Where did Saturday go?
It was quite the hectic and crazy day, to say the least.
Most of the day was happily consumed by the Discernment Day for High School Men held at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West, here in Cincinnati. We had 16 attendees from throughout the diocese, even one from my old parish!
The seminarians did a bang-up job in putting it together again this year and all seemed to take away a greater clarity for 'what's next?' Please pray for these young men that God may lead them to where He truly wants them.
While that finished at about 5:30, it wasn't off to home. Rather, the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center here in town was hosting their second annual 'Rock YOUth Rally.' While the attendence was down a bit from last year (perfect weather on the eve of Mother's Day, with storms predicted for today certainly didn't help!), all the teens seemed to really get into the music, and Michael Walsh threw out a great talk, as always.
Even though 10:30 was quickly approaching, a friend whom I had been meaning to chat with was there with his wife, and it was as good a time as any to go for a celebratory beer.
As we were at the table, I was sitting next to the husband, the wife across from me. Every once in a while, as he was talking and looking at me, I could see her looking at him in with those 'googly eyes' of one who is truly in love. It was nice to see, and they are doing great things to help spread the Kingdom of God.
All in all, a long day, but a great day.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Post 500 Couldn't be Better!
Developments contnue to be made over at www.cincinnativocations.org.
Today's update features questions and answers by the parents of some of our current seminarians.
Questions range from the observed changes in the family since a son/brother has entered the seminary to the more humorous 'Would you go to your son for confession?'
Dan Hess' father had the best response: Sure - this way I can tell him that he really didn’t lose the autographed Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, but I got $35 for it on EBay.
Hopefully Dan will be easy on the penitent! (Although, it doesn't sound as if his dad is sorry about this trangression!)
Today's update features questions and answers by the parents of some of our current seminarians.
Questions range from the observed changes in the family since a son/brother has entered the seminary to the more humorous 'Would you go to your son for confession?'
Dan Hess' father had the best response: Sure - this way I can tell him that he really didn’t lose the autographed Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card, but I got $35 for it on EBay.
Hopefully Dan will be easy on the penitent! (Although, it doesn't sound as if his dad is sorry about this trangression!)
Three Prepare for Priestly Ordination
This week's Catholic Telegraph, local paper for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, features the annual 'intro' on the men being ordained to the priesthood. This year's candidates are: Deacons Jason Bedel, Ryan Ruiz, and Edward Pratt. As mentioned earlier, all three are fourth degree Knights of Columbus, highlighting the great work that the Knights do to promote vocations and the Culture of Life.
Of a particular joy in my situation is the ordination of Ryan Ruiz, as he's the first ordinand in the last four years to be in his twenties, and therefore also younger than me! I greatly look forward to passing on the 'Baby Priest Trophy' to Fr. Ruiz in a week's time, good riddance!
All three of these men are holy, prayerful, and committed to serving Our Lord as priests well into the future. Please pray for them as the embark on their pre-ordination retreat today through Wednesday.
(Inquiring minds want to know, how did Brad Watkins beat me to this story?!?!? He's in North Carolina, after all!)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Clericalism and Anti-Clericalism
Inside Catholic has the first two parts of a multi-week, mutli-column conversation on Clericalism in the Church.
Part 1, On Clericalism, by Russell Shaw has been up for a few days.
Part 2, On Reverse Clericalism, by Todd Aglialore, appeared yesterday.
(It's taken me a couple of days to write this post.)
Of particular note in the second article was this:
Today's clericalists aren't little emperors; they're middle managers. They don't have too much pride in the sacredness of their vocation; they have too little.
Indeed, the root of this kind of clericalism may be the same as the root of the ostensibly anti-clericalist attitudes of some clergy: a crisis of confidence (which may be itself a crisis of faith) in the ineffable wonder, power, and glory of the priesthood.
I felt a slap in the face when I read these two paragraphs. I've encountered this approach, the 'Don't do damage, don't make anyone mad, don't make waves' approach. In a time of increasing secularity in our culture, this approach contributes to the 'silent apostacy' of the faith. By our leaders (which I realize I am squarely in the midst of) approaching true ministry in a management style; we have lost the power and dynamism of the faith. We have lost the zeal that led to the early Christian Martyrs. We have lost that zeal which led Dominic, Francis, Ignatius, Norbert, et al, to ground religious communities which led to renewal and re-invigoration in the Church.
