Friday Five
1. What was your first Halloween costume?
The first one I remember was a pink bunny rabbit. I had pink fuzzy footie-pajamas and big floppy ears on a headband. I was about 4, I guess.
2. What was your best costume and why?
My best costume was the year I went dressed as a golfer. You'd never believe how much candy you can fit in even a child-size golf bag. Or how easy that makes it to carry it. Of course, the year I was an alien in a gold jump suit, gold face paint, gold tennis shoes, and gold feelers was pretty good too.
3. Did you ever play a trick on someone who didn't give you a treat?
No.
4. Do you have any Halloween traditions? (ie: Family pumpkin carving, special dinner before trick or treating, etc.)
No.
5. Share your favorite scary story...real or legend!
I love the song/poem of Thomas the Rhymer. In short, Thomas meets a lady that he at first mistakes for the Queen of Heaven, but she tells him he is wrong; she is the queen of Elfland. She takes Thomas on a wild ride through unknown lands on her milk-white horse. When they stop to rest, she shows him three roads: the broad, straight road to hell, the narrow path beset with thorny briars which leads to heaven, and the winding, tree-lined road to elfland. The fairy offers him an apple which will cause him always to tell the truth, but he refuses. They proceed down the road to elfland, the queen warning Thomas that if he should speak while there, he will not be allowed to leave for seven years. Now, not speaking is a very hard thing for a rhymer to do, and he responds to a comment of the fairy. The last we know is that Thomas was not seen on earth for seven years. Whether he was seen after that is not revealed.
Not really a traditional "ghost" story, I suppose, but I find it creepy.
31 October 2003
29 October 2003
Silence
Tonight, Lizzy and I heard Matthew Kelly speak. His message was one I'd heard many times before: our culture tells us that success is the most important thing, but it isn't. The modern world lies to us about what will make us happy. We can't fill that God-shaped hole in our heart with anything but God. We need to spend time in silence, to pray, to listen, or just to stop doing all the crazy things we fill our time with and be still. It's a common enough message, but it is probably a common message because it is one God wants us to hear.
Tonight, Lizzy and I heard Matthew Kelly speak. His message was one I'd heard many times before: our culture tells us that success is the most important thing, but it isn't. The modern world lies to us about what will make us happy. We can't fill that God-shaped hole in our heart with anything but God. We need to spend time in silence, to pray, to listen, or just to stop doing all the crazy things we fill our time with and be still. It's a common enough message, but it is probably a common message because it is one God wants us to hear.
27 October 2003
26 October 2003
Father Bruno
This priest used to say chant Mass for us. He always wore a cassock and biretta, which is pretty exciting for someone used to seeing Jesuits in khaki pants and polo shirts. Now he's gone off to Austria to join the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. Nifty habits. (There's an explanation of that funny white tie at the bottom of the FAQ's.)
This priest used to say chant Mass for us. He always wore a cassock and biretta, which is pretty exciting for someone used to seeing Jesuits in khaki pants and polo shirts. Now he's gone off to Austria to join the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. Nifty habits. (There's an explanation of that funny white tie at the bottom of the FAQ's.)
Spitzer on Prayer
This is Fall Family Weekend at Gonzaga, when the families of students are encouraged to come visit, go to classes, meet the professors, and generally find out whether they're getting their money's worth.
Last night, the Newman-Stein Fellowship sponsored a Lord's Day Meal, and our wonderful university president, Fr. Robert Spitzer, spoke to us on the subject of prayer. To everyone's astonishment, he had four points instead of three. He talked about the effects of the Eucharist, inspiration, guidance, and spontaneous prayers. He really likes to talk about spontaneous prayers. Spontaneous prayers are the short prayers you say when you're frustrated, or fearful, angry, need to forgive someone, or don't understand. His favorite is the classic, "Thy will be done." It sums up all the spontaneous prayers, but there are others he likes to use as well. When he's frustrated, "I can't handle this. You take care of it." When he needs to forgive someone, "You're the Just Judge. You take care of it." Have you ever been asked for advice that you weren't sure you were qualified to give, but gave anyway, and then woken up at 3am thinking, "Ack! They could have taken what I said this way and this way or this way and gotten it all wrong! What have I done?" Apparently, Fr. Spitzer has, and I know I certainly have. He suggests, since there's usually not a lot that can be done at 3am, praying this: "God, whatever harm I may have done, bring good out of it."
The other message Fr. Spitzer had for us last night that I really remember was about guidance. God has sent the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Guide. Sometimes, when we are in a very difficult situation which should be causing us to be anxious, frustrated, stressed, or upset, we don't actually feel this way. Instead, we are calm and peaceful, but we think we ought to be upset, so we force ourselves to be anxious, frustrated, and stressed. Fr. Spitzer said that the peace that we feel when we are in a difficult situation is from the Holy Spirit, and that we should not push it away.
How many times have you been in that situation, of pushing away the gift of peace and comfort that the Holy Spirit was trying to give you?
I love Fr. Spitzer. He's a wonderful, intelligent, engaging speaker who doesn't talk down to his audience and yet is understood by all. He seems to be able to grab hold of the issues which are common to human experience, and address them in a meaningful way. He says this is the Holy Spirit too, giving him the words that we will hear.
This is Fall Family Weekend at Gonzaga, when the families of students are encouraged to come visit, go to classes, meet the professors, and generally find out whether they're getting their money's worth.
Last night, the Newman-Stein Fellowship sponsored a Lord's Day Meal, and our wonderful university president, Fr. Robert Spitzer, spoke to us on the subject of prayer. To everyone's astonishment, he had four points instead of three. He talked about the effects of the Eucharist, inspiration, guidance, and spontaneous prayers. He really likes to talk about spontaneous prayers. Spontaneous prayers are the short prayers you say when you're frustrated, or fearful, angry, need to forgive someone, or don't understand. His favorite is the classic, "Thy will be done." It sums up all the spontaneous prayers, but there are others he likes to use as well. When he's frustrated, "I can't handle this. You take care of it." When he needs to forgive someone, "You're the Just Judge. You take care of it." Have you ever been asked for advice that you weren't sure you were qualified to give, but gave anyway, and then woken up at 3am thinking, "Ack! They could have taken what I said this way and this way or this way and gotten it all wrong! What have I done?" Apparently, Fr. Spitzer has, and I know I certainly have. He suggests, since there's usually not a lot that can be done at 3am, praying this: "God, whatever harm I may have done, bring good out of it."
