"Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Jesus, remember me!
(Maybe this is what God sees when he looks at us) 

It is unfair, to promise Paradise to a criminal who expressed contrition during the last few minutes of his miserable life. How about all the good people who go to church on Sunday, even everyday, who pray novenas and rosaries and have bottles of holy water in their homes. How about our friends who go through a long process of Initiation to prepare for their baptism or acceptance into the Church?

Sometimes I don't understand God. God's actions seem too merciful to me, to the point of being unjust. What would happen if a person in death-row for killing innocent people, has a moment of contrition at the last minute and asks God to remember him when he gets to his Kingdom? Will God give him the Kingdom promised to the gentle, the peacemakers, the humble, the poor in spirit?

How about the politicians and business people who steal, cheat and lie? Will God take them too?

I often forget the phrase that Jesus said before the conversation with the criminal: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing?" 

I believe this is the key. Do we know what we are doing? Do the Muslim fundamentalists know what they are doing when they kill themselves and others in the name of God? Did the Christian preacher know what he was doing when he burned the Sacred Book of Islam? Did the Crusaders know what they were doing when they killed Muslims in the name of God?

I wish I had a clearer answer to my questions. But during this Holy Week, I realize that the reason why we call Friday "Good" is not because Jesus died for us, but because a criminal entered Paradise undeservedly. 

Maybe I can learn that revenge and hatred will not get me anywhere, but a simple question might: "Jesus, remember me."

Life is Hard but God is Good. An Inquiry into Suffering.



How can a good God allow evil in the world? Is there any good in suffering? Why is God so unfair?


"A book filled with practical wisdom, Adele Gonzalez gives us a theology that makes sense to those who are not satisfied with simplistic answers to life's deepest questions." --Most Rev. Ricardo Ramirez, C.S.B., Bishop, Diocese of Las Cruces.


Buy from Orbis, Amazon or your local bookstore.

http://www.get-with-it.com/
http://www.maryknollsocietymall.org/description.cfm?ISBN=978-1-57075-926-0
http://amazon.com/

Also by Adele J. Gonzalez: The Spirituality of Community 

"At last, not a touchy-feely guide to living in community but a practical, spiritual vision of community in a real world where nothing is perfect and all are welcome."

Of Gods And Men - Official Trailer HD

If you are a depressed but also hopeful Catholic don't miss this posting

Will anyone care 500 years from now about today's debates? Women priests? Married priests? ...

Long time editor from Orbis Books, Michael Leach, has written a clear and honest article about what many of us feel and question.

Can The Catholic Church Change?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-leach/can-the-catholic-church-c_b_841971.html?ref=fb&src=sp




Pelayo in Covadonga, Asturias, Spain



I invite you to join me in this dialogue and use his wise words as a starting point.

I have been a lay minister in the Catholic Church for over 30 years. I have experienced "Camelot" and the dungeons of the Inquisition. Yet, after all this time I still remain a Catholic. Why?

Michael Leach has shared a lot of wisdom in his book, "Why Stay Catholic" and also in the above article. I invite you to read both as we continue the conversation on a subject that brings so much pain to so many Catholics today.

I will be posting my own opinions and experiences and hope you do the same so that we can all grow together. You can write in English or in Spanish.

I look forward to this exchange!

and the WORD became flesh...

Today Christians celebrate the Feast of the Incarnation

The late Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, once wrote: “By virtue of Creation, and even more of the Incarnation, nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.”

If we believe in an incarnate God, in the Emmanuel (God-with-us), in the Divine who became human so that humanity could become divine (Irenaeus), then our spirituality must be Incarnational. Among other things, this means shifting some of our present paradigms:

• From an emphasis on Golgotha, to an emphasis on Bethlehem.

• From an emphasis on getting to heaven, to incarnating the reign of God, here and now.

• From wanting to leave matter and the body behind, to understanding that creation and our flesh and bones really do “matter.”

• From “private concerns” to social participation, and witness that violence, oppression and exploitation are never acceptable for a Christian.

• From an individual, personal and private relationship with God to a communal and relational spirituality that includes all of creation.

• From relationships based on position, role and productivity, to relationships based on the love of God who loved us first and calls us to that love.