However, the flip side is dangerous as well, which is what Shaw seemed to be critiquing. (Aglialore seems to accuse him of constructing a 'straw man' of the 'Clericalist Priest,' as he is short on anecdotes.) The last thing we need are autocratic, dictatorial priests. This is not in the mold of who Jesus was, or who priests should be.
Yet, there truly is a difference between priests and laity, and this difference cannot be mitigated. It is there whether we want it to be or not. As a priest, I can confect the Eucharist, free others from their sins, baptize, confirm (if necessary and with proper permission). Without priests, these things cease to happen.
At our regional meeting for vocation directors, we discussed these aspects in relationship to religious life. One of the sisters who was present lamented that all the generic (ie, non-community specific) videos and promotions for religious women's communities in particular seem to focus on the 'look at all the great things that we can do as women's religious. I agree, women's religous communities have diversified and are active and present in many realms of the Church and the world.
But the question that elludes them: "What makes you, as a woman religious, different from a regular lay ecclesial minister?" Why should a young woman who wants to serve the Church join you instead just working as a lay minister and still be able to get married and have a family?
Sister's point was that religious communities, in their striving to be like everyone else, lost the sense of community: this is a group of women who have left behind the trappings of this world to come together as one, as brides of Christ, to be living witnesses of the Gospel.
Does this denigrate the lay apostolate in the world? Hardly, because they are different callings! The crisis in both priesthood and religious life is because these two callings have been confused and mishmashed.
The priest remains the Captain of the Ship, but he should also be willing to go down with the ship, too. His first concern is the safety and lives of his crew members: his parishioners.
We need to stop de-clericalizing the priesthood and clericalizing the laity. Our roles are complimentary.
Part 1, On Clericalism, by Russell Shaw has been up for a few days.
Part 2, On Reverse Clericalism, by Todd Aglialore, appeared yesterday.
(It's taken me a couple of days to write this post.)
Of particular note in the second article was this:
Today's clericalists aren't little emperors; they're middle managers. They don't have too much pride in the sacredness of their vocation; they have too little.
Indeed, the root of this kind of clericalism may be the same as the root of the ostensibly anti-clericalist attitudes of some clergy: a crisis of confidence (which may be itself a crisis of faith) in the ineffable wonder, power, and glory of the priesthood.
I felt a slap in the face when I read these two paragraphs. I've encountered this approach, the 'Don't do damage, don't make anyone mad, don't make waves' approach. In a time of increasing secularity in our culture, this approach contributes to the 'silent apostacy' of the faith. By our leaders (which I realize I am squarely in the midst of) approaching true ministry in a management style; we have lost the power and dynamism of the faith. We have lost the zeal that led to the early Christian Martyrs. We have lost that zeal which led Dominic, Francis, Ignatius, Norbert, et al, to ground religious communities which led to renewal and re-invigoration in the Church.
However, the flip side is dangerous as well, which is what Shaw seemed to be critiquing. (Aglialore seems to accuse him of constructing a 'straw man' of the 'Clericalist Priest,' as he is short on anecdotes.) The last thing we need are autocratic, dictatorial priests. This is not in the mold of who Jesus was, or who priests should be.
Yet, there truly is a difference between priests and laity, and this difference cannot be mitigated. It is there whether we want it to be or not. As a priest, I can confect the Eucharist, free others from their sins, baptize, confirm (if necessary and with proper permission). Without priests, these things cease to happen.
At our regional meeting for vocation directors, we discussed these aspects in relationship to religious life. One of the sisters who was present lamented that all the generic (ie, non-community specific) videos and promotions for religious women's communities in particular seem to focus on the 'look at all the great things that we can do as women's religious. I agree, women's religous communities have diversified and are active and present in many realms of the Church and the world.
But the question that elludes them: "What makes you, as a woman religious, different from a regular lay ecclesial minister?" Why should a young woman who wants to serve the Church join you instead just working as a lay minister and still be able to get married and have a family?
