[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":247},["ShallowReactive",2],{"posts-all":3},[4,66,136,202],{"id":5,"title":6,"body":7,"date":53,"description":54,"draft":55,"extension":56,"meta":57,"navigation":58,"path":59,"seo":60,"stem":61,"tags":62,"__hash__":65},"writing\u002Fwriting\u002Fwhat-i-mean-by-unity.md","What I Mean by “Unity”",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":49},"minimark",[10,14,17,20,23,26,43,46],[11,12,13],"p",{},"To begin, I want to make it clear off the bat that I don’t play the partisan games. I stand by the social teachings of Jesus, made clear in scripture and the community of those who follow Him unreservedly, the Church. And all of these teachings are important to me. As unpopular as it may seem, I think the Church’s political involvement is critical because of the Church’s involvement with…well, people. And people are so valuable that they’re worth it. They’re worth caring for, they’re worth sacrificing for, they’re worth protecting, and we depend on each other. According to Jesus, they’re worth dying on a cross for. So when it comes to political issues, I find myself agreeing with people on both sides of the aisle. Alright. That’s the foundation for what I’m talking about.",[11,15,16],{},"But meanwhile, I’ve been preaching to our youth group recently on how critically important it is to be unified in the Church, especially in an age where partisan politics divide us. Part of the mission of the Church is to be a witness to the transforming salvation of God—to show that to be Christian is to be different (Romans 12:1–2). Yet the Catholic vote is split almost completely 50-50. Catholics on both sides of the aisle participate in the inane, disrespectful name-calling and insult-dishing that every other politician seems to be doing. In the eyes of the public, to be Catholic is to be no different.",[11,18,19],{},"Last Sunday, one of the students who attends our youth group asked me about what I really meant by that. He seemed concerned that he could never see such a huge organization or amount of people ever being able to settle differences that seem so diametrically opposed to each other. How could you convince everyone to commit to one side?",[11,21,22],{},"There’s something to that question, but I think it misunderstands what I mean when I’m talking about unity. It takes for granted that American politics can be nothing more than our current two-party system. Either Democrat-leaning Catholics must “convert,” or the Republican-leaning Catholics must. If that is true, then I’d agree—I don’t foresee that demographic shift happening.",[11,24,25],{},"There are two realities that I want to identify. First, let’s be done with the bickering, name-calling, and reputation-trashing. I think this one’s obvious when it comes to unity—how can we expect to come together if we demonize the other side? I don’t think blocking and ignoring all of our friends who don’t agree with us is helping our cause. Of course we can disagree on issues. Of course we can be critical of decisions politicians have made in the past. But I’m talking about blatant ad hominems and personal attacks that are launched by Christians and at Christians. And this hasn’t been only this year. But this year, it’s exacerbated the polarization we’ve been feeling.",[11,27,28,29,36,37,42],{},"On the contrary, I was very challenged this election year—and this gets at the second issue—by listening to voices that I trusted on both sides. I’d highly recommend ",[30,31,35],"a",{"href":32,"rel":33},"https:\u002F\u002Fcatholicstuffpodcast.com\u002Fpodcast\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F22\u002Fpolitical-spin-class-pt-1.html",[34],"nofollow","this episode"," of the “Catholic Stuff You Should Know” podcast for a longer discussion on this. Particularly, reading ",[30,38,41],{"href":39,"rel":40},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.americamagazine.org\u002Ffaith\u002F2020\u002F10\u002F01\u002Fjeannie-gaffigan-trump-biden-election-abortion-pope-francis\u002F",[34],"Jeannie Gaffigan’s article in America magazine"," was enlightening for me: here is a woman of prayer, who upholds the dignity of all human life, who wants God’s justice in our society, and who outlines the reasons why she did not vote for Trump.",[11,44,45],{},"As