Table Talk #3

Please share what 'feeds' or heals your soul in its journey to reach God.  Is it a retreat, Scripture study, spiritual counseling?  What do you find that helps 'elevate' the material world to match God's desire for us?

                                               (http://www.thegutsygourmet.net/soul-logo.png)

'Soul Food'

I am in a quandary, which often happens when one inadvertently tries to 'overthink' something.  In my current graduate course on Human Development, we explore the development of faith and the journey of the soul.  My difficulty lies in applying the Catholic dogma of 'soul' to the science of psychology and its various definitions of 'soul' (and I'm sure I am not the first one to wrestle with this).  According to Father John A. Hardon, S.J. in Catholic Dictionary, the soul is the "spiritual, immortal part in human beings that animates their body."  God creates each soul individually for a person and infuses it into the body at the moment of conception (how cool is that?).  Since the soul is of spiritual substance, it cannot die; yet it longs for the body which is why body and soul are reunited at the Final Resurrection.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 365-368, human body and soul form one nature, and the body animated by the soul shares in the dignity of 'God's image' (CCC 364).  While Sacred Scripture often refers to 'soul' as the entire human person, it also "refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God's image:  'soul' signifies the spiritual principle in man "(CCC 363).

And here is my favorite:   
"Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity.  Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world.  Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator."  (CCC 364)

Now I am feeling a bit better about considering the 'maturity' of the soul in the study of psychology.  Rather than considering 'soul' as finding one's depth and improving one's place in the world so that one may appropriately care for the earth community,  I can reflect that:  acting in the image of God, the soul 'matures' by 'navigating' the body through earthly matters in such a way as to continually desire and move ever forward toward eternal life with God.  Through love of God and neighbor, we care for and 'sustain' life on earth so that the journey to heaven for others is a praiseworthy and truer path.  Ah, but just how does soul mature?

According to an interview with Father Barron of the Mundelein Seminary in Illinois, priests serve as 'soul doctors'.  We are thus fed, or more appropriately, healed by the priests' tools of preaching, proclaiming Scripture, celebrating the Sacraments, counseling, sharing doctrines and great spiritual writings, and appreciating the images of our tradition.  Additional 'food'/healing comes from many other treasures such as the way we talk about Christ through images, literature, architecture, art, drama, the stained glass windows of the great cathedrals and our churches, and so on.  It would seem, then, that our soul matures at the rate in which we allow it to be nourished and are then 'fired by this fuel' on our pilgrim journey to heaven.  Psychologically we encounter many challenges and barriers as we progress through the phases life on earth presents to us, but grounded in the faith that we have been created in God's image, the soul animates the body to be the best person it can be 'for the greater honor and glory of God'.      

Let us pray, then, for the daily bread that feeds and heals soul and body!

http://danhoran.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/sunset.jpg?w=450

^{Sources used for this piece:}
-http://www.catholicity.com/catechism/body_and_soul-truly_one.html
-www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/catechism/index.cfm?recnum=1827
- http://www.romancatholicidentity.com/2010/05/fr-barron-priest-as-soul-doctor.html

An additional source readers may find interesting may be found at:
 http://www.wordonfire.org/WoF-Blog/WoF-Blog/April-2011/Faith-Seeks-Understanding-The-Soul-and-the-Body.aspx





  

Table Talk #2

    

 This is an open forum. Please share with us how gardens sow seeds in your soul.  You may wish to share a photo, a favorite garden quote, or a garden memory.                                             

