Thursday, January 6, 2011
ch 2 "Dining Room"
As a former Methodist/Presbyterian I could relate to Hunt's belief that communion was just symbolism but 3 events led him to the Catholic church. Being asked by a nun why he didn't belong to the Church caused him to consider how the scriptures were so consistant in talking about the Eucharist. Secondly, in many other churches the sermon was the focal point of the service. I think that is true in most protestant churches. Some members are "married" to the minister rather than the church and its beliefs. Finally, Hunt sees the need to spend time "pondering the mystery of Jesus' gift to us and His presence with us."
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I'm delighted that after 3 tries it worked. Sorry for the abbreviated comments but after losing my words to cyberspace I was frustrated.
ReplyDeleteWilliam
As a life long Catholic, I have to admit that there have been times that I too have thought that the Catholic Church is mean. There have been a instances where given specific circumstances, the resolution of an issue seemed harsh or unfair or exclusive. I always felt bewildered and perhaps a little disheartened and embarrassed. But the operative word here is "FELT". Feelings or emotions can be very misleading and a useful tool; often the tool of choice of the Evil One. We must never check our intellect or reason at the door when dealing with the Creator. Truth is not always the feel good option and can many times seem to point to a hard and narrow path (sound familiar?). Of course the "delivery" of truth is "everything" and to deliver "truth in love" is optimal. It should never be correlative. Truth is truth. Love is love. And both these words have been used by Christ to describe God, Himself. Many times the Church finds herself in the position of presenting and maintaining the truth as a bar to be measured against. So many times our priests are similarly placed in the difficult position of proclaiming truth in a situation that is not, shall we say, "popular". So many times, even when truth is proclaimed in love it is not heard in that way. I will always tremble when I remember God's words when He proclaims "... the lukewarm I shall spew from My mouth...". We must dedicate ourselves to truth and love. I pray that God will grant us the grace to always proclaim Truth in Love and thereby live the Gospel wether we use words or not.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, there are seeds to be sown and many unknowing sowers of Seed. And yes, it all "...rides on the Eucharist''. And it bears repeating: "It ALL rides on the Eucharist." I am really liking this dining room a lot. I can't wait to find out what the ret o the house looks like. I'll bet it looks a lot like home.
Love in Truth,
Francis of Assisi
I too was struck by the story that Mr. Hunt related about the woman who made him sit down before the Eucharist in what can only be described as a mean way. She was of course, correct, but not at all in the manner in which she went about giving this information. How often is the action of an individual interpreted by another as an action of The Church? And so it should be in an ideal world where our actions are those of the Holy Spirit offered up in love and with charity! As Francis of Assisi points out, we must always be on our guard against the actions of our “shoulder devil” tempting us to behave in ways with which Our Savior would not approve.
ReplyDeleteThe other interesting thing to me, being basically an impatient person, is the length of the germination time required for the seeds sown by Sr. Rose to bear fruit! Think of it! Sixteen years. Yet those seeds, sown with love and charity, eventually won out and produced an incredible fruit. Contrast that with the seed sown by the “mean woman” whose seed thankfully died out. We must ask ourselves how often is that not the case, and permanent damage is done to the soul of another by our actions. I also wonder if the “mean woman” and things like that were not in large measure responsible for the long germination time of the “good seed”.
Just a couple of thoughts,
Luke
In 20 years as a very active Episcopalian, I never once has the urge to share my faith with others. I remarked on this to a protestant friend and she asked me what made the change, given that I served the same God, loved the same Jesus. I answered without batting an eye: my relationship with the eucharistic Lord. Receiving Him under the guise of bread and wine has transformed my life and my faith. It’s just that simple. The relationship with Christ in the Eucharist is more profound, deeper, more mysterious and more life-transforming than I expected. It is not intellectual, it is not (merely) emotional, it is, in fact, a relationship, a real connection between Christ and me in which the sacrament of the Eucharist confers great and immediate grace beyond my wildest dreams. God is indeed very, very , very good!
ReplyDeleteWhat we do with it, is, of course up to us as grace is received according to the mode of the recipient. But the plain fact of the matter is that this grace--the grace of the Eucharist ---is powerful, life changing and it is not available outside the Church. Mass is no mere religious service, the Eucharist no mere symbol. It is a time when heaven and earth connect in a real and deliberate way and we are in the company of saints and of Christ hImself. Sometimes we are too shy about proclaiming this from the rooftops! Martha
One thing I loved about this chapter was that the nun was sweet in how she questioned Allen Hunt and not confrontational. I can remember several instances when the Catholic Church has seemed so strict in how it presented its message that it did turn people off. Once at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fayetteville, the priest just stopped talking and stared at a lady with a crying baby! Sigh! They both should have known better! I know in our past Sunday School classes, one topic that repeatedly has been stated is that others get their feelings hurt when told not partake in communion because they are not Catholic. I loved the comment on Sunday that Jim Sanbourin said about his previous priest who asked people to come up for a blessing so that they felt included as well. It is a good example of how our actions speak louder than our words at times. This was even a hard issue for Father Adam. I know that Dick Crouteau used to always quote St. Frances to continually preach the gospel and use words if you have to! Our actions to others make such a difference. I even notice this when I have to call a doctor late at night and his or her tone of voice makes such a difference. If you are sick you do not want the nurse to be afraid to call. I am glad to say I hear such goood comments about the OLM congregation doctors. This could save someone from a lot of pain or even save a life one day.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it took me a long time to grasp the Catholic concept of the Eucharist. Finally, my son Marinus, explained it in a way that I was able to absorb. After he had been at Notre Dame for a year. I don't want to say comprehend or understand because when I finally got it, it was more than just cognitive. It was a whole feeling, enbled by God's grace. One thing that helped me along the way was that no one in the Catholic Church was pushy to me or fussed at me about dragging my feet or hurting my family by not joining in. I was met only by examples of people before me to encourage me and inspire me and not, as in some other churches I had been to, reprimand me for running late or missing a Sunday. At OLM, I always got the feeling that we are all just trying together to follow Christ's example and calling. I was surprised to find this in a religion reputed to be so strict, but I did at OLM, and I want to remember that in my dealings with others. Thanks to all of you who behaved like Sister Rose and stood waiting patiently and faithfully as she did.