors are named in the Gospels, there is this underlying booing and hissing that comes from the crowd, the Imperial March from Star Wars plays in the back of my mind. These are not people to follow, these are not people to be respected; yet Jesus tells us that his prayers are heard by God. Hold on a sec, here, this sinner is the one who has God’s ear? Yep, and he gives us a model to use for our prayers.
You see, the tax collector was the one who recognized that he needed the Grace of God in order to go about his day, he was the one who recognized that he was a sinner, that he was imperfect, that he made mistakes. And coming to these realizations, he also realized he needed God’s presence in his life to overcome his shortcomings. And this is where the Pharisee, who should have recognized all of this, was actually blinded by his own pride and arrogance, and approached God not out of humility, but out of a sense of entitlement. And for this, his prayers went unheard.
Now, the challenge is to apply these lessons to our daily life, to examine our own motivations, our own prayers, and hopefully to recognize that we also need to approach the Father as did the tax collector, and not like the Pharisee. We have to recognize that without the Grace of Christ, without His presence in our lives, we fall short. We would be unable to live the life that Jesus has called us to. We have to recognize that we have done nothing to earn the love of Jesus other than just be, and he loves us deeply just because of that.
So, there needs to be a balance in our lives between the recognition that we are unworthy versus that gift of grace of God which gives us the dignity to be call a son or daughter of God.
But our starting point is to be that recognition of our own weakness, our sometime ineptitude, our own mistakes. We lay these at the foot of the Cross, for only in the strength of Christ are we able to overcome them and shine forth the grace of our own redemption.
One thing I have come to realize in my work as Vocation Director, in my work of walking along with the men who are in formation to the priesthood, is that while God does call us to perfection, He also recognizes that this is something that we will never be able to achieve, especially if we go it alone. His grace is what enables us to be able to live the life He calls us to.
And honestly, in can be frustrating. We want to be perfect, we want to be completely transparent, leading others to Christ in all that we say and do, yet we still sin, we still fall short, we still are in need of a deeper conversion.
And as we recognize this need, that is when Jesus is able to do the most in us. I am convinced that the best healer is a wounded healer, and this is where the Tax collector shines forth in a greater beauty. As he recognizes his short comings, he will eventually be able to lead others to Christ so that they may experience the same healing that he experienced.
Let us all learn from the example of the tax collector, and lay our weaknesses at the foot of the Cross, so that Christ, who heals all things may heal even our souls and lead us to a closer union with himself.
Every once in a while, especially in the Gospel of Luke as we have been hearing over the past year, Jesus presents us with a type of ‘anti-hero,’ someone who on the surface should not be held up as an example for us to follow, yet there is a depth to this person’s own self-awareness that we cannot help but be drawn into the experience. This happens again this week as it did in last Sunday’s Gospel with the Unjust Judge. Today, we see the contrast between the self-righteous Pharisee versus the humility of the tax collector. The former, the Pharisee, is the example that every believing Jew at the time of Jesus would want to follow after: they looked the part, they said the right things, they held the prominent places at the synagogues, in the Temple and at banquets.
Yet, Jesus tells us that his prayers are not answered, they fall upon the deaf ears of God.
In contrast, Jesus holds up the example of the tax collector: one who is shunned, one who is reputed to be a thief, a cheat, a cooperator with the evil Roman Government. I always get the sense that when the tax collectors are named in the Gospels, there is this underlying booing and hissing that comes from the crowd, the Imperial March from Star Wars plays in the back of my mind. These are not people to follow, these are not people to be respected; yet Jesus tells us that his prayers are heard by God. Hold on a sec, here, this sinner is the one who has God’s ear? Yep, and he gives us a model to use for our prayers.
You see, the tax collector was the one who recognized that he needed the Grace of God in order to go about his day, he was the one who recognized that he was a sinner, that he was imperfect, that he made mistakes. And coming to these realizations, he also realized he needed God’s presence in his life to overcome his shortcomings. And this is where the Pharisee, who should have recognized all of this, was actually blinded by his own pride and arrogance, and approached God not out of humility, but out of a sense of entitlement. And for this, his prayers went unheard.