The other message Fr. Spitzer had for us last night that I really remember was about guidance. God has sent the Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Guide. Sometimes, when we are in a very difficult situation which should be causing us to be anxious, frustrated, stressed, or upset, we don't actually feel this way. Instead, we are calm and peaceful, but we think we ought to be upset, so we force ourselves to be anxious, frustrated, and stressed. Fr. Spitzer said that the peace that we feel when we are in a difficult situation is from the Holy Spirit, and that we should not push it away.
How many times have you been in that situation, of pushing away the gift of peace and comfort that the Holy Spirit was trying to give you?
I love Fr. Spitzer. He's a wonderful, intelligent, engaging speaker who doesn't talk down to his audience and yet is understood by all. He seems to be able to grab hold of the issues which are common to human experience, and address them in a meaningful way. He says this is the Holy Spirit too, giving him the words that we will hear.
25 October 2003
Chant and the Holy Grail
The concert last night came off without a hitch. The music was fine, no one came in at the wrong time, and nobody fainted. I was a little worried, as I was standing in the spot which the girl who fainted last year had occupied, but nothing went wrong.
After the concert, Lizzy and Gavin and I went downtown to participate in a bit of the local theater's classic film festival. Last weekend, I saw "Singin' in the Rain," and last night, we saw "Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade." That was pretty exciting. It's been six or seven years since the last time I saw that movie, and I'd forgotten a lot of it. When the characters were going to the place where the Grail was, in the Crescent Moon Canyon, Gavin said something about the "Castle Arrrghhh" (wrong Grail movie!) and the guys in the row in front of us picked up on it. One of them quoted a line from the Monty Python flick at a very appropriate moment, but I no longer remember what it was. Give me a break. The movie started at 10pm, and we didn't get home until 12:30! Very fun.
The concert last night came off without a hitch. The music was fine, no one came in at the wrong time, and nobody fainted. I was a little worried, as I was standing in the spot which the girl who fainted last year had occupied, but nothing went wrong.
After the concert, Lizzy and Gavin and I went downtown to participate in a bit of the local theater's classic film festival. Last weekend, I saw "Singin' in the Rain," and last night, we saw "Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade." That was pretty exciting. It's been six or seven years since the last time I saw that movie, and I'd forgotten a lot of it. When the characters were going to the place where the Grail was, in the Crescent Moon Canyon, Gavin said something about the "Castle Arrrghhh" (wrong Grail movie!) and the guys in the row in front of us picked up on it. One of them quoted a line from the Monty Python flick at a very appropriate moment, but I no longer remember what it was. Give me a break. The movie started at 10pm, and we didn't get home until 12:30! Very fun.
24 October 2003
Concert
The Gregorian Schola and the Gonzaga University Choir are giving a performance in the Student Chapel tonight at 7:30. If you're hanging out in Spokane, come hear us sing! The Schola will be singing some chants, including the Introit, Rorate Coeli, and some polyphony, including Hassler's Dixit Maria and the Kyrie from his Missa Dixit Maria, Laudate Nomen Domini by Tyne, and the chant-with-a-harmonized-refrain Salve Mater. I forget just at the moment which monk of Solesmes that is attributed to, but I'll update sometime when I remember.
*Salve Mater is attributed to Dom Poithier.
The Gregorian Schola and the Gonzaga University Choir are giving a performance in the Student Chapel tonight at 7:30. If you're hanging out in Spokane, come hear us sing! The Schola will be singing some chants, including the Introit, Rorate Coeli, and some polyphony, including Hassler's Dixit Maria and the Kyrie from his Missa Dixit Maria, Laudate Nomen Domini by Tyne, and the chant-with-a-harmonized-refrain Salve Mater. I forget just at the moment which monk of Solesmes that is attributed to, but I'll update sometime when I remember.
*Salve Mater is attributed to Dom Poithier.
22 October 2003
Thoughts on Man
The heart of man is not compound of lies,
but draws some wisdom from the only Wise,
and still recalls him. Though now long estranged,
man is not wholly lost nor wholly changed.
Dis-graced he may be, yet is not dethroned,
and keeps the rags of lordship once he owned,
his world-dominion by creative act:
not his to worship the great Artefact,
man, sub-creator, the refracted light
through whom is splintered from a single White
to many hues, and endlessly combined
in living shapes that move from mind to mind.
Though all the crannies of the world we filled
with elves and goblins, though we dared to build
gods and their houses out of dark and light,
and sow the seeds of dragons, 'twas our right
(used or misused). The right has not decayed.
We make still by the law in which we're made.
--J.R.R. Tolkein, Mythopoeia
The heart of man is not compound of lies,
but draws some wisdom from the only Wise,
and still recalls him. Though now long estranged,
man is not wholly lost nor wholly changed.
Dis-graced he may be, yet is not dethroned,
and keeps the rags of lordship once he owned,
his world-dominion by creative act:
not his to worship the great Artefact,
man, sub-creator, the refracted light
through whom is splintered from a single White
to many hues, and endlessly combined
in living shapes that move from mind to mind.
Though all the crannies of the world we filled
with elves and goblins, though we dared to build
gods and their houses out of dark and light,
and sow the seeds of dragons, 'twas our right
(used or misused). The right has not decayed.
We make still by the law in which we're made.
--J.R.R. Tolkein, Mythopoeia
My new favorite Irish tune name: "Splendid Isolation." It's a nice-sounding tune, too: a G-dorian reel, composed by Brendan McGlinchey (not that I know who that is).
My old favorite tune name was "Toss the Fiddles," composed by piper Kieran O'Hare and his fiddler wife Liz Knowles, who was trying to teach him to play fiddle (yes, I do know who these two are--I got to hear the story in person, when Liz was teaching me to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"--the extent of my fiddle experience).
