Carla Mae's Blog

We are in the full glow of Easter as this month begins. What has been occupying my mind are the words of John Chrysostom: “He is no longer now where he was; now he is where we are.” This may explain the words of scripture about how Jesus revealed himself. Now you see him, now you don’t. There is the supper table, then the seashore with breakfast cooking. There is the journey to Emmaus. There are the sudden appearances when they are all gathered together. Are we missing something here? I don’t think so. Jesus seems to be getting them used to a new way he will be around. No longer the old historical way, but wherever they are. Then this is where we need to expect to find him today too: glimpses; appearances in the darkness of our faith especially when we are with one another. Our Ministry Assessment this year spotlights our Mission/Charism and Focus Statements. Both call for a kind of presence ; in other words, how we appear. So we might ask ourselves, “What kind of pr...

What a strange statement. The cross is humilitation and torture, victimization and execution, violence and dehumanization…everything I want to avoid. Glory?   I don’t know about you, but at first glance I find this a hard saying. Maybe that’s my problem. It’s a first glance. Maybe I haven’t looked long enough. Maybe I just don’t see . These first weeks after Easter are all about appearances. They are gathered, and suddenly he is there. Then he is gone. They are walking, and he joins them. They are fishing and suddenly he is there cooking breakfast. The Church will give us readings from the Acts of the Apostles, showing us what the early Church is doing. Maybe this is what John Chrysostom meant when he said, “He is no longer where he was; now he is where we are.” They had to get used to this new kind of “presence,” and so do we. It demands a leap of faith, and a trust the Eucharist reaffirms over and over. “I am risen and still with you.” Faith is a dark light…and no, I ...

As this reflection reaches us we are moving steadily toward the wonder of Holy Week, and what God has done… We’ve been alerted as to the temptations we will face; we’ve been to the mountaintop and heard “Look to me and be radiant…”; then we were shown that we should be like fruitful trees; and finally in March we were shown the heart of “the Plan”: reconciliation. God and me. God and us. Our presence is to be one of bringing things together. We are to be reconcilers. The third chapter of Francis’ letter on holiness shows us what this looks like – or maybe smells like. Beatitude living can be described as the “odor of sanctity,” an image that has always delighted me. Some people just smell good. There is that faint odor of flowers or cleanliness about them. It’s a physical thing. But those who emit beatitude living truly emit a certain spiritual energy that is wonderful. They project a positive energy, an attitude of gratitude and joy. They might be blind or mute or in a wh...

Th ere is a Plan . Yes, most of the time things look pretty haphazard, but really, there is a Plan. It becomes quite clear if we see the Sunday readings connected with each other week to week. Let’s take a look. We began the first Sunday of Lent by being confronted with the temptations that are sure to be part of our lives. Then we were taken to the mountaintop and shown a Jesus that dazzled us. The message? “Look to me and be radiant…” On the third Sunday we were told we need to be like fruitful trees, drawing up the love-sap that allows us to offer something delicious to our neighbors. Then with the fourth Sunday we are shown the bottom line: we are to be reconcilers. We need to be ready to show the greatest fruitfulness of all: forgiveness. Yup...it looks like a plan alright. April dawns, and with Lent’s fifth Sunday we are given an explosive message to keep on track: “…neither do I condemn you.” Sometimes when the going gets tough and we’ve not really kept to our Lente...

Francis’ Letter, Exult and Rejoice, continues to give us food for thought. His second chapter warns us of two very twisted views that can deform our response to the call to holiness. They are both old familiar heresies. The first is called Gnosticism . In simple terms, it means your smarts will make you holy. A subtle form of superficial conceit, Gnosticism considers its own vision of reality to be perfect. It feeds on itself, and tends to be disembodied. This sad state of mind can be reflected in racism. “I know we are superior to those black people. We’re better educated and disciplined.” There is little awareness that our elitism rests on the backs of those we have kept in poor neighborhoods and schools. Disembodiment keeps “those people” at a distance, we are out of touch with “those others.” The second view that can deform authentic holiness is called Pelagianism . As Gnosticism distorts intelligence, so Pelagianism attacks the human will. It suggests that we can fix o...

As we enter the desert of this year’s Lent, many of us feel powerless and discouraged. This is a time ripe for God to be God. When we are weak we are strong. I suggest we make use of these times to spend Lent in a somewhat different way to keep the darkness from winning. Prayer:   Rather than add extra “prayers” to your Lenten days, set aside time, maybe ten minutes, to just let God look at you. This is more difficult than you think. You do nothing…except look at God looking. You will feel helpless. You need to feel helpless because you are helpless. You will be teaching yourself to trust totally in God. Then make it a practice all day long, as you fold the laundry, wait at a red light, push the shopping cart down the aisle…to gently go back to that gaze. Intentionally go in and out all day. You will be training your consciousness to gradually develop the ability to “pray always.” Fasting :   If you have been told you are overweight or obese, don’t change your diet b...

As the Christmas season ends, we celebrate the Feast of the Purification…a strange feast in a way, because this Lady needs no purification. So why does the Church continue right on with no apologies? Because, says Isaac of Stella, an early  abbot, “…whatever we say of this lady we must say in some way about the Church and about the individual person.” Now that’s quite a statement. I can hear you thinking… “now just wait a minute…I’m no immaculate conception!” As you might guess, the truth is in the theological distinctions.   The Feast of the Purification sounds a note at this beginning of Ordinary Time. Our lives as Church and as individuals are one big ongoing purification, if we are honest. We are challenged daily to become more who we really are, and God is relentless… calling us step by step into our becoming that dream God sees so clearly. We are the blind ones. We spend all too much time resisting, and being fearful of where God might be leading.   Enter...