Now, the challenge is to apply these lessons to our daily life, to examine our own motivations, our own prayers, and hopefully to recognize that we also need to approach the Father as did the tax collector, and not like the Pharisee. We have to recognize that without the Grace of Christ, without His presence in our lives, we fall short. We would be unable to live the life that Jesus has called us to. We have to recognize that we have done nothing to earn the love of Jesus other than just be, and he loves us deeply just because of that.
So, there needs to be a balance in our lives between the recognition that we are unworthy versus that gift of grace of God which gives us the dignity to be call a son or daughter of God.
But our starting point is to be that recognition of our own weakness, our sometime ineptitude, our own mistakes. We lay these at the foot of the Cross, for only in the strength of Christ are we able to overcome them and shine forth the grace of our own redemption.
One thing I have come to realize in my work as Vocation Director, in my work of walking along with the men who are in formation to the priesthood, is that while God does call us to perfection, He also recognizes that this is something that we will never be able to achieve, especially if we go it alone. His grace is what enables us to be able to live the life He calls us to.
And honestly, in can be frustrating. We want to be perfect, we want to be completely transparent, leading others to Christ in all that we say and do, yet we still sin, we still fall short, we still are in need of a deeper conversion.
And as we recognize this need, that is when Jesus is able to do the most in us. I am convinced that the best healer is a wounded healer, and this is where the Tax collector shines forth in a greater beauty. As he recognizes his short comings, he will eventually be able to lead others to Christ so that they may experience the same healing that he experienced.
Let us all learn from the example of the tax collector, and lay our weaknesses at the foot of the Cross, so that Christ, who heals all things may heal even our souls and lead us to a closer union with himself.
Anyone seen my desk?
After nearly a week out of the office (and the time here was slight at best, too), one question surfaces: Where is my desk??? At least, I think I still have a desk under the piles of mail that has accumulated over the last two weeks, as I was everywhere but Cincinnati it seems.
A little review of the weekend is in order, I believe.
Thursday, I made a brief visit to the Josephinum, again, to drop off a few things for our guys there, and made my way over to Franciscan U in Steubenville afterwards.
Franciscan hosts what I would love to see as a model in every Catholic institution of higher learning: a Vocation Awareness Fair. This isn't a 'job fair,' either. They invite close to 80 dioceses and religious communities of men and women in to present their charism to the students, perhaps sowing the initial seeds of a vocation. For the vocation directors, it is also a good chance to steal, umm... I mean, coordinate ideas in how others promote either the diocese of religious community.
For example, I had the distinct misfortune of being across the aisle from the Salesians, priests brothers and sisters. I say 'misfortune' because their particular charism comes from St. Don Bosco, their founder: "Run, jump, skip; just don't sin!" So how do they promote that: yo-yos! How can I compete with four of their young aspirants yo-yo'ing in front of their booth? Even worse, they were passing them out to everyone! (Shh, I have one, too!) Actually, they were great and a lot of fun as well. Find them here.
Well, after spending an extra night along the Upper Ohio, I made the trek to the other side of the state to celebrate my Grandfather's 90th! birthday party. It was a great time for most of the family to get together and celebrate his legacy. His health is surprisingly good for his age, as well. He and grandma still live together on the same farm where they raised their six children. (I think grandpa has lived in a total of two houses, which happen to be neighboring farms! Who says German farmers are conservative?) Each family was responsible for bringing either a pot of chili or vegatable soup, which we threw into two pots to cook over a camp fire. Great time had by all!
After the 8:00 AM Mass in my home parish, I finally returned to the Queen City of the Midwest to take in the Bungals' game. Disappointment is all that need be said about that.
Today, I am trying to relieve my desk from some of its burden, but not doing well so far! YIKES!