someone who is inundated with “vote pro-life and life alone,” I was shaken by Jeannie’s article. Are pro-life issues important? Certainly. I am not disagreeing nor is Jeannie. But take a step back: as a whole, are the policies either side is advocating for building us into the kind of society that we in fact desire? Take a step back from who to vote for: what, as Catholics, are the principles we want to be the foundation of our civilization? Now how does that match with the actions and words of your political party?",[11,47,48],{},"I don’t think it’s in our best interest to “marry” ourselves to either political party, even because of an issue as important as abortion. We don’t have to compromise our Catholic values just because we’re in a two-party system. Unity means remembering our foundations and sometimes reminding others that we’re on the same side, even if we voted for different parties.",{"title":50,"searchDepth":51,"depth":51,"links":52},"",2,[],"2020-11-29","Unity in the Church doesn’t mean everyone voting the same way. It means remembering our foundations.",false,"md",{},true,"\u002Fwriting\u002Fwhat-i-mean-by-unity",{"title":6,"description":54},"writing\u002Fwhat-i-mean-by-unity",[63,64],"Church","Politics","v63gB4NIV-Aq6ChCf_BFJozQ1SOmpWI9H4l5r15FAVo",{"id":67,"title":68,"body":69,"date":126,"description":127,"draft":55,"extension":56,"meta":128,"navigation":58,"path":129,"seo":130,"stem":131,"tags":132,"__hash__":135},"writing\u002Fwriting\u002Fthe-legacy-of-sinners-who-are-saints.md","The Legacy of Sinners (who are Saints)",{"type":8,"value":70,"toc":124},[71,74,77,80,83,89,92,100,103,106,112,115,118,121],[11,72,73],{},"No doubt we all have been aware of the social movement against racism that seems to have spread as pervasively as wildfire. If you are any sort of organization or employer, you better have a plan on how you are combating racism in your institution or how you ensure equal opportunity for minorities—because if you don’t, you’re contributing to the problem. The claim is that racism is so embedded and ingrained in our society and institutions, that most of us don’t even see it, or we unknowingly tolerate it in the processes we rely on to function as a society.",[11,75,76],{},"And I believe there’s some truth to that. I certainly don’t think it’s bad to at least bring new perspectives to the table and ensure the voices of minorities are being heard. And at the very minimum, every human being has an incredible gift to offer the world, no matter the ethnicity, upbringing, race, or education.",[11,78,79],{},"But what struck me recently after I’ve had some time to reflect is some of the reactions of some groups who have advocated removing statues of people they have deemed as racist: Christopher Columbus, St. Junípero Serra, and Robert E. Lee to name a few.",[11,81,82],{},"I’m particularly drawn to the claims against St. Junípero Serra, partly because he’s a hero of our Faith, which stands against everything that even leans toward racism. There’s one particular quote that I see has surfaced multiple times:",[84,85,86],"blockquote",{},[11,87,88],{},"“That spiritual fathers should punish their sons, the Indians, with blows appears to be as old as the conquest of the Americas; so general in fact that the saints do not seem to be any exception to the rule.”",[11,90,91],{},"On the other hand, some like Bishop Robert Barron point to different aspects of Serra’s life:",[84,93,94,97],{},[11,95,96],{},"“I won’t deny for a moment that Serra probably engaged in certain disciplinary practices that we would rightfully regard as morally questionable, but the overwhelming evidence suggests that he was a great friend to the native peoples; that he sought, time and again, to protect them from mistreatment by civil authorities; and that he presided over missions where the indigenous were taught useful skills and were introduced to the Christian faith.”",[11,98,99],{},"—Bishop Robert Barron",[11,101,102],{},"I’d invite us to take a step back from the question of statues. And while I am interested in reconciling two very different readings of history, I’m struck more by the man and his legacy. What determines how you are remembered? Your sins or your accomplishments? Your vices or your virtues?",[11,104,105],{},"Can we support the good things Serra