Showing posts with label wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wisdom. Show all posts

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Jesus, Nets, Decisions, and the Holy Spirit

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2016:

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2016

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
February 7, 2016

Every day we are faced with thousands of decisions. Many of which are of little importance. While others can impact the rest of our lives.

For us, as disciples of Christ, they are all a part of the central decision to follow Jesus above all else. At times, it can feel overwhelming, especially when those very consequential decisions have to be made and we don't know what's best, or where God is leading us. But, thanks be to God, we are not left to make these decisions completely on our own.

In fact, it's when we tried to make those decisions without turning to God and seeking his guidance that life becomes particularly difficult. On the other hand, when we take time for prayer and discernment, asking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and trying to follow him, while making our decisions, our life could very will be filled with difficult decisions, but can still be very peaceful, because we know we aren't on our own.

For those first disciples whom Jesus called to follow him, a very concrete decision had to be made. Before the call even came, we hear the account of Jesus in Simon's boat. He gives a command, clear and simple yet challenging: "put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch." They have been working hard on night, and, after all, this is their profession, not Jesus' , so human reasoning could respond with skepticism at this man who thinks he knows better.

We could easily imagine Simon responding, "we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing ... I'm not going to do it again." But that's not what he says. Instead he replies, "at your command, I will lower the nets." And what happens? A miraculous catch of fish more abundant than the Nets could hold. Simon immediately recognizes the power of this man before him, and, in the astonishment at the miracle says, "depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." He recognizes his own unworthiness, and, perhaps, there was some doubt in his mind that he's now ashamed of. The decision to do something as mundane as lowering the nets once again gave this man the ability to make the crucial decision to leave everything and to follow Jesus.

So we might ask, "how do I do that?" We are here because we've already made the decision to follow Jesus, but that decision isn't a one time thing. It's something we've got to keep doing. Consider just one thing God gives us to help us make that decision. If something - or, more precisely, seven things - you probably had to memorize somewhere along the way. They're the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and they aren't just something we had to learn to pass a test. They're central to understanding how God continues to guide us through life. For those first disciples, it was the Holy Spirit to enable them to recognize Jesus and respond to his call, and today the Holy Spirit continues to inspire us if we are willing to receive them.

Consider again the decision Simon had to make. No human wisdom told him it was the right thing to do. Rather, the Holy Spirit, through his gifts of Wisdom and Understanding, moved Simon to respond the way he did, "Master ... at your command, I will lower the Nets." And his response upon catching the great number of fish wasn't only a natural surprise, it was the fear of the Lord that made him fall to his knees before the God-man, the same one before whom the seraphim cry out, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts!" And when the disciples made the decision to leave everything and follow Jesus, they were assured the gift of Counsel to see that it was the right decision, and the gift the Fortitude to follow through with it. They required Knowledge to receive the words, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men," and Piety to humbly submit themselves to God's will. In all of this, it was not human insight alone that guided them. It was the Holy Spirit alive within them.

We, too, have received a call from Jesus Christ to follow him, the decisions we make each day is either to keep following him, or to go our own way, but we don't even do that alone. He continues to give us the Holy Spirit to guide us each day. God gives us Wisdom to see the world as he sees it; Counsel to know right from wrong, and Understanding to know ourselves truly; Knowledge to understand the mysteries of God; and Fear of the Lord to adore in awe before him; Piety to place our trust in him; and Fortitude to strengthen us along the way. In all things he guides us, so that we, like those he first called, by the shore of Galilee, can continue to follow him.

So y'all be good, be Holy, preached the Gospel always using words and holy actions.
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
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Sunday, November 16, 2014

Fear of the Lord: Ancient, Timeless Wisdom

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014:

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 2014

By Deacon Lawrence N. Kaas
November 16, 2014

Our Catholic Christian tradition teaches us that happiness and friendship and marriage should all be based on a healthy loving fear of the Lord. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the psalmist expresses it very simply and poetically. "Blessed are those who fear the Lord," and then he explains what, exactly, that means: "to fear of the Lord is to walk in his ways." This is the wisdom of the ages. It is the perennial principle of human happiness. And it is the foundation of true success in marriage.

To fear the Lord is to walk in his ways. How blessed are those who fear the Lord! Those who fear the Lord are to be praised! Some kinds of fear are good, and some kinds of fear are bad. Bad fear should be resisted. Good fear should be encouraged. To fear the Lord is to understand that the meaning of life is to love God and to seek his ways. To fear the Lord is to appreciate the unsurpassable value of faith in God and faith in the son of God. To fear the Lord is to live a sacrificial life for others in imitation of the one who sacrifices himself for us on the cross.

But this way of life must begin at home. It begins in the context of marriage and family, and the family must always have priority in the spiritual life. We must sacrifice ourselves first of all for those who are closest to us, for those we love the most. The husband sacrifices himself for his wife. The wife sacrifices herself for her husband. As parents, they sacrifice themselves for their children. To fear the Lord is to see the beauty in the sacredness of this sacrificial way of life. Our faith enables us to see what the world does not appreciate: the sacredness of marriage, and the beauty of a life that is lived for one's family.

