As I may have mentioned, I am a Catholic and today I celebrated the feast of Pentecost. Although I do not know what the word "pentecost" actually means, I do know what it stands for in the Church. Centuries ago, the apostles were visited by the Holy Spirit and were given the ability to speak in different languages to spread the Good News.
The first thing that I am reminded of during Pentecost is my inability to speak more than one language comfortably. The gift that the Holy Spirit gave the apostles was an incredible gift and one that was not taken lightly. The ability to communicate with thousands upon thousands of people without language barriers impeding on the direct message is amazing. It reminds me of a character from one of my favorite books, Bel Canto, who is a translator of many languages. His actions brought together a people who had otherwise lost their common link.
The second thing that Pentecost reminds me of is the Holy Spirit. I have always had a better relationship with the Holy Spirit than God the Father and God the Son, or so it feels like. I trust in the feelings that move me to do something kind or compassionate because I know it is the Holy Spirit. I frequently ask God to let the Holy Spirit guide me in such a way that I do His Will and that my thoughts and actions will be sensitive to His presence in others.
The last, but not least, thing Pentecost reminds me of is the Church. The Holy Spirit is one of the most important parts of the Church, whether or not we realize it. It is the Holy Spirit which united the early Church and which continues to unite us today.
That being said, Happy Birthday Church!
Showing posts with label Catholicism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catholicism. Show all posts
08 June 2014
28 March 2014
Spring Break, Day #7
This morning was the essence of "chillax." For those who may be unaware, the word "chillax" is derived from a combination of the colloquial term "chill", meaning to be calm, and the word relaxing. For example, laying in bed half the morning working on homework, reading, and watching YouTube videos was very chillax.
With that in mind, I cheerfully joined my friend for what was supposed to be a night of coffee, catching up, and studying. Instead, we decided to try the hot chocolate from Moonstruck Chocolate (DELICIOUS!), study, and grab some dinner at Little Big Burger (veggie burger and truffle fries for me, of course).
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Once the afternoon hit, I became increasingly lethargic and managed to convince myself that a nap was appropriate. I always struggle with naps, because as much as I enjoy sleeping, the repercussions are always much worse than I care to handle. This time, however, I tried to fool myself into thinking that it was not a true nap if I was reading and just happened to fall asleep doing so.
On awakening, I prepared myself for Stations of the Cross and a study/hangout session with a friend afterward. Stations of the Cross always has a way of humbling me and refocusing my spiritual compass. It helps me become more aware of the sacrifice Jesus made and reminds me that I am accountable for his suffering every time I sin. As harsh as it may sound, I do not think of it as the stereotypical "Catholic guilt" - instead, I think of it as the most endearing thing a loved one could do.
All in all, it was a very pleasant semi-end to my spring break.
02 February 2014
Super Bowl XLVIII
At the moment I am watching Super Bowl XLVIII with my family at home. There happens to be lots of yelling and munching on snacks. My feet are freezing, but I refuse to move from my position on the recliner in front of the television - not because someone might steal it, but because I do not want to miss the game.
I am live-tweeting the game and as I do, my pride in the Seahawks grows. I am what one might call a "bandwagonner." I did not follow the beginning of the season, mostly because I had just started nursing school. Reading about sports is more complicated that watching sports, so I simply did not keep up.
Watching the 12th Man from my seat, however, I wish I had kept up. The intensity of the fans and their uninhibited joy whenever fortune is in the Seahawks' favor is contagious. I imagine myself a true fan for the next few hours.
I think being part of the 12th Man is like being a member of the Church. It does not truly matter when people join in the celebration, what matters is when and what they celebrate. For instance, coming together for mass every Sunday for the Word and the Eucharist is similar to gathering for games and eating Skittles (ahem, thank you, Richard Sherman) or Rally Fries (different sport, but still).
Earlier this morning at mass, Father had stated that although he knew we were all fairly preoccupied with the Big Game this afternoon, he wanted us to turn our focus to the real reason we were gathered. Of course, my mind then wandered to the game and whether anyone would accost me about my recent public support. Then, as the RCIA members gathered after the Liturgy of the Word, the thought struck me.
No one should give anyone a hard time about supporting a good cause. And with that I say proudly:
I am live-tweeting the game and as I do, my pride in the Seahawks grows. I am what one might call a "bandwagonner." I did not follow the beginning of the season, mostly because I had just started nursing school. Reading about sports is more complicated that watching sports, so I simply did not keep up.
