Survivor: Lenten Edition

I’ve never been a fan of the Survivor television series, probably because I’m usually too busy trying to survive my own circumstances to take the time to tune in. (In fact, friends and I lament that the lives of mothers would be the most difficult type of reality for many to endure!)

PIME priest Fr. Steve admits to the “guilty pleasure” of watching the show – and manages to find some Lenten inspiration there.

He writes:
“Nice reflection about the coming season of Lent. It made me think again of a “crazy idea” I had some time ago….The catchwords on the Survivor logo are: outwit, outlast, outplay. I was thinking that a play on these words, using the three recommended Lenten practices would be: outgive, outfast, outpray. I even imagined taking the Survivor logo and adapting it for Lent…”

Isn’t that a great idea?

What if we could outGIVE, outFAST and outPRAY this year? And who should our competition be? Our neighbor? A family member? The Jalapao Tribe?

Naw. Let’s just outdo ourselves, shall we?

Let’s challenge ourselves to take Lent up a notch this year. Let’s try to give a little more, fast a little more, and pray a little more than we have in years past.

Better yet, let’s love a little more.

Lent starts in a little more than a week. Make this Lent a “reality show” that matters – your life: lived well.

World Day for Consecrated Life

In 1997, Pope John Paul II instituted a day of prayer for women and men in consecrated life. This celebration is attached to the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2nd. This Feast is also known as Candlemas Day; the day on which candles are blessed symbolizing Christ who is the light of the world. So too, those in consecrated life are called to reflect light of Jesus Christ to all peoples. The celebration of World Day for Consecrated Life is transferred to the following Sunday – this Sunday, February 7 — in order to highlight the gift of consecrated persons for the whole Church.

Take time this weekend to pray for those who have consecrated their lives to God’s service, and for those who are discerning vocations.

Perhaps you could light a candle in their honor.

priestly profiles

You’ve got to be at least a little curious.

Aren’t you wondering who these PIME priests are, exactly? Where are they from? What do they do? How did they get to be priests? What do they do in their spare time?

Some of our priests are currently featured on our new PIME Priests page, and more profiles will be featured in coming weeks. Just click here to get to know them!

Do you have questions for them? Be sure to add them in the comments box.

think, pray, repeat

Two weeks from now, we’ll be one day into our Lenten journey. Have you given Lent any thought yet?

I feel like I’ve just put away the Christmas decorations, and it’s almost Lent already?!? Being a last-minute kinda gal, I don’t normally do much advance prep for Lent, but due to some unusual circumstances this week, I’ve actually been giving the season a little thought.

The circumstances? I been having a lot of elbow pain lately, and a visit to the doctor on Monday confirmed what I suspected: I’ve got a chronic case of “mouse elbow.” I was expecting a prescription for anti-inflammatory meds and maybe some exercise instructions. Instead my doctor instructed me to DO NOTHING for three days.

DO NOTHING???

She said the cure was rest (that and making some adjustments to my computer workstation.) She told me to take a few days off work, put my arm in a sling, and avoid the computer and even cooking and cleaning! (I especially liked that last part!)

I tried my best to be obedient. I took the time off work, expecting to enjoy the unexpected break. I did, to a degree, but I soon began to feel antsy. I went to the mall, but my usual shopping cure didn’t ease my angst. I watched my favorite TV shows, but I soon lost interest. I did some much needed tidying up around my house, but, remembering doc’s orders to take it easy, I really couldn’t accomplish much. Surfing the internet was out of the question. What to do?

It had been awhile since I had spent time alone with myself, at least time alone without writing and using the computer. Almost by default, I discovered two activities that did not require a computer or the use of my arm: thinking and praying.

I did a little of both, and I’m happy to report I haven’t forgotten how.

It was good to do some pondering, about my life, where I am and where I’m going. It was even better to pray about it, and ask God where He’d like to lead me.

Which leads me to Lent.

It’s almost here. Taking some time — ahead of time — to consider how God might be calling me to grow this year gave me an opportunity to consider some interesting options. I didn’t plan a retreat, but I was given one, and it was a blessing.

You may not be able to take several days off, but you can certainly “retreat” from the world a bit and spend some time alone. Give it a try. We’ll still be here when you get back.

praying for unity and peace

Can you imagine a world in which people truly live in peace with one another?

The organizers of the World Sabbath Day seek a world in which religious wars are a thing of the past, a world in which people of all faiths have an attitude of respect for one another.

Here’s what they say on their website:

Consider the large voice of world turmoil viewed daily in the media, as well as in the streets. In all countries of the world, people of every faith experience the pain of religious war and persecution, whether it is delivered to their t.v. screens or to their doorsteps.

How can we turn voices of war into voices of peace? It is not enough to sit in our comfortable homes and blame others.

…A unique opportunity is presented to us, one that can rekindle the still small voice of religious reconciliation in the world. It is the observance of World Sabbath, a call to prayer on a holy day of peace, love and rejoicing. The World Sabbath brings people of diverse beliefs together, to experience a moment of unity, and to celebrate with the children as they raise their banners of peace on high.

No matter what our beliefs, living in a attitude of peace is required of us. As Catholic Christians especially, we are called to “recognize the goodness and truth” in other religions. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church makes clear:

842 The Church’s bond with non-Christian religions is in the first place the common origin and end of the human race:

All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city. . .

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.”

We are also called to live in peace with our neighbor, even if his beliefs are different from our own.

Those in the Detroit area might be interested in attending the World Sabbath Day service, which will be held at the Church of the Holy Family in Novi this Sunday at 4 p.m.

blank

I’m coming up blank.

It’s been that kind of week. The sky, the ground, everything around me is white, like the computer screen on which I should be writing a compelling blog post. It’s been a week, and I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to come up with something pertinent to write about.