Sister's point was that religious communities, in their striving to be like everyone else, lost the sense of community: this is a group of women who have left behind the trappings of this world to come together as one, as brides of Christ, to be living witnesses of the Gospel.
Does this denigrate the lay apostolate in the world? Hardly, because they are different callings! The crisis in both priesthood and religious life is because these two callings have been confused and mishmashed.
The priest remains the Captain of the Ship, but he should also be willing to go down with the ship, too. His first concern is the safety and lives of his crew members: his parishioners.
We need to stop de-clericalizing the priesthood and clericalizing the laity. Our roles are complimentary.
New Strategies for Young Adult Ministry
The priest founder of Theology on Tap has weighed in on new strategies for young adult ministry in the Church:
SAN ANTONIO (CNS) -- Every diocese needs a comprehensive pastoral plan specifically aimed at young adults to reverse the hemorrhage of Catholics in their 20s and early 30s leaving the Catholic Church, a national pioneer in young adult ministry said.Father John Cusick, director of young adult ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago and the father of the Theology on Tap program, said the church needs a savvy "new apologetics" and "satellite sites" away from the parish grounds where young adults can gather to form quality relationships without feeling pressure from the church.Addressing a youth ministry symposium in April at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Father Cusick cited a recent USA Today poll indicating that 10 percent of Americans are former Catholics and said the percentage is much higher among people in their 20s and early 30s."If Catholic youth ministry is so good, where are all the young adults? They're missing in action," he said. "For the moment (in their teens), they have a good sense of church, but then they fall off the end of the table."When they come back temporarily for such events as baptisms and marriages or seek out the church in times of serious illness, death or life-changing decisions, Father Cusick said, the church needs to celebrate such moments of return rather than scold young adults for having stayed away.
This was something we discussed as Directors of Vocations the last two days: teens and young adults today are much more social than my generation (which wasn't too long ago!)
Think about it: these are the kids of the 'Soccer Moms.' They've been part of teams and sports and groups their entire lives. They do not have the experience of going out in a field and dreaming interesting and stupid ways of wasting away a day. They go to tournaments, they go to practices, they play video games in a community. Let's face it, the popularity of sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are results of this generation of togetherness.
In my field, this highlights the necessity of plugging young people into groups that are immediately welcoming of new members, and gives them a place to belong, and encourages them in their pursuit of holiness. So many young men that I talk to are in non-supportive environments for hearing a call to the preisthood, hence the importance of virtue programs, Youth2000 type retreats WITH FOLLOW UP!. Theology on Tap for the older set.
For the most part, today's youngest generation have not had to foster their own communities, but have had those already established and just join up. (Remember, not a sociologist here!)
How do we help them to plug into the Church to a real way, take ownership and responsibility of and for their faith, and make them radical disciples of Christ?
(As if I didn't have enough on my plate today!)
SAN ANTONIO (CNS) -- Every diocese needs a comprehensive pastoral plan specifically aimed at young adults to reverse the hemorrhage of Catholics in their 20s and early 30s leaving the Catholic Church, a national pioneer in young adult ministry said.Father John Cusick, director of young adult ministry for the Archdiocese of Chicago and the father of the Theology on Tap program, said the church needs a savvy "new apologetics" and "satellite sites" away from the parish grounds where young adults can gather to form quality relationships without feeling pressure from the church.Addressing a youth ministry symposium in April at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Father Cusick cited a recent USA Today poll indicating that 10 percent of Americans are former Catholics and said the percentage is much higher among people in their 20s and early 30s."If Catholic youth ministry is so good, where are all the young adults? They're missing in action," he said. "For the moment (in their teens), they have a good sense of church, but then they fall off the end of the table."When they come back temporarily for such events as baptisms and marriages or seek out the church in times of serious illness, death or life-changing decisions, Father Cusick said, the church needs to celebrate such moments of return rather than scold young adults for having stayed away.
This was something we discussed as Directors of Vocations the last two days: teens and young adults today are much more social than my generation (which wasn't too long ago!)