did, while forgiving his shortcomings? I mean, is that allowed? Or is the sin of racism and abuse unforgivable? Does it stain his legacy…forever?",[107,108,109],"pull-quote",{},[11,110,111],{},"Is the sin of racism and abuse unforgivable?",[11,113,114],{},"That’s a dangerous road to walk down. And I don’t know if I ever want to hold anyone’s sins as their identity and legacy. Yet we’ve done it as a society countless times: Adolf Hitler, Julius Caesar, etc. And in the opposite direction, too: Abraham Lincoln, who censored newspapers and created his own concentration camp, or Teddy Roosevelt, who basically annexed Panama away from Colombia for his country’s own profit.",[11,116,117],{},"I think what we want to do is hold up some individuals’ actions as models to avoid, right? We don’t want more people committing genocide, racism, or treason. So we mark them as bad people. But I don’t know if that does justice to who they were or what they were intending to do.",[11,119,120],{},"So what does determine how we’re remembered? I’m sure there are countless sociological factors. But I wonder if we’re erasing too much because of our modern sensitivities. Are there good things to emulate in Serra? Or is he just another “bad person” now?",[11,122,123],{},"At this point, I feel like I’m rambling. I don’t really have answers, just questions, concerns, and reflections on the things I see happening.",{"title":50,"searchDepth":51,"depth":51,"links":125},[],"2020-09-01","Thinking through St. Junípero Serra and what really determines how a person is remembered.",{},"\u002Fwriting\u002Fthe-legacy-of-sinners-who-are-saints",{"title":68,"description":127},"writing\u002Fthe-legacy-of-sinners-who-are-saints",[133,134],"Saints","Culture","mun4KJpD9n8pDqlBGDRlBSsmt6QAAfcv1hy25P2ABRg",{"id":137,"title":138,"body":139,"date":193,"description":194,"draft":55,"extension":56,"meta":195,"navigation":58,"path":196,"seo":197,"stem":198,"tags":199,"__hash__":201},"writing\u002Fwriting\u002Fsomething-greater-than-self-actualization-and-competency.md","Something Greater than Self-actualization and Competency",{"type":8,"value":140,"toc":191},[141,144,154,157,160,163,166,169,172,175,178,188],[11,142,143],{},"A couple days ago, I read a short biography of the life of St. Bonaventure. Here’s an excerpt from the iBreviary app:",[84,145,146],{},[11,147,148,149,153],{},"Sanctity and learning raised Bonaventure to the Church’s highest honors, and from a child he was the companion of Saints. Yet at heart he was ever the poorer Franciscan friar. He was the friend of St. Thomas Aquinas, who asked him one day from where he drew his great learning. He replied by pointing to his crucifix. At another time Saint Thomas found him in ecstasy while writing the life of St. Francis, and exclaimed, “Let us leave a Saint to write of a Saint.” They received the Doctor’s hat together. He was the guest and advisor of St. Louis ",[150,151,152],"span",{},"IX",", and the director of St. Isabella, the king’s sister. At the age of 35, he was made general of his Order; and only escaped another dignity, the Archbishopric of York, by tears and entreaties. When the Saint then heard of the Pope’s resolve to make him a Cardinal, he quietly made his escape from Italy. On his way, he stopped to rest himself at a convent of his order near Florence; and there two Papal messengers, sent to meet him with the Cardinal’s hat, found him washing the dishes. The Saint desired them to hang the hat on a nearby bush and take a walk in the garden until he had finished. Then, taking up the hat with unfeigned sorrow, he joined the messengers back to Rome. His piety and eloquence won over the Greeks to Catholic union, and later he was honored by being first to speak at the Council of Lyons. He died in 1274 during that council.",[11,155,156],{},"I had come across Bonaventure before, but only as a companion to Thomas Aquinas. But his life inspires me. He must have been devoted and committed to study, to prayer, and an incredibly gifted speaker. And how he used those gifts is so inspiring for me. He accomplished so much for Academe, unity in the Church, and for the people in the diocese he led. And obviously, people saw that in him. All the honors heaped upon him and the positions he was offered are a testament to how many people recognized