Book Review: Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger – Gary Michuta
I bought this book while at the local Catholic trinket shop, I call it that, because even though it has books, it has way more statues, icons and other trinkets than anything else. I mean who really needs 20 choices of bottles to hold Holy water?, but I digress. The title intrigued me, having read Neil Lightfoots book on ‘How we got the Bible’, I never got a good answer on the deuterocanonicals. So I felt like something was missing, as well Lightfoot, whether intentionally or not, makes the Catholic Church sound like an Ogre when it comes to the spread of the Bible in the protestant era.
I started this book a couple of times, but it wasn’t until I started a morning routine of reading someone with Apologetic or Theological content to increase my understanding, did I really dig into it. A couple of comments right out the of gate…
- The book really needs an introduction, that explains where Michuta is going and how he intends to get there. Without any fanfare the book dives right into the heart of the matter, which threw me a bit.
- The content needs a good once over by a good editor and proof reader, there are some grammatical issues in various places, and missing words (which bug me when I’m deeply reading something).
- The content is very good, but the footnotes can get a little out of control, spanning multiple pages, with footnotes that good, they should be part of the books content. Leave the footnotes for shorter items.
That being said, I found Michuta’s arguments to be incredibly well done. The only area that I felt was a little out of place, was the discussion of Luther and how he changed his mind on what was canonical and what was not. It was a good part of the argument, but if you are going to make claims that Luther changed his mind because certain books didn’t fit his theology (which I’ve read before in many other sources), then you really need to devote a whole chapter to Luther and his character. Otherwise you run the risk of leaving the door wide open for Luther apologists to eat away at the foundation of your argument. Because after all, your maligning the character of one of the great hero’s of the reformation, you really do need to spell it out. Tt’s the same with Calvin, I like what he has to say about Calvin, but there really needed to more on who and what Calvin was.
I only mention these things to be clear and honest, I found Michuta’s style and prose to be very enjoyable. And when he got to Jerome, I had to stop and re-read it to make sure I understood where he was headed. I’ve read through selected works of the early fathers, but have not had time yet to do a full on study of all their writings. So I knew of Jerome, but I knew nothing of his theory of ‘Hebrew Verity’. Once Michuta laid that out, I knew where he was headed and how we ended up where we are today, and the book came alive. I looked forward to digging into it each morning.
While this is definitely a book by a Catholic apologist, I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand more about the bible, it’s creation and why there are so many different versions. The history on the Bible society’s was very enlightening, and filled a number of gaps in that I could never figure out. There was such a radical departure between the late 18th century and what we have today, and it didn’t make any sense, until he explained the role of the bible society’s in shaping the protestant canon.
This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know more about the history of the bible, how it fit into the early church and why its so radically different today, from what the Church used for 1500 years. And Mr Michuta gets an extra gold star for being honest and calling out truth above polemics apologetics, even noting that some Catholic apologists make claims that are not fully true.
For me the only kind of apologist I trust anymore are the ones who are not afraid to point out a truth, even if it means that their side takes a hit.
Good book, good read, and a great resource. My only real complaint is that I wish there was a kindle version, so I could more easily look up information and quote from from it as a source.
You can find the book on Amazon at this link: Why Catholic Bibles Are Bigger
-Paul-
Giving?
I’ve been overwhelmed, it happens every year about this time…
Michelle and I elected to support a family for thanksgiving this year, we are buying the entire meal so they can have a proper thanksgiving, we are more than happy to share what we have been blessed with. In fact we have enough store credits that we are getting a second bird for another family, it’s a small thing but hopefully will help someone in need and brighten their lives. We also give clothes and other items when we can to the local charities, and I love shopping there to give back. We very much believe in giving and sharing to those who truly need it.
But with all the sharing that goes on this time of year, there is a darker side that no one talks about…
I work for a company who pushes community involvement in all it’s forms, on the outside it’s all about helping the community, and a great effort. But the inside reason that no one talks about is that to be quite frank, it’s good and cheap PR. I’m OK with the communal aspect, I just wish they would be honest about the PR portion, instead of spinning it as if it’s something different. I’m quite sure there are people who are gullible enough to buy into each glossy advert and declare it’s purest intentions, and there are those who understand what is going on and join anyway . I’m actually OK with that, what I’m not OK with is tweaking the corporate culture to make anyone who does not participate to be guilty of apathy.
Charities and corporations have become experts at playing the guilt card, I recently saw a message that basically told managers to make sure their people got involved in the giving. The implication was that anyone who wasn’t participating, somehow didn’t care and should be singled out. There is a simple reason that they take this tactic, it works. Guilt is a strong motivator in our society, anyone remember carbon credits? the idea was that you gave money to offset your carbon production habits, and the offsetting would make the world a better place. Never mind that the money actually didn’t go to any other purpose than to line someones pocket, and fleece those unwitting enough to actually pay for their guilty conscience.