My old favorite tune name was "Toss the Fiddles," composed by piper Kieran O'Hare and his fiddler wife Liz Knowles, who was trying to teach him to play fiddle (yes, I do know who these two are--I got to hear the story in person, when Liz was teaching me to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"--the extent of my fiddle experience).
19 October 2003
Welsh Harp
Since I've begun considering my life as a Celtic harpist apart from my life as a classical harpist, I've been experiencing a resurgance of my interest in Celtic harp. Today, my non-classical harp-nerdiness manifested itself in looking at the website of a woman whose CD I was fortunate enough to purchase in Wales a few years ago. She plays the Welsh triple-strung harp, which is quite different from the harps I play in that it has three rows of strings, as opposed to one. Check out her website, and listen to the MP3 samples of her CD. The sound of a triple harp is very different. Ok, go have fun: Llio Rhydderch.
In case you're wondering, the double-l in Welsh is pronounced roughly like "kl" and the double-d as "th." Or so the guy in the music store told me in 1997.
Since I've begun considering my life as a Celtic harpist apart from my life as a classical harpist, I've been experiencing a resurgance of my interest in Celtic harp. Today, my non-classical harp-nerdiness manifested itself in looking at the website of a woman whose CD I was fortunate enough to purchase in Wales a few years ago. She plays the Welsh triple-strung harp, which is quite different from the harps I play in that it has three rows of strings, as opposed to one. Check out her website, and listen to the MP3 samples of her CD. The sound of a triple harp is very different. Ok, go have fun: Llio Rhydderch.
In case you're wondering, the double-l in Welsh is pronounced roughly like "kl" and the double-d as "th." Or so the guy in the music store told me in 1997.
17 October 2003
Friday Five
1. Name five things in your refrigerator.
Jello, iced tea, water bottle, orange juice, cheese
2. Name five things in your freezer.
Strawberry shortcake ice cream bar and an empty ice cube tray. That's all there is.
3. Name five things under your kitchen sink.
Well, I don't have a kitchen sink, but under the dorm kitchen sink is a pot, paprika, olive oil, dried chili, and dish soap.
4. Name five things around your computer.
A pen with a plastic sunflower on it, a roll of black duct tape, a CD of me playing the harp, a tape of my boyfriend singing "The New Testament Song" and some mint chocolate squares from Ghiradelli.
5. Name five things in your medicine cabinet.
Don't have a medicine cabinet--I keep things in a drawer. Antihistamines, hairspray, Advil, lipstick, and contact lens solution.
1. Name five things in your refrigerator.
Jello, iced tea, water bottle, orange juice, cheese
2. Name five things in your freezer.
Strawberry shortcake ice cream bar and an empty ice cube tray. That's all there is.
3. Name five things under your kitchen sink.
Well, I don't have a kitchen sink, but under the dorm kitchen sink is a pot, paprika, olive oil, dried chili, and dish soap.
4. Name five things around your computer.
A pen with a plastic sunflower on it, a roll of black duct tape, a CD of me playing the harp, a tape of my boyfriend singing "The New Testament Song" and some mint chocolate squares from Ghiradelli.
5. Name five things in your medicine cabinet.
Don't have a medicine cabinet--I keep things in a drawer. Antihistamines, hairspray, Advil, lipstick, and contact lens solution.
16 October 2003
Ambrosian Rite video
For those of you with DSL or other high-speed connections, check out this website which has a video of an Ambrosian Rite Mass, which was celebrated in Rome last May. I haven't watched all of it, but what I saw was cool and the music sounded really good. The altar servers are sort of fidgety, though. It strikes me as slightly odd that this rite would be used in Rome; I have never heard of its use outside of Milan. Not that I really keep up on such things, but I do know that it is only normally used in the diocese of Milan. Perhaps this warrents further investigation.
Thanks to my sweetheart for providing the link. Check out what he has to say for himself at Catholic, Organist, Choir Nerd, now that we've gotten his blog to actually work (I keep telling him to junk the Mac and get a PC, but does he believe me? No).
For those of you with DSL or other high-speed connections, check out this website which has a video of an Ambrosian Rite Mass, which was celebrated in Rome last May. I haven't watched all of it, but what I saw was cool and the music sounded really good. The altar servers are sort of fidgety, though. It strikes me as slightly odd that this rite would be used in Rome; I have never heard of its use outside of Milan. Not that I really keep up on such things, but I do know that it is only normally used in the diocese of Milan. Perhaps this warrents further investigation.
Thanks to my sweetheart for providing the link. Check out what he has to say for himself at Catholic, Organist, Choir Nerd, now that we've gotten his blog to actually work (I keep telling him to junk the Mac and get a PC, but does he believe me? No).
15 October 2003
14 October 2003
Evangelization III
Hmm, "Evangelization III" sounds like an action movie title, doesn't it? I can see it now ~~~~ Christian girls in (modest) catsuits taking on the minions of the devil and the secular world to bring poor heathens the light of Christ! ~~~~ Ahem.
I think that the four messages from the Newman-Stein Fellowship listserv raised some important issues regarding evangelization. As Catholics, we don't go out and knock on doors the way Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses do, and we don't say odd things to our non-Catholic friends like, "Have you been saved?" (At least, I don't do that. Actually, none of my non-Catholic friends have ever said that to me, but other people tell me they've had this experience.) Catholics tend to take the approach that our faith is here and we will tell you more if you're interested. We try to live out our faith without apology but also without being obnoxious. If we live it with sincerity and joy, and are obviously content with what living the faith brings us, it will be attractive to other people. People have actually asked me, "Why are you so happy?" I'm not hesitant to tell them.
The trouble with a lot of Catholics, both liberal and conservative, me included, is that we complain a lot. This and that are wrong with the Church, such and such shouldn't happen. Catholic students on the campus of a university which doesn't always support them are in danger of becoming cliquish, especially if they are well-educated in their faith, because they see what is wrong and naturally band together with like-minded people. Emboldened by numbers, we complain about everything we see that is wrong to anyone who will listen. This is, essentially, what the Newman-Stein Fellowship has been accused of: being cliquish and negative. And who wants to join a group with that reputation?
