Thursday, January 22, 2004
Father Glenn's Update Plus Stirring Video
As reported here yesterday, Father Benedict opened his eyes yesterday. In Father Glenn's short update there is also a stirring video produced by the Grassroots Renewal Team. Find both at Letter 1/21/04
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
Father Groeschel Opens His Eyes
From Catholic World News and Vatican news; Eternal Word Television Network:
"EWTN regular Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., who was critically injured after being hit by a car January 11th, opened his eyes and reacted to stimulus Wednesday."
"EWTN regular Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., who was critically injured after being hit by a car January 11th, opened his eyes and reacted to stimulus Wednesday."
State of the Union of the Catholic Church
Perhaps I wrote about this last year or perhaps I was just thinking about it at five o'clock this morning and it seems like last year, but I couldn't help but think as I watched the President's State of the Union address last night about offering a similar critique of the state of the Church in this country.
We have undergone a severe crisis in the Church. It began with a breakdown of discipline that no longer saw any reason for that practice, almost forty years ago. I think the symbol of this was the lifting of the ban for Catholics of eating meat on Fridays, add to it the loss of ember days.
Quickly on the heals of this highly destructive symbolic act was a watered down Catechesis--that no longer present Jesus as the "way" but one of many ways. Jesus Christ literally became the "road less traveled" in rapid pace. His "way" was replaced with a cornocopia of new routes based on newly defined historical Christs--none of whom matched up all that well with the Jesus presented in the Gospels but pretty much matched the ideology of whoever was crafting these false Christs.
From the new catechesis flowed liturgy light, no longer really worship per se, but a friendly gathering in Joe Blow's living room with the latest pop music providing the background (those of you who are over forty will remember those days). Over time some of these liturgy experiments have faded into the winds of history but a true sense of worship of God, of communio, has only made a return in a few places. Like the agape feasts that Paul condemned in the nascient church, coffee and donuts are the feast that many look forward to receiving at the conclusion of Mass. I would even say that if there was anything to symbolize where liturgy has gone---it could be symbolized by a styrofoam coffee cup and a Krispy Kreme glazed donut--modern Catholics seem to think these are what have the ability to make us one rather than the Body and Blood of Christ. The horizonal nature of modern Catholic worship continues.
The Church should be one. There should be a unity of believers, united in Christ. Yet the modern church is as divided as the world it lives in. Perhaps it is because when the doors of the Church were opened to the world, the world came in and took over the Church. So we now live in a Church where ideology is worshiped more than God and division is tolerated rather than overcome in Christ Jesus.
How can this crisis be overcome?
First, by rediscovering Jesus. The Pope has recommended contemplating on the face of Christ with Mary in the rosary. I think this is an excellent practice. Focus on the "one thing necessary." What is necessary for the divisions that sever the Body of Christ--the Church to be healed? To be grafted to the vine---we are the branches, He is the Vine. Apart from Him we can do nothing. And this precisely is the problem, too many in the Church are doing everything apart from Christ , often in the name of a false Christ or ideology that they've made into a God. This applies to liberal and conservatives---the divider "diabolos" seeks to keep us weak.
Secondly, by living out the Gospel---embracing the mysterious power of Christ to overcome the world. God's ways are not our ways. Too many of us are trying to do it our way or the way we see it done in the world. This is not the Gospel message. Our Lord uses the weak and our weakness to show forth His power. "The Lord Himself will figh for you, you have only to be still," (Exodus 14:14), were the words Moses told the Israelites when there situation seemed hopeless. This is the level of faith that the Scriptures proclaim.
We have undergone a severe crisis in the Church. It began with a breakdown of discipline that no longer saw any reason for that practice, almost forty years ago. I think the symbol of this was the lifting of the ban for Catholics of eating meat on Fridays, add to it the loss of ember days.
Quickly on the heals of this highly destructive symbolic act was a watered down Catechesis--that no longer present Jesus as the "way" but one of many ways. Jesus Christ literally became the "road less traveled" in rapid pace. His "way" was replaced with a cornocopia of new routes based on newly defined historical Christs--none of whom matched up all that well with the Jesus presented in the Gospels but pretty much matched the ideology of whoever was crafting these false Christs.
