'Glee' writer/producer Ian Brennan on being Catholic

It never fails to amaze me how a the faith of a stranger can break into your day and provide surprising inspiration and hope. I fell in love with the show 'Glee' from the very first episode and have been a tried and true 'Gleek' ever since.

Maybe it's because joining the choir at school was something I always wanted to do, but never did. Maybe It's how easy I found it to relate to this group of outcasts and misfits struggling to find their way in an often hostile academic and social environment. The cast of characters is as flawed and beautiful as any group of people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing both in my personal, religious, and professional life. They all have their crosses to bear, crosses they may or may not be aware of, and they are all struggling to deal with them the best that they know how.

Sound familiar? Not only does it sound like the whole of our world in microcosm (such is the purpose of Glee's William McKinley High). Not only does it sound like most all of the social groupings I've ever been a part of. It also sounds strangely similar to the groups of people Jesus surrounded himself with.

All of this from a writer/producer who has himself struggled with faith, belief, and growing up in world that does not always celebrate differences as much as we might like. Just what has it been that has helped Mr. Brennan get through the morass of fear, and doubt, wonder and hope? Apparently his own Catholic faith.

I would invite you to read the speech he delivered this past week on the occasion of his acceptance of a Catholics in Media award. I love his candor-ed surprise at even being nominated, his open sharing of the kinds of persecution he and the entire cast has faced from overly conservative Christian groups, and I love his frank approach to the division between the Church as it often presents itself and/or is presented in the media, and the Church as it truly is 'in the trenches'; that often zany group of outcasts and misfits trying desperately to carry crosses both seen and unseen, seeking only to love and be loved for who they are.

Above all, I love the following passage he shares from a scene in a very early screenplay of the show. The two characters in question no longer exist, but the scene itself is drawn from his own experiences of doubt regarding the existence of God. As it appears in the screenplay, a young girl is trying to console a friend;

“I spent some time kind looking back at some of my journals, and I came across this passage that was like from sixth grade or something, and I found this passage where I had written something which didn’t seem to make any sense like it didn’t have anything to do with what I’d been writing about and like most of the stuff I write kinda dies in childbirth, like never quite makes it all the way out… but I had written, for some reason, I had written about this time when my mom and I were at Wendy’s for lunch and there was this old man sitting by himself just drinking a coffee and eating like just a plain hamburger, like one of the 69 cent ones with just a coffee — and I just… I felt so bad for him, or like didn’t feel bad, really, I just kinda felt for him, I wanted to like be with him, I just wanted to sit there and keep him company, and my mom and I sat there and ate and she was talking and the whole time I just like wanted to go over and sit with him, this old man I didn’t even know just sitting there alone, eating a 69 cent hamburger by himself in the middle of the day… And there was like no way he could ever know that, you know? Like there was no way he could ever guess that. That I felt that way. And like I thought to myself: just as I secretly love this old man who I don’t know sitting across the restaurant from me and there’s no way he would ever know, like I believed there could be something, like, way across the cosmos, unbeknownst to everyone, just, like, loving us. And there’s no way we could ever know it. It would just be there. And it was like this weird, incredible gift. And I think I’ve stopped even like needing that love for myself; it was enough to just stand near it and watch it and know it exists. And I think it makes the rest… I don’t know. I think it makes everything else pretty easy.”

You can find the entire text of Ian Brennan's speech at BustedHalo.com; Raking Leaves, Racked with Skepticism

Peace and God Bless

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RCIC - Information on the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist for Children

In the spring of last year Christ the King Parish was chosen to be one of four parishes in the city of Regina (one of 11 in the Diocese) to pilot a Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation for children. As of this fall all parishes in the Regina Archdiocese will be using this process of initiation for children.

Since June of 2009 information regarding some of the reasons for this change has been made available to our parishioners through the parish bulletin, website and facebook page.