There are certainly god reasons for calling us negative. One of the members used the listserv to try to organize a walk-out from one of the talks on campus last week, and requested that people who did not wish to participate in the walk-out should sit outside the auditorium before the speech and pray the Rosary. In a series called "Catholicism for a New Millenium," this speech was by an openly gay Catholic. I was told by a girl who was there that the speaker did, in fact, acknowledge that his views were not in line with the Church. We were told by the person who organized the walk-out that the speaker would not acknowledge this.
Now, this is a rather extreme example. But it is not the only example of such behavior by our group. People jumped to conclusions about the event primarily because of its title and because of the group which organized it. They proceded to react in an extremely negative fashion. A positive reaction would be to have given it the benefit of the doubt. If the speech turned out to be as awful as anticipated, we could have organized a presentation by a faculty member on a later date as a response, presenting the Church's view accurately. This is very much encouraged under our new speaker policy. Students have the right to be presented with dissenting views, but we also have the right not to be confused about what the Church actually teaches.
Acting negatively has a bad impact on other students, but just as importantly, it affects the faculty members who support us. We sometimes have trouble gaining support because we have made a bad reputation for ourselves. NSF is a good group. A lot of wonderful social and religious events are organized, and University Ministry would fall apart without us. Guess who fills most of the time slots for adoration every Thursday? Who are the readers and EM's for daily Mass? Which students staff the retreats? Mostly us. We do work for charity, we sponsor school-wide events like "Pope Week" this week and the Vocations Fair last year, in addition to our mission of educating ourselves about the faith through weekly meetings. But the actions that the university sees are the bad ones, and we need to make sure that such things don't happen again.
I think this has implications beyond the NSF at Gonzaga. I think that there are a lot of Catholics who are probably guilty of complaining too much, and in the wrong company, even when we really are happy to be Catholic. I don't suggest trying to change your personality. If you're naturally grumpy, fine, but maybe you could find something else to complain about.
Hmm, "Evangelization III" sounds like an action movie title, doesn't it? I can see it now ~~~~ Christian girls in (modest) catsuits taking on the minions of the devil and the secular world to bring poor heathens the light of Christ! ~~~~ Ahem.
I think that the four messages from the Newman-Stein Fellowship listserv raised some important issues regarding evangelization. As Catholics, we don't go out and knock on doors the way Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses do, and we don't say odd things to our non-Catholic friends like, "Have you been saved?" (At least, I don't do that. Actually, none of my non-Catholic friends have ever said that to me, but other people tell me they've had this experience.) Catholics tend to take the approach that our faith is here and we will tell you more if you're interested. We try to live out our faith without apology but also without being obnoxious. If we live it with sincerity and joy, and are obviously content with what living the faith brings us, it will be attractive to other people. People have actually asked me, "Why are you so happy?" I'm not hesitant to tell them.
The trouble with a lot of Catholics, both liberal and conservative, me included, is that we complain a lot. This and that are wrong with the Church, such and such shouldn't happen. Catholic students on the campus of a university which doesn't always support them are in danger of becoming cliquish, especially if they are well-educated in their faith, because they see what is wrong and naturally band together with like-minded people. Emboldened by numbers, we complain about everything we see that is wrong to anyone who will listen. This is, essentially, what the Newman-Stein Fellowship has been accused of: being cliquish and negative. And who wants to join a group with that reputation?
There are certainly god reasons for calling us negative. One of the members used the listserv to try to organize a walk-out from one of the talks on campus last week, and requested that people who did not wish to participate in the walk-out should sit outside the auditorium before the speech and pray the Rosary. In a series called "Catholicism for a New Millenium," this speech was by an openly gay Catholic. I was told by a girl who was there that the speaker did, in fact, acknowledge that his views were not in line with the Church. We were told by the person who organized the walk-out that the speaker would not acknowledge this.
Now, this is a rather extreme example. But it is not the only example of such behavior by our group. People jumped to conclusions about the event primarily because of its title and because of the group which organized it. They proceded to react in an extremely negative fashion. A positive reaction would be to have given it the benefit of the doubt. If the speech turned out to be as awful as anticipated, we could have organized a presentation by a faculty member on a later date as a response, presenting the Church's view accurately. This is very much encouraged under our new speaker policy. Students have the right to be presented with dissenting views, but we also have the right not to be confused about what the Church actually teaches.
Acting negatively has a bad impact on other students, but just as importantly, it affects the faculty members who support us. We sometimes have trouble gaining support because we have made a bad reputation for ourselves. NSF is a good group. A lot of wonderful social and religious events are organized, and University Ministry would fall apart without us. Guess who fills most of the time slots for adoration every Thursday? Who are the readers and EM's for daily Mass? Which students staff the retreats? Mostly us. We do work for charity, we sponsor school-wide events like "Pope Week" this week and the Vocations Fair last year, in addition to our mission of educating ourselves about the faith through weekly meetings. But the actions that the university sees are the bad ones, and we need to make sure that such things don't happen again.
I think this has implications beyond the NSF at Gonzaga. I think that there are a lot of Catholics who are probably guilty of complaining too much, and in the wrong company, even when we really are happy to be Catholic. I don't suggest trying to change your personality. If you're naturally grumpy, fine, but maybe you could find something else to complain about.
12 October 2003
Evangelization II
In which E replies to T's reply, and Dr. D replies to both. I'll try and post some of my thoughts on the Fellowship's problem...soon. Probably Tuesday. (Midterms this week, so who knows?)
E:
T raises many issues, some of which I had not considered, and some that I had not intended to imply.
When talking of the issue of joy in our lives, I did not take the time to think about how perceptions of it might be affected by an individual's persnoality. While it may not be absolutely transparent in some people, I think it will be apparent in everyone, regardless of their personality. Just because a person is joyful does not mean that they are giddy, or silly, or anything like that. The joy that comes with a deep love for Christ and relationship with Him is closely tied to the other fruits of patience, kindness and generosity which are not dependent on personality, and should be present in everything we do. I know many of us have some problems with our personal formation in dealing with one of these (Patience is certainly not my gift), but as the relationship with Christ grows, those personal barriers can also be broken down. My story is somewhat like Mr. Waugh's that was shared - if I'm impatient now, just imagine what it was like before I had any sort of relationship with Christ (there are a couple people on campus who knew me back then, ask them).