From the new catechesis flowed liturgy light, no longer really worship per se, but a friendly gathering in Joe Blow's living room with the latest pop music providing the background (those of you who are over forty will remember those days). Over time some of these liturgy experiments have faded into the winds of history but a true sense of worship of God, of communio, has only made a return in a few places. Like the agape feasts that Paul condemned in the nascient church, coffee and donuts are the feast that many look forward to receiving at the conclusion of Mass. I would even say that if there was anything to symbolize where liturgy has gone---it could be symbolized by a styrofoam coffee cup and a Krispy Kreme glazed donut--modern Catholics seem to think these are what have the ability to make us one rather than the Body and Blood of Christ. The horizonal nature of modern Catholic worship continues.
The Church should be one. There should be a unity of believers, united in Christ. Yet the modern church is as divided as the world it lives in. Perhaps it is because when the doors of the Church were opened to the world, the world came in and took over the Church. So we now live in a Church where ideology is worshiped more than God and division is tolerated rather than overcome in Christ Jesus.
How can this crisis be overcome?
First, by rediscovering Jesus. The Pope has recommended contemplating on the face of Christ with Mary in the rosary. I think this is an excellent practice. Focus on the "one thing necessary." What is necessary for the divisions that sever the Body of Christ--the Church to be healed? To be grafted to the vine---we are the branches, He is the Vine. Apart from Him we can do nothing. And this precisely is the problem, too many in the Church are doing everything apart from Christ , often in the name of a false Christ or ideology that they've made into a God. This applies to liberal and conservatives---the divider "diabolos" seeks to keep us weak.
Secondly, by living out the Gospel---embracing the mysterious power of Christ to overcome the world. God's ways are not our ways. Too many of us are trying to do it our way or the way we see it done in the world. This is not the Gospel message. Our Lord uses the weak and our weakness to show forth His power. "The Lord Himself will figh for you, you have only to be still," (Exodus 14:14), were the words Moses told the Israelites when there situation seemed hopeless. This is the level of faith that the Scriptures proclaim.
Latest Update on Father Groeschel
From Father Glenn:
"Stretch out your hand!" This is the command Our Lord gives to a man with a shriveled hand in today's Gospel. The gospel says, "The man did so and his hand was perfectly restored". Today, Fr. Benedict was commanded, "Father raise your eyebrow! Raise your finger!"
Nothing. No movement.
Today things were quiet. Perhaps too quiet. Father is still asleep. The chemicals put into his system the first night were necessary to keep his body still and to dull the pain. Evidently, the sedatives are doing their thing, perhaps a bit more than expected. The doctors have told us that every person reacts differently to the same doses. The way I read the present situation is that there is a certain "cautious optimism". Professionals are understandably hesitant to offer their opinions. Sometimes you get more from the nurses' expressions than from what they say. Some raise their eyebrows and shrug their shoulders as if to say, "Who knows?" Some slightly purse their lips and tilt their heads which looks like: "I'm sorry". Many of you have been through this with loved ones. "An emotional roller coaster" is how one mother of a cancer victim recently described it to me.
Yet, today we choose to thank God. Fr. Benedict has survived thus far. We're into our second week. Every day he is with us is a gift. He is in little pain. The head wound is healing. The leg was repaired masterfully with no apparent negative effects. His color is good. His blood pressure "okay", and his heart rate generally moderate. His lungs show no signs of pneumonia or infections.
"Stretch out your hand!" This is the command Our Lord gives to a man with a shriveled hand in today's Gospel. The gospel says, "The man did so and his hand was perfectly restored". Today, Fr. Benedict was commanded, "Father raise your eyebrow! Raise your finger!"
Nothing. No movement.
Today things were quiet. Perhaps too quiet. Father is still asleep. The chemicals put into his system the first night were necessary to keep his body still and to dull the pain. Evidently, the sedatives are doing their thing, perhaps a bit more than expected. The doctors have told us that every person reacts differently to the same doses. The way I read the present situation is that there is a certain "cautious optimism". Professionals are understandably hesitant to offer their opinions. Sometimes you get more from the nurses' expressions than from what they say. Some raise their eyebrows and shrug their shoulders as if to say, "Who knows?" Some slightly purse their lips and tilt their heads which looks like: "I'm sorry". Many of you have been through this with loved ones. "An emotional roller coaster" is how one mother of a cancer victim recently described it to me.
Yet, today we choose to thank God. Fr. Benedict has survived thus far. We're into our second week. Every day he is with us is a gift. He is in little pain. The head wound is healing. The leg was repaired masterfully with no apparent negative effects. His color is good. His blood pressure "okay", and his heart rate generally moderate. His lungs show no signs of pneumonia or infections.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
A Tale of Two Howards?
Howard Beal in the movie Network was "Mad as hell and he wasn't going to take it anymore."
and the defiant...
Howard Dean
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