Learning Life’s Big Lessons

Recently 3000 kids gathered in Washington DC for a competition called National History Day. They put together amazing projects that required yearlong (primary source) research which you don't see at the middle and high school level very often. The "back stories" that happen during this experience are fascinating. Although this is a secular competition, the skills of perseverance, truth seeking, and the search for moral heroes comes out of our Christian framework. I always tell my kids, "These kinds of projects have a life of their own!" Here are just a few of this year's stories:

1) Tierra Hudson, age 13, competed this year for the first time. She and her partner, Laura Winn, did a performance about Marian Anderson whose singing became a symbol and a force for change during the Civil Rights era. Tierra's ethnic background is black, Japanese and Hispanic. She and her mom wanted to meet the best friend of Tierra's grandfather during their visit to Washington DC. Tierra never met her grandfather who died a month before she was born. Her grandfather was stationed in Japan during WWII where he met and married his wife. His friend met Tierra and her mother at B Smith's restaurant to share memories and photos. The restaurant owner, B Smith, came over to meet Tierra and learn about her project. B Smith is a model, successful entrepreneur and product spokesperson. She took photographs with Tierra and offered this advice, "Keep working hard and following your dreams. Your dreams are going to take you places!" It was a powerful experience for Tierra.

2) Brigit Brown, age 12, (my daughter) did a documentary about The Mustang Debate. She wrote a letter to the governor of New Mexico about her project and interviewed several key figures at the BLM during her research. The director of the Bureau of Land Management at the Department of the Interior, Bob Abbey, met with Brigit while she was in DC to receive a copy of her work and congratulate her. He said, "The issue about wild horses has become very emotional and there is a lot of misunderstanding out there. We are really proud of you for the work you did to tell the whole story."

3) Grace Sartin, age 12, did her first History Day project this year and was happy to have made it to the national level. "It's an honor and I'm just glad to be here," she said smiling happily. Her sister, Emily, has participated in previous years. One year she did a project about a lady pirate from Ireland. Her project didn't win but an Irish group saw her performance and said her representation was more accurate than anything they had seen. Three weeks later she was surprised to receive an award in the mail. It was a medal from "The Order of the Bard."

There are a lot more stories out there. Stories in every family...


For me, the message is that too many modern kids, with their cellphones and easy access to everything, have forgotten how to work hard. But these NHD kids have poured their hearts into serious work. They are beginning to recognize that effort is deeply rewarding in itself. The outcome in in God's hands. (My husband likes to says, "Do your best. The results are none of your business.")

The dedication, perseverance and willingness to speak to important people in order to keep learning...well, these are qualities that shape character. Getting a medal or some other acknowledgement is not necessary if our kids are going in the right direction toward making the world a better place.

The Poor are With Us

I was sitting in the bleachers watching my son’s basketball practice when a man started ranting about the Catholic Church. He had overheard my daughter complaining about someone at church that day who had said the food she was preparing wasn’t for kids who happened to wander into the Hall.

“What does the Catholic Church have against feeding those in need?” he said. That really threw me. I didn’t even realize the connection until he gestured to my daughter who had made her hungry stomach clear. The man went on to share the baggage he was carrying around.

“The nuns ran the school in my hometown. Kids would come in hungry but they didn’t have money. The nuns wouldn’t let them go through the line at lunchtime and they fired the lady who tried to feed those kids.”

He didn’t let me respond. He was on a roll. “I just read an article about how all the poverty in the world would end if Catholics and a couple other churches would sell all their artwork and statues and gold. But Catholics don’t care. They’d rather have fancy buildings.”

By the time he was finished, my mind had stopped working. I mumbled that it was unfortunate about the nuns he met and that art is important to inspire people’s souls. He rolled his eyes and turned away.

I spent a restless night blaming myself for not giving him better answers. Because I have thought about this and read about it. Why don’t the words come?

What I should have said is this:

If the Church sold all the artwork it holds, there would possibly be several million dollars available for more service work. There might even be billions. If, of course, the artwork could all be sold for high prices. Then we could feed every person in the world. But for how long? A week? A month? Maybe we could give every family in the world a cow. And this would last for how long? Maybe we could give every family some tools either for farming or fishing. But would every family use those tools?