In the past few months, I have been solicited for just about everything anyone could possibly want:
- I’ve been asked to bring in a meal for needy families at work
- I’ve been asked to help rake up leaves all over the community, including ones that are not my own (and my own kids won’t do our lawn, but will do the neighbors)
- I’m supposed to bring in canned goods
- I’ve been asked to help paint houses
- Give Blood
- Join in causes for green gardening
- Carpooling with other employees
- Riding my bike to work
- Use energy efficient light bulbs
- Attending meetings on green energy
- Giving to multiple funds for multiple people
- Walking for a cure to multiple causes
- Give to multiple political causes
- Donate my car for a cause
- Bell ringers at each storefront
- The pet store wants me to give for the humane society
- Girl scout cookies (even to the point of setting up a cheering section at the corner of an intersection, to bring people in)
- Stores now solicit charity from me for extra $$$ on every purchase
Then at my front door (I have a sign that says ‘No Soliciting’ by the way):
- Magazines
- Insurance
- Meat from a truck at my front door (seriously!, I had to tell him to leave finally)
- Mormomism
- Watchtower
- Baptist
- Cookies (ok they always get money)
- School events
Every place I turn, no matter where, I get asked to give something (usually money). I’m not saying these are bad things (however the Girl scouts should sell gym memberships with their cookies, cause I eat too many every year), but it is completely overwhelming. When I worked in San Francisco, they started the idea of ATM machines that would advertise while you waited, gladly that one hasn’t gone viral.
It’s all reaching a saturation point, and each year I feel a little less sympathy towards these causes. And I get honestly rude over some of the more esoteric ones, like giving from my paycheck to save the whales!. Its all so aggressive and over the top that its hard to even figure out which ones are valid, and which are just a front to line someones pocket.
When the kids where younger I had a showdown with their school over their fundraising, they wanted to kids to sell what I will call Christmas crap, bobbles and other worthless items. And they wanted the kids to canvas the neighborhood, I told them no. If you need money, I’ll write a check, because I would rather you have the money than have 200 kids pestering a neighborhood so they can win a worthless prize (trust me this stuff was all junk). And I’m not sending my kids to school so they can graduate and become door to door salesman!!. They where shocked!, they didn’t understand. How could someone be so, so, heartless. I wondered how someone could be so dense as to think this was a good idea?, if the school needs money then there are better ways to actually help the community, and teach kids to be responsible than sending them out to knock on doors armed with a magazine full of stuff that only carnivals would be able to dump.
Another good example is in our community the firemen do a bi-annual event where they ask you to fill a boot for charity, it’s a great cause! But the way they do it is that they take over EVERY stop light in and out of town. They walk up and down the line of cars begging for money. So not only do you have to wait an extra long time at the light (sometimes making you late), but you get to feel guilty at the same time, Yay Charity!! I give some every year, and two weeks later every year I end up with a sticker that I have to scrape off my window (my reward I suppose). Because if I don’t give them something, they won’t leave me alone. I guess they feel the need to go commando and force people to notice them by taking over the traffic for a day…
If if gave to every effort that we came across we would need to join the programs so we could feed ourselves!! It’s like being locked in a hotel with a bunch of starving Fuller Brush salesmen, no matter where you go, you can’t get away. After a while you just go numb…
Haven’t we taken this whole community thing a little too far? One problem I have always had with charities and programs is that in many cases they make the needy more dependent. I’ve known people who are happy to live off of people too dense to make sure that the person they are giving to is actually needy, they have no shame and figure they system owes them something, and the world is full of people who spend all their time giving what they have to make themselves feel less guilty.
Giving is about blessing someone, it should come from a desire to help your fellow man, not to assuage the guilt some marketing dweeb is heaping on you. The world will always have zealots who pick a cause, and do everything in their power to make you feel guilty. Look at any animal shelter or PETA commercial, you get pictures of soft puppy eyes, terrible situations involving animals, a moving and sad dialog, moving music. And some dweeb celebrity who feels guilty because they make more money in a day, than most of us see in a lifetime. I especially despise the ones who talk about animal adoption, aren’t human children worth more to these people? Why not adopt a child?, or help with programs that help children? (to be clear some do). I love animals, we raise fish, have cats, dogs, and chickens. But animals are easy, you can objectify them, children take real commitment. You can leave your pet while you go out and live your life, but a child requires around the clock care, no wonder so many shallow celebrities choose that as their star cause. It feeds their neurosis and doesn’t require a life change.
So here’s my advice:
If your not giving freely and cheerfully, then don’t give. Certainly don’t let someone swindle you out of money because they can make you feel guilty.
If you are unsure of where your money is going, ask before you give.
Give because others needs it, and because you feel compelled.
Be responsible, make sure your efforts are not going to waste. Give to established organizations who make the most of what they get, beware of corporate organizations, some actually use their money wisely, some don’t. Find out before you give.
If you really feel bad because that bell ringer is getting on your nerves, and the guilt is killing you (just ask the girl scouts how many cases we have purchased). Then set aside a small fund and keep it on hand. That way you can give a little, make them happy and make you feel better.
And never give money directly to someone unless you know them, money given to the homeless many times gets used in ways you would not be happy with. Responsible charities have this all worked out, and make sure that the truly needy are getting much needed supplies.
Now get off my lawn!!!
