Midday Rambling

Oftentimes, atheists will sneer about how religion is used as a crutch for the feeble-minded and weak-willed who, unable to accomplish anything of note in this world, need the illusion of a celestial Santa Claus and pie-in-the-sky paradise in order to cope with the cold, dark reality of their own failed existence. My fellow believers often guffaw and deny this accusation, stating that religion is much more difficult than meets the eye and that, in fact, life would be far easier if there wasn't a God brooding over out actions and threatening hell fire unless we fufill His commands. In my experience, this is the wrong way to react to the accusation. Religion is difficult, yes, but it is most definitely a crutch. My assertion would be that there is nothing to be ashamed of in that.

Allow me to give you the most poignant example I can think of. Around 6 years ago, on a rainy, miserable afternoon, I served Mass for the residents of Gracedale, a retirement home on the outskirts of my hometown of Nazareth. It was horrible. WWII veterans drooling on themselves, toothless, tremendously fat old women staring blankly in the distance or at a television. What an unspeakable tragedy, I thought, that these people who were once full of vigor, life and love are now reduced to this, awaiting death amidst the smell of old t.v. dinners and urine. Is this life, is this justice? Is this God's plan for humanity, to rot and die abandoned and alone? But, I quickly put these questions aside and prepared myself for Mass, during which, something fascinating happened.

In the middle of the liturgy, an old woman in the back randomly started singing "Jesus loves me" the famous children's hymn which most people know a few verses of. "Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so." I could see she was in a wheelchair, was overweight and was wearing a hospital gown adorned with teddy bears. She obviously suffered from some level of dementia, and, yet, there she was, rattling off the children's hymn in the middle of the Holy of Holies. That struck me deeply. I turned my eyes to the large, kitsch painting of Jesus adorning the chapel wall and realized for the first time that, yes, religion is a crutch. We humans, if we have a heart, no matter how well off we percieve ourselves to be, need a crutch. In the face of the horrors of this life, where suffering abounds and it seems as though no one gives a damn, yes, we need a crutch. We need the promise of a benevolent Father who will watch over us and tend to our needs when no one else will. As the Psalmist says, "Even if a mother were to forget the child suckling at her breast, I will not forget you."

That image, dear readers, has carried countless souls through the hardships and trials of this veil of tears, and I can't see for a second why we should do without it. Even if there was no God, and Christianity is just a massive illusion, so what? If there is no God, then why should truth matter? What consolation is it to the dying, to that old woman in the hospital gown and thick glasses, to tell them that Jesus doesn't love them and that their life meant nothing? If God is dead, readers, then we might as well bury truth with Him. And to hell with those who say differently. Then again, perhaps I am being hopelessly sentimental. Am I though? It is an objective fact that if there is no God, there are no ojective standards by which we can guide our lives. If there is no God, there is no objective reason we should do anything. We might as well spend our entire lives jacking off in a closet, because, in the grand scheme of things, that's just as productive as winning the nobel peace prize or finding a cure for cancer.

As I meditate on these things, and I ask you to forgive me for my rambling, as I'm a bit fuzzy today and am suffering from horrible writer's block, I am reminded that I have to give you a tip on how to be a better Catholic, which would be this.

1. Go out and do something nice for someone who is rejected and "unwanted" by society. Show them the love of Jesus. That is all for this week.

In Nomine Domini: Honoring God's Name

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the just runneth to it, and shall be exalted." 

- Proverbs 18:10

The "Name of God" is a powerful concept in Catholicism. We begin and end all our prayers, for example, in "the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit". Exorcists cast out demons in the name of Christ, and we are told that we will receive anything we desire if we but ask it in the name of the Lord. This trust in God's name is by no means exclusive, however, to Catholics, or even Christians. Muslims open every prayer by invoking, "...the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful" and authentic* Jews consider it an abomination to speak the revealed name of God aloud, often substituting Adonai (Our Lords) or HaShem (The Name) in its place simply out of fear of the Name's raw power. And yet, we in this post-modern era are tempted to ask, "What's in a name?" In our modern thought, after all, the concept of a "name" has little significance. Some individuals often change their names as it pleases them, utilize a stage name, or reduce it to a purely aesthetic matter, naming their kids "Apple" or "Teal" or, in the case of one poor soul in Northumberland, England, "Lady Gaga". In Judeo-Christian thought however, there is more to a name than meaningless designation or empty aestheticism. According to ancient near-eastern (and, hence, Abrahamic) thought, the name of something was thought to be a "seperate manifestation" of a being, conveying something of its essence. Thus, by invoking the name of a deity, one could, in a mysterious way, summon their power or presence. This is why, in Christianity and Judaism, a child isn't endowed with a name until baptism or circumcision, whereupon they are fully intergrated into the faith community and establish their relationship with the Almighty. This is also why children are given the names of saints or prophets. A name for the believer is more than a mere designation, rather it is a constant reminder of the true purpose of human existence. It is a sign of their very essence. Likewise, the name of God makes manifest His presence and power. By venerating and invoking His name, we honor Him and summon His power. Corretively, if we disparage His name, we disparage Him. Make sense? Of course it does. 

I'm tempted to delve into the innumerable ways in which our society disparages and blasphemes the name of God, but, I don't think anyone needs me to rehash the obvious. The pertinent question here is, how do we bolster reverence for the name of God? As we all know, change without begins with change within. We have to reform our own behavior before we can hope to reform others. So, here are some quick, easy tips for honoring the name of God in everyday situations, and thus, hopefully, make us better people.

1. Avoid "OMG": I know, I know. It seems trivial but, in my experience, it is an effective method for building reverence for God in our own hearts and minds. I'm guilty of it myself, and will occasionally let this slip in text or conversation. However, when you think about it, when we say this day in and day out, including during the most trvial of conversations, are we in any way honoring or even thinking of God? If the answer is no, then we are really guilty of taking the Lord's name in vain. If we are not utilizing speech to venerate God, than at the very least we can remain silent.

2. Stop saying "Jesus Christ" as a profanity: This, dear readers, is a classic case of what we Catholics like to refer as "blasphemy". That's why it always struck me as weird that my parents, usually during a moment of frustration or anger, such as an argument, would suddenly gawk off to the side, roll their eyes heavenward and scream "Jesus Christ" or some other, less wholesome formulation of the Name at which, the Apostle tells us, "every knee should bend (Phil. 2 - 10)". How could they indulge themselves in the supreme hypocrisy of blaspheming the very Name which they sang on Sundays? It is worth pointing out that, as the Holy Writ tells us, out of all the laws the Lord bequeathed unto Moses, the Almighty regarded honoring His Name as the second most important. Before murder, before adultery, before theft or lying, the Lord our God forbade His people from abusing His Name. And yet, people who would otherwise describe themselves as religious often break this commandment without even batting an eye. If God is truly Who people profess to believe that He is, they would not violate His second commandment so grievously and so frequently.

3. Capitalization: Again, I know this seems trivial, but God created the freakin' universe, died for us on the Cross and has had to endure our disobedience since the moment He endowed us with free will. The very least we can do is capitalize "His", "Him" and "He" when referring to the Almighty.