What exactly does that look like, a life lived for one's family? In our society we are surrounded with many models of infidelity and unfaithfulness. We are constantly confronted with out right violations of marriage and family, and we see many family relationships breaking down and falling apart. It's easy to become kind of skeptical about the whole idea. But we know how it's supposed to work. Deep down in our hearts, we know how it is supposed to be. And our faith tells us how it's supposed to be.

In the first reading, the book of Proverbs speaks of the woman who has true wisdom. How does this woman live her life? How does she spend her time? What does she value? What makes her happy? Does she live for herself or for her family? Well, let's see. She obtains wool and flax, and makes cloth with skillful hands. She reaches out her hand to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel. She watches over the conduct of her household, and she does not eat her food in idleness. She is resourceful and productive. Her children rise up and praise her, and her husband extols her. The woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Of course, the Scriptures affirm the very same truths about the husbands. The man of wisdom is the one who works hard for his family, and is faithful to his wife. The man of wisdom is the one who avoids worldly allurements, and controls his unruly impulses. The man of wisdom is the one who fears the Lord, and spends his free time going to church and studying the law of the Lord. The man of wisdom is the one who accepts hardships, stays humble, mourns over his own sins and the sins of others, hungers for righteousness, shows mercy to those who have wronged him, keeps his mind and heart clean, and works to bring his family and friends closer to God. This is the wisdom of the ages, the wisdom that our society has lost and thinks it doesn't need.

The foundation of our society is marriage and family. In the foundation of marriage and the family is a healthy fear of the Lord. The fear the Lord is the key to wisdom, the key to a successful and productive life, and the key to happiness in this life, and the next. If we truly believe this, then we actively and constantly restructure our lives so that they revolve around the walking in the ways of the Lord. And very soon, we discovered that it is not going to be easy. We may find that we are insulted and persecuted, and marginalized and excluded, because we have committed ourselves to a Christian set of values and the Christian way of life.

Is our Lord demanding? Yes, because he is Truth and Goodness, and Truth and Goodness are demanding. We have to stay awake and alert. We have to work hard to stay sober. We have to be good and faithful servants. We have to use the gifts and talents Lord has given us.

The more we use the gifts and talents he has given us, the more gifts and talents he gives us. They're given to us for others.

All he asks is that we remain faithful in small matters. All he asks is that we follow his ways in the details of our lives. All we have to do is lead a quiet life and do the work he has given us to do. All we have to do is put ourselves at the service of our families and friends with the resources he has given us.

His demands are reasonable. In the face of such demand, the wrong kind of fear will lead us to protect ourselves, abandon our duties, and live for ourselves. But the right kind of fear will lead us to abandon ourselves, accept our duties, and live for others.

You'll notice now that I close with a little different closure, that I have been have been doing in the past because the New Evangelization requires that we use words.

So you all be Good, be Holy preached the Gospel always using Words and Holy Actions.
'Thank you' to Deacon Kaas, for letting me post his reflection here.
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Sunday, March 3, 2013

Having a Future

Making fun of old aphorisms like this has been popular:
"Honesty's the best policy."
("Don Quixote de la Mancha," Miguel de Cervantes (1605-1615); via Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations," 16th edition)
I've done it myself, sometimes bitterly.

Some well-known one-liners aren't true. Others, like that quote from "Don Quixote," are true: but require patience.

Frustration and a Fruit

Sometimes the crisis du jour is personal: trouble with the boss, spouse, friends. Sometimes it's bigger: laws that don't make sense, laws that do make sense but aren't enforced, or economic woes.

In my youth, I wanted to see problems fixed: fast. I still do. But I've learned that patience is valuable.

I'd say 'patience is a virtue,' but technically it's a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and that's another topic. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1832)

'Life isn't Fair?'

It's easy to feel that life isn't fair: that folks who do wrong are rewarded, while those who try to do right are punished.

In the short run, that happens: not always, but it does happen.

In the long run, I've noticed this bit from Psalms play out, all too often:
"Of David. 1 Do not be provoked by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.

"Like grass they wither quickly; like green plants they wilt away.

"2 Trust in the LORD and do good that you may dwell in the land and live secure."
"I have seen ruthless scoundrels, strong as flourishing cedars.

"When I passed by again, they were gone; though I searched, they could not be found.

"Observe the honest, mark the upright; those at peace with God have a future."
(Psalms 37:1-3, 35-37)

Death and Memories

When I was young, a classmate's actions occasionally made my school experiences unpleasant.

At the time, I felt rage at the perceived injustices. I eventually took Luke 18:9-14 to heart, and began fighting the urge to be be 'convinced of my own righteousness.'1

Decades later, I read the classmate's obituary. It mentioned little more than his name, and when he died. I encountered a vague rumor that his death was drug-related.

