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» In Light of Faith
 
Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, January 20, 2008
by Genevieve McQuade
I remember times when I tried to tell someone about a really good spiritual experience I had. Sadly, I was met, not with listening ears, but with subtle indifference.
For sure, the person would express gladness for me, but when I would begin to share what had happened to me, their eyes would glaze over, distancing themselves from me.
It was hard to take because I wanted to share the cause of my joy, which happened to be Jesus.
Has that happened to you? Because of others’ frosty reactions, we may learn to stifle our instincts to protect our self-esteem.
I wonder what reactions John the Baptist encountered when he exclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world…who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me,” then adding, “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and remain upon him.”
Moreover, John related that he was told this by “the one who sent him;” “On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the holy Spirit” (Jn 1:29–34).
Now, wouldn’t that make one raise their eyebrows and quickly exit?
What made the Baptist this determined to share God’s revelation with others?
Perhaps he was dauntless because he prepared with prayer in the desert, away from the commotion of crowd and town. Perhaps it was because he was familiar with the Hebrew scriptures.
Thus primed, John must have had expectations. He was anticipating something — someone. Full of hope, he had confidence that God would act.
The Baptist had eyes and ears ready to recognize the incarnate One sent from above. John made the ground-breaking link between Jesus’ identity as Lamb of God and the paschal lamb in the Israelites’ understanding of Passover.
To witness is to “declare something to be true from personal experience,” says the dictionary.
John dynamically expressed his personal experience. He did not conceal the truth, but disclosed his discovery to all around him. He testified about his marvelous encounter and experience perceiving the Lamb. He spoke out loud.
He told us.
What would have happened if John had kept his inspiration under wraps, not telling a soul?
What an incredible loss that would have been for the world.
Because John the Baptist bore witness that Jesus is the everlasting source of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, we have received a profound truth. Our anointing by the Lamb of God in our own baptism conquers sin.
The Holy Spirit supplies you and me with the Lamb’s power over sin, power for witness, even power to share the joy with others. We need “ears open to obedience” (Ps 40:7).
In this new year, we can feel more secure in evangelizing, sharing the good news, if we focus more on Jesus than our fears, spend time in quiet prayer, and learn more of God’s word in the Bible.
These small efforts will boost our hope and give us confidence in God’s action through us as conduits of good news.
David’s psalm portrays his own fortitude, “I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know” (Ps 40:10).
In the baptismal power of the Holy Spirit, let us be strengthened to do likewise.
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When individuality trumps responsibility
by Mary Hood Hart
Overwhelmed by the unique beauty of a newborn, we parents gaze reverently. The sight of tiny fingers and delicate ears can take our breath away.
This tiny being belongs to us, yet doesn’t belong to us. Even minutes old, he is perfectly, distinctly, himself.
Even so, we realize he’s impressionable. While not a blank slate, he is wired to respond to us and learn from us.
We believe that what we do for him and what we don’t do for him will have long-term effects.
Apart from his physical care, we concern ourselves with his intellectual, social, emotional development. From Baby Einstein to Suzuki, we make choices for him, in the hope that these choices enrich his life.
It doesn’t take long for his unique personality to be revealed. As a child grows, we discover, quickly, that this child is not a tiny version of ourselves nor is he the embodiment of all the influences, good and bad, he was exposed to.
While he may share some of our characteristics, while he may have developed interests based on interests of our own, he makes it clear, early on, that he is an individual in his own right.
Often the individuality of this child becomes a source of parent-child conflict. We may be more comfortable with quiet, studious types, and we discover we are parenting a boisterous athlete, or vice versa.
One temptation, when we encounter conflict of this sort, is to attempt to mold the child to fit more closely to the image we prefer. (We are a musical family! You will take lessons.)
But with the options available to children now, this style of parenting seems to be less popular. Rather than attempt to fit him into a particular mold, we are more likely to allow him to express his personality in his own way, encourage him along a new path.
None of us wants to raise little soldiers — indeed, most modern parents would feel uneasy with a brood of well-trained, obedient youngsters like the Von Trapp children from the Sound of Music.
Indeed, in today’s society, we may be tempted to allow the child’s self-expression free rein. (James finds church boring, so we’ve let him stay home.)
One of the greatest challenges of parenting is to find the right balance – allowing a child’s unique personality to flourish while at the same time ensuring the child remains aware of his rightful place in the universe and of his responsibility to others.
Still, we’ve all seen what difficulties can arise if children are not exposed to parenting that helps them discover — gradually, and in the context of a loving environment — they are not the center of the universe.
Sadly, we are, in current American culture, experiencing what can happen when individuality trumps responsibility for others.
For too long, as a culture, we have emphasized individuality, celebrated personality, and pumped self-esteem while ignoring other values.