A little review of the weekend is in order, I believe.
Thursday, I made a brief visit to the Josephinum, again, to drop off a few things for our guys there, and made my way over to Franciscan U in Steubenville afterwards.
Franciscan hosts what I would love to see as a model in every Catholic institution of higher learning: a Vocation Awareness Fair. This isn't a 'job fair,' either. They invite close to 80 dioceses and religious communities of men and women in to present their charism to the students, perhaps sowing the initial seeds of a vocation. For the vocation directors, it is also a good chance to steal, umm... I mean, coordinate ideas in how others promote either the diocese of religious community.
For example, I had the distinct misfortune of being across the aisle from the Salesians, priests brothers and sisters. I say 'misfortune' because their particular charism comes from St. Don Bosco, their founder: "Run, jump, skip; just don't sin!" So how do they promote that: yo-yos! How can I compete with four of their young aspirants yo-yo'ing in front of their booth? Even worse, they were passing them out to everyone! (Shh, I have one, too!) Actually, they were great and a lot of fun as well. Find them here.
Well, after spending an extra night along the Upper Ohio, I made the trek to the other side of the state to celebrate my Grandfather's 90th! birthday party. It was a great time for most of the family to get together and celebrate his legacy. His health is surprisingly good for his age, as well. He and grandma still live together on the same farm where they raised their six children. (I think grandpa has lived in a total of two houses, which happen to be neighboring farms! Who says German farmers are conservative?) Each family was responsible for bringing either a pot of chili or vegatable soup, which we threw into two pots to cook over a camp fire. Great time had by all!
After the 8:00 AM Mass in my home parish, I finally returned to the Queen City of the Midwest to take in the Bungals' game. Disappointment is all that need be said about that.
Today, I am trying to relieve my desk from some of its burden, but not doing well so far! YIKES!
The Power of the Internet
in a good way.
Catholic Exchange was kind enough to run my last article from the Telegraph on their site. It spawned an interesting conversation in the posts below, specifically on the connection between the lack of vocations and the contraceptive culture.
Catholic Exchange was kind enough to run my last article from the Telegraph on their site. It spawned an interesting conversation in the posts below, specifically on the connection between the lack of vocations and the contraceptive culture.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
A life lived in faithfulness
Rocco has the story of a contributor to his site, a frequent email correspondant:
Not until the past week did I know any of this.
All I knew were the things that, to him, were clearly the most important, the things he radiated: his love of God, his people, this faith and the priesthood.
In fact, even with just a few words, now it can be told that his last note spoke to each of these. Over the summer, following a certain catastrophe in the Midwest, a photo had circulated of three young clerics looking on at the scene, each with hand-over-mouth, but nothing more.
Msgr Ed shared the shot with me, informing that it had already been given a caption: “No stoles. No oils. No beads. No clue."
“Aren’t priests supposed to DO something in a crisis?” he wrote.
“I don't think this would have happened in Philly!”
…and, clearly, it wouldn’t have in Dubuque, either.
Not until the past week did I know any of this.
All I knew were the things that, to him, were clearly the most important, the things he radiated: his love of God, his people, this faith and the priesthood.
In fact, even with just a few words, now it can be told that his last note spoke to each of these. Over the summer, following a certain catastrophe in the Midwest, a photo had circulated of three young clerics looking on at the scene, each with hand-over-mouth, but nothing more.
Msgr Ed shared the shot with me, informing that it had already been given a caption: “No stoles. No oils. No beads. No clue."
“Aren’t priests supposed to DO something in a crisis?” he wrote.
“I don't think this would have happened in Philly!”
…and, clearly, it wouldn’t have in Dubuque, either.
Silence is Broken
A brief stopover during a busy week.
The visit to the Josephinum went well, our four men there are all doing well and studying hard. Please keep them in your prayers.