I'm specifically thinking of the presence of these fruits of patience, kindness and generosity, in addition to joy, as they relate to evangelization on this campus. One of the most frequent complaints I hear
about our group is that we do not do a good job of really sitting and listening and discussing issues with other people. I've been told that we are too quick to just dismiss someone because what they're saying is
inconsistent with the teachings of the Church, or just wrong. Many people feel as if we are not willing to sit and listen and truly dialogue with them. The reason I've been told this is because its something I've been
personally guilty of, but it was interesting that when people have mentioned it, they didn't see it as something that just I did, but instead as a general characteristic of our group.
More disturbing is that many people have called us elitist, snobbish or cliqueish. Some of this comes from gruops who are simply hostile to us, and that will always be there. The part that concerns me is that many of these comments have come from your average Joe Catholic here on campus. If we are perceived this way, then we will have a difficult time ever reaching out to all the people who are in the middle of this war on campus, because they aren't going to want to listen to a group who they feel act in an elitist manner.
My hope is that even though most of the issues that will be brought up have already been decided for the Church, and are not going to change, that we will still be willing to talk about why they are the truth, and why they aren't going to change, in a way that will reflect the presence of the fruits of a relationship with Christ in our life. (how's that for a run-on sentence?)
I in no way intended to suggest that we should get rid of the theology and study part of this group. Without the theology, we're going to have a tough time sharing the deeper truths of Catholicism, and have a tough time responding to criticisms of the faith. In fact, it is because of Newman-Stein that I am able to discuss theology in a decent matter, and I also owe a part of my vocation to NS because of the learning that I got out of it last year. I learned far more last year due to Newman-Stein than I did from all my classes combined. What I am seeking is not a removal of a part of NS and probably not even an addition to it, but instead just a strengthening of a part of the mission that we may not have done the best job of implementing.
As far as concrete solutions, I would say the strengthening would need to occur on two levels. Each of us as individual members would constantly reflect on the way they spread the gospel to others, so that we can take care to always do so in the manner of Christ, being peaceable, gentle, kind and loving at all times.
As a group perhaps we could host speakers either for our group or for the entire campus on what good evangelization is, and what it isnt. This presentation or presentation could talk about practical tips for the
evangelization of a campus, and could talk about how to relate to people who are Christians but not Catholics, or how to relate to people who are Catholics but do not always fully understand or share in the teachings of the Church, and also how to minister to those who have no faith, but constantly see so much warfare within the Church.
I look forward to a continuing discussion on some of these issues, and hearing from the group what they think about this. Thanks to T for getting that discussion started.
Dr. D:
I appreciate the thoughtful comments from both E and T. My own reflection would be this: just as a parent needs to alternate between, on the one hand, showing pleasure and delight in a child, and exhibiting displeasure and imposing discipline, so the Christian must respond to what he or she sees. In the same way that a parent will fail if the parent is constantly correcting and finding fault, the Christian will fail if the primary message to the culture is one of disapproval. Speaking from experience, what is sometimes difficult is to discern the right time for each. If a child is having a good time, but in a rambunctious sort of way, do you accept it and encourage his enthusiasm? Or do you warn him about his little sister, who might get run over in the process? Theory is one thing; application is another. Similarly, in our culture do we identify the positive things that aspire to the good, even in a mixed up sort of way, or do we identify the inadequacies or shortcomings that have a potential for evil? Again, speaking from experience I have looked back and recognized that at times I was too indulgent, and at other times too harsh. Hindsight is always 20-20.
NSF may appear more fixated on the discipline aspects because of a perception that the normal disciplinary process in a Catholic university has been impaired; there's a sort of "attachment disorder" phenomenon. Where children don't perceive that their parents are fully in control, they spend a lot more time thinking about authority and discipline than children who have confidence that their parents are in charge. If parents set clear boundaries and enforce them consistently, their children will be childlike (spontaneous, playful, etc.). Last Sunday's homily invited us to be like children, and I concur. However, for the reasons I identified in my talk, we have reason to be anxious about whether or not there are clear boundaries that are being consistently enforced. I'd plead guilty to being fixated about rules, but I submit it's for good reason.
In which E replies to T's reply, and Dr. D replies to both. I'll try and post some of my thoughts on the Fellowship's problem...soon. Probably Tuesday. (Midterms this week, so who knows?)
E:
T raises many issues, some of which I had not considered, and some that I had not intended to imply.
When talking of the issue of joy in our lives, I did not take the time to think about how perceptions of it might be affected by an individual's persnoality. While it may not be absolutely transparent in some people, I think it will be apparent in everyone, regardless of their personality. Just because a person is joyful does not mean that they are giddy, or silly, or anything like that. The joy that comes with a deep love for Christ and relationship with Him is closely tied to the other fruits of patience, kindness and generosity which are not dependent on personality, and should be present in everything we do. I know many of us have some problems with our personal formation in dealing with one of these (Patience is certainly not my gift), but as the relationship with Christ grows, those personal barriers can also be broken down. My story is somewhat like Mr. Waugh's that was shared - if I'm impatient now, just imagine what it was like before I had any sort of relationship with Christ (there are a couple people on campus who knew me back then, ask them).
I'm specifically thinking of the presence of these fruits of patience, kindness and generosity, in addition to joy, as they relate to evangelization on this campus. One of the most frequent complaints I hear
about our group is that we do not do a good job of really sitting and listening and discussing issues with other people. I've been told that we are too quick to just dismiss someone because what they're saying is
inconsistent with the teachings of the Church, or just wrong. Many people feel as if we are not willing to sit and listen and truly dialogue with them. The reason I've been told this is because its something I've been
personally guilty of, but it was interesting that when people have mentioned it, they didn't see it as something that just I did, but instead as a general characteristic of our group.
More disturbing is that many people have called us elitist, snobbish or cliqueish. Some of this comes from gruops who are simply hostile to us, and that will always be there. The part that concerns me is that many of these comments have come from your average Joe Catholic here on campus. If we are perceived this way, then we will have a difficult time ever reaching out to all the people who are in the middle of this war on campus, because they aren't going to want to listen to a group who they feel act in an elitist manner.
