Final Commendation of Senator Kennedy

Edward Kennedy was a United States Senator and there was really no way to avoid the public nature of his funeral. It was fitting that his sons gave some thoughts about their late father although I am not a big fan of eulogies within the mass. The purpose of the mass was NOT to alienate people, especially those faithful to the pro-life cause. It was to commend his soul to God and to provide comfort for those who loved Senator Kennedy. If it did, then that is unfortunate.
In spite of what he stood for for much of his life, we must give him the benefit of the doubt that he received the sacraments in their entirety and had made his peace with God. It is the state of his soul at that time that matters. Who knows what personal demons this man carried? Who knows what sort of purification he underwent or still needs to undergo in purgatory.
The mass of Christian burial is to entrust his soul to God and to console the living. The rest is up to God. This is what was compassionate and charitable about the liturgy. It is our sacred duty to pray for his soul and to HOPE for his salvation. If you read the homily from the mass, the priest preaches eloquently about the HOPE of resurrection. What if Jesus on the cross said to Dismas, "I'm sorry but you were a MURDERER and a THIEF, the kingdom is not open to you."
What if Kennedy cried out to Christ and asked for forgiveness?
Apparently, Senator Kennedy was given a lot of bad advice and doctrine from some priests and theologians. As a politician, Kennedy was an easy target for "powers and principalities". He also did a lot of good for the poor and the elderly.
I am hoping that beyond the pro-life cause, that those who saw the mass, were able to see the Church as a place of compassion and Truth. Very few people live up to the demands of the gospel. The gospel that was used was Matt 25. I hope that what people saw was a Church is truly pro-life and prays for those and loves her children, in spite of the ways the have failed to live up to her teaching.
This is not to diminish his role in his support of any legislation regarding abortion. I too, wish he could have been a CATHOLIC politician in the best way. THEN he would have been a hero.
I am sickened by the likes of Pelosi and her other "catholic" politicians of her ilk. Nothing short of supernatural intervention will probably change their stance on abortion. In the public square, Catholics need to strive for truth and to influence our politicians to take a pro-life stance. We cannot be Catholics of two consciences- one that is focused on "social justice" and one that is "pro-life". To be pro-life is to be a person of justice. To be a person of justice is to be pro-life. Catholics and all Christians are called to be united in Christ's call to love the widow, the orphan, the elderly, the sick, and the unborn. The Truth of Christ is to be "merciful as the Father is merciful." The Truth is that Christ has given his all to atone for our sins.
This is the Truth that Senator Kennedy and all Christians trust in. God's mercy is greater than we can ever imagine. Teresa of Avila wrote that our sins in God's presence are like a drop of water in an ocean of fire. This is the Truth that I trust in. May God have mercy on the soul of Senator Kennedy and on mine.

Bishop Marino of Madison, Wisconsin also has an interesting perspective on this.http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17045

I found this article later on Facebook and have changed my views on the matter.
An essay by Msgr Carumbula of Human Life International with a contrasting view on Kennedy's funeral.http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/sep/09090804.html