how incredibly gifted he was. And he seemed so rooted in a fruitful and sustaining prayer life.",[11,158,159],{},"Honestly, I’m a little jealous—Bonaventure developed his gifts so well and was so competent for the responsibilities of his life. As a young 20-something, that sounds so amazing. And as an “under-appreciated” youth ministry coordinator (all YMs feel that way, I know) that kind of recognition and appreciation would be a huge motivator to keep going and doing so much good work. I definitely aspire to imitate Bonaventure’s life and accomplishments, certainly in this time of my life.",[11,161,162],{},"But it doesn’t seem like Bonaventure felt similarly. Rather than his accomplishments and competency motivating him to be more active in public life, they only seemed to drive him further and further away from it. Bonaventure seemed really drawn to a humble, simple life—washing the dishes, serving his immediate community, working in the garden, etc. Only obedience to superiors and the Holy Spirit kept him in the public sphere.",[11,164,165],{},"Why is this the case? What did Bonaventure see in his daily, menial tasks that I don’t? Or was Bonaventure (a little) afraid of the responsibility of such positions and prestige? Is there justification for such a fear? I have so many unanswered questions about Bonaventure’s habit to flee prestige and position.",[11,167,168],{},"I see a lot of similarity in our world to Bonaventure’s. There’s a lot of division between peoples, and sometimes over small and relatively insignificant disagreements. There’s a lot of ignorance about important issues, and the lives of our political and religious leaders are being found to be hypocritical and shameful.",[11,170,171],{},"I often think that we need a charismatic, well-loved, virtuous leader (like Bonaventure) to unite us, to create new programs that transform lives and spread across the world, and to be the face of a new way of living as a Catholic and a community. And I always hear that call fall back on me—that if I think we need this, I should be that person to lead the new era of unity, evangelization, and Christian formation, because (as a principle) if I’m willing to ask that of someone else, I should be willing to offer myself for the job as well.",[11,173,174],{},"And it stresses me out! Just this first year in youth ministry has revealed many of my insecurities, incompetencies, and gifts that I just don’t have. In some ways, I think the difference between Bonaventure and me is competency. And while I am trying to be patient with myself and learning a lot, I’m still jealous and baffled by Bonaventure’s flight from the public life. I imagine he saw how much good he could do for so many people. I’m sure he was aware of his gifts and how competent he was as a leader. But he felt no compulsion to seek out those kinds of positions or even accept them, certainly not in the way I feel compelled to do the same.",[11,176,177],{},"I’m drawn to two explanations:",[179,180,181,185],"ol",{},[182,183,184],"li",{},"Public figures are always subject to controversy, calumny, and criticism. In other words, it’s not that great of a life.",[182,186,187],{},"Bonaventure knew how good the life of prayer, sacrifice, and contemplation was for him and the world, even better than public, political activity.",[11,189,190],{},"And I guess that’s a testament to how much I don’t know and how much I have yet to learn. So maybe the difference between Bonaventure and me is more than competency. Maybe I still have so much to learn about public leadership and the interior life. I just hope that I can continue to grow, experience, and understand just that by God’s grace and the prayers of St. Bonaventure.",{"title":50,"searchDepth":51,"depth":51,"links":192},[],"2020-07-17","St. Bonaventure was offered every honor and kept running from them. What did he see that I don’t?",{},"\u002Fwriting\u002Fsomething-greater-than-self-actualization-and-competency",{"title":138,"description":194},"writing\u002Fsomething-greater-than-self-actualization-and-competency",[133,200],"Vocation","7GFHAdIr38tmaGGFwNKBDXMgYPlrt5Hx62g_yUhe-Vo",{"id":203,"title":204,"body":205,"date":237,"description":238,"draft":55,"extension":56,"meta":239,"navigation":58,"path":240,"seo":241,"stem":242,"tags":243,"__hash__":246},"writing\u002Fwriting\u002Fwhat-covid-19-has-stopped.md","What