My hope is that even though most of the issues that will be brought up have already been decided for the Church, and are not going to change, that we will still be willing to talk about why they are the truth, and why they aren't going to change, in a way that will reflect the presence of the fruits of a relationship with Christ in our life. (how's that for a run-on sentence?)
I in no way intended to suggest that we should get rid of the theology and study part of this group. Without the theology, we're going to have a tough time sharing the deeper truths of Catholicism, and have a tough time responding to criticisms of the faith. In fact, it is because of Newman-Stein that I am able to discuss theology in a decent matter, and I also owe a part of my vocation to NS because of the learning that I got out of it last year. I learned far more last year due to Newman-Stein than I did from all my classes combined. What I am seeking is not a removal of a part of NS and probably not even an addition to it, but instead just a strengthening of a part of the mission that we may not have done the best job of implementing.
As far as concrete solutions, I would say the strengthening would need to occur on two levels. Each of us as individual members would constantly reflect on the way they spread the gospel to others, so that we can take care to always do so in the manner of Christ, being peaceable, gentle, kind and loving at all times.
As a group perhaps we could host speakers either for our group or for the entire campus on what good evangelization is, and what it isnt. This presentation or presentation could talk about practical tips for the
evangelization of a campus, and could talk about how to relate to people who are Christians but not Catholics, or how to relate to people who are Catholics but do not always fully understand or share in the teachings of the Church, and also how to minister to those who have no faith, but constantly see so much warfare within the Church.
I look forward to a continuing discussion on some of these issues, and hearing from the group what they think about this. Thanks to T for getting that discussion started.
Dr. D:
I appreciate the thoughtful comments from both E and T. My own reflection would be this: just as a parent needs to alternate between, on the one hand, showing pleasure and delight in a child, and exhibiting displeasure and imposing discipline, so the Christian must respond to what he or she sees. In the same way that a parent will fail if the parent is constantly correcting and finding fault, the Christian will fail if the primary message to the culture is one of disapproval. Speaking from experience, what is sometimes difficult is to discern the right time for each. If a child is having a good time, but in a rambunctious sort of way, do you accept it and encourage his enthusiasm? Or do you warn him about his little sister, who might get run over in the process? Theory is one thing; application is another. Similarly, in our culture do we identify the positive things that aspire to the good, even in a mixed up sort of way, or do we identify the inadequacies or shortcomings that have a potential for evil? Again, speaking from experience I have looked back and recognized that at times I was too indulgent, and at other times too harsh. Hindsight is always 20-20.
NSF may appear more fixated on the discipline aspects because of a perception that the normal disciplinary process in a Catholic university has been impaired; there's a sort of "attachment disorder" phenomenon. Where children don't perceive that their parents are fully in control, they spend a lot more time thinking about authority and discipline than children who have confidence that their parents are in charge. If parents set clear boundaries and enforce them consistently, their children will be childlike (spontaneous, playful, etc.). Last Sunday's homily invited us to be like children, and I concur. However, for the reasons I identified in my talk, we have reason to be anxious about whether or not there are clear boundaries that are being consistently enforced. I'd plead guilty to being fixated about rules, but I submit it's for good reason.
11 October 2003
Evangelization
There is a big discussion on the Newman-Stein Fellowship listserv about our mission for evangelization. As a group, we've been reading Mary Beth Bonacci's book, "We're on a Mission From God," and the first chapters deal with being a Christian and being a joyful Christian. My small group supplemented this with an excerpt on joy and contentment from the writings of Fulton Sheen. I'm going to post parts of the discussion here. I hope the authors don't mind. The first writer, E, is co-leader of a discussion group with Lizzy and me. He's also a seminarian. The second, T, doesn't actually go here anymore; he finished his bachlor's in philosophy last year, but this group was sort of his brainchild, so he's still very much invested in it even though he's now on the East Coast. The third, Dr. D, is a professor at the Law School, and NSF's faculty advisor. He spoke to us last week on the universal call to holiness. The text of these messages has been edited for names and spelling errors.
E:
I was thinking about our talk on the Universal call to Holiness by Dr. D. While it was interesting and did have some good points behind it, I found it very abstract, and not directly applicable to my faith and personal call to Holiness. While we are all called to personal holiness, that holiness is not supposed to be an abstract thing, but something that is rooted in a deep and abiding love for Jesus Christ. One thing I love about Newman-Stein is the opportunity it gives us to learn about the faith. However, without that deep love of Jesus and a relationship with Him, it really doesn't matter at all how much theology we happen to know.
This also ties into the Bonacci book that we've been reading. With that deep relationship with Christ comes the true Joy that she was talking about. That relationship is something that truly transforms a person, because of the great graces that are present. If we do have a deep and abiding love for Christ, one that seeks to have an active relationship with Him, then our lives will be abundantly joyful. The fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity and faithfulness will all be present in our lives in abundance as well. While I want Newman-Stein to be a place where we can learn about our faith, and about theology, even more than that I want it to be a place that fosters a deep relationship with Christ.
We should be an organization on campus that people look at and say, "Wow, look at the way Christ has changed their lives! Look at the joy, peace, love, and generosity that is present in their lives! I want to have what they have!" If this is what we were truly seeking, I believe that the prospect of evangelizing our campus would be immeasurably easier. Rather than us having to try to bludgeon people to death with the truth they would look at us and see the beauty of the truth already present in us through Christ. Then we could be truly living St. Francis' exhortation to "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words."
So, thats my reflection on what this universal call to holiness could mean for each of us, and for our organization as a whole. Thoughts? Maybe we can have some sort of discussion of this, and how it is that we want to be evangelizing the campus.