Theology on Tap's Fall Refresher was a hoot last night. We sampled a number of different beers from Europe and North America. A new beer type for me was a MILD beer, lower alcohol content, strong peaty and hoppy flavor. It's known as a 'session beer,' from the fact that everyone in the group would have to buy a round (up to 8 or 9 pints 'a session') so these are weaker content, but still full of flavor.
I'm off today for a round trip to Franciscan University in Steubenville before heading off to home on Saturday for my grandfather's 90th birthday party. (Now, if he would stop acting like a teenager!)
Sunday, I'm covering the morning Mass in my home parish, before running back to the Nati to see the Bengals thrash on the Steelers.
Have a great weekend, I'll post more when I get the chance.
The visit to the Josephinum went well, our four men there are all doing well and studying hard. Please keep them in your prayers.
Theology on Tap's Fall Refresher was a hoot last night. We sampled a number of different beers from Europe and North America. A new beer type for me was a MILD beer, lower alcohol content, strong peaty and hoppy flavor. It's known as a 'session beer,' from the fact that everyone in the group would have to buy a round (up to 8 or 9 pints 'a session') so these are weaker content, but still full of flavor.
I'm off today for a round trip to Franciscan University in Steubenville before heading off to home on Saturday for my grandfather's 90th birthday party. (Now, if he would stop acting like a teenager!)
Sunday, I'm covering the morning Mass in my home parish, before running back to the Nati to see the Bengals thrash on the Steelers.
Have a great weekend, I'll post more when I get the chance.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Other Shoe Drops
One of the criticisms aimed at the Mass Market Media during the blowup over the priestly abuse scandal was the underreporting of similar instances of abuse among public school teachers. (I post this here to help illustrate that this is a much larger problem than just celibate priests.)
The Lima News runs a feature article from the AP this morning on the widescale impact that sexual misconduct has in our nation's public schools. (Link is to the AP article.)
An Associated Press investigation found more than 2,500 cases over five years in which educators were punished for actions from bizarre to sadistic.
There are 3 million public school teachers nationwide, most devoted to their work. Yet the number of abusive educators - nearly three for every school day - speaks to a much larger problem in a system that is stacked against victims.
Most of the abuse never gets reported. Those cases reported often end with no action. Cases investigated sometimes can't be proven, and many abusers have several victims.
And no one - not the schools, not the courts, not the state or federal governments - has found a surefire way to keep molesting teachers out of classrooms.
...snip...
The findings draw obvious comparisons to sex abuse scandals in other institutions, among them the Roman Catholic Church. A review by America's Catholic bishops found that about 4,400 of 110,000 priests were accused of molesting minors from 1950 through 2002.
Clergy abuse is part of the national consciousness after a string of highly publicized cases. But until now, there's been little sense of the extent of educator abuse.
Beyond the horror of individual crimes, the larger shame is that the institutions that govern education have only sporadically addressed a problem that's been apparent for years.
The Lima News runs a feature article from the AP this morning on the widescale impact that sexual misconduct has in our nation's public schools. (Link is to the AP article.)
An Associated Press investigation found more than 2,500 cases over five years in which educators were punished for actions from bizarre to sadistic.
There are 3 million public school teachers nationwide, most devoted to their work. Yet the number of abusive educators - nearly three for every school day - speaks to a much larger problem in a system that is stacked against victims.
Most of the abuse never gets reported. Those cases reported often end with no action. Cases investigated sometimes can't be proven, and many abusers have several victims.
And no one - not the schools, not the courts, not the state or federal governments - has found a surefire way to keep molesting teachers out of classrooms.
...snip...
The findings draw obvious comparisons to sex abuse scandals in other institutions, among them the Roman Catholic Church. A review by America's Catholic bishops found that about 4,400 of 110,000 priests were accused of molesting minors from 1950 through 2002.
Clergy abuse is part of the national consciousness after a string of highly publicized cases. But until now, there's been little sense of the extent of educator abuse.
