Last night I watched a little bit of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, before being called away to solve an equipment crisis in the sacristy. Any praying person has to identify a little with poor Linus, as his primitive belief in the Great Pumpkin, though doomed and ultimately inadequate, has some elements of theological sophistication.
First, he knows that the Great Pumpkin will not appear if he is dismissed or disbelieved. He requires sincerity and faith, just like the God for Whom believing is seeing. And one only has to peruse the gospel according to John lightly to see that this is indeed the case; to believe and to see God are ultimately the same thing. Meister Eckhart knew this when he famously said, "the eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me."
Second, Linus knows that the Great Pumpkin is not just a fulfiller of selfish human wishes. Unlike Santa Claus, he does not take requests. He brings you something, yes, but you can't choose it and are only called to be grateful.
Third, Linus knows that, despite the failure of the Great Pumpkin to appear, or better, our failure to allow him to appear, Linus must remain faithful.
October 31, 2007
Halloween Again
And who could let this day go by without the eponymous song by the greatest band of all time, the Misfits.
October 29, 2007
Franciscan Blogroll
For those who read or blog in Spanish, check out La Parroquia Maria Madre del Buen Pastor.
Baptism
Yesterday I had my first baptisms ever. It was quite an experience, trying to preach, sing, and lead prayer over the cacophonous din of babies and children, and to maintain some sense of ritual with little people running around all over the place. At one point I turned around from the font and saw some little kid sitting on St. Francis's altar!
I wasn't mad though; in fact it made me think about the unstoppable energy of life and love that God overflows over our world, despite all our efforts to make life gloomy, bitter, and sad.
I really appreciated the four movements of the ritual. We start in the back of the church because the children are beginning their Christian life. Then, as always, we pause to listen to the Word. Having heard the Word, we move to the font for the anointings and baptism. Finally, we arrive at the altar. The altar is the tomb of Christ, in which the newly baptized are now buried. It is also the cross of Christ, on which water and blood flowed from Jesus' side for them who are now washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Right after my own baptism I remember hearing the deacon whisper to himself, "beautiful." Now I know how he felt.
I wasn't mad though; in fact it made me think about the unstoppable energy of life and love that God overflows over our world, despite all our efforts to make life gloomy, bitter, and sad.
I really appreciated the four movements of the ritual. We start in the back of the church because the children are beginning their Christian life. Then, as always, we pause to listen to the Word. Having heard the Word, we move to the font for the anointings and baptism. Finally, we arrive at the altar. The altar is the tomb of Christ, in which the newly baptized are now buried. It is also the cross of Christ, on which water and blood flowed from Jesus' side for them who are now washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Right after my own baptism I remember hearing the deacon whisper to himself, "beautiful." Now I know how he felt.
October 28, 2007
Franciscan Blogroll
Check out this gem: Our Lady's Little Scribe, the blog of the Our Lady of the Pearl fraternity of the SFO in Pearlington, Mississippi.
October 26, 2007
Random or Weird Facts Meme
I'm really bad about these memes. I don't respond when tagged, and even if I do, I don't tag others as instructed. But this one that Paula has tagged me with is just too tempting to pass up.
So here goes, seven weird or random facts about me:
1. I believe that I had mystical experiences as a little kid.
2. The first time I ever knew of any connection between classical philosophy and Christianity was in the Iron Maiden song, Alexander the Great.
3. Since I left home seventeen years ago to go to college, I have lived at 17 different addresses.
4. I celebrate my baptismal name day on the feast of Charles Lwanga. In odd ways, I have come to appreciate him more and more over the years.
5. The first place I ever read the Scriptures at Mass was inside the Lord's tomb at the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and the first place I was ever an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion was in the Capuchin church in Cartago, Costa Rica.
6. Here on my desk I have a sliver of wood from St. Bonaventure's cell at the Franciscan hermitage of Monte Casale.
7. When I noticed that I was tagged for this meme, I was listening to Rammstein's Rosenrot.
So here goes, seven weird or random facts about me:
1. I believe that I had mystical experiences as a little kid.
2. The first time I ever knew of any connection between classical philosophy and Christianity was in the Iron Maiden song, Alexander the Great.
3. Since I left home seventeen years ago to go to college, I have lived at 17 different addresses.
4. I celebrate my baptismal name day on the feast of Charles Lwanga. In odd ways, I have come to appreciate him more and more over the years.
5. The first place I ever read the Scriptures at Mass was inside the Lord's tomb at the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and the first place I was ever an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion was in the Capuchin church in Cartago, Costa Rica.
6. Here on my desk I have a sliver of wood from St. Bonaventure's cell at the Franciscan hermitage of Monte Casale.
7. When I noticed that I was tagged for this meme, I was listening to Rammstein's Rosenrot.
Franciscan Blogroll
Check out my latest delightful discovery of the Franciscan family blogsophere: Franciscan Diary.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)