I could indulge in self-satisfied rejoicing that I outlived him: but I don't.

I grieve at his death, and the choices that may have led to it. Human life, all human life, is sacred; and that's yet another topic. (Catechism, 2258)

Another person, someone very close to me, committed suicide. This troubles me more than the school bully: partly because the emotional bond was stronger; partly because I've had the same urge. Fairly often. Still more topics.2

Cackling, Matthew, and Me

I've never actually heard someone cackling maniacally while gloating over the eternal torment of 'those sinners over there.' On the other hand, I recall hearing enthusiastic discussions of passages like Revelation 14:11.

Gleeful contemplation of eternal torment for others encouraged me to learn about religion, history, and abnormal psychology. Many years later, I became a Catholic, and that's - another topic, of course.

I've felt outrage when wrong behavior didn't result in immediate punishment: or, worse, was rewarded. But I've also read that parable about wheat and weeds. (Matthew 13:24-30) There's that Matthew 7:1-2 thing about judging others, too. I really don't need that sort of trouble.

Taking "stop judging, that you may not be judged" to heart isn't the same as pretending that whatever folks do is okay. It's okay to judge actions. But we are supposed to leave judgment of the person who committed the act to God. (Catechism, 1861)

I'm quite willing to keep working on my flaws, help deal with problems when I can, and let God take care of long-term consequences. As I've said before, 'God's God, I'm not:' and I like it that way.

Related posts:
A tip of the hat to Fr. Cory Sticha and owen swain, on Google+, for the heads-up on ibreviary.com: where I found those verses from Psalms 37.
1 Role models, good and otherwise:
"He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.

" 'Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.

"The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, "O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity - greedy, dishonest, adulterous - or even like this tax collector.

"I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income."

"But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, "O God, be merciful to me a sinner."

" tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.' "
(Luke 18:9-14)
2 The Catholic Church says that suicide is wrong, but that we "...should not despair of the eternal salvation of persons who have taken their own lives...." (Catechism, 2280-2283)

I've had up-close-and-personal experience with suicide and mental illness:
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Friday, June 3, 2011

Morality, Wisdom, and Getting a Grip

I hope to influence the 2012 presidential election.

I am not a particularly 'political' person.

This is not a 'political' blog, and this is not a 'political' post.

And no: I do not have Dissociative Identity Disorder/multiple personality disorder. I do have a psychiatric disorder or two - and that's another topic. (November 30, 2010)

I've gone over being Catholic, in a culture that doesn't have a convenient mental picture of what that means, before.1

No complaints, by the way. Just the same, I'm a little concerned when I see folks trying to pigeonhole the Church as "conservative," "liberal," "spiritual," or any of the other handy labels we've got. And that isn't quite another topic.

I'll get back to a college student in Seattle, a member of Congress, a closeup photo of some dude's bulging underwear, and common sense: after defining a few terms.

Morality isn't Just About "Morality"

Where I grew up, on the Minnesota-North Dakota border, quite a few folks used "morality" when they were talking about sex. "Morality," the way it was used, seemed to be limited to the sort of zipper issues the governor of California had, and yes: I know about the pedophile priests.

The folks for whom "morality" was how a person handled his or her sexuality were right - but may have missed the big picture. Whether or not you cheat on your wife, or have sex with your dog, is part of "morality," but there's more to it than that. I sometimes use the word "ethics," where I mean "morality," when I'm talking about moral behavior.

"Wisdom?" What's That?

Since I'm a practicing Catholic, the word "wisdom" has a definition you might not find in a dictionary:
"WISDOM: A spiritual gift which enables one to know the purpose and plan of God; one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (1831). Wisdom is also the name of one of the books of the Old Testament (120)."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary)
Now, partly because I like to read dictionaries, here's a list of what ethics, morality, and wisdom mean:
  • Ethics
    • The principles of right and wrong that are accepted by an individual or a social group
    • A system of principles governing morality and acceptable conduct
    • Motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
    • The philosophical study of moral values and rules
    (Princeton's WordNet)
  • Morality
    • Concern with the distinction between good and evil or right and wrong; right or good conduct
    • Motivation based on ideas of right and wrong
    (Princeton's WordNet)
  • Wisdom
    • Accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment
    • The trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight
    • Ability to apply knowledge or experience or understanding or common sense and insight
    • The quality of being prudent and sensible
    • Wisdom of Solomon, Wisdom
      • An Apocryphal book consisting mainly of a meditation on wisdom
        • Ascribed to Solomon
        • But it was probably written in the first century BC
    (Princeton's WordNet)
By the way, Wisdom is in the Bible I've got sitting next to my wallet and keys. It got edited out of the Bible many Protestants use. And that's yet another topic.