Satisfy the Hungry Heart

For those who have never had the blessing of a close priestly friend to go on vacation with, celebrating a private mass at a vacation home is a wonderful gift. These intimate masses offer another dimension of the liturgy that relatively few people get to experience. This past spring my friends and I had the privilege to celebrate two masses with a close priest friend. My friend Fr. Tony has only been ordained two years and his training in the liturgy has served him well. We both had the same professor in seminary and he instilled in all of us a reverence for the liturgy that respects the tradition. The masses that we celebrated with Fr. Tony reminded me of how simple and beautiful our liturgy is. Certain newly ordained priests make it a priority to prepare themselves spiritually in the prayers over the vestments. This itself is a ritual not unlike the way an athlete "vests" themselves before a game. What sets apart anyone who wishes to excel in their field is preparation. We've all heard the term of putting your game face on or bringing your "A" game. As Fr. Tony went through this preparation ritual of vesting and prayers, one definitely got the sense that he was bringing his "A" game.
I have had the privilege of having attended many "beach" masses over the years, especially at our annual seminarian beach retreat. While each priest celebrating the mass had his own unique style, there is always a beauty and simplicity to these informal settings that I could always appreciate. Your local daily mass is probably the closest one could come to this experience. The experience is also heightened while on vacation because you are with your family and friends and the experience of "communio" is no just a theological concept but a tangible one.
It is not so much that Fr. Tony did anything innovative or unique. He was carrying out what his training taught him to do. He is probably not unlike his former Marine pilot father in this sense.
There is also nothing particularly pious about the way in which Fr Tony carried out this ritual or celebrated the mass. He performs the gestures and speaks the texts without added flair or drama! What a concept!? Basically, he followed what was in the book. I'm not saying there are not times during our liturgical season when the Church pulls out the stops and the liturgy truly engages all the senses. We are an incarnational faith after all.
The two masses at the beach house made an impression on me because it drew me into an intimacy with God that I have not experienced in quite some time. It was was a true gift to have been able to share the Lord's supper with a few close friends. Amy and I have decided to go to mass at a smaller community and for the most part we enjoy the celebrations there. Some of the other parishes are basically Catholic mega-churches and it is difficult to get a sense of the sacred at these celebrations. We long to be nourished not only in word and sacrament in a community where we won't get lost in the crowd.
A parish can have the resources to do liturgy well- to pay a Director of Liturgy, to pay a Music Ministry Director, an organist, have a state of the art sound system, tons of EMC's etc. During the major seasons and feast days, no expense is spared at decorations and environment etc. Some parishes don't have the luxury of being able to do this. I would argue that MOST parishes around the world don't have the resources to do give to their liturgies. My question is, are all these extras really necessary? If you can do it, why not?
The reason I am asking these questions is because I am not sure if the way in which many parishes celebrate the Liturgy truly offers a spiritually satisfying experience. It is difficult to quantify this but there are different programs that can help measure the over-all satisfaction they might have with their faith community. The Gallup organization has developed a parish based tool based on the Strength Finders method that can help determine how many people are engaged in your parish through worship, education, service, and community activities.
I wonder how many people attend mass regularly who have an experience or encounter with God. This is not about some sort of spiritual ectasy experienced by some of our spiritual masters or spiritual padawam- because these experiences are ALWAYS pure gift and given, never earned.
Are our liturgies helping people to place God at the center of their lives once again every week? Do they help us be more loving and compassionate people? Do the scriptures truly come alive and speak to us? Do we truly know who it is we are receiving and whom we are called to not only imitate by BECOME?
I came across an article that spurred these thoughts and I would encourage you to read it. Fourteen Easy Steps to Improve the Liturgy. There is a fine line between what some would consider to "enhance" the liturgy and entertainment. I, for one, do not need to be entertained at a liturgy. We hunger for the sacred and the liturgy needs to point us in that direction. The power of our liturgy comes from the Holy Spirit and sometimes, it seems as if we are led more by man's spirit and not God's.

268 Days and Counting

Amy and I were out tonight and did something that surprised us both. In a way, it is an appropriate add-on to our engagement story. The long and short of it is that we bought my wedding band tonight and I am happy with it. I'm really happy that we did because it had been more difficult finding a ring than I had expected. For the past few months, whenever we had the opportunity to look at rings I would go and try a few on, but never was quite satisfied with what I looked at. The ring we settled on is pretty simple and just looked right on my finger. I'm really happy with it or should I say, WE are really happy with it, and we also had a good deal. I was curious about the history and symbolism of the wedding band and found this link:

http://www.thehistoryof.net/history-of-the-wedding-ring.html

The wedding band is a symbol of a sacred and indissoluble promise we will be a making to one another. As Amy and I continue to prepare for this day, we grow more aware not only of the depth of our love but also the challenges that we will face. We have not had an easy summer, especially since I am still looking for work and facing my growing sense of inadequacy about my prospects. Trusting in God is getting to be more of a challenge and there are times when I seriously question some of the choices I have made in life. Regardless of my current challenges, Amy has shown me what it means to be faithful. It is difficult for men sometimes to communicate their fears and anxieties to their partners. I feel a need to protect Amy and not to cause her more stress in her life. Is this an illusion of mine to feel that I can "protect" her? When I don't communicate my fears to her, she transfers blame to herself, and wonders if she has done something wrong, so I'm not really protecting her am I?
Marriage is a beautiful sacrament and it is the only sacrament that a priest is not a minister of, but only a witness. The rings we will be exchanging are symbols of the promise to love one another faithfully until death. The space in the middle is not empty. It is a doorway, a portal to what lies ahead. I can't wait until Amy and I walk through that door together.