And with your spirit...

Today, my long time running partner asked me to say a prayer for her friend.  I had heard about this friend's pregnancy over time as the friend was having some challenges.  In short, the mother to be had an emergency C-section to deliver twins early yesterday.  The baby boy was okay.  The baby girl died at 11:45 last night.  A terrible tragedy for the child and the family.  So, I said I would keep baby, the mother, and the family in my prayers.  

Later in the afternoon, we went to mass.  After the opening song the priest made a comment about the first reading being from the book of Job.  Job is one of the books of wisdom.  As Father Sam likes to point out these books are not meant as factual accounts but are useful stories to help understand what the ancient Jewish people were struggling with.  In Job, the struggle was with the concept of why terrible things happen to people who haven't done anything wrong.  This was the first amazingly relevant part of today's mass for me.  Clearly, the baby girl who passed away had not done anything wrong.  People of faith often struggle when something like this happens--and obviously this has been a problem for people of faith for millenia.

As mass continued, after the first verse we sang You Answered Me from Psalm 138 for the response.  The refrain talks about "Lord, on the day I called for help, You answered me..."  God is there.  God is healing.  God is forgiving.  And God can bring healing when horrible things happen to good people.

The Gospel was Mark 1:29-39, where Jesus healed the mother-in-law of Simon and then healed many others.  Another sign of a healing and loving God, although, as Father Sam pointed out, Jesus then went to reflect and pray as he realized that just being a "miracle worker" was not the intended role.  Third relevant thing to think about at today's mass as it was a very powerful example of healing.  

Next, the song during the preparation of the gifts was Your Great Name.  In this song, we hear about the lost finding their way, the condemned feeling no shame, and the weak finding their strength.  The term "my Healer" comes up again and again.  More amazing relevance.  

The song during the Eucharist, You Are focused on "Love unfailing, truth unchanging..." and "strength for those in need."  More direct relevance for my afternoon.  

Then, after Eucharist and prior to dismissing the congregation, Fr. Sam quoted two of the Beatitude including "Blessed are those who mourn..."  Father Sam had no idea of what issue I'd heard about earlier in the day.  

Father had challenged us at the start of the mass to continue to spend time thinking about what our baptisms mean.  What our commitment to our faith means.  He commented further than with no one paying attention to the rule to go to church at this point we are seeing only people who are really committed.  But that doesn't mean that everyone has it all figured out.  The people who come are the ones who are seeking to figure it out and then figure out how to live their lives in a way that reflects the Gospel that we preach and listen to.  To conclude this thought, Father Sam shared a thought with us that he had shared before: don't just listen to me on Sunday, watch my actions on Wednesday.  See if he lives out what he speaks about.

And to tie this all back to how it affects me, I had shared with my friend, who is not Catholic, that at the Catholic mass the priest will say "Peace be with you."  And over the past several years the congregation has not answered "And also with you," but instead, "And with your spirit."  Today, my friend's friend needs her spirit healed.  And, so, I pointed this out to my friend and she appreciated the thought a lot.  

For those of us with faith in the God Christians believe in, there is the opportunity to find healing in that faith.  And for me today, I was amazed at how the readings that are set years in advance helped me to see examples of that healing and examples of how I am asked to help live out that healing on a day when I wished for nothing more than healing thoughts for a friend of a friend experiencing the devastation of losing a child.  

Saying a prayer is only a small part of the healing process.  The friend of a friend is lucky to have our mutual friend as a listener and shoulder to cry on.  Perhaps that will be a way for her to begin to heal.

And for me, if I ever wonder whether there is a strong correlation between what I need and what I get at mass, this is one day that I will remember.  I get exactly what I need.  Sometimes I just need to work harder to understand it and realize it.  Today was a shining example.  I hope that my spirit, which is more at ease now than when I first heard about the tragedy for the friend of a friend, can help to heal and lift up others.    

Easter Mass

Just a quick note today.  Father Sam had his walker at church toda.  I worry about his health.  However, it was not the fact that he was using his walker that caught my attention the most.  What caught my attention the most was his multiple efforts to make everyone feel welcome.  He said that he was not concerned about people showing up only once in a while.  He mentioned that not everyone may be fully engaged.  But he noted that everyone is welcome.  What a wonderful message.  What a gift--on the day we celebrate the greatest gift of all from God.  

Music also went quite nicely today.

It will be interesting to see how St. Pius X as a parish and the Catholic church as a whole under the new leadership can continue to make people feel welcome.  

Let it Go

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I like to look for similarities, patterns, and coincidences as inspiration for what I write.  Yesterday there was a three word phrase "Let it go" that was used in two very different situations that captured my attention.  And, it was also a very important phrase for me yesterday as well as for life in general.

So where was it used.  Instance #1--high school contemporary posts a picture of his 16 year old daughter's just completed tattoo on her abdominal area.  It says "Let it go".  Dad says of daughter's choice (not quoting quite word for word)--if this is the worst thing you can complain about your 16 year old daughter doing, you've done pretty well.

Instance #2--Fr. Sam at church often likes to emphasize that the Our Father calls on God to forgive us only as much as we forgive others.  So, he called on us to "let it go" if we were feeling any hate or other negative feelings toward others heading into the Holy Week.

With those two occurrences, it was obvious what to write about today.

So, why was that important yesterday.  The worship band I play with concluded with a version of Amazing Grace that is considered the "traditional" version.  Many times before I'd been asked to sing a bass part for the song--particularly for the a cappella verse at the end.  Not asked yesterday.  Follows several other weeks recently when I was not asked to sing when the male vocals could have used a hand.  I used to complain about not being asked to sing and play.  However, I have come to focus on just playing bass.  And I play better when I just play.  So, I have decided to let it go.  Leave it alone.  And just take the worship band for what it is.  A wonderful opportunity to share faith with others in the band and with the rest of the congregation to which I make a contribution each week.  And not look at what it is not.

Life in general?  My oldest son noted several times yesterday when my wife commented on things where she commented on how it could have been better.  He told her (not in so many words, but essentially) that she should just look at the good in what she was given or has and deal with it.  That is one thing I have tried to do more and more over time.  It makes me a lot more satisfied with life in general and makes me a lot less stressed about life.

So, the importance of a phrase that captured my attention in a friend's daughter's tattoo and a priest's introduction to the Our Father is clear for me--yesterday and every day. 

Community

Last night I have the pleasure of attending a dinner hosted by WEAA for donors who gave a specific amount during the Marc Steiner or Anthony McCarthy shows.  The gathering included both gentlemen, several other WEAA, staff, and a number of donors and their guests at a restaurant called Chazz’s that Sherry and I had never been to before.  Over dinner we spoke with two other couples seated closest to us and at least one of them knows Father Sam—the priest whom we hear most often at mass at St. Pius X. 

The dinner was lovely.  The most interesting part was after having eaten.  Each guest was invited to stand up and say something and then we had what was very similar to an “open phones” show in the restaurant.  What was so exciting was the fact that we the donors were all so engaged.  Different backgrounds.  Different educational levels.  Different amounts of time in Baltimore.  But everyone appreciated the open discussion that the two men encourage.  Everyone appreciated the varying points of view that the two men bring to the table.  Everyone appreciated being part of a community.  This community we call Baltimore.  This community that is big but small; that is troubled and troubling but vibrant; this community that is gritty; this community that is educated and educational and yet struggles so much; this community with so many different faiths, beliefs, ethnicities, and races.  And a community that everyone was interested in making a better place.

Just 30 individuals on one evening.  But the world can only become a better place one step at a time.  This was a step along the path.