Watching the 12th Man from my seat, however, I wish I had kept up. The intensity of the fans and their uninhibited joy whenever fortune is in the Seahawks' favor is contagious. I imagine myself a true fan for the next few hours.
I think being part of the 12th Man is like being a member of the Church. It does not truly matter when people join in the celebration, what matters is when and what they celebrate. For instance, coming together for mass every Sunday for the Word and the Eucharist is similar to gathering for games and eating Skittles (ahem, thank you, Richard Sherman) or Rally Fries (different sport, but still).
Earlier this morning at mass, Father had stated that although he knew we were all fairly preoccupied with the Big Game this afternoon, he wanted us to turn our focus to the real reason we were gathered. Of course, my mind then wandered to the game and whether anyone would accost me about my recent public support. Then, as the RCIA members gathered after the Liturgy of the Word, the thought struck me.
No one should give anyone a hard time about supporting a good cause. And with that I say proudly:
GO HAWKS!
24 January 2014
The Problem with Krypton Is...
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| Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman played by Henry Cavill |
The short interchange between Superman and General Zod took me by surprise because, as an ethnocentric being, I assumed that General Zod had become an official by his own will. Instead, he was bred to assume that role in Kryptonian society. Crazy, no?
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| General Zod played by Michael Shannon |
What about the Christian concept of Free Will. Do humans have free will? If not, are we not toy-things of a higher being? If yes, are not we in control of our destinies and therefore higher beings? There are so many questions one could ask!
Towards the end of the film, Superman tells a government official, "I'm here to help, but only on my own terms." That, to me, sums up the human experience. We provide ourselves in whatever capacity we can, when we want to. We offer up our individual talents to each other on a daily basis and it is all interwoven into an ever-changing world. Ultimately, no one can force us to be anything we are not. Therein lies our power as humans.
10 November 2013
Confirmation Class
I may have mentioned before that I am a confirmation sponsor for one of my cousins. Part of the responsibility of a sponsor is to attend as many confirmation classes with my candidate as possible. Being a short while away from Vancouver, one would think it would be easy enough for me to travel from Portland to attend all of the classes. Unfortunately, I am still a college student without a car and have had to resort to public transportation.
Fortunately, Portland to Vancouver transportation is easily maneuvered and I finally made it to mass and confirmation class with my cousins. It was great! I enjoyed spending time with my family and experiencing confirmation class with my cousins.
The class focused on human dignity - a topic I constantly think about in nursing school. It was refreshing to not only be able to talk about it openly from a religious standpoint, but also hear the thoughts of the candidates on the topic. The coordinator had prepared an activity to stimulate our interpretation of human dignity. The exercise consisted of a number of hypothetical situations with the option to make the information about the situations public or private with subsequent reasoning. Ultimately it came down to the individual's perceptions of publicity, privacy, and human dignity.
Dealing with the hypothetical is never easy for me, because I consider several possibilities at once which eventually results in indecisiveness. The candidates, on the other hand, seemed to have specific situations in mind and acted in response to them. I found it interesting from an anthropological perspective that their lived experiences varied little from each other and greatly from mine. For instance, there was a situation about a friend having a same-sex significant other. Some of the candidates thought it should be made public because they wanted to show their support. The phrase "be proud of who you are" was thrown around frequently in the discussion.
As much as I was trying to hang back and not become too involved in the discussion (in order to let the candidates flourish on their own), I spoke up on this particular occasion to play the devil's advocate. I spoke to homophoebia and bullying because I thought it was important to remind the candidates that realistically it is not quite as simple as "being proud of who you are." I am grateful no one seemed to take offense to my input as the candidates continued their discussion.
I truly enjoyed the experience of talking with young adults and sharing our faith. Confirmation class was similar to a refresher course for me and I find I cannot wait until next week!
Fortunately, Portland to Vancouver transportation is easily maneuvered and I finally made it to mass and confirmation class with my cousins. It was great! I enjoyed spending time with my family and experiencing confirmation class with my cousins.
The class focused on human dignity - a topic I constantly think about in nursing school. It was refreshing to not only be able to talk about it openly from a religious standpoint, but also hear the thoughts of the candidates on the topic. The coordinator had prepared an activity to stimulate our interpretation of human dignity. The exercise consisted of a number of hypothetical situations with the option to make the information about the situations public or private with subsequent reasoning. Ultimately it came down to the individual's perceptions of publicity, privacy, and human dignity.