The Restored Order of the Sacraments of Initiation involves changes to the order in which we, as a Church and a parish community celebrate the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist with our children. Where formerly the parish would baptize infants who would later receive First Eucharist and then later still be Confirmed (at around age 12), parishes around the world, at the behest their Bishops and Pope Benedict XVI are moving to restore the originally intended order of these Sacraments so that Confirmation follows Baptism and Christian initiation is completed with the first reception of the Eucharist. Effectively, for those children who were baptized as infants, this means that Confirmation and Eucharist will be celebrated in a single celebration some time after a child has reached seven years of age.

This has required a change in practice, in formation methods, in how we conceptualize the Sacraments of Initiation, and in our own personal commitments. The formation process for children seeking to complete the process of Christian initiation and for the parents who accompany them and who are, as the Church teaches, the first and primary teachers of the faith to their children, requires a deeper commitment of time and an openness on the part of parents to deepen their own faith and their personal relationship with Christ.

In order to ensure that these challenges are met, the parish of Christ the King will be holding a series of meetings seeking to address the issues of the hows and whys of this change in practice, as well as the need for deeper formation of parents and families beginning this fall in preparation for the start of the preparation program itself which will begin in January of 2011. For your convenience, two options are being offered for the initial information evenings; Wednesday September 15th, 2010 at 7:00pm OR Saturday September 18th at 10:00am both in the Parish Hall. These initial information and registration meetings are open to all parents of children in grades two and seven who would have been preparing for the sacraments of First Eucharist and Confirmation in the coming year, as well as to the teachers and religious educators of St. Pius X and Deshaye Catholic Schools and any other interested parishioners of Christ the King.

If you wish your child to complete their Christian Initiation through the reception of Confirmation and Eucharist in the coming year, your attendance at ONE of these initial meetings is mandatory. If you are unable to attend you must plan on your family participating in this formation process at a later date. If you have any questions or concerns prior to this first meeting please do not hesitate to contact me at the parish office.

We look forward to journeying with you and your families in this exciting endeavor in the coming year.

Peace and God Bless

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Discovering God in Your Back to School Rush

It's happening in our home, I'm sure it's either happening now, or you can 'remember when' the big back to school rush sweeps in and takes over your life. If you're anything like Melissa and I you balk at even looking at the school supplies when they make their appearance that first week of August. Like ostriches with their heads in the sand, we duck our heads, avert our gaze and try to pretend that the summer is still as seemingly endless as it was when we were 8.

Time and the turning of the seasons are not so supportive our our desires though, and there comes a point when you can't deny any longer that one season is winding down while another is ramping up. That, and the fact that we're beginning to run out of ideas to keep the kids amused and to prevent them from driving us crazy! It all points toward a time for changes.

Still, how many of us are able to open our eyes and our hearts to see God at work even within the midst of our shopping for loose-leaf, rulers, another calculator, another brand-new backpack, pens, pencils, and the exact brand of pencil crayons that "all the other kids" are sure to have? Can God even be in the middle of this great and frenzied flurry of activity?

Father Paul Brian Campbell, SJ, over at his "People for Others" blog has shared a list from Denise Gorss detailing the ways God can be, and wants to be involved in our lives, even in the midst of our most hectic times. She does a wonderful job of tying the kinds of things we find ourselves doing as we prepare our families for the shift from summer schedules to fall, to the kinds of things that help us to deepen our relationship with God.

A few of my favorites;

1. Have your supplies ready.
With school, it’s backpacks, notebooks (spiral or computer kind), pencils, and crayons. For finding God, it might be a notebook for reflective journaling, a helpful Web site for theological information, or a favorite prayer book. We can meet God with nothing, but sometimes it helps to have a few guides on the journey.

2. Do your homework. We can get by in faith life with going to church once a week, but that’s the minimum in a relationship with God. For maximum understanding, we need to do some work between “classes”—daily prayer being the most important. A relationship with God also grows from time spent in learning more about our faith, whether in a formal parish setting, informal conversations with other people of faith, or private time in reading and conversation with God.

And my personal favorite for as long as I can remember;

5. Take a break for recess. Educators know that children need breaks in the day for their minds to work most fully when it is time to focus. Retreats are one adult version of recess, allowing us to step back from the everyday tasks and reflect on what’s most important. Even if you don’t have time or resources to go away on a retreat, there are ways to step away from the ordinary to get a fresh perspective.