-Paul-
Crossing the great barrier…
Over at St Joseph’s Vanguard, there have been some conversations about the orthodox faith, you can view them here:
Orthodox Question: Immaculate Mary
here:
The 6 Attractions of Eastern Orthodoxy
and here (read down for a good irenic discussion of contraception):
The Achilles’ Heel of Orthodoxy
I like Devin, I like his Apologetics and he writes about topics that interest me. I don’t always get involved, but I do read every post. The three discussions above have sparked an interest in checking out the Orthodox faith, during our personal conversion Michelle and I did talk about it, but could only find one little tiny church way on the other side of town. So in essence we skipped it, and ended up going Catholic.
I’m happily Catholic after years of evangelical nonsense, but there are Catholic issues that have always bothered me, I’ve been open and honest about that. There is an interesting discussion in the second and third link about contraception and the Catholic belief. From my viewpoint the Catholic position is far too legalistic to make any kind of sense when you bring Grace into the picture. The whole idea of any barrier method of contraception being a sin (and a mortal one at that), and then allowing NFP (Natural Family Planning) which is just a different form of natural barrier contraception is a real problem. Catholic Apologist will bend over backwards to say the two are different, but let’s be honest and admit that the point of contraception, and the point of NFP is to prevent pregnancy. You can argue successfully that contraception has other ramifications, but that misses the core purpose. In my opinion trying to disassociate the two so you can say one is licit (NFP) and the other is not (barrier contraception or BC) is dishonest at best. Just to be clear I’m only referring to non-abortive contraception here, anything else I agree %100 with the church on.
I’ve long held that the Catholic position on BC is nothing more than an idealized view of sex in marriage, with little basis in reality. Apologists will say that the pleasure found in sex is a gift from God and that the sole purpose of sex is procreation, that’s a statement that only someone either celibate, confused, or trying to stake out a theological position would make. I’ll put this as plainly as I can: there is nothing on this earth that feels better than sex. Can anyone truly argue with this statement? (I’m sure someone could, but I’d ignore them as being a crank), and if my premise is true (which for me it certainly is), then why would God make it so? Why take something so exquisite and turn it into a secondary? If your married, can you deny that intimacy in marriage makes it stronger?, if you deny that then how do you explain the Song of Solomon? If there ever was a book that bordered on religious porn, it’s that. Obviously our desires for our spouses is a good thing, so why deny it and subvert it’s obvious purpose?
I’ve heard arguments that the church is obsessed with sex, and in a way I suppose that’s true. To be fair however it is an important topic, and one that the bible constantly refers too, so the church is not out of line addressing it. The problem I have is that their position is so entrenched that they are not capable of taking modern science into view, the church states that it values science, but in this area it will not be budged by any revelation science can bring.
The Orthodox position is actually very closely aligned, with small allowances made for couples who having children could pose health issues, for either the parents or child, or other factors. While still restrictive, the very fact that they are willing to consider alternatives in a valid marriage is very attractive. In what little reading I’ve done, they have a more realistic view of sex in marriage, and yet it’s still very close the Catholic position. One big difference is that they do not believe the ONLY reason for sex is procreation, a view which I wholly agree with.
One issue I want to point out, is that in reading Catholic material on the topic, and listening to various Catholic apologist (Catholic Answers Radio is a constant source of frustration for me ;), it becomes clear that many who write about sex from the Catholic viewpoint, either don’t understand it, or live in a world run by the Disney Animation team. I’m not sure how to say this without offending someone: Sex in marriage is not about angels, candles, and saying a prayer while participating (and if it is, your doing it wrong, trust me on this). Sex is physical, animalistic in some parts, and a very base activity (for both Humans and Animals). That doesn’t make it unholy, God is not interested in our view of how he created things, and to deny this very physical part of sex is just wrong. It’s taken me years, but during our conversion I’ve come to the conclusion that what many people think about things that are holy, are just plain wrong. We are disgusting beings, we sin, we make messes, we are anything but pure and white in our physical being, and yet God loves us. So applying a biblical standard to the common human needs just doesn’t seem to align with a God who would create us this way. Just bear this in mind, can any believer deny that Christ in the incarnation, didn’t have to go to the bathroom like the rest of us? (trying to be polite here). I’m not trying to be disgusting, but to point out that if he was truly incarnate, then he had to do the same disgusting things we do as humans. Meaning that holiness has little to do with our physical nature, if that is the case, then why treat sex (which is pretty darn physical) as something different?
The other issue that bothers me deeply, is just how little some Catholics think about these issues. While in RCIA, a friend was going on about a Catholic speaker who made the statement that “Ladies, remember that birth control was invented by a man!!”, She offered this little gem as is if it surmised a whole and successful argument. I didn’t challenge it at the time, but this type of inductive reasoning makes the Catholic position less defendable (and I’ve heard that kind of nonsense a lot). I could take the same premise and make all kinds of wild statements based on supposition and bad syllogisms. I could have countered: “Ladies think about this: Only MEN have ever been to the moon, remember that next time you feel its romantic effects ladies!!”. Its the same with statistics, every generation claims that they are the worst, or that some moral issue is destroying the fabric of their lives from the last generation. When I was Baptist, it was atheism and darwin. Those evils where destroying everything, but with just a *little* research one finds that the Atheists have a point about how stupid believers can be, clinging to anything that furthers their message, and jettisoning anything contrary to their theology. My point is not to defend Darwin or Atheists, but to point out that in our desperate search for the truth and information that supports our theology, we ignore all those little issues that could cause us to question.