Think about it: these are the kids of the 'Soccer Moms.' They've been part of teams and sports and groups their entire lives. They do not have the experience of going out in a field and dreaming interesting and stupid ways of wasting away a day. They go to tournaments, they go to practices, they play video games in a community. Let's face it, the popularity of sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are results of this generation of togetherness.
In my field, this highlights the necessity of plugging young people into groups that are immediately welcoming of new members, and gives them a place to belong, and encourages them in their pursuit of holiness. So many young men that I talk to are in non-supportive environments for hearing a call to the preisthood, hence the importance of virtue programs, Youth2000 type retreats WITH FOLLOW UP!. Theology on Tap for the older set.
For the most part, today's youngest generation have not had to foster their own communities, but have had those already established and just join up. (Remember, not a sociologist here!)
How do we help them to plug into the Church to a real way, take ownership and responsibility of and for their faith, and make them radical disciples of Christ?
(As if I didn't have enough on my plate today!)
Ordination Class of 2008
The Annual report on the new ordinands is fresh off the presses. Well, ok, it's electronic.
A particular highlight:
Some share involvement in church activities. The three men from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ryan Ruiz, 26; Jason Bedel, 34; and Ed Pratt, 45, are all fourth degree Knights of Columbus.
A particular highlight:
Some share involvement in church activities. The three men from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Ryan Ruiz, 26; Jason Bedel, 34; and Ed Pratt, 45, are all fourth degree Knights of Columbus.
The World is Just Awesome
Discovery has a new ad compaign out, centered with the following advert. (Song Addiction Alert: HIGH!)
(Caveat: don't support all the programs highlighted, but it's dang cool when Mac blows up the building!)
We need as catchy a tune for the priesthood, eh?
(Caveat: don't support all the programs highlighted, but it's dang cool when Mac blows up the building!)
We need as catchy a tune for the priesthood, eh?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Back from UpNorth
After two days of great conversation and just a bit of socialization with Ohio and Michigan Diocesan Vocation Directors, we've returned to the Queen City. Great times had by all, but still dazed and confused after a five hour drive in the rain.
Details will follow, I hope...
Details will follow, I hope...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Life in my sisters' houses
I think this could be anyone of my three sisters:
Heading to Detroit tomorrow for a meeting of the Region VI Vocation Directors, so itll be quite around here.
Heading to Detroit tomorrow for a meeting of the Region VI Vocation Directors, so itll be quite around here.
Evangelization
Catholics are bad at this, generally. I've seen several posts around St. Blogosphere's lately on this. But now comes one on what to do, ok, actually what not to do, when talking with atheists. Common sense, really, but a good reminder.
Thanks to Jen's post for the heads up.
Thanks to Jen's post for the heads up.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
A gentle reminder
A Thorn in the Pew has a unique, sometimes challenging family situation in her own right. She shares a bit of her story here.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Life with a Special Needs Child
My sister sent along an update and a speech she gave at her daughter's rehab center. It was too good not to share:
Greetings, my name is Tania ***** and this is my husband Aaron. Aaron and I would first like to congratulate the Rehab Center on their 36th Anniversary and all the work that it took to reach this milestone. The Rehab Center asked us to give a little story on our experiences with the center.