Dealing with the hypothetical is never easy for me, because I consider several possibilities at once which eventually results in indecisiveness. The candidates, on the other hand, seemed to have specific situations in mind and acted in response to them. I found it interesting from an anthropological perspective that their lived experiences varied little from each other and greatly from mine. For instance, there was a situation about a friend having a same-sex significant other. Some of the candidates thought it should be made public because they wanted to show their support. The phrase "be proud of who you are" was thrown around frequently in the discussion.
As much as I was trying to hang back and not become too involved in the discussion (in order to let the candidates flourish on their own), I spoke up on this particular occasion to play the devil's advocate. I spoke to homophoebia and bullying because I thought it was important to remind the candidates that realistically it is not quite as simple as "being proud of who you are." I am grateful no one seemed to take offense to my input as the candidates continued their discussion.
I truly enjoyed the experience of talking with young adults and sharing our faith. Confirmation class was similar to a refresher course for me and I find I cannot wait until next week!
13 October 2013
Interview with the Pope: Part One
I finally finished reading the interview with the pope published a few weeks ago! There are many things I want to write about regarding his interview, but I thought I would segment my reflection based on sections of the interview which I thought was very well structured. I appreciated Fr. Spadero's comment about Pope Francis thinking carefully rather than giving quick responses.
One of the first things that struck me was his comment about not being used to talking to masses. He says, "I manage to look at individual persons, one at a time, to enter into personal contact with whomever I have in front of me."It reminded me of a scene in Lord of the Rings where Galadriel, the Queen of the Elves, is talking to the Fellowship and makes eye contact with Frodo and speaks to him while simultaneously continuing her speech to the group. Obviously, Pope Francis is not creepy like Galadriel is and is much more well-intentioned than Galadriel. His statement also reminds me that he wants individual contact with everyone just as God does.
One of the first questions of the interview was about himself. Pope Francis spoke about himself saying, "I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance." What a sense of humility! I often feel what is commonly known as "Catholic guilt" and when I do I am suckered into feeling unworthy of God's love and mercy. As a fellow sinner, I appreciate Pope Francis' trust in the Lord knowing what He is doing because it is hard sometimes (understatement of the year).
I learned a lot about the Jesuits during high school and spent quite a bit of time getting to know St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, so I immediately felt a connection with Pope Francis because of his Jesuit affiliation. When he was speaking about becoming a Jesuit, Pope Francis said he was struck by his constant search for community - something I, too, also look for. Community just so happens to be one of the characteristics I found most attractive about Linfield and am I so grateful for it now that I am here. He also talked about the missionary spirit and discipline characteristic of the Society of Jesus. I wonder now that I am separated from a more direct connection with the Church (being off at an religiously unaffiliated college), how much my education in high school had to do with my positive feelings and responses toward missionary spirit and discipline.
In the interview, Pope Francis says that discernment is something from Ignatian spirituality that helps hi live his ministry. Discernment has something I have always struggled with, so it was interesting to hear what he had to say about and his experience with discernment. Pope Francis spoke so succinctly that I will not summarize what he had to say on the subject:
Anyway, I may not be making much sense, but these are some of the things I thought about while reading about Pope Francis' thoughts about the Society of Jesus and being a Jesuit.
One of the first things that struck me was his comment about not being used to talking to masses. He says, "I manage to look at individual persons, one at a time, to enter into personal contact with whomever I have in front of me."It reminded me of a scene in Lord of the Rings where Galadriel, the Queen of the Elves, is talking to the Fellowship and makes eye contact with Frodo and speaks to him while simultaneously continuing her speech to the group. Obviously, Pope Francis is not creepy like Galadriel is and is much more well-intentioned than Galadriel. His statement also reminds me that he wants individual contact with everyone just as God does.
One of the first questions of the interview was about himself. Pope Francis spoke about himself saying, "I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance." What a sense of humility! I often feel what is commonly known as "Catholic guilt" and when I do I am suckered into feeling unworthy of God's love and mercy. As a fellow sinner, I appreciate Pope Francis' trust in the Lord knowing what He is doing because it is hard sometimes (understatement of the year).
