Catholic Faith Space
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Do you want to know something that I really dislike? When people use the terms “dog mom” and “fur babies.” It is something seemingly small and simple and maybe it is just me, but when people act like they are parents to their pets, it feels like they are trying to put animals and humans on the same level. Taking care of a baby and taking care of a cat or dog are two completely different things. Children and dogs/cats are not the same and they do not even come close. Last week, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw that someone had a whole birthday party for her dog. Cupcakes, candles, party hats, singing, presents, and all the works. Come on. Don’t you think that’s a little overboard? If you’re six years old, it might be cute. But a 20-something year old celebrating a dog’s birthday when the dog cannot understand or grasp the concept of a birthday seems a little strange to me. Don’t get me wrong, animals can very much be a part of a family and provide great memories and value. They provide companionship, entertainment, fun, exercise, and more. However, I do think our culture has a bit of an obsession. The affection people have for animals has become a bit disordered and I think this is evident in the way our culture views human life and its value.
God created both people and animals. The difference is, He created male and female in his image. As people, we have the ability to reflect God’s love in different and unique ways. We have the ability to pray, to choose to do good, and to have a relationship with God. We have the capacity to love others and receive love. This is how God created us. Because of this simple fact, humans have value, purpose, and dignity that does not compare to anything else and that no one can take away. Going back to the terms “dog mom” and “fur babies”, not only are these terms just annoying, but they also attempt to diminish the value and sacrifices of parents. Whether biological parents, adoptive parents, spiritual mothers and fathers, and others in our lives who guide us, teach us, and care for us, they play vital and irreplaceable roles. I am not a parent, but I sure can appreciate everything that parents do and the sacrifices they make to raise their children. They work hard to provide for their kids, spend many hours awake and have many sleepless nights, and do all that they can to teach their kids to be good, moral, and hopefully faith-filled people. Their hearts and the love they have for their kids are a reflection of the love God has for us. These things do not extend to pets because there is no need. They do not have the ability to reason or make choices based on what they are taught. Sure, there is a bit of responsibility that comes with having a dog or cat, like making sure they don’t pee on your carpet or chew up a shoe. But this responsibility pales in comparison to the responsibility that parents have to their children and other children in their lives. Adults form kids into who they are going to be as adults. This is huge and it often feels like our society does not seem to care all that much about how much humans really matter. One incident I clearly remember that demonstrates this happened about five years ago. There was a young child who fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo. The gorilla, Harambe, got ahold of the child and began dragging him around. There was video footage that quickly became viral on social media and the videos clearly showed that the child’s life was in danger. A zoo worker shot and killed the gorilla in order to ensure the safety of the young boy. Immediately after this news story spread, the internet went crazy. There was outrage, grief, and petitions. There were groups and petitions that sprang forth demanding “Justice for Harambe.” There were debates about what course of action should have been taken. The circumstances were unfortunate but it should not have even been a question about whose life to save. We must always love the human life before we love the animal life. Looking around at the world, it’s difficult to understand why so many do not appreciate and value the most precious gift God has given us- life. Legalized abortion has allowed over 60 million babies to be killed in the name of “choice.” A few thousand abortions take place each day in our country and many don’t even give it a thought. Abortion is an especially hot topic right now as many fight to enshrine abortion into national law to overturn any existing protections for the unborn. People have been sucked into the mindset that there is a right to discard the life of the smallest and most vulnerable- babies in the womb. Physician-assisted suicide, or “death with dignity” as many call it, is becoming more widely accepted and legalized in more states. The idea that helping to end the life of someone who is terminally ill or suffering is the compassionate and loving thing to do is absurd. Or what about the widespread use of contraception or IVF. These practices violate the nature of the person and life itself. With these practices, babies are treated as commodities that people “have a right to” or products to satisfy rather than as gifts from God. I could go on and on with this post. But the biggest question is what can we do to change how our society views human life? While it seems like a daunting task, God can and will use us. We cannot sit back and do nothing. We must pray for a culture that values life; that means every single human life. We must have conversations with others and defend our beliefs when someone says or does something to try to diminish the value of life. We must receive the good of every person we encounter, no matter who they are because they are made in God's image and likeness. Being human sets us apart. We have dignity and worth simply because God made us. In the words of St. John Paul II, “Never tire of firmly speaking out in defense of life from its conception and do not be deterred from the commitment to defend the dignity of every human person with courageous determination. Christ is with you: be not afraid!”
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I teach eighth grade faith formation and last Wednesday was the first night of class. I created a handout with several questions for the students to answer just to see where they were at and what kinds of things they knew. Two of the questions included on the sheet were, “What topics are you most interested in learning about this year?” and “What is one thing you hope to understand or learn more about?”. After they finished filling out the sheets, we discussed some of their answers to the questions. I collected all of their sheets and we continued on with the rest of class. At the end of class I was looking through all of the answers and noticed that for either of the two questions mentioned above, just about every student had written “Jesus” as one of their responses. At first, upon looking through their responses, I was a little disappointed. I figured they had written Jesus as a response because of apathy and passiveness. They didn’t have any ideas of what they would want to learn about and probably didn’t care so they put Jesus as a simple and safe option. My first thought was, “well, that’s not exactly what I was looking for. That’s it? It’s too general. I wanted them to write something more specific... Of course we’ll talk about Jesus.”