T:
E is right that primarily important is our relationship to Christ and the conversion of our whole being that that brings. There seems, however, to be something dangerous in the way he views that manifesting itself. His assumption seems to be that joy in our relationship to Christ is something that will necessarily be evident to other people in a completely transparent way. A few comments on this:
First, not all of us are bubbly or cheerful. Some are dour, melancholic, grumpy, etc. I am reminded of a story about Catholic novelist Evelyn Waugh, who was known to be an acerbic, rather nasty guy. A woman once asked him, "Mr. Waugh, you're awful! How can you call yourself a Christian!" Waugh is said to have replied, "madam, think how much worse I would be were i not a Christian." The point is that it is not so much important to feel holy or to seem holy to others, but to actually BE holy. Also, remember that the Church is a hospital and that the members of the body of Christ are the ailing patients therein. We are all sinners, all needing Christ's saving grace. If others look at us and say, "It is not directly evident to me that they are holy. in fact, I see a lot of sin and evil. How unattractive!" They are missing the point. We must
sin less and strive to increase in faith and holiness, in part because of the scandal caused by the sins of a Catholic. But who can judge the soul of a Christian, other than God? There are many things happening beneath the surface of someone who may not look to be filled with the joy of Christ.
Next, there is a danger of a tyranny of apostolate. Not everyone is called to every apostolate. Some people are called primarily to study the faith or to educate about it. I think a large proportion of Newman-Stein members fall into this category. There is nothing wrong with that. Should we encourage other
apostolates in the group? Absolutely!!!! But we need to recognize that different people are called to different things.
So, my question for E, and the list, is: What, concretely, can Newman-Stein do to help the evangelical mission of the group that takes into account the diversity of apostolates among the members of the group and also is realistic about the fact that relationship to Christ is about holiness, not necessarily about changing (or upgrading) one's personality.
I'll post the replies of E and Dr. D tomorrow.
There is a big discussion on the Newman-Stein Fellowship listserv about our mission for evangelization. As a group, we've been reading Mary Beth Bonacci's book, "We're on a Mission From God," and the first chapters deal with being a Christian and being a joyful Christian. My small group supplemented this with an excerpt on joy and contentment from the writings of Fulton Sheen. I'm going to post parts of the discussion here. I hope the authors don't mind. The first writer, E, is co-leader of a discussion group with Lizzy and me. He's also a seminarian. The second, T, doesn't actually go here anymore; he finished his bachlor's in philosophy last year, but this group was sort of his brainchild, so he's still very much invested in it even though he's now on the East Coast. The third, Dr. D, is a professor at the Law School, and NSF's faculty advisor. He spoke to us last week on the universal call to holiness. The text of these messages has been edited for names and spelling errors.
E:
I was thinking about our talk on the Universal call to Holiness by Dr. D. While it was interesting and did have some good points behind it, I found it very abstract, and not directly applicable to my faith and personal call to Holiness. While we are all called to personal holiness, that holiness is not supposed to be an abstract thing, but something that is rooted in a deep and abiding love for Jesus Christ. One thing I love about Newman-Stein is the opportunity it gives us to learn about the faith. However, without that deep love of Jesus and a relationship with Him, it really doesn't matter at all how much theology we happen to know.
This also ties into the Bonacci book that we've been reading. With that deep relationship with Christ comes the true Joy that she was talking about. That relationship is something that truly transforms a person, because of the great graces that are present. If we do have a deep and abiding love for Christ, one that seeks to have an active relationship with Him, then our lives will be abundantly joyful. The fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity and faithfulness will all be present in our lives in abundance as well. While I want Newman-Stein to be a place where we can learn about our faith, and about theology, even more than that I want it to be a place that fosters a deep relationship with Christ.
We should be an organization on campus that people look at and say, "Wow, look at the way Christ has changed their lives! Look at the joy, peace, love, and generosity that is present in their lives! I want to have what they have!" If this is what we were truly seeking, I believe that the prospect of evangelizing our campus would be immeasurably easier. Rather than us having to try to bludgeon people to death with the truth they would look at us and see the beauty of the truth already present in us through Christ. Then we could be truly living St. Francis' exhortation to "Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, use words."
So, thats my reflection on what this universal call to holiness could mean for each of us, and for our organization as a whole. Thoughts? Maybe we can have some sort of discussion of this, and how it is that we want to be evangelizing the campus.
T:
E is right that primarily important is our relationship to Christ and the conversion of our whole being that that brings. There seems, however, to be something dangerous in the way he views that manifesting itself. His assumption seems to be that joy in our relationship to Christ is something that will necessarily be evident to other people in a completely transparent way. A few comments on this:
First, not all of us are bubbly or cheerful. Some are dour, melancholic, grumpy, etc. I am reminded of a story about Catholic novelist Evelyn Waugh, who was known to be an acerbic, rather nasty guy. A woman once asked him, "Mr. Waugh, you're awful! How can you call yourself a Christian!" Waugh is said to have replied, "madam, think how much worse I would be were i not a Christian." The point is that it is not so much important to feel holy or to seem holy to others, but to actually BE holy. Also, remember that the Church is a hospital and that the members of the body of Christ are the ailing patients therein. We are all sinners, all needing Christ's saving grace. If others look at us and say, "It is not directly evident to me that they are holy. in fact, I see a lot of sin and evil. How unattractive!" They are missing the point. We must
sin less and strive to increase in faith and holiness, in part because of the scandal caused by the sins of a Catholic. But who can judge the soul of a Christian, other than God? There are many things happening beneath the surface of someone who may not look to be filled with the joy of Christ.
Next, there is a danger of a tyranny of apostolate. Not everyone is called to every apostolate. Some people are called primarily to study the faith or to educate about it. I think a large proportion of Newman-Stein members fall into this category. There is nothing wrong with that. Should we encourage other
apostolates in the group? Absolutely!!!! But we need to recognize that different people are called to different things.
So, my question for E, and the list, is: What, concretely, can Newman-Stein do to help the evangelical mission of the group that takes into account the diversity of apostolates among the members of the group and also is realistic about the fact that relationship to Christ is about holiness, not necessarily about changing (or upgrading) one's personality.
I'll post the replies of E and Dr. D tomorrow.
10 October 2003
Friday Five
I feel like such a sheep.
1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones?
I have been known to watch golf with my dad, but only in 15-minute incriments.
2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes?
I have no favorite sports teams or athletes.
3. Are there any sports you hate?
I pretty much hate all sports.
4. Have you ever been to a sports event?
I've been to two A's games and one junior-high basketball game.
5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play?
I do not and never have played sports except when forced to in school (I hate PE).
I feel like such a sheep.
1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones?
I have been known to watch golf with my dad, but only in 15-minute incriments.