There have been studies about how to end poverty for centuries. And clearly, money alone is not the answer. So, should we could pour billions into a “think tank” about how to end poverty?

The truth is this: eventually, poverty would return.

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest charitable organizations in the world. And the poor may actually have been better off when all Christians were called to be “charitable” instead of institutionalizing the concept and putting the poor on state-directed “welfare.”

The situation of the nuns withholding food is certainly troublesome…I wonder if they tried to help the poor children in ways that were unseen? The church calls for charity and compassion. Yet, in every church and every organization there are individuals who are mean-spirited. Sadly, that will always be true as well.

As for art…I am an artist. I know, from both creating art and admiring it, that art can lift up the spirit of many people. It elevates us, taking us out of the humdrum of our lives and into the world of Spirit.

Images of Jesus make him seem more accessible. Just as we put pictures on our walls to remind us of the people we love who are in a different place, we need images of Jesus to bring our attention back to him.

I teach my Sunday School students a song that goes, “Rise up my soul and give glory to God…” With music, the proclaiming of the Word of God, the artwork and architecture of the church, as well as charitable acts, we all work together to “give Him glory.”

The Church attempts to give glory to God in the structure and ornamentation of its buildings. In this way, the Church also becomes a beacon of light and hope to those who are drawn to these places of worship out of a simple love for beauty. Tourists regularly go to the great cathedrals of the world to be inspired.

But imagine all the artwork has been sold off. All the beautiful buildings are gone. The money that supported the poor is also used up. And the poor still exist.

Where then is our hope, our dignity and our inspiration?

The Catholic Church here in our small town was built by poor people. They didn’t have a lot of money. But they came together to put up the best structure they could using their sweat and calloused hands. Little by little our congregation has added a few statues, a few nice windows. We generally don’t pay people to create new artwork or re-do the kneelers. I have painted banners. Other artists have donated their work. A couple who run a small upholstery shop, donated their time and supplies to fix the torn and tattered upholstery at the church. Our church building is a labor of love.

And we also have a St. Vincent de Paul center and a food pantry that feeds the hungry and pays household bills for those who need it. Quietly, and without fanfare, there are people from our church who visit the sick, the prisoners and the elderly. We have programs for our youth and give money to all kinds of causes.

It is not an either/or thing: Either we put money into a building OR we care for the poor. We should do both. Because BOTH give glory to God. And if our local church were bombed tomorrow, the people here would put it back up again. Because we need it.

***
So, back to the man in the bleachers. I’ll see him again soon. Do I dare print out the information above (without the mention of his challenge) and offer it to him in a written form? Or can I speak these words? Stay tuned….

Time to Unplug

Am I a voice calling into the wind? I wonder if anyone can hear me? If you stop by for a moment at this page, I hope you will listen.

Reaching our children by marketing new “apps,” creating rap songs for them to download on various gadgets and offering new cartoon/realistic video games could be adding to an already serious problem.

The IDOL of our world is technology. It replaces God for many young people. They are deeply devoted to their gadgets. They cannot live without them. They keep them close at hand and bow to them throughout the day.

Once our children are obsessed with technology, we face the danger that they will become addicted to it--compulsively turning to it without self control. I wrote about this before...scroll don't to my blog on addiction.

I know I sound like a fanatic. My friends remind me of the good things. Our kids have access to instant information. As a study tool, the internet is a marvel. As a communication tool, the internet takes us far beyond what was once only a dream. Through the internet, my son was able to email people in Poland for his history project. He tracked down the phone number of a man in Prague. The world is smaller and readily accessible as a result of technology.

But the problems I am talking about are very serious. We, as parents, must be on guard. The internet, cellphones, Ipads and earbuds should not be made available to kids who are not yet of school age. Fast flashing images, sound waves going directly into their ears, pop-ups advertizing, bizarre content alongside educational content…these are things that cannot be good for children.