Photo credit:  http://plantspages.com/gardenimgpages/gardenimage15.htm

Sowing Seeds in the Soul

I have loved this poem ever since I was a child.  The one I remember has a few different words, but I recall it each spring when I venture out into my own garden to begin cleanup.  It was also this poem that sang in my head (or was it my heart?) when I decided to go to the Chicago Botanic Gardens on Tuesday.  The moment I stepped upon the first path, I felt that sense of calm that only a venture through a garden brings.  Something about Tuesday's calm was different however.  I had no thoughts, no plans, no sense of time; I was relaxed and completely present to the moment.  I felt a bit odd, though, because normally I would be thinking about the beauty of God's handiwork in the feast of the senses I was experiencing, yet I just had no thoughts....  I walked wherever my feet decided to go, stopped whenever my camera aimed at textures, colors, patterns, and 'nature moments'.  Passing the gardeners at their labor, I even felt like I was planting and cultivating with them in preparation for the garden wishes that summer grants.  When I viewed my photographs the next day, I recognized how each little moment of my garden stroll had been a seed for the spiritual nourishment of my soul, filling it with peace and a love that cannot adequately be put into words (because words aren't necessary).  It had been the Holy Spirit's way of teaching me about contemplative prayer; an expression of prayer I admire in the saints and wondered how to practice.  In the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2709)  St. Teresa is quoted as saying:  'Contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.'  That is what Tuesday felt like - that close sharing and peaceful love - only now I realize which 'friend' I was sharing with.  In being completely present to the moments of the garden, I experienced what it is like to be completely present to God.  I didn't have to feel odd not thinking about God; I was already walking with Him.      

Image credit:
(http://www.slatelady.com/photogallery/images/garden_poem_slate.JPG)

The Good Taste of God's Grace

                   

Yesterday was an unexpected revelation of 'gifts' for me.  First of all, I was excited to be substituting again at the Catholic high school I have grown very fond of.  Their spiritual theme for the year had focused on sharing stories.  Coincidentally (or as a former graduate school classmate of mine once told me:  'God working in disguise'), I was sharing the 'ending' of their story in the celebration of the last school Mass of the year just as I had shared the 'beginning' of their story at the first one.  But it was more than that.  Back in September the teacher I accompanied to Mass was about to bring new life into the world and I would be substituting for her during her leave.  Yesterday's Mass was dedicated to a teacher who had just passed away the night before.  Alpha and Omega - a beginning of a journey on earth and an ending to an earthly pilgrimage celebrated in one school year through a breaking of the bread together.  Yet it was still more than that.  While I didn't know the deceased teacher very well, I realized that the brief encounters I did have with her at lunch or in the hall had a profound effect on me.  If I had never known that she was battling cancer I probably wouldn't have guessed, such was her cheerful demeanor.  I admired her healthy lunches that she patiently ate even though she might have been feeling ill.  I admired her flamboyant and colorful clothing that drew attention to her and not to her thinning body.  I cherished our brief encounters of conversation in the hallway during passing periods; compliments on one another's clothing or a supportive comment about teaching children.  Most of all, I admired her courage in continuing to pursue a beloved profession even in the wake of profound suffering.  Her motivating force?  A deep faith in God and a deep love for the students in her care. This love was evident in the grief of both the students and the staff.  How might I bring comfort should the need arise?  What could I say after such a brief acquaintance?  So I thought, "If one could take one thing from that teacher and keep it one's heart to honor her memory, what would it be?  How would she like for us to 'know Him' through her?"  What I didn't anticipate was that my own response would bring me comfort; it was that sacred bite of food, a moment of grace - Kay's gift of courage.  
(Please see my next post, 'A Letter to Kay' for my tribute to her.)

Letter to Kay

                                                    


Dear Kay,

Although I didn't know you very well, I wanted to say 'thank you' for the gift you gave me.  You see, I had a rather rough teaching experience a few years ago and although I made it through that year as graciously as possible, I seemed to be fearful that I 'lost' the teacher I used to be.  After hearing of the suffering you went through and seeing your cheerful endurance as you pursued the career you loved, I now realize that I never really lost anything.  Rather, I just didn't recognize where I was on my path and your gift of courage has shown me that when we do what we love, our suffering (in whatever form it takes) needn't feel insurmountable.  I recognize that your courage came from your unwavering faith in God which was shown through every bit of small talk we ever had.  So I thank you, Kay, for that something of yourself that you left with me; for whenever I may hear your name or happen to think of you in the future, I will recall that COURAGE means I can be whoever God needs me to be.  May you rest peacefully in the arms of the One whom you so dearly loved and modeled to your students and faculty family.

Table Talk #1

"What is your most memorable moment about Sunday Mass?"

