Leaving the Church

I have realized over the past few months that a very dear friend of mine is leaving the Church. I've seen for a while that it was coming, but have been afraid of it. In hoping that it would not happen, I have not talked directly about it to him, and have encouraged my husband to not "push" him out of the Church. Sounds like obviously the wrong thing to do now, but at the time I couldn't think what to do.

Now - that he's left - I'm not sure what to do. Sometimes I'm mad and want to beat him with reasons. (In this beautifully ordered world of ours, do you not think God would have an ordered way of worship?) Sometimes I'm sad and want to just ask him how he could believe so strongly and then just leave it all? His God he has worshiped for almost 30 years, just... not important anymore?

I have seen him attack all other authority figures, and knew it was not consistent to believe in the Church, but was hoping his belief in the teachings of the Church would help him see the light about the others. I'm not sure if he still believes in God, but I have a feeling that He is the next to go in my friend's search for importance, or independence, or himself.

This Sunday's reading is about the sower. I've always thought that the fertile ground, or rocky ground was describing different kinds of people, but maybe it's different times in our lives. In the parable, it's just the sower and the ground, God and my friend. There is no third helping person who brings the seed to the fertile ground. So maybe I need to accept that God can handle this relationship - but I keep trying to figure out a way that I can bring him back.

Ears to hear. Am I being called to intercede for my friend? Or is this a lesson for me to trust that God knows how to call His children to Him? I do feel called to pray for him, but feel my prayers inadequate.

Q is for Questions

Often times our culture has painted "religious" persons as being brainwashed, uneducated and unable to think for themselves.  Religion and tradition are seen as outdated and insignificant to current times.  Even within Christianity, Protestant Christians often label themselves as "progressive", or "mainstream", advertising their pastors with several university degrees, and their new revelations relating to today's issues.  When we think of Catholic Christians we tend to immediately picture a little old lady kneeling and praying her rosary in the front row of the pews, sustained entirely by the faith that she learned from her parents and grandparents.  The truth is, this could not be further from the truth.

Although a simple faith is definitely a gift, it is not how most of today's young Catholics have come to know Jesus.  In public schools we are taught to question everything, God, science, our professors and even our parents.  Distaste for authority has led many sheep astray, but for many of us, asking questions is what has brought us home. 

Being a cradle catholic myself, I have often taken my religion for granted.  It was a part of me that I never actually tried to understand.  It was not until college when my faith was challenged however, that I began asking questions, and seeking answers.  With this came understanding, revelation, and prayer.  And with prayer, I found faith, God, and the Catholic Church.  

I also find that in most cases when somebody challenges the faith, he or she has not honestly researched the Church's teaching about it.  The Church is constantly being labeled by the media as old-fashioned about contraception, cruel about homosexuality, and politically incorrect about abortion.  Unfortunately, those who fight the Church on these issues are the ones with the least understanding on them.  If we all took the time to ask the right questions and seek out the proper resources, we would know that the Church stands for nothing other than Love in all of these issues. 

Asking questions might not stand out as the most feminine of all actions.   Nevertheless, I truly feel that it is by asking questions that women (and men) begin to seek the truth, and find a deeper understanding of who we are and who God wants us to be.  Our faith is so rich, so beautiful, and so deep, that we could spend our lifetime learning new things about it.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek...
...to be understood as to understand.

B is for Barfing

Seriously.

Two days ago I awoke to my daughter coughing weird. I jumped out of bed (something that rarely happens) and picked my baby up just in time to get thrown up on. Dad cleaned up the floor, Mom cleaned up the girl.

Yesterday, I awoke early for something and just as I was about to go back to bed, I heard her start to cry, went to change her, and was once again un-swallowed on. As Dad was gone, Mom cleaned up both girl and floor. (But once Dad got home, our little one re-enacted the whole thing, so he once again took floor, I girl.)

And this morning, since we are completely inexperienced parents, when our little girl asked for eggs, we gave her "just a little." That little somehow magically multiplied like the loaves and fishes and ended up all over (however, I was able to dodge the main stream this time). Baby wanted Mom, Dad wanted to take care of the floor, and basically the very natural process of a mother caring for her sick one unfolded.