I learned a lot about the Jesuits during high school and spent quite a bit of time getting to know St. Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits, so I immediately felt a connection with Pope Francis because of his Jesuit affiliation. When he was speaking about becoming a Jesuit, Pope Francis said he was struck by his constant search for community - something I, too, also look for. Community just so happens to be one of the characteristics I found most attractive about Linfield and am I so grateful for it now that I am here. He also talked about the missionary spirit and discipline characteristic of the Society of Jesus. I wonder now that I am separated from a more direct connection with the Church (being off at an religiously unaffiliated college), how much my education in high school had to do with my positive feelings and responses toward missionary spirit and discipline.
In the interview, Pope Francis says that discernment is something from Ignatian spirituality that helps hi live his ministry. Discernment has something I have always struggled with, so it was interesting to hear what he had to say about and his experience with discernment. Pope Francis spoke so succinctly that I will not summarize what he had to say on the subject:
This discernment takes time. For example, many think that changes and reforms can take place in a short time. I believe that we always need time to lay the foundations for real, effective change. And this is the time of discernment. Sometimes discernment instead urges us to do precisely what you had at first thought you would do later... My choices, including those related to the day-to-day aspects of life, like the use of a modest car, are related to a spiritual discernment that responds to a need that arises from looking at things, at people and from reading the stage of the times... The wisdom of discernment redeems the necessary ambiguity of life and helps us find the most appropriate means, which do not always coincide with what looks great and strong.As Fr. Spadero cleverly noticed, discernment is an important part of Pope Francis' spirituality and emphasizes his Jesuit identity. Pope Francis commented on the Society of Jesus, saying, "[it] looks to a center outside itself; its center is Christ and his church. So if the Society centers itself in Christ and the church it has two fundamental points of reference for its balance..." I appreciate the fact that Pope Frances recognizes the tension of an institution in its strive to maintain balance. It is not as simple as "focusing enough" on the "right things." Everything in the preceding sentence seems vague, doesn't it? The same goes for a spiritual life. There must be a dynamic tension keeping one's spiritual life in check - for example, making sure one is neither unconsciously nor consciously selfish. If one is consciously selfish, one will forgo opportunities of generosity, but if one is unconsciously selfish, one will take all opportunities to show generosity simply because one wants to be recognized as being generous.
Anyway, I may not be making much sense, but these are some of the things I thought about while reading about Pope Francis' thoughts about the Society of Jesus and being a Jesuit.
30 September 2013
An Open Discussion About Beliefs and Nursing, Part One
Today I attended the first meeting for a club called Nursing Students for Reproductive Health and Justice. It is a long title, but it is meant to be all-encompassing. We had a discussion about where we want the club to go and what we want to do. The six of us shared our reason for joining and wanting to participate in the club - mine being to learn and provide the best care for my future patients. Unlike some club members, I had no personal experiences relating to the club but tried to express my (possibly naïve) wish to help the community by connecting people with resources that could help them.
At one point we talked about abortion. Now, as many people are aware, abortion is condoned by the Catholic Church. One person reflected on the experience of having a professor proclaim a personal stance on abortion. It made the person not want to discuss abortion with the professor because their personal stances on abortion differed. I found it terribly unfortunate - not necessarily the fact that the professor stated a personal stance on abortion (I suppose everyone has a right to do that in certain environments), but the fact that dialogue was seemingly stunted because of the assumption that the professor would not be able to converse openly about a popular and controversial topic.
Cannot one discuss a topic with another without devolving into an argument or debate? Unfortunately nowadays it seems as if it is an impossible endeavor. Maybe that is why many refuse to talk about politics or politely defer in contentious discourse. Referring to my previous blog post about a particularly heartfelt conversation with my friend, maybe war is taboo because communication is stunted in so many levels of society by the impression (or dare I say assumption?) that personal beliefs are limiting to a holistic view, particularly religious beliefs.
I once argued in a high school paper about the death penalty (interestingly enough, part of a religion class curriculum) that my personal beliefs are validated by my own thoughts and feelings, not by an organization. I based my written argument on data, logic, and reason and my points were justifiable. I vaguely remember writing that if I had simply founded my thoughts and feelings only by the teachings of the Catholic Church and not by my own analysis and contemplation, I would consider myself a cult member.
The point of this post/rant is to encourage everyone to become comfortable with open dialogue. Communication is truly fundamental in every kind of relationship, whether it be societal, political, religious, or otherwise.
At one point we talked about abortion. Now, as many people are aware, abortion is condoned by the Catholic Church. One person reflected on the experience of having a professor proclaim a personal stance on abortion. It made the person not want to discuss abortion with the professor because their personal stances on abortion differed. I found it terribly unfortunate - not necessarily the fact that the professor stated a personal stance on abortion (I suppose everyone has a right to do that in certain environments), but the fact that dialogue was seemingly stunted because of the assumption that the professor would not be able to converse openly about a popular and controversial topic.