COVID-19 Has Stopped and What We Can’t Give Up",{"type":8,"value":206,"toc":235},[207,210,213,218,221,224,227,232],[11,208,209],{},"A couple days ago, I emailed a few fellow staff members at our parish about the possibility of holding in-person gatherings at the parish. I didn’t realize what doors that conversation opened. Honestly, I just wanted to “fight” for the chance to still have youth ministry on site. Trying to recreate our youth ministry gatherings as a video call is simply ineffective and not engaging for youth. It feels (compared to in-person events) so impersonal and isolating. And that kind of personal, connective experience of friendship is so crucial to the relational element of effective youth ministry. The heart of the gospel is that God loves us so much that he would do everything to have us back. If people don’t feel known, loved, supported, and safe, why should they believe that there is a God who knows, loves, supports, and keeps them safe? People need a powerful, consistent, physical experience of these things. At youth ministry events, that’s the bare minimum youth should walk out with. I don’t think I’m willing to just “let go” of that experience for them.",[11,211,212],{},"But I also know how threatening COVID is. These “uncertain times” (what an overused phrase) have half the population so afraid. The other half is ignoring (or even resisting) any collective attempt to slow or stop it, attempts which are restricting our personal freedoms. Whether angry or afraid, everyone feels really threatened. Honestly, that powerful, consistent experience of being loved and cared for is what we all need, especially youth. But if we start having in-person events (at least, how we used to), I don’t think that’s what people will experience. I think they’ll experience fear, paranoia, and uncertainty. DANG IT! That’s the same experience I want to eliminate!",[107,214,215],{},[11,216,217],{},"If we start having in-person events, people will STILL feel afraid, paranoid, and uncertain.",[11,219,220],{},"Another issue one of my co-workers brought up is how we are teaching ourselves to identify others primarily as “COVID-risks.” We tell ourselves to keep our distance and avoid any physical contact with others. We’re wiping down anything that had any kind of contact with anyone outside our household. All of our efforts seem to be validating this “new identity” of the persons around us: “COVID-risks.”",[11,222,223],{},"The frantic cleaning, self-isolating, physical distancing doesn’t speak to people’s identity as images of God, who are valuable and reveal who God is. And it’s too easy to forget and neglect that, especially in the midst of a pandemic. And a person’s theological identity is so much more true than their pathological identity. All the normal social interactions used to remind us of that.",[11,225,226],{},"We’re eliminating most of the ways we interact physically, but we can’t eliminate the ways we interact personally. I’m honestly not sure how to do that effectively AND operate in an appropriate context with minors (no exclusive one-on-ones) yet. But I think it’s going to involve a very personal and invested element. I can almost imagine a team of traveling youth ministry volunteers going to public events and houses to develop relationships that way…",[107,228,229],{},[11,230,231],{},"I think youth ministry’s going to involve a deeply personal and invested element to be effective during the pandemic.",[11,233,234],{},"But where is that team of adult volunteers? Who’s willing to put in that amount of time and effort? I am, for one. And not because it’s just my job—because I so desperately want people to know and experience the gospel. Holy Spirit, inspire us to be willing to pour ourselves out for the rising generation. And inspire us with creative ways to love those who need it the most.",{"title":50,"searchDepth":51,"depth":51,"links":236},[],"2020-07-15","On holding on to the personal, relational heart of youth ministry when we can’t gather the way we used to.",{},"\u002Fwriting\u002Fwhat-covid-19-has-stopped",{"title":204,"description":238},"writing\u002Fwhat-covid-19-has-stopped",[244,245],"Youth ministry","Community","wYnTDQAENus_4GU1R_LvdoapakbqocaWJmdGtctVvMI",1790943880772]