So how did we get here? Aaron and I are the parents of 4 children, Taylor, Tristyn, Ashlyn and Alex. Tristyn our daughter is the second of four children with only 15 months separating her and our oldest daughter Taylor. At around four months of age we started to notice that Tristyn did not seem to be meeting her milestones. After many months of trying to persuade the doctor’s on a “mother’s instinct” that something just was not right we finally had an MRI at 10months of age. The MRI showed that Tristyn has Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, ACC for short. ACC is a rare birth defect in which the structure/nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain (the corpus callosum) is partially or completely absent. What does this mean you wonder? I am sure most are aware that the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body and the left side of the brain controls the right side. For Tristyn, her brain itself is fine but she does not have the nerves that allow the right and left brain to seamlessly communicate with each other. Hence leaving her with the struggle of getting information back and forth. Imagine taking all the traffic from a 16 lane superhighway and trying to route it down a single dirt lane road. ACC can occur as an isolated condition or in combination with other cerebral abnormalities. In our case we were fortunate that Tristyn’s condition is isolated with no other anomalies, genetic conditions, etc. She did have eye surgery at one year of age and has also dealt with extremely low muscle tone which has been the biggest cause of motor delays in fine motor and gross motor skills. The neurologist painted 2 pictures of a life with ACC, the first is one without struggles as many people are walking this world without their corpus callosums and are even unaware that they are missing this important structure of their brain the second is one that is severely impacted. Unfortunately our situation is closer to the second and as a result of Tristyn’s struggles we sought out services at the Rehab Center nearly three years ago. Tristyn presents very similar to that of an autistic child – self-stimming behaviors, non-verbal, isolated in her own environment, etc. So needless to say our struggles were numerous prior to starting here. We could not run the sweeper or garbage disposal without Tristyn screaming. She hated bathtime which ultimately led Aaron and I to playing paper, rock scissors on who had bath duty and it was the fastest bath that either of us could give. We were also very limited on public places we could go due to being unsure how Tristyn would handle the people, the noises, etc. As a result we would do things with family as they tolerated what we were going through and understood the behaviors she would have. Relationships with others seemed to be limited due to it being easier to avoid the situation than have to explain everything with Tristyn. There were even a couple of family weddings in which we were forced to leave prior to supper due to Tristyn being unable to handle the situation and the sensory overload. These times were very difficult for our family and resulted in many tears, many struggles, and an older sister that was wondering why we were always the first to leave places.
We started Tristyn at the Rehab Center the summer she would be turning three. She came four days per week the first summer with myself, a high school babysitter and a future sister-in-law covering the times she came. Honestly, in the beginning I thought we made the biggest mistake ever by enrolling her for services. Tristyn would scream through the entire session and I could not believe that it took five adults to manipulate a three year old with severly weak muscles – guess she was stronger than what she led on!!! I would cry every Friday on my way home with her questioning myself on what we were doing. Looking back now I can not imagine what life would be like if we had listened to my gut and pulled Tristyn from the program. Tristyn has made some wonderful gains during her time at the Center. We no longer have the serious aversion to noises making it much easier to do your day to day activities around the house. She has even taking a liking to dancing to Hannah Montana with her two sisters! She also loves the water, sometimes swimming in the bathtub for an hour, she frequently giggles during her sessions in the pool with Jason, and she really thinks she is special when her dad takes her in the hot tub at home. She has gone from a child that could not walk on her own when she started to walking independently, going up and down the steps independently and doing her best run to the school bus in the mornings. We no longer deal with the aversion to touch and has learned to give some of the best unconditional hugs ever! We have also seen a dramatic increase in her eye contact and attention to things going on around her. She also knows the way to my heart as she is quickly becoming a great shopper loving to walk and ride in her stroller through the stores and malls – what mom does not relish in spending the day shopping with their daughter! As you can imagine we have seen more improvement than we can summarize into words; however we still have a long way to go in some areas. We are hopeful as Tristyn continues to improve and as new activities and exercises are tried that we find that key to continuing to unlock the hidden treasures within. We will not give up on our daughter and we hope to see as much progress in the next three years as we have seen the first three.
When preparing this speech I looked back over the reports and evaluations from Mr. Burns, Beverly and Christine and this also made me realize the progress Tristyn has made over the years. She has gone from uncooperating with all activities and exercises to actually maybe even enjoying her time at the center – especially with her buddy Christine! It is rewarding to see things she does do summarized in the reports when most reports discuss the shortcomings.
We are forever thankful for the dedication of the staff and their willingness to continue to push Tristyn to reach her greatest potential. It is rewarding for us to see how much the staff cares for Tristyn and all the clients that come to the center – although they can be unforgiving when you make a mistake such as sending your child dressed as if she were a member of the red hat society!!! Guess I will have make sure not to make that mistake again!!! We also would not be where we are today without the help, love and nurturance of Tristyn’s great aunt Lois. Lois could not be here tonight due to a previous commitment but she truly has been a huge key in making this all work for Tristyn. She has the most unconditional love for Tristyn and strives on the amount that Tristyn has taught her about life and how much many of us take for granted on a day to day basis. I think many of our family members and those around us have realized how precious life is and how your outlook on life can change by watching someone like Tristyn develop and learn new things. Life with Tristyn has been a struggle but it has also been a blessing and an eye opening experience. We will continue to endure the daily, weekly and monthly struggles along with the celebrations of each new task Tristyn learns to do independently and hopefully with the help of the activities and staff at the Rehab Center the struggles Tristyn faces decreases and the triumphs increase!