Denial, Congress, and "No Comment, Talk to My Lawyer"

Decades back, during yet one more scandal in Washington D.C., Johnny Carson (Tonight Show) repeated memorable quotes from great Americans, like:
Like I said at the start of this post, this isn't a political blog. Not in the sense that I claim that one party or candidate is always right, and anybody who doesn't agree is stupid. Another point: I don't think that one political party is evil, and than anybody who doesn't agree is deluded.

Representative Anthony Weiner's Underwear

Update (June 6, 2011)

This evening's news isn't a surprise, or shouldn't be:
"Rep. Anthony Weiner admits tweeting lewd photo, and more"
Los Angeles Times (June 6, 2011)

"The Democratic congressman from New York admits sending a sexually suggestive photo to a college student and inappropriate contact with other women online. He says he won't resign...."
Back to my June 3, 2011, post:
The last I saw, New York State's Representative to Congress, Anthony Weiner, says:
  1. He didn't send a photo of some dude's bulging skivvies to a young woman in Seattle
  2. His Twitter account did
  3. His Twitter account has been hacked
    • He doesn't want to talk about it, to
      • Law enforcement
      • Anybody else
  4. He doesn't know if it's him in the skivvies, or some other dude
Weiner is a Democrat, by the way. Ted Klaudt, who raped his foster daughters, is a Republican. I like to think that neither statesman is a typical party member.

Moving on.

I do like to think that American lawmakers aren't particularly deficient in terms of ethical standards and common sense.

If Representative Weiner has common sense, though, he arguably hasn't been demonstrating it lately.

New York State; Seattle, Washington: Why Should I Care?

I live in Minnesota, a state that's probably not connected with Representative Weiner's Twitter account issues. I won't be voting for - or against - the man, unless he moves to Minnesota or runs for president.

So, why should I care?

The 'I can neither confirm nor deny' politico doesn't seem to be showing good sense just now - and I think that leaders at any level should have at least average wisdom.

Points #1 and #2 in that list are the sort of thing that could, I think, happen to anybody. It's possible that national-level politicians are more vulnerable to 'pranks' like that.

Even #3 doesn't seem all that bizarre. Hackers exist, and I don't think 'blame the victim' is an appropriate attitude. On the other hand, once an account or network has been compromised - I think there are responses that are sensible, and others that aren't so much. Think Sony. (Apathetic Lemming of the North (May 3, 2011))

Not wanting to talk to law enforcement about the alleged hack attack - that got my attention. There may be a valid political reason for that, but it seems to me that a state Representative in Congress might reasonably want to know who attacked his account, and why.

Assuming, of course, that Representative Weiner doesn't know already: like I said,there may be a valid political reason for his reticence to talk to law enforcement.

Point #4, I think, is where Anthony Weiner's story is hard to explain.

But then, I'm some guy living in a small town in central Minnesota. I'm about as sure as I can be that there isn't a photo of my groin, apart from some medical scans. If someone made it look like I'd sent a coed a crotch shot of my skivvies, I wouldn't have much trouble saying, "no, that's not me."

Representative Weiner lives in another state, and belongs to another part of American society. For all I know, taking photos of a man's underwear, with him in it, is so common among the movers and shakers of New York state that a man might reasonably lose track of any one particular picture.

I doubt that this is the case, but I think it's (barely) possible.

Assuming that Weiner doesn't have a surfeit of groin shots floating around, the Representative from New York could have acknowledged the hack, asked law enforcement to find out whodunit, and said 'those aren't my shorts.'

Maybe he was hoping that everybody in news media would be too polite to keep asking him about the picture.

I think it's arguable that he's not showing the sort of common sense voters should expect.

Weiner's Underwear: What's the Harm?

This Twitter flap seems like a 'victimless crime,' except the woman in Seattle made the mistake of reporting what she'd received. There's a possibility that her college career will be affected. Adversely.2 The woman's experiences may explain why we don't hear about more members of Congress who can't tell whether a shot of some dude clutching his stuff is his or not.

Or maybe many members of Congress don't have photos taken in their underwear.

I think the matter of "package-hugging"2 photos is dubious by itself: but I'm focusing on common sense here.

2012 Presidential Election Ahead

I started this post with "I hope to influence the 2012 presidential election." I expect to be back, with my take on issues that affect my faith and how I decide how to vote.

For now though, two points that I think are obvious. Or should be.

Nice Hair isn't Important: Wisdom is

I'll grant that this is an opinion: but I think that whether or not a candidate photographs well - in or out of skivvies - isn't anywhere near as important as whether or not the candidate possesses a modicum of wisdom.

So is Morality

Another opinion: I think a politico should act in an ethical, moral way.

That's not quite the sort of "middle class morality" and "puritanism" that 'serious thinkers' have railed against for most of my life. Although I do think that a person who cheats on his or her spouse might not be entirely reliable in other ways, too.

And that's yet again another topic.