But my mind is blank. So the blog is too….

I don’t really believe in “writer’s block,” that condition writers claim that prevents them from writing. I’ve found writing to be more of a discipline, and have noticed that once I commit to doing it, the writing is the easy part. I’d say I’ve more often been struck with “thinker’s block,” which turns my brain all mushy and makes me stare excessively.

So today I just decide to show up, to start writing, and that Big White Page in my brain started to fill up. It occurred to me that sometimes life is like that – not just for writers, but for everybody. Sometimes we don’t know what to say, or to think. We’re just blank. And that’s OK.

God likes a blank canvas. Look at the cool stuff he did at the start of creation. If I wipe the slate clean, he can put something fresh on it.

These winter months, all white and gray and boring and blank, are a great time to allow God to work in and on us. I’ve decided to give the emptiness to Him, and see what He “writes.”

I imagine I’ll be surprised – and amazed – at the colorful things he comes up with.

vocation: everybody’s got one!

We’re wrapping up National Vocation Awareness week. Here are some great tips on ways that Catholics can promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

For all Catholics:

1. Pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
2. Teach young people how to pray.
3. Make it attractive. Show the priesthood for what it truly is – a call to be a spiritual father to the whole family of faith.
4. Invite active young adults and teens to consider a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life.
5. Preach it, brother! Vocations must be talked about regularly if a “vocation culture” is to take root in parishes and homes.

For those considering a vocation:

6. Practice the faith.
7. Enter into the Silence.
8. Be a good disciple.
9. Ask God. Ask God what He wants for your life and know He only wants what is good for you.
10. In the immortal words of a famous sneaker manufacturer: “Just do it!”

For the full story, read the tips from Fr. David Toups (interim director of the Office of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) here.

google: China

What’s important?

If you have looked at the news recently you may have noticed a popular story about Google leaving China because of their government’s censorship laws. A few people in China even decided to show their respect to Google by leaving flowers at their China headquarters. I don’t disagree with Google actions, and in fact I believe it is very bold of them to do this.

In other news, China has been battling to keep the Catholic Church underground for decades. In fact, St. Alberic and seven other PIME priests have been martyred in China. Last week, Bishop Leon Yao Liang (who was not allowed the title of Bishop in China) died at the age of 87. This man was loyal to the Vatican and spent almost 30 years, from 1958 to 1984, in a Chinese prison for it. The Chinese government even withheld news of his death. Even with this strong oppression by the government, thousands of people fought the cold, snow, and police to attend Bishop Yao’s funeral

This morning I compared the number of search results of these two stories. I discovered a few people leaving flowers at the Google headquarters gained thousands of news articles and thousands of people attending Bishop Yao’s funeral gained only five articles.

So the question remains: What is important?

Giovanni Vitale II, Outreach Coordinator

Avatar blues

Some say it’s just a knock-off of Disney’s Pocahontas.

Others claim it’s simply Ferngully redone, or just an ode to Dances with Wolves. The guys at the Vatican are calling it “simple and bland.”

I haven’t seen it, so you won’t find a review of the second biggest grossing movie of all time here (at least not yet). But I’ve heard something quite interesting about Avatar that provokes me to share a word of warning. If you see it, you might need to schedule an appointment with your therapist or even join a support group afterwards.

Apparently the world of Pandora is so magically portrayed in this high-tech splendor that folks who see it don’t want to return to the real world. They are overcome with emotions ranging from depression to despair. Pandora is so beautiful, they say, so perfect and balanced and peaceful and true, that the real world they enter upon leaving the theater becomes nothing more than a gray, bleak desolate land without hope.

Forums have sprung up on which distraught viewers share their angst. Consider this disturbing quote:

In another forum a user wrote: ‘When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey. It just seems so meaningless. I still don’t really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world.’ Other fans are even more affected by the situation, reported The Daily Telegraph, with one posting: ‘I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora.’

I’ve left movie theaters many times, my hands still greasy from the yummy popcorn, squinting into a bright afternoon sun. Sometimes I’ve felt challenged by what I’ve seen, sometimes saddened or shocked. But I’ve never left a theater wishing that I lived in a world that existed only on a screen.

The world we live in is harsh and cold and filled with sin. There is untold suffering (please pray for our Haitian brothers and sisters) and pain around every corner. We live in a world in which innocent children die and guilty men go free. It’s a fallen, ugly place.

It’s also indescribably beautiful.

It’s a world in which vast and glorious oceans are filled with exotic creatures. It’s a land on which billions of snowflakes fall, each one of them intricate and unique. Here on Earth we are gifted with opportunities for joy every day, chances real, not contrived, to see beauty if only we will open our eyes.

The created world is truly magnificent, but I argue that our true splendor lies in each human heart and soul. There God is clearly reflected. Made in His Image, we are also each too beautiful for words.

This is not Pandora. Earth is far more wonderful, because it is real.

The depression some feel when they leave the artificial, virtual Pandora is an expression of the longing in each human heart: the longing to return home to God.
Our world is beautiful, it is true. But far more beautiful is the place God has prepared for us.

Rather than turning to pop mythology, to Hollywood “heroes” and cultural icons, hearts will only find peace when they seek God. While we’re waiting for Heaven, we need to look around and see the reflection of the Creator in His magnificent handiwork.

Start by looking in the mirror. Then look at your neighbor. Then look out your window.

It’s not Pandora. But it’s real. It’s here. And it’s ours.

Let’s take care of it, and of one another. And someday Pandora will pale in comparison to what we’ll see.

But as it is written: “What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,”
this God has revealed to us through the Spirit. Corinthians 2:9-10

out of this world

“The heavens proclaim His righteousness; and all the peoples behold His glory” (Psalm 97.6).

We might be tiny, but Jesus still died for each of us. Awesome.