The world of modern technology creates a fantasy world. People from far away seem to be near and they are often not what they seem. Images on the screen are so vivid and appealing, that the real world pales in comparison. The stuff that pops up is vulgar and dehumanizing. Yet it’s there alongside the educational stuff. What blares into the kids ears is seductive.

Meanwhile, our Lord, receives less and less consideration. Technology has created a new world and the holder of the gadget plays God. Even the “apps” about Jesus cannot replace real prayer. Video games of Bible stories cannot replace hearing Mom or Dad read the Word of God. Sweepingly beautiful websites are not sacramental.

How are we going to make the world of God’s creation relevant to young people again?

Isn’t it time to practice “unplugging” just to see what life is really about? Give it a try. Take a week break. And let me know how it goes!!

First Communion is Just the Beginning

It was a beautiful day. Sixteen nervous kids held out shaking hands to receive their First Communion last weekend. As a teacher preparing students for this day, I tell them they are becoming tabernacles for Jesus. They will receive Jesus in a way unlike any other.

Yes, Jesus is always with us and we receive his grace in the sacraments of Baptism and Reconciliation. We can hear his words in the Gospels and we can talk to him in prayer. But there is nothing like receiving him as the Bread of Life. There is nothing like becoming a tabernacle.

However, the sad reality is that some of the young people who receive the Eucharist for the first time, won’t receive Jesus again for a long time. Too many families see First Communion as the beginning and the end of their obligation for faith formation.

These young people who are so excited on this day, and feel the glow of love for Jesus, are like delicate new buds pushing up out of the ground of the secular world. Their experience is fragile and tentative. It needs to be nourished by weekly reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist. When parents make a big deal out of First Communion and then make excuses for not going to Mass on Sundays after that, they send a mixed message.

The message seems to be that “only the first time is important. Then, if you receive Jesus again once a year, that’s enough.” The bud doesn’t open. The flower wilts.

It is so important that our children see a love, respect and hunger for the Eucharist in their parents. Then their curiosity leads them to desire. And desire leads to deeper prayer and understanding.

One time is not enough. Tabernacle literally means “temporary dwelling place.” If we are to keep Jesus close to us, we need to invite him into the tabernacle of our bodies on a weekly basis.

Then, the tabernacle will glow with his presence. And the flowers unfold in loveliness!

(The photo is my daughter Brigit, at her First Communion in 2008.)

Beware: Technology Addiction is Real

Our society has made technology into a god. If you don’t believe you are susceptible to this violation of the First Commandments, consider these questions:
• Do you carry your cellphone with you wherever you go, even when it is not needed? Do you keep it close by at night?
• Do you send text messages even when you should be doing something else? Do you sneak around to send messages?
• Do you stay up late, answering email, texting, etc.?
• Do you think about texting or social networking or your apps, throughout the day?
• Do you check Facebook, Twitter, etc. during meetings, at school, while cooking, etc.?
• Do you spend significant amounts of money on technology even though it is not necessary for your work?
• Do you have a sense that you couldn’t live without technology?

Consider these same questions for your children. Are your children, even as young as 8, spending significant hours absorbed with cellphones, visiting social network sites or playing elaborate virtual reality games?

The word “addiction” comes from Latin and means “surrendering to something that becomes habit-forming and creates a sense of withdrawal when it is denied.” It is a process of becoming enslaved to a substance of thing. Do you want to be controlled by your cellphone?

Recently, I heard a youth leader telling a group of kids they would have to leave their cellphones at home during a weekend retreat. More than a few of the teens whispering, “There is no way that’s happening.” But they weren’t worried. They have learned how to be sneaky (and that is sure sign of addiction.)

An addiction that leads to sneaky behavior is dishonest. It is a sin. And lying is the doorway to other forms of serious sin.

What if we surrendered to God instead of surrendering to technology? The answers to the questions above would be very different.

