The Musical Priest

Readings for March 6th: Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Lent Jesus's message today should be a powerful blow to teenagers, myself included. We teens, whether it is because we are growing into adulthood, or because we have a sense of overconfidence, have the habit of trying to do everything on our own. Whether it be going to court for speeding tickets, relationship problems, or school work, we like to think we can handle everything and anything on our own. Perhaps it is to prove our own self-worth, perhaps it is to prove to those around us, especially adults, that we too, can handle responsibility, that we aren't the small kids they still think we are. I am by far no exception. Often times, during the day, when asked if I can do something for someone, I turn to that person, say their name, and say, “I got this” while hitting my chest with my hand, almost as in a primeval display of dominance. Too often though, I think, we get in over our heads, often to disastrous consequ...

Readings March 29th: Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent - Patrick Sier, '11 Today’s Gospel is one that has likely led many people to atheism. Now that I have your attention I would like to explain why. Think about it, in our daily lives it’s easy to get caught up in numbers. Luckily for me, I dropped all my math classes this year. Beyond the easier course load, this is also a blessing for my relationship with God. In today’s Gospel, Peter is fishing for a number of times that one must forgive a transgressor. Jesus replies to his repeated inquiries that we must forgive them “not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Readings for March 28th: Monday of the Third Week of Lent -Maciej Rejniak, '11 In today's Gospel, Jesus tells those listening to him “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.”, a statement that the Jews did not take kindly. Weren't they the Chosen People, the ones who God has picked from all other races of the world? Weren't they the ones who have lived according to God's law, even though it is difficult and unnatural to do so? Weren't they the ones who fought for years in bloody wars for the Promised Land that God has given them? A Jew listening to Jesus at the synagogue, I imagine, must have thought something like this: “With what impudence this man speaks! We are the Chosen People, the ones who will bring all nations before the one Lord. We obey the laws and the prophets, we do the Lord's will. This man has no right to accuse us of such dealings, he is wrong, and we must get rid of him before he poisons the minds of the ...

Readings for March 27th: The Third Sunday of Lent - Matthew LoPrete, '13 In today's Gospel, Jesus talks to a Samaritan about  matters of life and death, concrete and abstract.  It is odd for Jesus, a Jew, to be talking with a Samaritan in the first place, and the skeptical woman is quick to point this out.  When Jesus says he can give her "living water," she asks if He is "greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?” The conversation continues, and Jesus tells the woman that not only the Jews will recognize the Messiah and achieve Salvation, but the Samaritans, though they are not the Chosen People, will too. She sees Jesus as a prophet until He corrects her, announcing he is the Messiah. The disciples return, begging Jesus to eat, but He will not.  He responds:    “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work.  Do you not say, ‘In...

Readings for March 22: Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent -Justin Bland, '12 Today’s reading is interesting to look at, especially in the light of a movie we saw today in school. As Jesus heads to Jerusalem with the twelve disciples he already knows his fate and reveals it to his disciples. To know one’s own fate is a difficult thing to cope with, and yet Jesus embraces it. The fear of the unknown is what constantly challenges people today. I know for myself that not knowing what may come tomorrow or the day after, even in simple aspects, can be a frightful thing. In the same way the unknown can be a driving force for people in the future. The potential to do well for others or experience something different can be motivation for someone to move on from the past. Jesus merely showed us what our fate was, and even though we may not know what is coming next we must embrace it. I find it somewhat coincidental that today we watched “To Save a Life” as an entire...

Readings for March 22: Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent - Peter Walle, '11 As I have reflected during this Lenten Season, I have often turned inwards to ask an important question: how often do I actually embody God's laws, rather than simply appearing to do so? In today's Gospel, Jesus condemns the Pharisees and scribes as those who “preach but do not practice”. He subsequently calls His followers not only to do all that the Pharisees demand of them, but also to strive to live as far apart from their corrupt way of life as possible. In short – do what they say, not what they do. How many of us are modern Pharisees? It is common to see someone take credit for the good things she has done, thus making them appear to be holy, upstanding citizens. What we rarely see, unsurprisingly, is people taking credit for their mistakes. God's call to humbleness is replaced with the human law of “individual purpose”. That is, our human actions have the tendency to conceal ...

Readings for March 21: Monday of the Second Week of Lent - Maciej Rejniak, '11 “Treat others as you want to be treated”.  A phrase that is seen and uttered countless times in elementary and middle schools across the country. By high school, it is ingrained in the psyche, and you either get it or you don’t.  As today’s Gospel  shows, this phrase has at its core the teachings of Christ. So, it would seem easy for us to follow this simple phrase, both as Christians and as former school children, right? In reality, the opposite is true. We often set high expectations for others, criticize them if they fail, and then get upset when they make an excuse. Yet, when in the same situation, when we are the ones being criticized, we often make excuses, and feel that we are justified in them. If the other person doesn’t get it, well, then they do not understand you, and you feel upset at them. This is very true for me. Having an almost OCD-like work ethic, I like things ...

