What does it mean to be Catholic today?

I encourage everyone to check out the video posted below!

This presentation was part of the "Sundays at CTU" series at Catholic Theological Union Chicago (disclaimer- I go to this school). Fr. Steve Bevans is a professor at CTU and a very pastoral and Spirit-filled man. He is a member of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) and has taught all over the world (listen to his introduction in the video). Fr. Steve is an expert on missiology and has written extensively on how to build relationships and preach the Gospel across cultures and contexts.

Many presentations on "What it means to be Catholic" end up being very polarizing and marginalizing. But this presentation is insightful, relevant, and Fr. Steve's message has the potential to be a healing force in our divided Church. Please take the time to watch the presentation, and post any comments or questions you have about it in the comments section!

Peace turtles!

Spiritual Fires

Let's talk about fire.

Any good Scout will tell you that keeping a fire burning takes as much effort as setting it. Truly, those who do not know how to start a campfire, often struggle to keep one going after it has been lit. Sometimes they add too much wood... causing the heat to rise and the wood to burn to fast. Often they "play" in the fire, adding lots of leaves and pinecones... and as they delight in the smoke patterns they simultaneously smother the fire.

Until recently, I thought that we did a similar thing in our spiritual lives. As a child of the charismatic renewal I resonate with the image of "spiritual fire" burning in our lives. And keeping my "fire burning" has been a consistent source of anxiety and burden as I have grown...

And as I have met people of faith all over the world these last few years I have heard a similar story. Most people struggle to keep their fires burning, and even though they are closer to God today than in the past, they ultimately worry about burning out. And over the years I've had any number of explanations for why this happens and given all kinds of advice about how to relight the fires...

But now, I've stumbled upon a quote by Brother Roger of Taize that has helped me to see that, for the most part, I have been dead wrong. Brother Roger writes:

"Sometimes you say to yourself: the fire in me is going out.  But you were not the one who lit that fire.  Your faith does not create God, and your doubts cannot banish Him to nothingness."

I believe this has an important message for us turtles. Our fires go out because as we start feeding them frantically, searching for anything to keep them alive, we limit and prevent God from tending them... we take our fires away from God and make them OURS.

So turtles, let's make it less about US, and more about GOD. Jesus doesn't say, "I have come so that tending your spiritual lives will be burdensome and stressful." Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." I bet if we let Jesus tend to our fires... he will carry through on this promise!

Peace turtles!