So where am I headed with this, well a couple of things really…
1. While I agree with %98 of what the Catholic church teaches about sex in marriage and contraception, there is a small percentage I think they get wrong.
2. Again we need people in our day and age who challenge what they are told, I am so amazed when people say we live in the information age, you couldn’t tell tell from how little people know about core issues or even think about things and just follow what they are told.
3. I’m finding that on some issues, I am in alignment with the Eastern Orthodox church’s.
Not sure where that will lead, but its an interesting development nonetheless…
Make with it what you will…
-Paul-
P.S. I didn’t cite a bunch of sources, which I probably should have. But doing so takes time and more effort than I have in me right now. There is a logic test next week, and as usual I have to get studying or fail 😉
About Steve…
It’s been almost two weeks since Steve Jobs passed away, and the outpouring of sympathy seems to finally be ebbing. I’ve been holding off commenting for a while, until things calmed down a little. But now seems like a good time to give some thoughts on Apple, our culture and icons.
For all intents and purposes, I’m an admitted Apple geek. I started with a newton, and have since owned a good number of Apple products, I’m writing this on an iPad in fact. In my backpack is my MacBook pro sitting next to me. So yeah, I’ve got the bug.
But the thing about Apple is that they scare me, they represent a new breed of individual who’s concepts of right and wrong overshadow any need for true freedom, google and Facebook in the same way seem to care little privacy and more about the experience. I’ve known people who worked for Steve, and I’ve heard all kinds of things about him. I was always struck by his genius and his drive for perfection, he really cared about the details. Apple has created some great products, but they can be quirky and stubborn, how long did it take them to fix the cut and paste stuff on the iPhone? That was an obvious one even I could have called.
This generation seems to be without hero’s, and it seems to me a sad commentary that so many have placed so much faith in who was no doubt a genius, but also a flawed human being. I would never consider Apples treatment of Adobe a good thing, and I think Steve tarnished his image with his petulant treatment of anyone who disagreed with him.
Where this gets weird is that all most people knew about Jobs was his carefully crafted image, and that more than anything else speaks to the how shallow our culture has become. We live in an age where polish and shine, matter more than substance and character.
I liked Steve, I thought he was brilliant, he will be missed. I will always be an apple person. But Steve was in the end less than the hype, and less than someone I would call a hero.
If Protestanism is True
I just finished reading Devin Roses “If Protestantism is True” (amazon link to the Kindle book), the book accomplishes a task that in many ways has been missing from discussions about the Catholic faith. There are a number of books that attempt to take on the objections that Protestants bring up about Catholicism, I have a good number of them myself. But very few actually helped me with my conversion process, and while Devin’s book is certainly a blessing. It could have saved me time and heart ache while converting to Catholicism, for anyone looking at the Catholic church coming from a Protestant background, Devin’s book a must read.
Devin takes on the core issues with the Protestant churches, the largest of which is the canon of scripture and the Protestant belief in Sola Scriptura. In this respect the author does a good job in laying out just how hollow and circular the whole Sola Scriptura concept really is. What I liked so much about his approach is just how balanced and condensed the information is, it’s not a deeply theological or apologetical book, but it is approachable and well laid out.
My only real issues are that sometimes Devin’s polemic wears a little thin, the title of book gets used more than it should and seems to missing from some areas and used more heavily in others. I also felt that the section on Catholic Doctrine regarding the ‘Rules’ of the church, was pretty weak. A year ago I would have dismissed it out of hand as another failed attempt to explain how the church is actually different than the Pharisees and Scribes.
I tend to be very critical of Apologists, I was taught that when you argue a point about theology, being irenic was a vastly better way to approach the issue. I tend to lump Apologist into three types:
1. Polemics like Calvin, who go to war over every little issue.
2. Irenic, those who take the time to understand the other sides position and explain it with clarity.
3. Polishers, those can’t seem to admit any doubt about their statements, everything is simple and rosy in their explanations.
Of the three types, I vastly prefer option 2, I find that I learn more, and that their approach is more charitable. Jimmy Akin falls squarely into this category, and now Devin Rose. Just to be clear, types one and three are not wrong or bad per se. You need some polemics to make your case, and you need to be careful with how you present your argument. But in my opinion most apologists don’t even get close to being Irenic, and in their zeal to present their case lose site of how information can impact the reader.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough, it’s only $2.99 on Amazon and worth every penny.
Blessings
-Paul-
When in Rome (or Vegas)….
It’s been a busy time since I last posted, Michelle and I took a trip to Vegas on business. I enjoyed the conference while there (it was all geek technical stuff), but to be honest, we pretty must despised Vegas by the end. Too much smoke, alcohol and people who really find something better to do with their time. We ate at some great places, watched Phantom of the Opera (which was a good show), but the only shop we could afford to buy anything from was the Apple store (and that was for an adapter), everything else was so flipping high end it was just ludicrous. I mean who can afford a $5000 purse in this economy? and the bigger question is who actually needs one?