Hmm...my moment goes back to attending Mass as a child before celebrating my First Communion.   Periodically my father took me with him on a Sunday morning to the 9:45 Mass.  I was fascinated by all the 'gestures' I saw him do, and impressed by his disciplined silence and robust singing of 'Holy God, We Praise Thy Name' (He had been in the St. Alphonsus all-boys' choir and was also an altar boy so after Mass he would tell me stories about these experiences.)  What I distinctly remember, though, is my father's hand on my knee when my short little legs that couldn't reach the floor would be swinging back and forth.  The first time I was doing this, my father whispered that swinging my leg meant I wasn't paying attention in God's house.  After that his hand on my offending knee reminded me that being at Mass required a different, and special behavior; an early lesson on appropriate reverence!  Today when I am restless in church I can still feel my father's hand....


Your turn!
Please join in 'table talk' by sharing with us a memory you have of a Mass or liturgical service from your childhood or adulthood in the comment section following this blog post. 

A Tongue of Honey

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/pics/Saint_Ambrose_of_Milan_Holy_Spirit.jpg

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Antiques and Garden Fair at the Chicago Botanic Gardens with my fifteen-year-old.  I am not an 'antiques addict' but I do enjoy browsing through them to see what people have kept, what has survived the years (sometimes miraculously) , and what simply piques my curiosity.  Among the many beautiful items was a 5-foot tall image of St. Ambrosius hand-woven from some kind of grass or reed in the early 1900's.  What caught my attention was not that I recognized that it was St. Ambrosius (because I surely did not); rather it was the mitre and bishop's staff, and the fact that a religious image was amongst the many secular items at the fair.  In his upraised hand he was holding a beehive and he himself was also designed to be a hive!  The piece had never been utilized as a hive and was in pristine condition.  What was the significance of the beehive, I wondered?  After a search of several sites online, I discovered the legend that as an infant "a swarm of bees settled on his mouth as a prophecy that he would be gifted with eloquence."  (www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1207.shtml)  It is also felt that the honey left by the bees on the infant's tongue "lead to the unusual sweetness in his lyrics...."  (swarm-catcher-lel.blogspot.com/2009/02/st-zosima-and-st-savatii-my-favourite.html)
Here are some additional notes of biographical interest:

>St. Ambrosius, more commonly known as St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan
>feast day is December 7 (recognized by the Church as his day of consecration)
>one of the 8 Great Doctors of the Church
>elected bishop while still a catechumen (such was his eloquence with the people!)
>responsible for the conversion of St. Augustine
>accredited with the Ambrosian chant and many Latin hymns
>spoke against the Arian heresies of his time
>known as the patron saint of beekeeping 

My son asked me on the way to the fair, "Why are we going to this again?"  I cheerfully responded that it would be a 'feast for the senses':  a myriad of colors, designs, and textures; the scents of antiquity and fresh flowers; a taste of wine to enjoy while browsing (for me, anyway); the conversations of visitors and vendors.  Little did I know that God would also plant a seed that would lead to learning about one of the Doctors of the Catholic Church!  I leave you with a prayer that we may follow the example of St. Ambrose's eloquence with people and in defense of our faith, and that our words may always be perceived as sweetness to the ears of others.
    

Taste and See

When I returned to teaching in the Catholic school system (after sixteen years of being part stay-at-home mom and part-time curriculum director for a tutoring center), I was not expecting the ‘hunger’ to strike. In fact, I hadn’t even been planning on returning to classroom teaching, but God obviously had other plans for me.  I absolutely loved teaching fifth grade, especially Religion, and discovered I was ‘falling in love’ with my Roman Catholic faith.  As a cradle Catholic and graduate of nine years of parochial school I had never before experienced this depth of feeling.  The more I taught the faith, the more I learned with the students, and the more passionate I became about it as well.  This passion fueled my ‘hunger’ and I began researching graduate schools of theology/religious studies in order to be ‘fed’ further by the treasures of our Catholic faith.  Digging more deeply into Scripture and Tradition has also made me thirst for a better/closer relationship with God our Father and His only Son, Jesus Christ (more on this another time).  The point to this can be found in the message that I share with my students at the beginning of and during each school year:  we never stop learning about our faith and what God reveals to us, and it is a humbling privilege to be on this lifelong journey together as we ‘fall more in love’ with our faith and grow closer to our Lord in the process.  The more we learn, the hungrier we will become!  It is my prayerful hope that you will rediscover the nourishment of God’s love and the Catholic tradition in the ‘sacred bytes’ offered in this blogspot, and that we will share these moments in our fellowship of pilgrimage as the Body of Christ!  Will you come taste and celebrate what the Catholic faith offers us with me?