March 20th: Second Sunday of Lent - Grant Demeter, '11 In today’s gospel, Jesus brings Peter, James, and John to a mountaintop. He is transfigured, exuding brilliant white light. Moses and Elijah appear next to him. Peter offers to pitch three tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. God’s voice rings out from the clouds, telling the apostles that “’this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’” The Apostles are afraid, but Jesus steps forth and touches them, and they see only Him. This Gospel story brings up an important point in our understanding of our faith. When Moses and Elijah appear next to Jesus, the Apostles view them as three separate entities. We know, however that the images are engendered from Jesus’ divine light. What the Apostles do not understand is they are all derived from the same person. In other words, the teachings of Moses and Elijah are all contained within Jesus. The figures do not represent three separate ...

Readings for March 19th: First Saturday of Lent -Michael Ponkowski, '12 Change is a difficult, intimidating process. We constantly avoid it, we defy it, and we deny it as if it were a deadly disease. It presents burdens that are domineering and it creates a feeling of fear for the unknown, and when we are summoned to embrace a change, we are often reluctant to forge a durable path that is new and unfamiliar. Comfort is contentedness and to be content is to take comfort in the familiar, and even if this comfort poses obstacles along the way, it is preferred by many of us because it is easier and involves less work. However, change is a part of humanity, and as much as we resist it, change is an undeniable aspect of life. The development of a human person, as we grow and change in physique, mentality, and emotion, is an obvious change all humans experience. And just as we grow and mature, we all are born, live, and die, which are indeed changes that all of us experience. “Take ...

March 18th: Friday of the First Week of Lent -Stefan Blachut, '11 A blessing and a curse. These were the words that accompanied Moses return with the Commandments. This view can be taken on many of the readings at mass. During the season of Lent we engage this. We cut back on indulgences and often time reflect. It is easy to see why certain aspects of faith can be a curse. So, is ignorance bliss? I often find myself wondering, why do we avoid sin? Is it because of the fear of eternal suffering, or the desire to spend eternity with God. Does this outlook matter? The outlook that we take on a matter tends to determine whether or not it is a blessing or a curse. At first glance at today’s reading, the most notable thing is that one must do a lot in order to reach God. Yet, we can reach him, though grace. If we see the Gospel as a burden, then faith is a burden. Lent is not a time to go without meat or give up things, it is a time to appreciate. Not to appreciate all the physical...

Readings for March 17th: Thursday of First Week of Lent - Michael Koziara, '11 There are a lot of naysayers about prayer. It can be hard to believe that all we have to do is “Ask and it will be given to you.” They say that God has never given them what they actually wanted. They say that they've waited long enough and give up. They say that God doesn't care enough about them. They say God is too busy trying to bring peace in the Middle East or save lives in earthquake-stricken Japan. Rightly frustrated by life experiences and emotional roller-coasters, they don't see God granting wishes right and left. Some say that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, but I was struck recently when someone proposed to me that hat's not true. For by giving us more than we can handle without Him we are forced to turn to Him. It is not receiving God's help that's the problem. He works through others, He works through ourselves. The paitience part can be challe...

Readings for March 16th: Wednesday of the First Week of Lent -Anthony Di Ponio, '12 We are constantly given choices: Should I go to mass, or should I watch the big football game on TV? The answer may be obvious, but we do not always make the right decision. It is very easy to turn away from God, but that weakens our relationship with Him. And time and time again, He gives us another chance to come back. This is exactly what happened in the city of Nineveh. The people realized their faults when God threatened to destroy the city, and they quickly repented. We are lucky that God is so merciful.             Lent is a time of repentance. It gives us a chance for renewal of our relationship with God. So many opportunities present themselves during Lent. Some choose to “give up” something they enjoy as a sacrifice to God while others choose to do something positive for others. The Catholic Church also offers numerous opportun...

Readings for March 15th: Tuesday of the First Week of Lent -Tristan Lopus, '14 There was a boy with whom I went to school for five years before coming to U of D Jesuit.   This particular young man had the reputation of being the holy man of our class.   He had an expansive knowledge of the Church and its celebrations, had committed a vast array of prayers and scripture passages to memory, and he always raved about how he never missed a week of mass and was definitely going to be a priest some day.   However, he rarely seemed to practice his faith. He was obnoxious and defiant in class, disrespectful to teachers, and the only assignments he turned in were the ones he managed to copy from someone else.   This young man had quite a reputation for being religious and, indeed, he prayed frequently and went frequently mass.   However, he failed to act on anything he prayed about.   His prayers had little meaning. In some ways it is unfair to p...