Beyond the horror of individual crimes, the larger shame is that the institutions that govern education have only sporadically addressed a problem that's been apparent for years.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Blogging in Botkins
It might be a little quiet around here the next few days. I'm back home at my parents today and Saturday for a short visit. My brother Kurt is in town from Iowa for his brother-in-law's wedding, and my goddaughter (and niece) turns two, so a birthday party is in the works as well.
Sunday is back to the Nati for a Mass before running to Columbus for Jesus Jams and a visit to the Josephinum to see our college seminarians. The whirlwind tour concludes with a stop in Centerville for the annual priest's convocation. Tuesday evening is an engaged couple back at the Cathedral. (My fee is that their first son has to go to the seminary.) I'm gonna be exhausted by that point, I have a feeling.
Sunday is back to the Nati for a Mass before running to Columbus for Jesus Jams and a visit to the Josephinum to see our college seminarians. The whirlwind tour concludes with a stop in Centerville for the annual priest's convocation. Tuesday evening is an engaged couple back at the Cathedral. (My fee is that their first son has to go to the seminary.) I'm gonna be exhausted by that point, I have a feeling.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Ministry Evening Report
Last night, Mount St. Mary's Seminary and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Vocation Office held our first Ministry Evening for the year. Sadly, only four attended, but there were a number of candidates for next year who were unable to make it last night due to other commitments. Please keep them all in your prayers.
Ministry Evening is equivalent to Andrew Dinners held in other dioceses. (In fact, we are contemplating a name change.) It is a chance for prospective seminarians to visit Mount St. Mary's to see what the place is like, to meet some of the men already in formation, and learn a little about the program. If you wanted to attend, or know someone who should attend, there is another Evening event on January 16, the Wednesday of National Vocation Awareness Week. Other opportunities include the Discernment Retreat on November 2 and 3, and the Welcome Weekend on March 28 and 29. High schoolers shouldn't feel left out either, as we host the Discernment Day for High School Men on May 10. I hope to see many more there.
Ministry Evening is equivalent to Andrew Dinners held in other dioceses. (In fact, we are contemplating a name change.) It is a chance for prospective seminarians to visit Mount St. Mary's to see what the place is like, to meet some of the men already in formation, and learn a little about the program. If you wanted to attend, or know someone who should attend, there is another Evening event on January 16, the Wednesday of National Vocation Awareness Week. Other opportunities include the Discernment Retreat on November 2 and 3, and the Welcome Weekend on March 28 and 29. High schoolers shouldn't feel left out either, as we host the Discernment Day for High School Men on May 10. I hope to see many more there.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Online Discernment?
With many communities experiencing fewer numbers of inquirers and entrants, more are turning to a stronger presence on the web to promote their own unique story. From the Louisviller Courier Journal, comes the story of Ron Schultz who has recently joined up with Gethsamani in Kentucky after searching through a website. You have to admit, the mixing of 21st Century technology and a medieval lifestyle are interesting to say the least.
The service he used? http://www.vocationsplacement.org/
They run a survey asking about interests and desires, and match those up with prospective communities that serve in those areas. So far, they have had over 19,000 respondants, oh and their budget is purely supported through benefactors, mainly dioceses and communities that use them for referral.
If you are thinking about religious life but are not sure where to get started, they provide an excellent service.
The service he used? http://www.vocationsplacement.org/
They run a survey asking about interests and desires, and match those up with prospective communities that serve in those areas. So far, they have had over 19,000 respondants, oh and their budget is purely supported through benefactors, mainly dioceses and communities that use them for referral.
If you are thinking about religious life but are not sure where to get started, they provide an excellent service.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Teresa of Avila
Two weeks ago, we celebrated Theresa, the Little Flower. Today, her patron and namesake Teresa of Jesus is celebrated in the Liturgy. Interestingly, the activity in St. Blogosphere seems to be much quieter today than the 1st of October.