We enjoyed parts of our trip, but quickly soured on how agressive the casino’s have become on keeping people there. We got pulled aside more than once to invest money so we would return the following year, I know Vegas is hurting and that unemployment is at %15, but that wasn’t helping. There are some interesting sites, but they get spoiled by the constant ding ding ding of the slot machines, and women too old to wear revealing clothes… my eyes still hurt…
I guess we are just getting older, and most likely more conservative in our advancing years 😉
I’ve been super busy with School, I had a logic test the week we got back from the trip, studied until I was sick of studying, and figured I would just scrape by. But I nailed an 86!!, and on the next day test she gave a bonus points test, which I had one night to study for, on that I got a 9 out of 10!!. There another test this coming Wednesday, and so the kitchen table is covered with truth tables, logic problems and lots of notes with all kinds of charts. I’m not sure why, but I love Philosophy and Theology, they make sense to my brain, but converting that to Logic is a constant struggle. It forces to me to doubt if this is even the right direction for me, at least once a week. I will finish this class, and I *WILL* pass, but it’s been the hardest thing I have done in a long time.
I was able to Lector again last weekend, which is always a blessing. I take it very seriously, spend time studying and pronouncing the text, and make sure that I honor the gift of being able to serve. I’m actually pretty loud, partly because over the years I have done countless presentation and impromptu speeches as part of my Job. At every Mass, after I partake of the Eucharist, I sit down and say a little prayer thanking God for his mercy and grace, and allowing a sinner like me to partake in such in an important event in our Christian faith. It’s doubly so when I can actually help in any with bringing the liturgy to others.
Summer has finally ended, the house is filled with sticky fly’s, which seem to invade Idaho every time this year. I spent 30 minutes yesterday and took out as many as I could with prejudice, to the point I tore up the fly swatter (take that!! AHA!!!, Again, Again… Touche…). As I right this my next victim is crawling on my monitor, unaware of how fast I can swing that fly swatter… lkKHJYsdfsdfg dhg .. Got him!!!
Right before we left on our trip, we bought a Peppermint shrimp that was pregnant. We’ve raised clownfish, but never shrimp. So I assembled a tank (I keep lots of spares), and let her gestate. The day before we left the tank was filled with baby peppermints, they are on week three and we’ve had some losses which is normal when you raise marine animals. But there is still a good number in there and they seem to be growing, so hopefully by next week, they’ll have moved past the morph stage and settled down. That’s the critical time for peppermints, and if we can get there, then we can finish raising them. They are actually pretty easy to raise, just tedious. The hard part is growing out enough brine shrimp, but I think we have that licked as well.
Finally I’ve been reading St. Theresa Avila and the Interior Castle, it has so much depth and clarity that it has changed the way I look at who I am. I’m still digging through it but boy is it good, Father Chase recommended it as something that would help me come to grips with my pain, and it’s working. If you hurt for no reason, pain can be unbearable. But if you give your pain a purpose, I find at least, that it’s more than tolerable. It doesn’t make my hurting any less, but it gives it meaning and direction and I can use it for the good of others, how much more can I ask for than that.
As the weather gets colder, I’m looking forward to a wet fall, and cold winter. My project at work will make it’s first huge milestone at the end of the month, which will take off a ton of pressure and give me some time to re-focus, on the next stressful task. 
Blessings
-Paul-
Tempest in a Teapot
There is a old saying among those who program for a living: It’s either feast or famine when it comes to work.
Right now, and probably late into next year it’s feast time, I have more work than I can handle, to the point that I’m losing sleep worrying over details and making sure what I build will last for years. That, more than anything else is why there have been no new posts, it’s impossible to find the time to dedicate to updating the site. On top of that I’m back at School, doing my second year of Philosophy, so there’s not much room upstairs right now to construct some new pieces. In lieu of that, here are some things that have been on my mind that at some point I’ll develop into larger pieces:
Receiving Communion
We joined the Catholic church in large part because we found many of the protestant claims and practices to be anything but truly biblical (something I’ll write on later), more importantly as we moved through our journey we began to see how inappropriately Communion was being handled. When we finally arrived at the doors of the Catholic church, we knew we had finally found others who believed in the sanctity of the Eucharist and would treat it with the respect it deserves.
However now Catholic, we have found a division in the church regarding how the Eucharist should be taken, many want to go back to a kneeling rail, receiving communion on the tongue only. Strip away all the vitriol and condescending language, and what you finally get to is simple: people are concerned that the Eucharist not getting the respect is deserves. I couldn’t agree more, from people who dress in baggy shorts, to a father who wore shorts and a casual shirt to his child’s baptism (Seriously!). I’ve been shocked more than once by how people act and dress when they enter the house of God, so I very much agree with their position.