Greetings, my name is Tania ***** and this is my husband Aaron. Aaron and I would first like to congratulate the Rehab Center on their 36th Anniversary and all the work that it took to reach this milestone. The Rehab Center asked us to give a little story on our experiences with the center.
So how did we get here? Aaron and I are the parents of 4 children, Taylor, Tristyn, Ashlyn and Alex. Tristyn our daughter is the second of four children with only 15 months separating her and our oldest daughter Taylor. At around four months of age we started to notice that Tristyn did not seem to be meeting her milestones. After many months of trying to persuade the doctor’s on a “mother’s instinct” that something just was not right we finally had an MRI at 10months of age. The MRI showed that Tristyn has Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, ACC for short. ACC is a rare birth defect in which the structure/nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain (the corpus callosum) is partially or completely absent. What does this mean you wonder? I am sure most are aware that the right side of your brain controls the left side of your body and the left side of the brain controls the right side. For Tristyn, her brain itself is fine but she does not have the nerves that allow the right and left brain to seamlessly communicate with each other. Hence leaving her with the struggle of getting information back and forth. Imagine taking all the traffic from a 16 lane superhighway and trying to route it down a single dirt lane road. ACC can occur as an isolated condition or in combination with other cerebral abnormalities. In our case we were fortunate that Tristyn’s condition is isolated with no other anomalies, genetic conditions, etc. She did have eye surgery at one year of age and has also dealt with extremely low muscle tone which has been the biggest cause of motor delays in fine motor and gross motor skills. The neurologist painted 2 pictures of a life with ACC, the first is one without struggles as many people are walking this world without their corpus callosums and are even unaware that they are missing this important structure of their brain the second is one that is severely impacted. Unfortunately our situation is closer to the second and as a result of Tristyn’s struggles we sought out services at the Rehab Center nearly three years ago. Tristyn presents very similar to that of an autistic child – self-stimming behaviors, non-verbal, isolated in her own environment, etc. So needless to say our struggles were numerous prior to starting here. We could not run the sweeper or garbage disposal without Tristyn screaming. She hated bathtime which ultimately led Aaron and I to playing paper, rock scissors on who had bath duty and it was the fastest bath that either of us could give. We were also very limited on public places we could go due to being unsure how Tristyn would handle the people, the noises, etc. As a result we would do things with family as they tolerated what we were going through and understood the behaviors she would have. Relationships with others seemed to be limited due to it being easier to avoid the situation than have to explain everything with Tristyn. There were even a couple of family weddings in which we were forced to leave prior to supper due to Tristyn being unable to handle the situation and the sensory overload. These times were very difficult for our family and resulted in many tears, many struggles, and an older sister that was wondering why we were always the first to leave places.
We started Tristyn at the Rehab Center the summer she would be turning three. She came four days per week the first summer with myself, a high school babysitter and a future sister-in-law covering the times she came. Honestly, in the beginning I thought we made the biggest mistake ever by enrolling her for services. Tristyn would scream through the entire session and I could not believe that it took five adults to manipulate a three year old with severly weak muscles – guess she was stronger than what she led on!!! I would cry every Friday on my way home with her questioning myself on what we were doing. Looking back now I can not imagine what life would be like if we had listened to my gut and pulled Tristyn from the program. Tristyn has made some wonderful gains during her time at the Center. We no longer have the serious aversion to noises making it much easier to do your day to day activities around the house. She has even taking a liking to dancing to Hannah Montana with her two sisters! She also loves the water, sometimes swimming in the bathtub for an hour, she frequently giggles during her sessions in the pool with Jason, and she really thinks she is special when her dad takes her in the hot tub at home. She has gone from a child that could not walk on her own when she started to walking independently, going up and down the steps independently and doing her best run to the school bus in the mornings. We no longer deal with the aversion to touch and has learned to give some of the best unconditional hugs ever! We have also seen a dramatic increase in her eye contact and attention to things going on around her. She also knows the way to my heart as she is quickly becoming a great shopper loving to walk and ride in her stroller through the stores and malls – what mom does not relish in spending the day shopping with their daughter! As you can imagine we have seen more improvement than we can summarize into words; however we still have a long way to go in some areas. We are hopeful as Tristyn continues to improve and as new activities and exercises are tried that we find that key to continuing to unlock the hidden treasures within. We will not give up on our daughter and we hope to see as much progress in the next three years as we have seen the first three.
