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Sharing in a community one can find spiritual growth. You are right that the American who believes but does not do is not fully experiencing. Happy week to you
posted by
the-loanlady
on January 24, 2005 at 3:15 PM
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Ordinary time,
When we can take time to grow, and make preparations for the seasons to come. When we can BE ordinary. Just plain old citizens of the Kingdom, learning that our eternity is within every moment of the day.
posted by
pappy
on January 20, 2005 at 4:29 PM
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Materialism and Fragmentation
have grown to epidemic proportions! Thank you for your wonderful blog, Bishop Ben. I wrote a long comment and then (I have no idea how) I lost it. I'll try again.
Materialism is nearly at a point now where it is almost a "religion". Many people seem to have replaced God with it. They want only the biggest and the best and to always be a step ahead of their neighbors. They have to have the biggest house in the nicest neighborhood, the nicest car, the nicest lawn, and so on. They will miss going to church if a football game starts early enough in the day that going to church will cause them to miss the kickoff. They won't go to classes to learn about their religion during football season or basketball season, or baseball season, until after the season has ended, and that's only if the next sport season in line is not of any interest or importance to them. God is just put on the back burner, knowing He will always be there, but paying Him no heed.
It's easy to put God out of our minds when we don't need Him. It appears to be too easy for people to not only forget about Him, but to convince themselves that they don't need Him. They feel they can and will do for themselves, no matter what it takes. If it takes using other people or just running over them in the push to the top, so what? Then, when something catastrophic happens especially if it is something that could have been prevented with a little foresight, they are blaming God for letting it happen. "If you are such a good and loving God, how could you have let my son die?", or "If you are such a good and loving God, how could you have let my house burn down?" Or they are praying to God for things not to get worse..."Please don't let my son die!", "Please don't let them find me guilty.", "Please help me get through this cancer!"
The materialism just goes hand in hand with fragmentation. Because of materialism we have families in which both parents have careers and are not available for their kids. Many time both parents have to work just to make ends meet, or to afford a few extras so that they don't have to feel like they are living on the edge each month to make the house payment, the utilities, insurance, kids' school supplies, the doctor bills, and myriad other necessary expenses. That can't be helped, but when both parents work outside the home when it is totally unnecessary, leaving the kids to let themselves in and take care of themselves, or having the kids so scheduled up with sports, clubs, music lessons, dance lessons, etc., so that they have no time to be a kid with choices about how to fill his time, and no guidance about to fill his time, and no parent there to be with him or her giving the kid quality time, well here's the fragmentation. The kids are being raised by numerous professionals and not a lot of input by Mom and Dad. The parents are putting material things first in their lives over and above their own kids. What does that teach those kids? That they are possessions? That they are to be little robots and go through the motions every day? That they have to learn to be number one, to run over others on their way to the top, since the top is the most important goal? That it is up to them and them only? That God is only an observer and you can only depend on yourself?
No wonder there are so many teen suicides, eating disorders, and kids going into their schools and shooting as many teachers and fellow students down as they can.
Many people who say that they don't believe in any organized religion are just spiritually lazy. I'm sure that there are some who spend a lot of time meditating, praying alone, reading the Bible, and trying to live a good life, but the majority of those people that have been in my life have proven to be spiritually lazy. Not believing in organized religion is just a good enough excuse not to bother going to church, sleeping in late on the weekends. It's an excuse for not observing any church rules or guidelines, like not eating meat on Fridays during Lent if they happen to be Catholic, or not playing cards or dancing which are prohibited in some other religions. It's just a lot easier to be lazy and not have to practice a religion, for practicing your religion takes work.
Whatever religion we may or may not belong to, we must learn to love, truly love, love all of God's children, even those we fear, despise, disrespect. We must love completely and unconditionally. Then and only then will we be truly spiritually enlightened.
We must pray, pray, pray. Each morning you can offer your entire day up to God as your prayer and, if you are earnest, He will give you the help you need to stay on the right path and not fall into more sin. This help, for those who are not Catholic, is called grace, and He is merciful and generous with His grace.
Again, thank you Bishop, for getting your message out and for learned teaching. You obviously have the love of all God's children that is unconditional and true.
posted by
RAME
on January 18, 2005 at 12:56 PM
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Once again, I thank you for your thoughts. Sometimes, I veer from dogma. I attend to the minimum 'schemetti' and far too informed for comfort. I say I like Catholicism because it is the only religion that does not require me to think. And I agree with you that spirituality cannot be practiced in isolation; I may need solitude to do meditation and thinking but to practice the Faith, it has to be in communion. My life as a Christian has to be a reflection of my relationship with others. Loving the neighbour has to be practiced in concrete. I cannot say, My God, My God when I cannot listen or attend to the one beside me.
posted by
tweedhead
on January 17, 2005 at 12:25 AM
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Thank you, thank you, thank you...
I clicked on your blog on accident, and I am sooo happy I did. As someone going through RCIA right now, I found your article to be very informative, well written, and interesting. Not since Mass this morning have I felt this "in tune" with what I should be doing as a (soon-to-be) Catholic, mother, and member of society. I'll definitely read you "on accident" again soon.
posted by
Renigade
on January 16, 2005 at 8:22 PM
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