Cannot one discuss a topic with another without devolving into an argument or debate? Unfortunately nowadays it seems as if it is an impossible endeavor. Maybe that is why many refuse to talk about politics or politely defer in contentious discourse. Referring to my previous blog post about a particularly heartfelt conversation with my friend, maybe war is taboo because communication is stunted in so many levels of society by the impression (or dare I say assumption?) that personal beliefs are limiting to a holistic view, particularly religious beliefs.
I once argued in a high school paper about the death penalty (interestingly enough, part of a religion class curriculum) that my personal beliefs are validated by my own thoughts and feelings, not by an organization. I based my written argument on data, logic, and reason and my points were justifiable. I vaguely remember writing that if I had simply founded my thoughts and feelings only by the teachings of the Catholic Church and not by my own analysis and contemplation, I would consider myself a cult member.
The point of this post/rant is to encourage everyone to become comfortable with open dialogue. Communication is truly fundamental in every kind of relationship, whether it be societal, political, religious, or otherwise.
29 September 2013
Sunday Morning: Rain Is Falling
Most would think Sunday mornings are the perfect time to sleep in, especially on a stormy day like today. Not for me! Every Sunday I decide which mass I would like to attend. As I mentioned briefly before, I am Roman Catholic and I make it a point to attend weekly mass at the local parish. I have been fortunate enough to have been welcomed into St. Mary's Cathedral Parish and have been walking there every week since moving to Portland. It's usually a nice walk - early mornings in Portland are like none other. I usually run into a few homeless people, but I continually forget to pack something to offer them.
Today I was running late because I overslept. I packed a scone in my purse, expecting to eat it after mass when I stopped for coffee at Starbucks. Yet on my way to church I saw a homeless man and had the overwhelming instinct to stop and talk to him. I offered him the scone and impulsively asked if he would like to join me in going to mass. He said yes.
Can we take a moment to appreciate that a homeless person, a stranger, accepted my offer to attend mass with me?
I have no idea why I asked or why he said yes, I just felt like crying out of joy. I knew - I knew! - the Holy Spirit had something to do with it. Why would I do that? I mean, I know I have a habit of talking to strangers (thanks Ma), but still... If I had not slept in I would have gone to an earlier mass and missed the man nor packed breakfast to go. If it had not been raining I would have walked faster to church (because I wouldn't have to worry about stepping in puddles and getting excessively wet). I am still slightly flabbergasted at what happened.
The man decided not to sit with me at mass. I figured I would not want to intrude on his time with the Lord. I did not see him after mass, but I hope the man was able to enjoy his time with God.
Anyway, the homily today partially had to do with the Pope's interview. If you have not read it, I highly suggest you do. Later on I think I will do a segmented review of the interview as I have not entirely finished reading it. It seems as though there are some misunderstandings about it and I would like to discuss them and the rest of the interview as it has been on my mind lately.
Today I was running late because I overslept. I packed a scone in my purse, expecting to eat it after mass when I stopped for coffee at Starbucks. Yet on my way to church I saw a homeless man and had the overwhelming instinct to stop and talk to him. I offered him the scone and impulsively asked if he would like to join me in going to mass. He said yes.
Can we take a moment to appreciate that a homeless person, a stranger, accepted my offer to attend mass with me?
I have no idea why I asked or why he said yes, I just felt like crying out of joy. I knew - I knew! - the Holy Spirit had something to do with it. Why would I do that? I mean, I know I have a habit of talking to strangers (thanks Ma), but still... If I had not slept in I would have gone to an earlier mass and missed the man nor packed breakfast to go. If it had not been raining I would have walked faster to church (because I wouldn't have to worry about stepping in puddles and getting excessively wet). I am still slightly flabbergasted at what happened.
The man decided not to sit with me at mass. I figured I would not want to intrude on his time with the Lord. I did not see him after mass, but I hope the man was able to enjoy his time with God.
Anyway, the homily today partially had to do with the Pope's interview. If you have not read it, I highly suggest you do. Later on I think I will do a segmented review of the interview as I have not entirely finished reading it. It seems as though there are some misunderstandings about it and I would like to discuss them and the rest of the interview as it has been on my mind lately.
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