Why? The Little Flower seems to follow the model of St. Francis of Assisi, in that she gives us a simple, easy way to follow after Christ: "Don't do great things, do little things with Great Love."
Teresa of Jesus is a little more intense. Her remarkable work of the Interior Castle remains a masterpiece of Catholic Spirituality, but it is much tougher, at least in my limited understanding, b/c the process of growth in the spiritual life in T of Jesus' writings is more about abandonment. The final stages into the Interior Castle are done by Christ, and are fueled by a simple desire to grow in the depth and mystery of Christ's love.
Both of these tremendous women continue to play a very important role in teaching us about how to grow in relationship with Christ
Why? The Little Flower seems to follow the model of St. Francis of Assisi, in that she gives us a simple, easy way to follow after Christ: "Don't do great things, do little things with Great Love."
Teresa of Jesus is a little more intense. Her remarkable work of the Interior Castle remains a masterpiece of Catholic Spirituality, but it is much tougher, at least in my limited understanding, b/c the process of growth in the spiritual life in T of Jesus' writings is more about abandonment. The final stages into the Interior Castle are done by Christ, and are fueled by a simple desire to grow in the depth and mystery of Christ's love.
Both of these tremendous women continue to play a very important role in teaching us about how to grow in relationship with Christ
Vocation Awareness Week 2008
The Vocation Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is please to announce the publication of 2008 Vocation Awareness Week materials, under the theme: "Come, Follow Me!". This year, the Vocation Awarness Week runs from January 13 to 19. I invite anyone who so desires to use these materials as much as possible to help encourage our young people to consider the option of the priesthood and/or religious life. We are trying something new this year in only publicizing them electronically, instead of mailing hard copies to all of the parishes. Any and all help in promoting this is greatly appreciated. A special thanks to Wayne Topp in the Vocation Office for his great work in the production of this year's packet.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Beer? God? Catholic?
Must be Theology on Tap!
ToT Cincinnati is hosting a "Fall Refresher" on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007, at Mama Vita's, 6405 Branch Hill-Guinea Pike, Loveland, OH 45140.
The plan is to open the doors at around 6:30, with a program of beer tasting starting at 7:00. For a fee of merely $24, you will be able to sample a variety of Oktoberfest Beers, from a variety of different breweries. We have an 'beer expert' on the way (How do I get that job?) to help guide our way through the differences in this traditional Autumn Brew. Food will be provided by Mama Vita's, and lest the 'Theology' gets dropped from 'Theology on Tap,' we will close the evening with a chance to stump your faithful and dedicated author here at Called by Name, with hopefully a few fellow fathers there for backup.
To register, head over to www.totcincinnati.org and fill out a simple form, and payment can be made through paypal, too! (Wow, who says the Church is against technology?)
And remember, "We put the FUN in FUNdraising!"
(Moneys raised will be used to help pay for speakers and related costs for the Spring, 2008, series.)
ToT Cincinnati is hosting a "Fall Refresher" on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007, at Mama Vita's, 6405 Branch Hill-Guinea Pike, Loveland, OH 45140.
The plan is to open the doors at around 6:30, with a program of beer tasting starting at 7:00. For a fee of merely $24, you will be able to sample a variety of Oktoberfest Beers, from a variety of different breweries. We have an 'beer expert' on the way (How do I get that job?) to help guide our way through the differences in this traditional Autumn Brew. Food will be provided by Mama Vita's, and lest the 'Theology' gets dropped from 'Theology on Tap,' we will close the evening with a chance to stump your faithful and dedicated author here at Called by Name, with hopefully a few fellow fathers there for backup.
To register, head over to www.totcincinnati.org and fill out a simple form, and payment can be made through paypal, too! (Wow, who says the Church is against technology?)
And remember, "We put the FUN in FUNdraising!"
(Moneys raised will be used to help pay for speakers and related costs for the Spring, 2008, series.)
The other side of the coin
As fallen creatures, we often look across the fence to see a bright green yard, neatly mowed. We see the outward appearances of a happy family. The house is painted in bright colors and all seems perfect and peaceful.