When preparing this speech I looked back over the reports and evaluations from Mr. Burns, Beverly and Christine and this also made me realize the progress Tristyn has made over the years. She has gone from uncooperating with all activities and exercises to actually maybe even enjoying her time at the center – especially with her buddy Christine! It is rewarding to see things she does do summarized in the reports when most reports discuss the shortcomings.
We are forever thankful for the dedication of the staff and their willingness to continue to push Tristyn to reach her greatest potential. It is rewarding for us to see how much the staff cares for Tristyn and all the clients that come to the center – although they can be unforgiving when you make a mistake such as sending your child dressed as if she were a member of the red hat society!!! Guess I will have make sure not to make that mistake again!!! We also would not be where we are today without the help, love and nurturance of Tristyn’s great aunt Lois. Lois could not be here tonight due to a previous commitment but she truly has been a huge key in making this all work for Tristyn. She has the most unconditional love for Tristyn and strives on the amount that Tristyn has taught her about life and how much many of us take for granted on a day to day basis. I think many of our family members and those around us have realized how precious life is and how your outlook on life can change by watching someone like Tristyn develop and learn new things. Life with Tristyn has been a struggle but it has also been a blessing and an eye opening experience. We will continue to endure the daily, weekly and monthly struggles along with the celebrations of each new task Tristyn learns to do independently and hopefully with the help of the activities and staff at the Rehab Center the struggles Tristyn faces decreases and the triumphs increase!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
The Arena of the Masses
My latest for the Catholic Telegraph, weekly paper for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, appears this week. (Loyal readers here will notice a common theme with my Easter Homily.):
The Final Four always draws a big following. From the moment the brackets are released to the final horn of the tournament, college basketball seems to be the only thing discussed. Productivity reports even suggest that the first two days of the tournament are the least productive work days of the year in America. Everyone seems to be listening in online, predicting the upsets, and if your team is not in the ‘Big Dance, then rooting for Cinderella to keep that slipper on becomes a primary focus.
What amazes me every year during this tournament is the amount of energy and passion devoted to researching the next opponent, analyzing math-ups and actually watching the games. It is an annual holiday!
This year, the first two rounds of the tournament coincided with Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. I wonder what would happen if we spent the same energy and enthusiasm in our faith that is spent on a basketball tournament. After all, as enjoyable as the tournament is, it will not bring us to Eternal Life like our pursuit of the faith!
Imagine if we researched our Catholic All Stars (the saints) as we did potential MVPs for a basketball game; if we idolized and emulated Saints like Peter, Paul, Agatha, Lucy, or Anastasia as we do some of our professional athletes. Instead of the horrific examples offered by modern celebrity, we would have heroic examples of self-sacrifice, purity, passion for Our Lord and the desire to give it all over for Christ. Would not the world be a better place?
Really, it is not that difficult. One of the simple ways to do this is have a ‘home team’ of saints. List a patron saint for each member of the family, either based on their name, their birthday, confirmation patron, or chosen profession. This would be a constant reminder that we are not alone in our journey, but have constant companions leading us closer to Christ. Praying for the wisdom and guidance of these saints during meal and evening prayers reinforces this continual presence.