• I am aware that Jesus is present, walking close to me throughout my day, so I talk to Him. He knows me. He is with me. He is trustworthy.
• I say prayers when I begin every activity. I want to do His will, not my will.
• I offer myself to God and ask Him to use me for His purpose. I surrender to Him.
• I am detached from the things of this world. How unimportant and insignificant technology is! The blinders are off now. I see that phones, cameras and computers are merely tools. I will not let these things enslave me. Instead, I stand before the Almighty One, the Holy One, the Merciful One and ask for help!
• All life comes from Him. My “thank you” for this gift is to offer my life to Him. As Jesus said, “Let it be done onto me, according to thy will.”

Consider--do you have an addiction? Are you ready to change? The time is now.

KNOW HIM!

I tell my Sunday School students, “”If your grandma lived 2000 miles away, would you only call her once a year and begin the conversation by begging for birthday gifts?” They usually say, “no” and tell me stories about how often they talk to Grandma. They have some awareness that it’s not polite or respectful to beg. (I guess they make an exception to that rule when the person they are talking to is Mom!)

So they begin to get the idea that prayer is not about sharing a list of demands, couched as requests, for help. But I also want them to understand that whole idea of “distance.” If we don’t see someone very often, we don’t really know them. We may say, “Hi Grandpa. I love you.” But do we really? Knowing someone requires frequent contact and watching them to understand who they really are. Who is Grandpa? What kind of person is he? How does he think?

In a similar way, it may seem as if God is far away. And it may seem impossible to really know God. But we really can get to KNOW Him. It is possible. It requires several things.

God reveals Himself to us if we read the Bible. He reveals Himself to us if we study the life of Jesus and comments of the saints. He reveals Himself to us mostly especially during prayer. But prayer requires talking, listening and trusting.

St. Teresa of Avila was a great teacher about prayer. In a book called Conversations with Christ, the author, Peter Thomas Rohrback, summarizes Teresa’s practice for deeper prayer.

1. Beginning- Be aware of Jesus. He is here. Now.
2. Selection--Read a short passage about Jesus or visualize a picture of Him. Teresa often referred to the image of Jesus in the Garden or the Scourging at the Pillar. I find it helpful to SEE Him in my mind based on images I have seen.
3. Consider the Love of Jesus--Reflect on this image or the words to go deeper into the mystery and love of Jesus. Why is Jesus in the Garden, dripping with blood? What does it mean?
4. Conversation--Converse with Our Lord. Offer adoration, praise, express sorrow, love, thanksgiving. Then be quiet to LISTEN.
5. Conclusion—Reflect on this time of prayer. Offer thanks. Dedicate yourself to greater focus and attention.

The author describes a process of coming back to Jesus frequently throughout the day. This can be done by short repeated phrases or prayers. O my Jesus, help me. Our priest says often, “God is good.” A friend says, “Thank you Jesus.”
My young Sunday School students may not really grasp all of this. But I hope to get them thinking about HOW they talk to God. And HOW will they get to KNOW HIM. We don’t have to rely only on formalized prayers.

My neighbor told a story about being hospitalized. She asked if they would give her a thicker gown, so the nurse found a heavy green one. Lillian went down the hallway to stretch her legs. A man in another room thought she was a nurse and called out, “Could you pray with me?” He was a tough, working class fellow. Lillian talked out loud to God on the man’s behalf. She used her own words and talked to God as a trusted friend.

Awhile later the hospital chaplain tracked her down. He said the man in that room told him, “The lady in green prays better than you.” He wanted to know what she did.

Lillian said, “I just talked to God in my own words. You don’t need to open up a book and read. That man just wants you to give him permission to talk to God from his heart.”

Be Alone with The ALONE

I came across this phrase and it seemed to shoot an arrow in my heart. “Be alone with the Alone.”

God alone created everything.

God made everything in heaven and earth out of nothing, and “He saw that it was good.” Yet He was still alone.

He made man in His won image and yet humans turn away in their arrogance. He is still alone.

When Jesus left His Power and Glory in heaven, in order to come to us and be like us, we still left Him...In the Garden, He was alone.

When He hung on the cross, He carried the whole weight of the world’s sin. Alone.

When we pray to Him and wait with Him in the Silence of the Alone…then and only then, do we join Him.

No one can do this for us. It is our task…alone.

So now is the time to be alone with The Alone.