2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes?
I have no favorite sports teams or athletes.
3. Are there any sports you hate?
I pretty much hate all sports.
4. Have you ever been to a sports event?
I've been to two A's games and one junior-high basketball game.
5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play?
I do not and never have played sports except when forced to in school (I hate PE).
08 October 2003
07 October 2003
06 October 2003
Unfortunate Diagnosis
Lizzy has been diagnosed with theoretical retrogression. The diagnosis was offered by Dr. Jane (ORM, MTODS). Unfortunately, this condition, when combined with her previously-diagnosed MTOD (Music Theory Obsession Disorder), can be very volatile and cause severe grade-drops if not managed properly. Fortunately, the disease causes no pain to the patient. All symptoms, except for the low grade levels, are instead exhibited by those around her. The physical manifestations of the illness, as exhibited by other musicians in contact with the patient, include ear pain, headaches, and in the case of professors of music, profuse bleeding. This bleeding has never actually been witnessed, but the evidence is visible on the graded papers of the patient.
Lizzy does wish to seek a second opinion. If you know of any other specialists in MTOD or theoretical retrogression, or if you know of any other diseases, disorders, syndromes, etc, which share the described symptoms, please email the address at your left. It might be at your right if you're in the land behind the mirror, but I don't know for sure as I've never been there myself.
The good news for Lizzy is that, with hard work and perseverance, theoretical retrogression can be turned into theoretical progression, which is a good thing to have, at least according to the textbook.
Lizzy has been diagnosed with theoretical retrogression. The diagnosis was offered by Dr. Jane (ORM, MTODS). Unfortunately, this condition, when combined with her previously-diagnosed MTOD (Music Theory Obsession Disorder), can be very volatile and cause severe grade-drops if not managed properly. Fortunately, the disease causes no pain to the patient. All symptoms, except for the low grade levels, are instead exhibited by those around her. The physical manifestations of the illness, as exhibited by other musicians in contact with the patient, include ear pain, headaches, and in the case of professors of music, profuse bleeding. This bleeding has never actually been witnessed, but the evidence is visible on the graded papers of the patient.
Lizzy does wish to seek a second opinion. If you know of any other specialists in MTOD or theoretical retrogression, or if you know of any other diseases, disorders, syndromes, etc, which share the described symptoms, please email the address at your left. It might be at your right if you're in the land behind the mirror, but I don't know for sure as I've never been there myself.
The good news for Lizzy is that, with hard work and perseverance, theoretical retrogression can be turned into theoretical progression, which is a good thing to have, at least according to the textbook.
02 October 2003
Wheeee! My harp teacher from home just called me! She's sooooo cool! I miss her a lot. *grumble mumble grumble current teacher grrrr* I'm going home this weekend to see a local production of "1776", and she might be there! *happy dance* If anyone in Northern California needs a harpist, call Fran Fanelli, because she's the greatest.
01 October 2003
Lizzy and I decided last night that there is a new counting system. One, three, six, two, five, one, four, five, one, seven, one. Five and seven can change places, if they want to. Four and two can change places, and one can come anywhere you darn well please and as many times as you wish. How does that sound?
If you don't like the idea of this way of counting, I would not advise being a music major.
I iii vi ii V I Ahhh!
On that chord, I think I'll go do my theory homework. Anyone for a Picardy 3rd or a Neapolitan 6th? (Am I the only one who thinks these sound like alcoholic beverages?)
If you don't like the idea of this way of counting, I would not advise being a music major.
I iii vi ii V I Ahhh!
On that chord, I think I'll go do my theory homework. Anyone for a Picardy 3rd or a Neapolitan 6th? (Am I the only one who thinks these sound like alcoholic beverages?)
Loud Franciscans
Mass this evening was said by a conventual (not conventional, he informs us) Franciscan who is here for a year, studying something or other. He's an Air Force chaplain that was brought back from Afghanistan to get another degree. He said he didn't believe our first "Amen" and "and also with you," so he gave a 5-minute speech on how we needed to be excited about being at Mass and then he started all over again. His homily was preached from all up and down the center aisle. He's very... "in your face." He asked questions. I answered one of the questions, and he came over, got down on one knee and gave me a hug and said "God bless you" because, not only did I answer, I actually got it right. (Did Jesus tell his disciples why He was going to Jerusalem? What was going to happen there? Umm, He was going to die.) After Mass (the only 55-minute daily Mass I remember going to), he stood outside the chapel door and greeted all of us. He kissed my hand. That was interesting. (In addition to answering a question, I was also the reader, so I'd introduced myself before Mass.)
He sings very well. I wonder if he's on the schedule for Chant Mass. I'm not really into the interactive homily thing, though, or the homily from the aisle.
Speaking of homilies from the aisle: I saw "Luther" on Friday night. It was tolerable, though I'm not overly familiar with the history, so I probably missed a lot. In the movie, though, Luther was depicted as giving homilies from the aisle of the church. Surely this would not have been done?
Mass this evening was said by a conventual (not conventional, he informs us) Franciscan who is here for a year, studying something or other. He's an Air Force chaplain that was brought back from Afghanistan to get another degree. He said he didn't believe our first "Amen" and "and also with you," so he gave a 5-minute speech on how we needed to be excited about being at Mass and then he started all over again. His homily was preached from all up and down the center aisle. He's very... "in your face." He asked questions. I answered one of the questions, and he came over, got down on one knee and gave me a hug and said "God bless you" because, not only did I answer, I actually got it right. (Did Jesus tell his disciples why He was going to Jerusalem? What was going to happen there? Umm, He was going to die.) After Mass (the only 55-minute daily Mass I remember going to), he stood outside the chapel door and greeted all of us. He kissed my hand. That was interesting. (In addition to answering a question, I was also the reader, so I'd introduced myself before Mass.)
He sings very well. I wonder if he's on the schedule for Chant Mass. I'm not really into the interactive homily thing, though, or the homily from the aisle.
Speaking of homilies from the aisle: I saw "Luther" on Friday night. It was tolerable, though I'm not overly familiar with the history, so I probably missed a lot. In the movie, though, Luther was depicted as giving homilies from the aisle of the church. Surely this would not have been done?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