I see another interesting paradox in life as well. During so many sporting events, from the grade school fields surrounding parishes all the way to the two massive ‘cathedrals of sports’ on the Cincinnati riverfront, we often argue about the interpretation of rules: whether this was a called third strike or was really out of the zone; was that drive through the lane really a charge or a block, did the receiver get both feet in-bounds; but we rarely argue about the rules themselves. The Official Rulebook is seen as the guide to keep all things fair, and to promote safe and equitable play on both sides of the ball. Because of this, coaches, players and fans all pour over the rulebook so that they can keep each other on task and in the playing field.
Yet, the rules of life as dictated by the Church (the Ten Commandments) are often seen as nuisances, bothersome, or irrelevant. This is a dangerous position to inhabit, as the One who gave us life is the designer and source of these rules; and just as a rulebook for a particular sport is designed to promote fair and just play; our rule book for life is designed to bring us to Eternal Life, which supplies a greater and more lasting joy than a Super Bowl championship ever could.
G.K. Chesterton stated that “it is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, rather it is that Christianity was found difficult and therefore not tried.” Living the ‘Rule Book of Life” as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and based in the Ten Commandments is not easy. Jesus never promised that it would be. But what He does promise is that He will be with us until the end.
To reach any championship in sports takes dedication, sacrifice and perseverance. The saints have used these traits, plus that great abundance of grace from Christ, to reach the great championship of a life in heaven. Should we not also strive for the same?
The Final Four always draws a big following. From the moment the brackets are released to the final horn of the tournament, college basketball seems to be the only thing discussed. Productivity reports even suggest that the first two days of the tournament are the least productive work days of the year in America. Everyone seems to be listening in online, predicting the upsets, and if your team is not in the ‘Big Dance, then rooting for Cinderella to keep that slipper on becomes a primary focus.
What amazes me every year during this tournament is the amount of energy and passion devoted to researching the next opponent, analyzing math-ups and actually watching the games. It is an annual holiday!
This year, the first two rounds of the tournament coincided with Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. I wonder what would happen if we spent the same energy and enthusiasm in our faith that is spent on a basketball tournament. After all, as enjoyable as the tournament is, it will not bring us to Eternal Life like our pursuit of the faith!
Imagine if we researched our Catholic All Stars (the saints) as we did potential MVPs for a basketball game; if we idolized and emulated Saints like Peter, Paul, Agatha, Lucy, or Anastasia as we do some of our professional athletes. Instead of the horrific examples offered by modern celebrity, we would have heroic examples of self-sacrifice, purity, passion for Our Lord and the desire to give it all over for Christ. Would not the world be a better place?
Really, it is not that difficult. One of the simple ways to do this is have a ‘home team’ of saints. List a patron saint for each member of the family, either based on their name, their birthday, confirmation patron, or chosen profession. This would be a constant reminder that we are not alone in our journey, but have constant companions leading us closer to Christ. Praying for the wisdom and guidance of these saints during meal and evening prayers reinforces this continual presence.
I see another interesting paradox in life as well. During so many sporting events, from the grade school fields surrounding parishes all the way to the two massive ‘cathedrals of sports’ on the Cincinnati riverfront, we often argue about the interpretation of rules: whether this was a called third strike or was really out of the zone; was that drive through the lane really a charge or a block, did the receiver get both feet in-bounds; but we rarely argue about the rules themselves. The Official Rulebook is seen as the guide to keep all things fair, and to promote safe and equitable play on both sides of the ball. Because of this, coaches, players and fans all pour over the rulebook so that they can keep each other on task and in the playing field.
Yet, the rules of life as dictated by the Church (the Ten Commandments) are often seen as nuisances, bothersome, or irrelevant. This is a dangerous position to inhabit, as the One who gave us life is the designer and source of these rules; and just as a rulebook for a particular sport is designed to promote fair and just play; our rule book for life is designed to bring us to Eternal Life, which supplies a greater and more lasting joy than a Super Bowl championship ever could.
G.K. Chesterton stated that “it is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, rather it is that Christianity was found difficult and therefore not tried.” Living the ‘Rule Book of Life” as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and based in the Ten Commandments is not easy. Jesus never promised that it would be. But what He does promise is that He will be with us until the end.
To reach any championship in sports takes dedication, sacrifice and perseverance. The saints have used these traits, plus that great abundance of grace from Christ, to reach the great championship of a life in heaven. Should we not also strive for the same?
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