Related posts:
News and views:
1 Being Catholic and Joshua 24:15:
2Excerpt from news and views:
""Weinergate" has put a Seattle college cutie through the wringer -- jeopardizing her academic dreams, embarrassing her family and shattering her privacy.

" 'I'm just collateral damage,' Gennette Cordova, 21, lamented in explaining how her world was turned upside-down when she wound up on the receiving end of a lewd, underwear-clad crotch shot sent from Rep. Anthony Weiner's Twitter account.

" 'I just want this to be over,' she told The Post yesterday during an exclusive photo shoot and interview near her Bellingham, Wash., college campus.

"Cordova thinks the package-hugging picture -- which Weiner 'can't say with certitude' isn't his -- was meant for somebody else and landed in her Twitter account by mistake...."
(New York Post)
If you've heard that Weiner is a Republican, you may have run into a copy of a Daily Mail article:
"...Gennette Cordova's world turned upside-down when was sent the lewd, underwear-clad crotch shot from the Republican's Twitter account last month...."
(Daily Mail Reporter, MailOnline (June 3, 2011))
In fairness, the New York Post article leads with the words "Rep. Anthony Weiner," which could be confusing. Anthony Weiner seems to think he's a Democrat, and he should know:
"...Weiner's campaign based on common-sense ideas and grassroots energy led the New York Post to say 'Weiner represents the new persona of the Democratic party.' New York Newsday suggested that Weiner set 'a new political paradigm' and the New York Times called him the 'wonk of the campaign.'..."
(About, weiner.house.gov)
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Monday, October 11, 2010

Gargling at the Stream of Wisdom

A day or so ago, reading something that was supposed to be a Catholic publication, I ran into the assertion that 'suicide is no longer a sin.'

This post is about blogging - and, mostly, wisdom - not suicide: so I'd better get an explanation out of the way.

The Catholic Church still teaches that suicide is wrong, and that we shouldn't do it. That isn't the same as saying that everybody who committed suicide is going to hell, and I've discussed this before. (January 28, 2009)

Screwball pronouncements like 'suicide is no longer a sin' have - not so much an element of truth, as a taste of truth in them.

That's one of the reasons that I'm careful about where I get my information: and make an effort to think - and verify - before passing something along.

Blogs and "Self-Appointed Defenders of the Magisterium"

Here's part of what another, somewhat better-informed, source had to say about bloggers, blogs, and the blogosphere:
"...blogs are often seen as hurtful, aggressive, angry 'voices from below', engaged in polemic, gossip mongering and scandal. The Catholic blogosphere been described as a Wild West, where barroom brawls are commonplace and mob lynchings not unheard of, while Catholic bloggers have been described as a sort of Catholic Taliban, self-appointed defenders of the Magisterium...."
(from Anna Arco's speech at the World Press Congress in Rome, via CatholicHerald.co.uk)
She had more to say about bloggers: mostly positive, although I get the impression that she sees us mostly as whistle-blowers. That's just an impression: I recommend reading the full text at the CatholicHerald.co.uk website.

I don't want to be a 'voice from below.'

On the other hand, I probably am something of a 'self-appointed defender of the Magisterium.' That's something I don't feel guilty about: With so many screwball notions going the rounds, I think it's appropriate to look up what the Church teaches, repeat what I've found, and cite my sources.

Speaking With the Full Authority of Some Guy With a Blog

I quoted some of what Matthew Warner wrote about bloggers, blogs, and American bishops last summer. (June 17, 2010) That's when I started using his phrase, "...full authority of some guy with a blog...."

I'm a Catholic layman, with about as little teaching authority as a person can get and still be a Catholic. I don't speak for my parish, diocese, or archdiocese. And I certainly don't speak for the Church.

When I say something, I do so with the "full authority of some guy with a blog."

Which is one of the reasons my posts have so many footnotes and citations.

Wisdom: It's a Gift

"Wisdom" is one of those words that's been kicked around a bit, and can mean quite a number of things. Here's what the Catechism of the Catholic Church's glossary has to say about it:
"Wisdom: A spiritual gift which enables one to know the purpose and plan of God; one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (1831). Wisdom is also the name of one of the books of the Old Testament (120)."
Glossary, Catechism of the Catholic Church
Being the sort of person I am, I looked up the references in that definition. In reverse order:
"The Book of Wisdom"

"Introduction

"The Book of Wisdom was written about a hundred years before the coming of Christ. Its author, whose name is not known to us, was a member of the Jewish community at Alexandria, in Egypt. He wrote in Greek, in a style patterned on that of Hebrew verse...."
Obviously, that's not from the Book of Wisdom itself: it's an excerpt from the NAB's introduction to the book. Here's how it actually starts:
"1 Love justice, you who judge the earth; think of the LORD in goodness, and seek him in integrity of heart; Because he is found by those who test him not, and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him. "
(Wisdom 1:1-2)
Paragraph 120 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a discussion of the books of the Bible.

