Real Time or God Time

Last night I caught a snippet of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."  I had never seen the show because I don't like Maher as an on screen journalist, if you could call him that, but while channel surfing I heard the word "religion." Being who I am, that sparked my curiosity so I kept the channel on.  He was introducing Penn Jillette from the duo Penn and Teller.  Penn and Teller are magicians and comedians and Jillette is an espoused atheist and libertarian. Maher was interviewing him to promote Jillette's new book "God, No."  I don't know what makes Jillette an expert on religion, but he stated that he was in youth group as a teen and read the entire Bible and that anyone who really reads it will come to the conclusion that there is no God. "The best way to become an atheist is to read the Bible,"he said. He agreed with Maher that the Old Testament is full of some horrible things but  Jillette added that the New Testament is just as horrifying and is anti-family saying that it basically states, "No matter how much you love your family, love Jesus more."  He sees something terribly wrong with that. He also spoke of morality and stated that  if you are doing what you are doing for a reward or because of fear of eternal punishment then it's not really moral living. He said we should live moral lives  out of love and out of love alone.

The problem I see with Jillette's logic is in his reading of scripture. He is reading it on the surface only, without digging deeper and certainly without prayer. He did admit that to come to his conclusion he did not study the scriptures  but read them almost like an historical text.  I just can't abide by his assessment of what the scriptures are saying. Yes, Jesus is asking us to put Him first, but in doing so, we are not abandoning our families but loving them all the more. To put Jesus first is to follow His Way, to live a life striving for holiness in our relationships with God and with all humanity, especially our families.

With regard to morality I agree with Jillette that we should live moral lives out of love and out of love alone. But here we part company. We must strive to live morally out of love, but we are not perfect people and just as young children learn by giving positive and negative reinforcement, God encourages us to live good lives by offering us the heavenly reward and instilling a fear of eternity in hell.  Hopefully as we grow and mature in our relationship with Christ, we will live good and holy lives out of Love of God alone.  But there is nothing wrong with "the fear of God," as motivation to living a moral life as we progress toward perfection. 

As I stated, I never watched Bill Maher before and I probably never will again. As a self admitted "former Catholic," he sees nothing wrong with bashing religion and a quick look on YouTube at past episodes show that he seems to enjoy it. As for Penn Jilliette, I could do without him and his partner as well. I never found them funny or entertaining, and I have a problem with show business personalities speaking as experts on religion and politics, especially when they take cheap shots at Christianity or any religion for that matter.

Christianity and Catholicism especially seem to be acceptable targets for ridicule these days, especially in the media. We also know that Christians are being persecuted and martyred in the Middle East, in Asia and other areas of the world, but this kind of persecution is more subtle.  No one dies, no one is hurt, but we have a gradual eroding of faith especially among those who are vulnerable to believing most of what they see and hear in the medial. We seem to just sit back and let it happen.  Perhaps it is time to fight back with prayer, fasting and speaking out when we see this kind of ridicule and spreading of lies about our faith.  It is time to stand up for Christ.

Love in the Heart of the Church

Therese as a novice

Today is the 114 anniversary of the death of St. Therese of Lisieux, also known as "The Little Flower."  Tomorrow, October 1, is her feast day. When people hear that I have an affection toward St. Therese, and have read all her works, the conversation always seems to come around to receiving roses as an answer to prayers. I can honestly say that I have never ever received a rose from Therese, nor flowers of any kind. I like roses and I would love to receive one or more,  but I don't think receiving a sign is what's really important nor do I think that was what Therese had in mind when she wrote, "After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.  I will raise up a mighty host of little saints. My mission is to make God loved..."

Therese, in her short life, came to realize that her vocation was to be "Love in the Heart of the Church." But what did Therese mean to "be" Love? She sees herself as a "victim" to God's merciful Love. She surrenders all she is to the Love of Christ, her joys, her work, her relationships, and most of all her suffering. Her aim in this surrender is to serve Christ and through serving Christ to serve the Church. Her motto, taken from John of the Cross, is "Love is repaid by love alone." In her singular devotion to Christ, in her Love for Him, she becomes Love.  It's all mystical theology and I don't claim to fully understand it, but as  Doctor of the Church Therese's theology of Love and the Little Way certainly has influenced many Catholics. 

What Therese teaches us in her "Little Way" is to make Love the focus of all that we do and all that we are.  Although Therese was a nineteenth century Carmelite, I am sure she would agree with Holy Father Benedict who wrote in his Rule in the sixth century, "Prefer nothing to the Love of Christ." The "roses" that Therese sends may not be the kind that grow in gardens, but they are petals of Divine Love that through her intercession God showers down upon those who Love.

If you have never read "The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux," I highly recommend that you add it to your reading list.  The Therese you meet between the covers of the book is not the saccharine saint that is depicted on holy cards and statues, but a young woman who despite tremendous suffering and the Dark Night of the Soul, remains faithful and continues to BE LOVE in the heart of the Church today.

POST SCRIPT:  This afternoon after writing this I went to the store to buy some things to celebrate my husband's birthday this evening. I picked up an inexpensive bouquet of fall flowers to put on the table. Not really looking at it closely, I chose the bouquet because of the asters and mums that were prominent. As I unwrapped the cellophane surrounding the bouquet, to my surprise there were two red roses hidden in the center.

I didn't really need a sign, but thanks Therese.