Readings for March 14th: Monday of the First Week of Lent - Patrick Sier, '11 Today’s Gospel gives us what many would consider to be a Manichean conception of the last Judgment. Humanity is not only separated into two wholly distinct and separated groups, but made his followers into what atheists would gleefully label as “sheep” in the eyes of Jesus. Isn't religion, after all, just another method of social control to turn people into thoughtless animals? The parable unfolds along the lines of a distinction made between those who have cared for Jesus, who is present in one’s neighbor, and those who have ignored him. At first glance, this would seem a bit preposterous. Surely, the “sheep” could not possibly have cared for their neighbors at every turn; further, is it not similarly unlikely that the “goats,” or damned, shunned every one of their neighbors at every opportunity? Perhaps this reading misses the mark. Perhaps it is that case that Jesus is not telling us ...

March 13th: First Sunday of Lent - Alex Kuhn, '11 Lent is a time for renewal and grace for many reasons. We committed original sin when Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They realized that they were naked, so they clothed themselves. Because of original sin, we continually have to ask God for forgiveness. Only from the mercy of God will we be able to be forgiven. Through Lent, we renew our faith in the saving power of God. We grow in spirituality in order to save ourselves from sin. We do penance as a means of forgiveness. Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden because of original sin. They were forced to do penance to save themselves from sin. Jesus had to be tempted by the devil in the desert. He lasted for forty days and forty nights. We often must undertake the same challenge to remember how much Jesus suffered for our sins. We must not be tempted by the devil. This is why Lent is a challenge for all of us.

March 12, Saturday After Ash Wednesday - Nick Bergeman, '12 I have a friend who, not long ago, told me he was gay. I was not quite sure how to respond. Being raised Catholic, and being sheltered in Catholic schools my entire life, this disclosure asked me to step out of my comfort zone. A part of me knew that I could not show approval, but my heart told me that his sexuality in no way warranted me no longer being friends with him. So, I did what I had been taught to do: I prayed. As time passed, I overcame the temptation to distance myself from my friend because I enjoyed being around him. Through my actions, I let him know that we were still friends and that our relationship did not need to be defined by his sexuality. As time passed, he told me that I had changed him too because he respects my beliefs, and wants to be a part of them. Seeing the joy I have in my life, he decided to remain single and he is now a devout Catholic. In today’s Gospel, th...

Over the last few weeks, I have frequently mentioned what I've dubbed the "Control-F Generation" as a way of thinking about the generation of high school students I am currently serving. As a cipher, "Control -F" attempts to capture a particular trait among my students: they are so fixated on learning the right answer to a question, so concerned about getting the right bubble filled in indicating the right choice, that they too often neglect the wider picture or deeper issues. They are content to hit "control-f" on the keyboard and look for a particular word or phrase that brings them to the 'right' answer. While I was visiting a soon-to-be-closed Borders bookstore today, I was struck by what I would note as an incongruence. On the shelves, beneath the "Christian Theology" section, there was a label for "Atheism." To be honest, I seldom buy books from the theology shelf any longer: too many of them are too few of them are ...

Over coffee with one of my community members today, an otherwise wide-ranging discussion settled on one topic in particular: what appears to be the crisis of meaning present in the lives of so many of our students. This, to be sure, is nothing new: every age must confront the big questions anew and the process of working out who one is and what life means is seldom easy or without pain. If you have been following my reflections on what I have dubbed the "Control-F Generation," it may be the case that today's crisis of meaning is more acute than in other eras. Burgeoning technology and rapid advancement in making information accessible is overwhelming; so often, it seems, one needs to have have the answer to today's question yesterday! With so many answers available on the Web, it is wholly disconcerting to have to hold one's questions. If an answer is not readily found for a question, perhaps it is not worth seeking at all. Just this week, our students have ...

I have the terrible habit of reading multiple books at any one time. At this moment, I'm working through three different texts: Being and Time , Sources of the Self , and the Philosophical Investigations . Heidegger's Being and Time  is on my nightstand, Taylor's Sources of the Self is in my book bag, and Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations  is...well, in the bathroom (be glad for me that I'm reading it and refrain from asking me to borrow it). As I continue to reflect on the meaning and nature of what I have taken to calling the "Control-F Generation" and its relationship to religious practice, it occurs to me that Wittgenstein's text may be a helpful guide.

I’ve spent the last several days up on Mackinac Island with a group of four U of D Jesuit seniors and several adults leading a Kairos retreat for a group of students who live here on the island. This has been a great experience as it has given me a chance to know the students and colleagues in a new way and to bring the gifts and graces of Kairos to another group of students. I’ve been reflecting over the last few weeks on what I’ve dubbed the “Control-F Generation.” The act of naming a generation serves merely to provide a cipher that offers one handle among many as a way of grasping something that is unique to or characteristic of a group. “Control-F” is more descriptive than, say, “Generation X” in that it indicates in its title something observable: the desire to find answers quickly, even at the detriment of feeding or developing one’s intellectual curiosity. The mindset seems to be, “There is too much information out there to get my mind around, so rather than sift through it I ...