Now, about wisdom, gift of the Holy Spirit:
"The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David.109 They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations.
"Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.110

"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.111"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1831)
So, do I claim that everything I write is spirit-filled prophecy, backed by the Holy Spirit?

No! That kind of trouble I don't need. (See "Crowbar for Christ in Colorado?" (October 7, 2010))

I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb to say that, as I see it, wisdom - as a gift of the Holy Spirit - is a gift. It isn't something that's a part of us: but it's something that we're given, and may decide to use.

Or, we can decide to not use wisdom. I wouldn't recommend that: but it's an option.
Wisdom and Water
Wisdom has been compared to water:
"7 Now I, like a rivulet from her stream, channeling the waters into a garden, Said to myself, 'I will water my plants, my flower bed I will drench'; And suddenly this rivulet of mine became a river, then this stream of mine, a sea. Thus do I send my teachings forth shining like the dawn, to become known afar off. Thus do I pour out instruction like prophecy and bestow it on generations to come."
(Sirach 24:28-31)
That footnote reads:
"[28-31] Spoken by the author. He had at first drawn a small portion of the water of wisdom for his own private benefit, but finding it so useful, he soon began to let others share in this boon by teaching them the lessons of wisdom."
(footnote 7, Sirach 28, NAB)
Like I said before, I am not trying to pass myself off as equivalent to one of the prophets. The point I was making is that wisdom has been compared to water.

Here's another example:
"You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom!"
(Baruch 3:12)

Gargling at the Waters of Wisdom

Forsaking the fountain of wisdom happens fairly often in America. In some circles it's considered 'sophisticated' and 'intelligent' to contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church. I wouldn't do that: but that's partly because I've decided that, in the long run, I'm better off working with God, than against Him. Think of it as enlightened self-interest.

I'm not sure, but I think that gargling at the fountain of wisdom isn't such a good idea, either.

What I mean by "gargling" is taking a quick look at what the Catholic Church teaches, picking up a few phrases like "God is love" and "love your neighbor:" and walking out the door.

Nothing wrong with those phrases, by the way. At all.

But if that's all the religious education a person has, we're likely to come up with the idea that the entire message of the Church is something like "it's nice to be good."

That's - nice - but there's more to Catholic teaching like that. A lot more.

More importantly, that sort of 'Christianity Lite' makes it easier to assume that nice-sounding notions are what the Church really teaches. Like 'suicide is no longer a sin.'

That kind of careless theology can kill. Literally.

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Sunday, August 22, 2010

Living in the Real World

Something to keep in mind, when reading poll results or listening to campaign speeches: or any other time.
"Sanity, remember, does not mean living in the same world as everyone else; it means living in the real world."
("Theology and Sanity," Frank J. Sheed)
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Sunday, March 21, 2010

God is Love, Wisdom: And Power

Updated (March 22, 2010)

Here's the video I intended to include with this post. Better late than never?

"Jesus Music - 'He's Alive' - Don Francisco - Easter"

NoneBeforeNoneAfter, YouTube (February 17, 2007)
video, 4:59

"http://www.rockymountainmin... Fans are encouraged to visit the Site. EASTER is coming...."
I've been spending the weekend assembling and organizing information needed to fill out the tax forms. With a whole lot less time to work with than I thought. ("Lemming Tracks: Tax Time Surprise," Apathetic Lemming of the North (March 20, 2010))

There's only so much of re-arranging data in a spreadsheet and verifying the data in each line that I can take at a time, so I took a break. A cup of coffee, a walk around part of the house, and I was back at the computer.

I suppose it's a sort of procrastination, but I decided to take a look at this blog. A little later I was re-reading "Home Schooling, Religious and Moral Instruction, and American Culture" (March 6, 2010). Something I'd written wasn't clear, so I added a footnote.

It got longer than I'd planned, so I decided to spend another - seven minutes, so far, including what follows these words - writing this post.

Our God is an Awesome God

I've heard that Rich Mullins didn't think his song, "Our God is an Awesome God" was one of his best. I like it, and my family's heard me humming and singing parts of it now and again - but I'm pretty sure Mr. Mullins was right.

Regarded as a serious work of musical art, "Awesome God" isn't particularly outstanding.

Which didn't keep it from becoming quite a hit in the - eighties, I think.

Creative matters notwithstanding, there's pretty good sense in the words. Like the chorus:
"Our God is an awesome God
"He reigns from Heaven above
"With wisdom power and love
"Our God is an awesome God!"
(Chorus, "Our God is an Awesome God!" Rich Mullins)
Starting at least as far back as the sixties, it's been okay to talk about God's love. And that's fine. God is loving: for which I'm grateful.

He's also wise and powerful.

The "wise" part may have been okay as grooviness, disco, and The Simpsons left footprints on Western culture: but "powerful"? Well, that was one of those things one simply didn't discuss. Prudery wasn't limited to the Victorian age. Which is another topic.