Where I disagree with is their emphasis on going back to the pre-Vatican II Mass, their characterization of anyone taking communion standing, or their vitriol on anything they see and not pious enough. We can change the whole liturgy, do it in latin, re-model the sanctuaries to go back to the altar at the front. All of that is fine, but it won’t change the level of respect that people have for what they are taking. The reason is simple, if we don’t educate, then we fail in being Catholic. Father Z makes the statement “Save the Liturgy, Save the World”, wrong. Changing the liturgy just makes a new set of motions to go through, so I would like to counter with this: “Save The Catechesis, Save The World”.
There is no reason to disparage those whose only option is to take communion in the hand, they can be just as respectful as those who use the older forms. The Catholic church is suffering from the same problem that the Protestant churches suffer from, lack of proper instruction. There is no depth in the laity, it’s an epidemic across the whole of the Christian world. I would love to see people come to Mass dressed in conservative clothes, showing respect for the Eucharist and taking it seriously. How can you wear shorts, floppies, an old shirt, and then receive your Lord in communion? Now if that’s all you can wear or own, then you know what, that may be your best clothes. The point is it’s about HOW we internally approach the mass, not our outward appearance, but I’m pretty certain that people in my parish own more than just shorts and floppies. We have to change the internal, once we do the rest will take care of itself.
Recent Reading List
To manage my sanity, I read as much as I can, so here are some books I have recently found to be enjoyable:
Anything by Eoin Colfer I actually enjoyed the Harry Potter series, and I have found that Artemis Fowl is a good enjoyable read. Good humor, and solid, but amusing characters.
Fr John Hardon
I found this from a reference made at Fr Z’s site, so I picked it up. It’s part of my normal morning reading routine now, it’s deep and incredibly well written. Very rich Catholic resource, he reset my thinking on John Calvin, I had never thought of double pre-destination as Manichean in nature, but Hardon nailed that one.
Dante’s Inferno
I’m not much into classical literature, I’m a programmer at heart, so get the point, NOW. We talked about Dante at length in our religious class, so I decided to take the plunge. I have four translations on my kindle, but this was the only one that made sense to me. I despise anything written in prose, using flowery language, and while I found the story interesting. It was too predictable for my tastes, I was expecting more based on everyone else’s experience.
Steven Ray, Crossing the Tiber
Good solid story about one mans conversion to Catholicism, well written if a little short. Ray does give a good defense for some of the core tenets of the Catholic faith.
The Rite, Matt Baglio
We watched the movie one day when I was home sick, so I bought the book. Very interesting read, much more interesting than the movie in my opinion, and it gives an insight into a part of our faith we don’t talk much about anymore.
Why Catholics Are Right
Good book, I would recommend it with reservations. Coren makes some good arguments, but in some cases his enthusiasm gets in the way of what he is trying to say. It’s more than a little Polemic, which is OK in some cases, but I find many times people when doing Apologetics tend to say too much. A quick read, if you can deal with Coren’s zeal for the topic.
The Fathers Know Best
Wow, I don’t know how else to put it. Jimmy Akin is one of the very few Catholic Apologists that I actually trust, this book is filled with Wisdom and fabulous information. I gobbled this up, it was mind glowingly good. The thing I like so much about Mr. Akin, is that he is so irenic and respectful when we argues a point, to me, that is the hallmark of a good Apologist. Highly Recommended reading.
Light of the World
This is an interview with the Holy See, a good read, and an interesting insight into a man who is trying to unite the World. As a Catholic I respect the Papal office, as a believer I am truly humbled by this great man, he is such and inspiration. I can only hope to stand in his shadow one day. Highly Recommended.
Upon this Rock
Another Steven Ray book, I actually didn’t finish it because he made such a good case that half way through I was convinced. Since it’s on my Kindle, It’s now part of my reference library. If you have any doubts about the Papal office, it’s beginnings and history. This is the book to read, I heard many times while protestant that the Papal office was a Roman invention and was not part of the early church, Ray takes that argument apart and clearly shows Apostolic succession and clear support of the Papal office from the beginning.
Chickens and Fish
Our chickens are now a year and a half old, we get a daily supply of fresh eggs, and a bug free back yard. This morning I got up early, and sat on the swing and watched the sunrise while reading my logic homework. I also let the Chickens out to forage for bugs, it was a little peaceful slice of heaven. Later today we will take our second batch of Clownfish to the local fish store, we have successfully grown two full batches. They are cute little guys, and being hand raised are very friendly. But they are old enough now to find a new home, our older pair of Clowns have stopped laying eggs. So we have been able to take a break, but we have a new pair of Picasso’s that hopefully will start laying before the year is out. Then we will start the process again 😉
Pain and Golf
Both are four letter words for reason, I’ve been playing a great deal of Golf lately. Today is the first saturday I’m not out at a course, but there are already plans to pick up the pace as weather cools. I’m thinking this year we will continue until the snow hits, and I’ve found that once again I really love getting out and causing a little mayhem. We bought a set of irons a few years ago, and that was a great investment, I intend to wear them out this year.