You can find the entire 'to do' list here; 6 Back-To-School Lessons For Finding God
I hope the transition finds you well and perhaps you, as I do, will find God's presence brings you much needed peace within this flurry of activity. I leave you with two prayers of blessing for the start of the school year;

Blessed are you, Lord God,
creator of body, mind and heart;
you have sent the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge
to guide your people in all their ways.

At the beginning of this new school year,
we implore your mercy:
bless the students, teachers and the staff of our schools,
that together we may grow in faith, hope, and love
as we learn from you and each other
how to follow your Son Jesus.

Expand the horizons of our minds,
that we may grow in wisdom,
understanding and knowledge;
deepen our commitment to seek the truth of your ways;
and enliven our faith to reach out to those in need.

Glory and praise to you, Lord, God,
in the Church and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.

Amen.

or

God of wisdom and might,
we praise you for the wonders of our being,
for mind, body, and spirit.
Be with our children as they begin
a new school year.
Bless them and their teachers and staff.

Give them strength and grace as their bodies grow;
wisdom and knowledge to their minds
as they search for understanding;
and peace and zeal to their spirits.

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.


Peace and God Bless

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Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB Speaks About Prayer and Spiritual Direction

Brother David Steindl-Rast, OSB has devoted his life to peace and justice through the ministry of cultivating gratefulness and understanding among spiritual traditions. Originally from Austria, he has published many books including Gratefulness: the Heart of Prayer and his most recent, Deeper than Words: Living the Apostle’s Creed.

He co-founded the Center for Spiritual Studies in 1968, and received the 1975 Martin Buber Award for his achievements in building bridges among religious traditions. Together with Thomas Merton, Brother David helped launch a renewal of religious life. From 1970 on, he became a leading figure in the House of Prayer movement, which affected some 200,000 members of religious orders in the United States and Canada.

Today Brother David speaks about prayer, the gifts of spiritual direction, what to look for in a spiritual guide and what you might bring into your relationship with you spiritual director;

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Anthony de Mello on Prayer and Waking Up to Reality - Part 2

Part two in a three-part series of the only conference Father Anthony de Mello SJ allowed to be video taped. He continues his examination of this idea of coming to awareness of the goodness God places in our lives right here an right now, a goodness and grace that continues to abide regardless of what current physical or emotional state happens to be passing through us.

While not explicit in his examination, the words of Jesus' sermon on the mount are echoed;

" ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today." Matthew 6:25-34

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I Am A Christian

It's not always easy to hold your head high in the world and proclaim with loud voice "I am a Christian!" We're told our faith is a private thing, we're made to feel overbearing, or fanatical if we announce that we follow Christ and allow His teaching, his Spirit, His love define what we do and how we do it in the world.

I can't begin to count how many times I hear people quote the venerable St. Francis of Assisi when speaking of evangelizing and sharing the Good News; "Preach the gospel always, If necessary use words." Wise words, and deeply true. Yet I sometimes have the feeling that the people quoting him are hiding the active, obvious living out of their faith behind the words.

It's true, Jesus DID a lot. It's true too that we will be judged not so much on how many times we cried out "Jesus is Lord" as we will on what we have actually done - “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:31-46) - yet, sometimes isn't it nice to actually name under whose reign we are acting? While Francis counsels against ALWAYS speaking about the gospel, ALWAYS telling people about the Good News and who it is that we have gotten this Good News from...doesn't he also say that sometimes it's okay...sometimes maybe it's even necessary?

This all came to mind today with an email I received from one of our parishioners. Her daughter, who is 12, came home with a poem written at school about her faith in Christ.

Did I mention she's 12?

Do you remember speaking up about any firmly held belief at 12 years old? It's not the easiest thing in the world to do. I know I struggled with it. I know my own kids struggled and I know most kids in elementary and high school would rather eat broken glass than proclaim so loudly whose child they are, and what faith lies at the root of all their deeds and thoughts, feelings and desires.