I recognize and rejoice that God is loving and wise. I also am okay with the idea that God is all-powerful. Omnipotent.

Which may be why He communicated through the prophets so often. There's something to the old idea that seeing God, unshielded, meant death. It's easy to imagine that facing God directly, unless He toned down his presence - a lot - would be like stepping into a blast furnace: only more so.

Then there was what happened in Bethlehem - but I've spent too much time on this post already.

Throughout the Old Testament, God generally used prophets to deliver messages and give instructions. On a few occasions, though, He got more obviously involved. The burning bush, that run-in with Pharaoh's army, and the Mount Sinai audience, for example (Exodus 14:24, 19-20, for starters)

Then there's that intriguing visible phenomenon, the column of cloud/fire, and Exodus 14:19-20:
"The angel of God, who had been leading Israel's camp, now moved and went around behind them. The column of cloud also, leaving the front, took up its place behind them, 2so that it came between the camp of the Egyptians and that of Israel. But the cloud now became dark, and thus the night passed without the rival camps coming any closer together all night long."
Reading that part of the Bible, I think that in general Cecil B. DeMille's "Moses" underplayed the visible effects of God's intervention. But then, there was only so much you could do with special effects then - and DeMille may have decided that there was only so much that the audience would accept.
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Thursday, March 4, 2010

Prayer, Medicine and Trusting God

If the start of this post looks familiar, it should.

I was writing about the Chaplet, prayer, God, and related topics. About the time I got to "prayer, Trusting God, and using my brain," I realized that I'd started another post. So I copied what I'd written after changing topics, pasted it here, and moved on.

Now, about trusting God, taking medicine, praying, feeding myself and other apparent contradictions:


Prayer, Trusting God, and Using My Brain

I took that last photo after saying the Chaplet this afternoon.

You probably noticed the pill bottle, toward the top. I had it on the keyboard as a reminder to refill that prescription. That particular one is mirtazapine.

How can I, a Christian, rely on man's strength, when I should be trusting in God?

Look at it this way. When I'm hungry, I don't expect God to put a chair behind me, ease me down, carry food to my mouth and work my jaw up and down to chew it. That sort of thing I can handle on my own: and I do.

Every once in a while, you see someone with religious objections to making use of medical technology. I'm sure they're quite sincere. I'm also quite sure that they're mistaken.

Back to that mirtazapine.

Major Depression isn't Fun

I've got major depression: and was diagnosed a few years ago. Looking back, I'd probably had it since the mid-sixties, when I turned thirteen.

I grew about a foot at the same time, and was shaving regularly a month or so later: so I figured that the dull, gray, lack of emotional response to truth and beauty that I was experiencing was normal for adolescent and post-adolescent human males. And I decided that I'd better learn to deal with it.

It was a little frustrating, learning that most folks don't spend their teenage years and the first few decades of adulthood struggling with the controls of their brains. But I can think of worse things to deal with.

On the 'up' side, the inside of my head wasn't an emotional desert all the time. Sure, I had to reason my way out of suicide now and then: but that was good exercise. And I think my capacity for seeing wonder and beauty in a gob of mud or a dry stick comes from my efforts to rev myself up, back in the 'good old days.'

Sometimes I didn't have to work at getting an emotional response: like a few times when I saw a crescent moon after sunset in a perfectly clear sky.

But I still was spending — I now realize — a lot of attention on making my brain work, at the expense of tasks like deciding what I wanted to do with it.

Then, as I wrote before, a few years ago I was diagnosed as having major depression. And had a prescription for a serotonin uptake inhibitor: which I've been taking ever since. It keeps my body from reabsorbing serotonin, a chemical that nerves need to function, too fast.

The mirtazapine is a tetracyclic antidepressant, which is a five-dollar word meaning that it keeps "neurotransmitters from binding with nerve cell receptors called alpha-2 receptors". (MayoClinic.com) I started taking it a bit later — as a way to make getting to sleep less an exercise of the will and more of a natural process.

Weak-Willed? Proud? No: Smart

It'd be nice if I could just 'rise above' my brain's lack of neurotransmitters, and be a 'real man' by acting un-depressed. It'd also be nice if I could think real hard and replace the plastic-and-metal hip joints I've got with flesh-and-blood ones. It's not gonna happen.

I can't be sure, since it isn't possible for me to get inside someone else's mind, but it looks like not everyone sees depression that way. A discussion thread in one online community, on the subject of depression and pharmaceutical treatments, included remarks by one of the nice, normal folks that they, personally, never needed to drink or take drugs to feel good about themselves.

Well, good for them.

I might not be quite as open about my medical condition, if I was in the position of looking for work: or had social aspirations. As it is, I probably won't have to convince a potential employer that I really am a good risk: so I can be honest.

American culture has improved, a little, in the half-century that I've been paying attention: but we can still improve the way we see people who are off the 50th percentile.

Maintaining Health: A Weakness?