Finally, my pain is back. I’m not sure what or why or even how. Some nights are so bad that my thoughts are filled with dark ideas, it’s more than just my joints, everything hurts. And we don’t know why, we have yet to find a cause. It effects my sleep, which in turn effects my pain, which effects my sleep, which… I’m uncertain anymore if it will ever get better, for now all I can do is keep moving, hopefully we will find a solution. Say a prayer, for Michelle and I both, she is dealing with pain in her legs. Getting old sucks, and we aren’t even old yet!!!
I hear a logic book calling my name, my first test is Wednesday, so study I must.
Peace.
Finally Home…
Last night Michelle and I attended our first Mass at our home parish, it also happened to the the first communion service for some of the kids. It was treat to watch them go through the process, and receive their first communion. For us it was like coming home, although I was nervous I would do something stupid, I was still looking forward to the experience.
It’s been a week since confirmation, and we’ve had time to let it all sink in and settle a bit. I have a better grasp on it now, I’m over the shell shock portion. And I think I can rely our impressions…
But before I say anything, I must say that the people who hosted this RCIA did a fabulous job. Corralling 180 people (and more at times) through this process, is no simple feat. They have been gracious and welcoming, and made the process easier. We even had a couple in the service last night, and they warmly greeted us on the way out. I’m sure they feel proud, and they should.
Confirmation Sunday, was a blur of emotion. It was like being in the center of a tornado, locked to a chair with no way to get out. From the moment we arrived, I felt the pressure of what we where about to do. In all honesty I felt fully unprepared, we were supposed to ring the bells during the Gloria. I had no idea why, no one explained it to me or what it actually meant. So I was handed a bell and then told to keep it quiet until the right time, when the gloria finally came it seemed silly to sit and make a ruckus without really knowing why. In all honesty I didn’t even ring mine, I was more focused on getting through the actual confirmation, and not screwing up my first eucharist.
The church for some reason was very warm, I was wearing a tie and jacket, that along with cold feet (hey, I got them when I got married 26 years ago as well). Had me sweltering, I would have given anything to remove the tie. I was also a little miffed that even given our very explicit directions on dress atire, that my sponsor and a number of my fellow RCIA members didn’t follow the rules. Which made me feel more uncomfortable being paraded down the aisle, especially since the church was packed (and this is a BIG church). And quite honestly I felt lost and overwhelmed, we didn’t do much prep time, and I have never seen a confirmation so it was all new to me.
As we waited for confirmation, the RCIA team members kept up the cheerleading banter. I know they where trying to be helpful, but I felt like I was 10 years old and about to make the speech of my life. It didn’t help, and for my part, added more to my dilemma about what I was doing there. There was a point to be perfectly honest, where I considered getting up and leaving. I never wanted a grand entrance, I hate them with a passion. There was too much focus placed on the ceremony, so much so, that I didn’t really have time to sit and fully examine how I felt. And no one asked, so at one point I questioned if this was the right thing to do. I don’t like feeling pressured, I need time to work through things on my own, at my pace. Had Michelle not been there, I would have not made the whole thing. She is able to read my thoughts, and simply held my hand and kept me calm. I followed her lead through most of the process.
At one point before the Eucharist, they sang a song about our love for Christ (I’ll get to the band in a minute). Our sponsor who is a good Christian man, broke down into sobbing. I am not the most emotional person in the world, and my experience with religion and emotion has not always been good. He was sobbing so hard that at one point I wasn’t sure if we be able to go on, it was… uncomfortable to say the least.
When it was all said and done, and we finished the service. They marched us back out first, so everyone could get a good look at us. We stayed long enough to thank everyone, and then headed home. Emotionally, and physically exhausted. I didn’t get a beam of light, or a revelation when I partook of the sacraments. And again I would have been more moved with a small, quiet ceremony, but I’m changing as I get older and what I once enjoyed in worship. I no longer find tolerable.
In reflecting on the whole experience, it was way to heavy on the ceremonial side. There was too much noise, too much pomp. Right at the end of our RCIA experience we began to grow frustrated with the lack of depth, and I started reading up on other peoples experiences. One common complaint is that the RCIA is so focused on the experience, that they miss the heart of the RCIA’s purpose. I would agree, but I would be very careful to not blame the laity or the priests. We had the opportunity to visit another RCIA program, and to our shock they asked the same silly questions. What we learned was that both programs come from a book that has all those dratted questions pre-canned. It explains a great deal, if you take a 2 hour program. Spend 45 minutes on the basics, 10 on announcements, 15 on a break. Then the rest on meaningless questions like “How do you feel about the incarnation?, in my view. You’ve waisted roughly half your class time on non-essentials. That’s a travesty!! I repeatedly read people saying that nine months is not enough time, I disagree. It’s plenty of time, *IF* you spend it wisely, and don’t turn the RCIA into a social based feelings program with a little Catechesis thrown in for good measure.
The other part where I’m going to come clean, is that I honestly could have waited longer. There’s more to know and learn about the faith, and I’d like the time to study it. But I in all honesty could not stomach another nine months of endless questions about my feelings!, Michelle felt exactly the same way. So like so many others who have come into the Church, we gritted our teeth and got through the process. I’m glad we did, last nights mass was a blessing to us, and I told Michelle that I want to make sure we celebrate that every weekend without fail.