In the Catholic context, especially as the Church continues to face a decline in the number of clergy (which I am trying to stop!), we look at married Protestant clergy and think that this might be a possible answer. This particular answer seems even more favorable when we look to our own history and know that there used to be married clergy in the Catholic Church.
But, we also need to look at the cracks that can appear in the foundation of the house next door, that there are some weeds in the yard, and that the family next door has their own issues which they face and can make life difficult.
I just found an article in April 23, 2007, edition of Newsweek, well actually someone brought it to my attention. In the Beliefwatch section of the Periscope, there is a short article on Mary Winkler, who is on trial for the killing of her husband, a pastor in the Church of Christ. Certainly, this is a sad story and one deserving of prayer, and while this is an extreme case, it does not seem to be an isolated case.
The article states:
Though Winkler's case is, to say the very least, extreme, her apparent frustrations are not. Statistics indicate that beneath the smiling, steadfast veneer of a pastor's wife, there often lies a deeply isolated woman who, due to her husband's constant commitment to his congregants, frequently feels neglected and left without a support system of her own. According to research by the late B Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, 80 percent of pastors' wives feel left out, unappreciated and underqualified. A survey by Focus on the Family found that 88 percent have experienced depression. The divorce rate among pastors, about 50 percent, is no better than the national average.
If this were to be a viable option (and not that I advocate for it, just raising the question), the stresses and experiences of married clergy in the Protestant communions needs to be addressed.
In a recent conversation with a Lutheran pastor, who is married with two small children, I asked him about this very situation. He mentioned that he has to be very diligent with his time, and how he balances that out with his congregation, which he considered to be of a fairly large size at around a couple hundred families. "Any bigger and I couldn't do it by myself," he told me. When I told him that the parish down the street where I used to serve, and with which he was familiar, was considered average size at 2,000 families, his jaw dropped.
The crux of the matter is that married priests is not the quick fix that idealists make it out to be.
In the Catholic context, especially as the Church continues to face a decline in the number of clergy (which I am trying to stop!), we look at married Protestant clergy and think that this might be a possible answer. This particular answer seems even more favorable when we look to our own history and know that there used to be married clergy in the Catholic Church.
But, we also need to look at the cracks that can appear in the foundation of the house next door, that there are some weeds in the yard, and that the family next door has their own issues which they face and can make life difficult.
I just found an article in April 23, 2007, edition of Newsweek, well actually someone brought it to my attention. In the Beliefwatch section of the Periscope, there is a short article on Mary Winkler, who is on trial for the killing of her husband, a pastor in the Church of Christ. Certainly, this is a sad story and one deserving of prayer, and while this is an extreme case, it does not seem to be an isolated case.
The article states:
Though Winkler's case is, to say the very least, extreme, her apparent frustrations are not. Statistics indicate that beneath the smiling, steadfast veneer of a pastor's wife, there often lies a deeply isolated woman who, due to her husband's constant commitment to his congregants, frequently feels neglected and left without a support system of her own. According to research by the late B Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, 80 percent of pastors' wives feel left out, unappreciated and underqualified. A survey by Focus on the Family found that 88 percent have experienced depression. The divorce rate among pastors, about 50 percent, is no better than the national average.
If this were to be a viable option (and not that I advocate for it, just raising the question), the stresses and experiences of married clergy in the Protestant communions needs to be addressed.
In a recent conversation with a Lutheran pastor, who is married with two small children, I asked him about this very situation. He mentioned that he has to be very diligent with his time, and how he balances that out with his congregation, which he considered to be of a fairly large size at around a couple hundred families. "Any bigger and I couldn't do it by myself," he told me. When I told him that the parish down the street where I used to serve, and with which he was familiar, was considered average size at 2,000 families, his jaw dropped.
The crux of the matter is that married priests is not the quick fix that idealists make it out to be.
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