I've got some glitches in my personality that I'm working on: but having a serotonin deficiency isn't a character flaw. It's a treatable physical condition.

And, now that I don't have to concentrate so much on getting tasks done and not killing myself: I've got time to work on a serious backlog of personal improvement.

At least I won't be bored.

I've known — and known of — a few people who apparently didn't like having to take medications to deal with neurological problems. So they stopped taking their meds.

That was a really, really bad idea.

Never mind the economic consequences of losing jobs and having to abandon a career. We're talking about broken marriages here.

My father, when I told him that I had major depression and was taking medications to control it, wanted to be sure that I wasn't going to stop taking the prescribed doses. No fear of that: I've seen what the alternative does to people, and that kind of trouble I don't need.

I'm not being weak: or strong; or brave; or cowardly. I'm just being smart.

But Don't Religious People Rely on God?

I don't think there's a sect anywhere that seriously believes that God will force-feed them, and therefore abstains from feeding themselves. If there ever was, they didn't last long. Not without getting practical before they starved.

But, since most people stay comparatively healthy for years at a stretch, quite a few folks seem convinced that God will intervene when they refuse to deal with illness. Interestingly, I can't remember hearing of a sect who believed that broken bones didn't need splints — but you never know.

But isn't going to a doctor turning your back on God and relying on the strength of men? "Biblical" as that sounds: I really don't think so.

But then, I'm aware that doctors are human beings. Finite created beings, like bacteria, whales, and archangels. I don't feel bad about relying on a doctor for medical help, any more than I feel bad about relying on a chair to keep my butt from hitting the floor when I sit down.

It helps, I think, that I know who's running the show:
"With creation, God does not abandon his creatures to themselves. He not only gives them being and existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being, enables them to act and brings them to their final end. Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence:
"For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made anything if you had hated it. How would anything have endured, if you had not willed it? Or how would anything not called forth by you have been preserved? You spare all things, for they are yours, O Lord, you who love the living.160"
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 301)
(and see Catechism, 2288)
I'm aware that if God decided to stop thinking about me, I'd stop existing. It's a hypothetical situation, but I suspect that I might never have existed. Interesting metaphysical speculation, but pointless: if it happened, I wouldn't know it, or care. Or be.

And, besides just being aware, I make the Seven Petitions on a fairly regular basis. It's not that I'm afraid that God will stop loving me, or punish me. I do it because at a bare minimum, it's good to keep me reminded that God's God and that I'm me.

So no: "religious" people don't have to stop being sensible. Not if they're Catholics.

On the other hand, we're expected to follow God's law when we use medical technology. These days, that can get very interesting, very fast:
" 'One must hold as licit procedures carried out on the human embryo which respect the life and integrity of the embryo and do not involve disproportionate risks for it, but are directed toward its healing, the improvement of its condition of health, or its individual survival.'83

" 'It is immoral to produce human embryos intended for exploitation as disposable biological material.'84

" 'Certain attempts to influence chromosomic or genetic inheritance are not therapeutic but are aimed at producing human beings selected according to sex or other predetermined qualities. Such manipulations are contrary to the personal dignity of the human being and his integrity and identity'85 which are unique and unrepeatable."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2275)
So, no: I don't feel guilty about using medications to keep my brain working smoothly. And (we're not quite there, but it's close) if parents knew their unborn child would have leukemia, I wouldn't be upset about their having a doctor fix the embryo's genetic glitch.

The next time someone gets the bright idea of making a race of supermen: that I'd have a problem with.

But that's another topic. ("Artificially Enhanced Human Beings: That's So 20th Century" Drifting at the Edge of Time and Space (March 3, 2010))

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Praying for America and America's Leaders: Think About it

We have been cursed enough: by ourselves and by people in other countries.

Let's resolve - beginning July 4th, 2009, to bless - not only our country, but our leaders. I suggest this schedule, a prayer a day for the rest of the month:
I didn't come up with this idea, but I did assemble the list. I think praying that leaders get the wisdom and strength they need seems reasonable to me.

If you decide to follow this schedule, bookmarking this page or printing out this post would be a pretty good way of keeping track of who's on what day.

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Thought for the Day

"Wisdom is knowing what to do next. Skill is knowing how to do it. Virtue is actually doing it. - Brother Louie Roncoli"
From AlexianBrothers on Twitter
A tip of the hat to CatholicMeme (also Twitter) for the heads-up.
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Marian Apparition: Champion, Wisconsin

Background:Posts in this blog: In the news:

What's That Doing in a Nice Catholic Blog?

From time to time, a service that I use will display links to - odd - services and retailers.

I block a few of the more obvious dubious advertisers.

For example: psychic anything, numerology, mediums, and related practices are on the no-no list for Catholics. It has to do with the Church's stand on divination. I try to block those ads.

Sometime regrettable advertisements get through, anyway.

Bottom line? What that service displays reflects the local culture's norms, - not Catholic teaching.