Finally, one issue that has bothered me is the lack of reverence that I see happening in the Mass. At the confirmation, there was a full band. Electric guitar, drums, bass, the whole ensemble. But to my ears, it was so protestant that it hurt. Our parish has just a piano and the cantor, which to my aging ears sounds just fine. But the other thing that shocked me, was how some people dress for the mass. There have been times I wish we had a bunch of Nuns with rulers to restore a little reverence to the proceedings. I guess we have become so welcoming that we don’t want to offend, but camouflage shorts DO NOT belong at mass. I know there is a huge debate about the vatican II mass, and it’s problems. I’m not saying we go back, but somewhere, someone has to start laying down at least a little conformity. We can do it gently, but if the Mass is the cornerstone of our faith, then we should *expect* anyone attending to show some respect. Just a little would go a long ways.
We have been blessed by being able to finally join the Church, the journey is just starting. But I no longer feel like an interloper at service anymore, and God has been good us with this new parish.
Now back to my studies
Cheers
-Paul-
At last, I see the harbor…
It’s Sunday afternoon, the day has been long and eventful. The grill is heating up in anticipation for some hamburger patties, Karan is sleeping on the couch and Michelle and I are just being quiet for a while.
We are tired, physically and emotionally. The process to get here has been a long and winding road, with traps, hurdles and some dangerous areas. But with perseverance we made it through, the ceremony was actually overwhelming. I’m a little shell shocked, I mumbled my “and with you also” during confirmation, I didn’t sign the cross when I received the host, but I did when I partook of the wine. The sanctuary was warm, tie and a jacket had me sweltering. I smell like Chrism Oil, and I’m not sure just how I feel yet. It’s all a giant blur, It hasn’t sunk in fully yet. It will, I just need time to let it settle.
There was a reception, but by the time we got there I was on the way to a full shutdown. When I’m overwhelmed with people and attention in a small place, I want to hide. It’s how I’m wired, I really mean no offense. I would rather have a beer, some close friends and a good honest laugh, I hate being the center of attention.
All that being said, we got through it all. It’s official, we are now fully Catholic. The Eucharist didn’t knock my socks off, I think I was too worried about what to say, and what to do. But I’m so thankful for my sponsor and the people who helped us get here, I think the process could have been A LOT smoother. But it is, what it is, and I’ll take it.
I’m looking forward to a quiet Mass next weekend, our first true mass at our new parish. I think it will all hit me then. It’s been a good day, we’ve made some friends for life. We finally made it home to where we belonged, and over the next couple of weeks we will have some time to reflect. Michelle can’t even think about it right now, there was so much that happened that it’s going to take a while to come to grips with it all. Karan our youngest was there see the whole ceremony, and that was blessing. We haven’t forced her, she’ll figure it out, she’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. I pray that God reveals to her, his plan for her life, and that she can follow that.
There will be more to come, right now I’m so overwhelmed by the whole thing, I need to time to fully digest it all.
But we have arrived finally!!!
Thank You God…
When in Rome…
We did our practice run today for the sacrament of confirmation, as expected it was chaos. They spent at least 5 minutes debating the process, it seemed no one had the plan. So the Father wanted to it one way, the RCIA director another, and I just sat and waited. It was like watching your parents fight over the best route to get somewhere.
Again we got herded and treated like schoolchildren, I just kept quiet and did what I was told. Walk here, walk there, be in line, stay in order. Once things finally settled down, it was fine, but there was so much focus on the non-essentials that I worried that the essentials would get lost. That’s really been my complaint all along, we focus on the things that just don’t matter so much. And there is a tendency to gloss over the critical items, a friend who is going through the process said essentially the same thing. Her sponsor ran RCIA many years ago, and has been frustrated with the lack of depth in the program.
I would have made an agenda, had agreement before anyone showed up. Handed out the agenda and then just do a simple walk through, it could have been handled so much better. But that’s me, I over prepare, and I like to be organized and work through things first.
A humorous moment, was when we all stood for confirmation and then went back to our seats. The order got wrong and that caused confusion, I watched amused as they tried to solve the problem. Finally the RCIA director gave up and said “just sit back down, it doesn’t matter!!”. To which I smiled and said “She Gave Up!!!”, she laughed and asked for my certificate back, I told her she, the Father and I would need to talk about that! We all cracked up laughing, it was a good way to add some levity to the process. Father Len was very lighthearted which also helped.
We are ready, everything is in place, I won’t drop the host. Or spill the wine, I know what to say, and what to do. I’ve done my confession, I’ve spent time with my sponsor to make sure he knows I’m ready. I’m not a ceremony guy, I don’t really like all the pomp. But I’ll make an exception here, if done with reverence, I might even shed a tear or two. It’s been known to happen from time to time
And then we will be done, and what I am looking forward too the most, is on April 30th, at 5pm. We will do our first Communion at our new parish, with our new family there. The Church won’t be packed, it will be the small crowd. Mass will be quiet and dignified, and then I’ll finally feel home. That is what I have been waiting for, I’ll no longer be an interloper. I’ll be able to finally celebrate, I can’t wait. I’ll reserve my tears of joy until that time.
-Paul-