By doing so, especially among the upper and middle classes, we have created a child-centered culture, in which the adults go overboard to cater to their children, seeking the best (and often most expensive) for them in everything from clothing styles to sports trainers to SAT prep.
Privileges are heaped upon children, and the children come to expect them. Given awards and trophies for just showing up, children grow accustomed to being celebrated and rewarded for doing very little.
While this is something akin to “spoiling,” it is different in that spoiling was once isolated to the most privileged class. In our current culture, treating our children like minor celebrities and heaping material goods, trophies and awards on them has become a social norm.
Those of us who attempt to raise socially responsible young people find our parenting styles in conflict with many of the parents of our children’s peers. We opt not to have extravagant birthday parties.
We don’t hand over the keys of new cars to the newly licensed. Even if we can afford it, we choose not to allow our children to participate in high school graduation trips to Cancun.
We opt out of this way of parenting as a matter of principle. But, more important, we opt out of this because we know, in the long run, this overindulgence is harmful to our children.
We know that our children’s value is not dependent upon success, achievements, charm, activities, and extravagance. Their value is inherent.
We cherish them simply, daily, not for what they do, not for what they have, but for who they are — who we all are — God’s own.
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 Living mindfully
by Barbara Hughes
By the time this issue of The Catholic Virginian arrives in your mailbox, you will have more than likely taken down your Christmas tree.
Ornaments, snuggled in tissue paper, will have been tucked into cardboard beds and greenery will have been either discarded or secured in the attic awaiting next year’s festivities.
Seasons come and go; it’s part of the rhythm of life. But within that rhythm, life continues to evolve. The same celebrations are repeated year after year, but the people who celebrate are at a different place in their lives.
Life is fluid and ever changing. And if we believe our purpose in life is to discover our true identity as a child of God, then we do well to ask, “How I am different this year than I was last year at this time?”
The question reminds me of the words from a 16th century hymn. The author wrote, “Let dark and evil deeds retreat before the dawn; our new life must advance in grace; the old one must be gone.”
Another Christmas has come and gone and the song reminds us to carry the grace of Christmas 2007 into 2008. One way to insure that this year will advance in grace is to be mindful of it.
Living mindfully is not new, but it takes effort.
Living mindfully is about doing whatever task we perform with the idea that there is more to it than we previously understood.
It’s about being present to the people or the situation at hand in a way that helps us better appreciate the sacredness of every moment.
Living mindfully is about transforming the secular into the sacred, and in the process God transforms us. It reveals the hidden grace in every moment that helps us grow into the person God is calling us to become.
And living mindfully is practical. It puts a face on grace and reminds us that God, Emmanuel, truly is with us.
Living mindfully involves doing activities which may on the surface appear secular but when done thoughtfully and consistently, they unite us with God and place us in solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world.
It helps us to reverence the sacredness of the earth and makes us conscious of our connection to those in our immediate sphere, but also those whom we will come to know only as members of God’s family.
If living mindfully is a new concept for you, I’ve provided a few suggestions as a way to begin.
Ask God to wash away attachments that continue to be obstacles to a deeper relationship with God who dwells within.
As a gesture of solidarity, refrain from overeating or from gulping down your breakfast without so much as a prayer of thanksgiving for the nourishment you enjoy. Remember that prayer fills the spiritual hunger that gnaws away at life and ask the Lord to fill you with his love.
Be conscious of ways to conserve energy, put on a sweater and lower the thermostat. Bless the person who takes cuts in front of you or takes your parking spot.
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As you turn on the light when you enter a room, take a moment to remember that Christ is the Light of the world and that you have been charged with the task of bringing his light to others.
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As you carry out the task at hand, be it at home or in the workplace, thank God for your health and the opportunity to work. Recall that many saints were transformed because they performed ordinary tasks with an extraordinary amount of love.
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When you are tempted to say an unkind word about a friend, family member or co-worker, whisper a prayer for them instead and ask God to soften your own heart.
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At day’s end, reflect on your day. Ask forgiveness for your failures, thank God for the grace and challenges the day brought and ask for the courage to respond to the challenges of tomorrow in union with God who makes every good thing possible.
How often have you asked, “Where has the time gone?” And yet, every day contains 24 hours filled with grace.
Living mindfully makes every moment count. It’s one way to ensure that the Incarnation we celebrated on December 25 will advance our life of grace long after the old year has passed away.
For, when we live mindfully, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
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Copyright © 2008 The Catholic Virginian Press. Articles from Catholic News Services, including Fr. Dietzen’s column, may not be reproduced due to copyright considerations.
The Catholic Virginian is a biweekly publication serving the people of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. This website includes some, but not all, of the articles from the print version of The Catholic Virginian.
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