Yet here it is, at least one courageous voice made all the more meaningful because she's not aware of just how courageous it is to (sometimes) lift your voice and tell the world;

I Am A Christian - By Ruth O'Reilly

I am:

Cheerful, life in Christ is good

Helpful, never too busy to serve others

Respectful, considerate of other’s dignity

I am:

Interested in my faith, there is so much to learn

Satisfied, God’s grace is all I need

Truthful, always prepared to say what is right

I am:

Involved in the activities of my Parish

Awed by the beauty of God’s creation

Natural, I’m glad to be who I am

I am this and so much more

I am a Christian

Thank-you Ruth, and your mom for sharing this with me and with us today.

Peace and God Bless

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2 Weeks Only so Grabbit Fast! "What's Your Descision?" a FREE e-book from Ingnatian Spirituality.com

I found this offer in my email this morning. I've been subscribing to Ignatian Spirituality.com's e-newsletter for a few months now and the articles, links and information they send on have always been wonderful. This morning though, the offer of a limited time free e-book on discernment really caught my eye.

Ignatius' steps to decision making have been an invaluable tool for me in my life and in my ministry. It is a process which, as a spiritual director I have already helped a few others journey through in the process of making their own choices about the directions of their lives. This particular book has a lot to offer anyone in the process of making choices themselves, or for spiritual directors helping directees through the process of discernment.

Here's a exerpt from the first chapter. The download link follows;

When Wendy was a junior in high school, an epidemic of methamphetamine abuse swept through her small Ohio town. Several friends became addicted. One died in an auto accident caused by a driver high on meth. Many adults in the town became addicted and some lost their homes, businesses, and marriages. Several went to prison. Wendy knew people who tried and failed to break their addiction to this powerful drug. While still in high school, she resolved to do something about it. The desire to help drug addicts grew while Wendy was in college. She graduated with honors and went to medical school. Now she is a resident in internal medicine, specializing in substance abuse. She likes working with addicts. She’s impressed with new treatment approaches and wants to work as a physician in a drug and alcohol treatment facility. Such work doesn’t pay well, but Wendy doesn’t care about money. She wants to help addicts. Although she’s not a regular churchgoer, she does believe that there is inherent meaning to life—it’s not just a random set of circumstances. She has felt the stirring of a sense of purpose while working in her chosen field, and she has found that prayerful reflection helps a lot in the process of choosing that work. Wendy is in love with Robert, who is finishing his MBA. Robert wants to make money. He’s bright, energetic, and sought after by prospective employers. Now he is deciding among three attractive job offers: an analyst for a hedge fund, a position with a promising biotech start-up company, and a job with a multinational bank. Robert wants Wendy to marry him. He’s generous and kind, and Wendy feels deeply for him, but he doesn’t share her desire to help addicts. He’s tried to convince Wendy to go into a more lucrative branch of medicine. His philosophy is “Let’s get rich. Then we can do anything. We can start our own treatment clinic if that’s what you want.” Wendy is torn. Sometimes Robert’s attitude displeases her, but at other times, it makes sense. She loves Robert, but she realizes she would have to give up her vision of a future to marry him. What should she do? God Cares about Our Decisions How should Wendy go about making this decision? That’s what this book is about. Here we present a methodology for decision making that has helped millions of people make sound and satisfying choices.

About the Book:
Where should I go to college? Whom should I marry? Should I change careers? When—and where—should I retire? All of us have important decisions to make throughout our lives. Yet without a sound process in place for making key decisions, we are likely to question whether or not our final decision was a good decision; more to the point, we will never feel fully confident that our decision was what God truly desired for us.

What’s Your Decision? is a spiritual approach to decision making based on the insights of St. Ignatius Loyola. With the guidance of J. Michael Sparough, SJ, and Tim Hipskind, SJ—both of them experienced counselors and spiritual directors—readers will learn how to apply tried-and-true Ignatian ideas to the decision-making process.

And for two weeks only, download the entire book for free!

What's Your Decision?

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