But then it hit me. Of course we’ll talk about Jesus. They got it right. Whether we talk about the Bible, saints, sacraments, the Mass, or church teachings, it will be about Jesus. The answer seemed so basic and like it was lacking in depth at first. Then I realized that many of them may not really know much about Jesus or who He is. They might have a real desire to know who He is and why He matters. And as a catechist, my role is to help them learn just that. That evening, a group of 8th grade students unintentionally reminded me of something very important. It’s all about Jesus. Jesus is why we are Catholic and why anything else matters. Every topic we cover and discussion we have should ultimately point back to Him. It’s good and important to learn about church history, facts, and documents. But at the end of the day, these 13 and 14 year olds will likely forget a lot of it. However, if they come to know Jesus and have a better understanding of why we need Him and why we believe what we believe, that is something they hopefully will never forget. Lord, you have called us all to share this deep and beautiful faith you have given us with others- with kids, family members, friends, co-workers, and fellow parishioners. Give me the knowledge and wisdom I need to carry out this task. I need you to help me speak what you want me to say and guide me as I teach. Use me as your instrument to share the truth, beauty and goodness of the church. May others see You in me. Work through me so that others may be inspired or touched by You in some small way. Amen. (Side note: Rather than cramming through a whole textbook, the goal for the year is to pick a few topics/areas and focus on them. There are so many possibilities. What is important for 8th grade students to know? I would love to get ideas on what you think 8th grade students should learn about/discuss in class. Drop any suggestions in the comments! On facebook or directly on the blog) This past week I started listening to a new podcast, the Poco a Poco podcast. It is with members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and in the few episodes I have listened to so far, there have been so many beautiful and profound statements and thoughts to ponder and reflect on. The first episode I listened to was part of a series they were doing on the heart of God. My main takeaway and reflection from the episode was how vital it is for us to have a deep encounter with the heart of God.
We can talk about God all day and learn all about who He is. But to know about God and to have experienced His heart are two different things. It is hard to describe what it is like to encounter the heart of God but when you have that experience, it is quite evident. It changes you. And it changes everything. God puts people in our lives who help remind us of His own heart for us. They give us glimpses of the heart of the Father. What do these encounters with the heart of God look like? In my own experiences, these encounters have been times when people have spoken encouraging words, prayed over me, offered to help with something, or shared their knowledge and insight with me, just to name a few. When the people around us love well, we can begin to experience the goodness of God and come to know His love for us. Once you have a personal encounter with God and experience His love, everything changes. Each day, we can pray to be even more open to a deeper encounter. Lord, we want to know you. Help us to not only know you, but to experience the deep and personal love you have for each and every one of us. Open our hearts wide so that we may receive your love and all that you want to give us more fully. Thank you for showing us your love through the people in our lives. May we see a glimpse of the love you have for us and be a vessel of your love for others. Lead us to a deeper encounter with your heart. Amen. Have you ever had someone ask you how you were and your response was, “I’m busy. Good, but busy.” or something along those lines? We fill our schedules and spend every waking hour doing things to the point of feeling like there is not enough time in the day. For many of us, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep, we spend so much of our time going and doing that we rarely have time for just being. Jesus calls us to come to Him and rest.
I don’t know about you, but when I find myself in a season of busyness, my prayer life is the first thing to go. Wake up, go to work, come home, go to any meetings, events or other commitments we have, make and eat dinner, do a few miscellaneous things, get ready for bed. Maybe you say a quick prayer to thank God for the day or read a brief reflection. With the exhaustion and tiredness the day brings, it’s easy for Jesus to be pushed to the side, our efforts lacking. We can quickly find ourselves trapped in this cycle. Why is it so easy to find time to open up Facebook or Instagram but more difficult to open up scripture or a prayer journal? Why do we have the time to see what everyone on Twitter is saying but no time to hear what Christ is saying? I think we often find ourselves so tired from our regular, daily routines that we forget how much we really need Jesus. Scrolling endlessly through social media after a long day at work seems so relaxing. It is that never-ending scrolling and searching that we can find ourselves more exhausted and restless. It leaves us unsatisfied and wanting more. Social media can definitely be used for good. We can use it to stay connected with family and friends, watch videos on topics of our faith, read reflections and find inspiration, and much more. Social media does not have to be something that hinders our faith. It can be something that helps. Social media, Netflix, or whatever other things take up our time are not bad. However, the key is to remember and know that we need Jesus always and especially in the midst of our busyness, exhaustion, and restlessness. He alone can give us the rest we so desperately need. In the times where we find ourselves too busy and needing rest, may our prayer be: Jesus, it is only you who can give us the rest we need. Help us to take time to be still so that we can listen to your voice. Allow us to hear you amid the busy, loud, and quickly moving world around us. As we fill our days with activities and commitments, may we do it all for your glory and to make you known. Give us the desire to take time for silence and stillness. Take our restless hearts and set them on fire for you. Amen. |
AuthorStriving to share hope, joy, God's love, and all of the good stuff, one blog post at a time. Categories |
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