    How does the Incarnation influence my life here and now?

SO MUCH SUFFERING...



It seems that the last few months have highlighted the suffering of the planet. No one can escape the news about natural catastrophes, genocide, nuclear disasters, wars  and brutalities against humanity, not to mention our personal problems. I do not pretend to have an easy answer for this situation, yet I would like to share some words written by Thomas Merton many moons ago. His words have given me much food for thought!

"Indeed the truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller insignificant things begin to torture you, in proportion to your fear of being hurt. The one who does most to avoid suffering is, in the end, the one who suffers most: and his suffering comes to him from things so little and so trivial that one can say that it is no longer objective at all. It is his own existence, his own being that is at once the source of his pain, and his very existence and consciousness is his greatest torture." Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain, Harcourt, Inc. New York, 1978, pg.82



Are we allowing the smaller insignificant things to torture us? If so, then the tragedies that surround us today will totally annihilate our spirits.

Is there room for hope and growth in the midst of it all?

Alaska glacier 2011







Who should cast the first stone?

(Jesus) said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone…” John 8:7 (NRSV)

Speaking on his radio show Monday, Glenn Beck said that the earthquake could be a "message being sent" by God… And that is, 'Hey, you know that stuff we're doing? Not really working out real well. Maybe we should stop doing some of it.' I'm just saying."

Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of Aflac's beloved duck tweeted on Monday: "I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese say, 'There'll be another one floating by any minute now.'”

WNBA player Cappie Pondexter also tweeted her comments: "What if God was tired of the way they treated their own people in their own country!... "u just never know! They did pearl harbor so u can't expect anything less."

During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945 and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only active deployments of nuclear weapons in war to date.

Who should cast the first stone? Why do we continue to play the blame game? Where is the American spirit of compassion?

Choose life!

A few days ago I read once again Deuteronomy 30:19-20,

"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God..." 

Five months ago I chose life in the form of a total knee replacement. I had stopped posting because the physical pain and the process of finishing my new book did not leave me any energy to blog. Now I feel that my energy is back after a very successful surgery and the happy conclusion of my book.

Choose life! What a simple and yet profound statement. The Hebrew writer did not mean only "life" in the literal sense versus "death" in the physical way. The Hebrew word for life also means goodness; death means evil. I would say, let us choose LIGHT and do not allow ourselves to be consumed by the darkness. 

Yesterday we witnessed the destruction in Japan and the ramifications in Hawaii, California and possibly the entire Pacific coastline. What to think? How to respond to this tragedy? If we choose death we will simply add another corpse to the already long list. If we choose life, maybe, just maybe we can contribute to the collective awareness that the Christian God is also suffering this catastrophe. This gives me hope, hope that somehow all this suffering has a meaning.

In spite of all the difficulties around us, the economic and international crisis, etc. I choose to choose LIFE, LIGHT, GOODNESS...

Is there any other way to help move humanity towards the development of its full potential?

Creation for Incarnation?

This is a topic that has always fascinated me. Yet, I do not find too many Christians bothered by it, or even questioning it. For some reason, it is very important to my faith.

I am talking about the Incarnation. The usual position emphasizes redemption. It goes back to Original Sin as a fundamental alienation from God, a separation so profound that only God could “fix it.” In this case, Incarnation is God’s action to right our original wrong.

Early Christians tried to find meaning to Jesus’ suffering and violent death. They also needed an explanation for their own sufferings. They looked to the Old Testament for answers. Semitic mentality reflected in books written 700-800 years B.C.E. In them they found laments and complaints from those righteous and just men who suffered. Job, Abraham sacrificing Isaac, etc. The suffering of the just seemed to fit the death of Jesus. The writings of Isaiah about the Suffering Servant were also seen in this light.

In the early Christian communities, these stories colored the entire story of Jesus including the meaning of his birth and life. Especially Mark, Matthew & Luke who wrote for the persecuted Christians.

Throughout centuries, Christian theology and piety continued and developed these interpretations of Jesus’ suffering and death as a means of atonement to satisfy and angry God. The purpose of Jesus’ life was linked to original sin and human sinfulness.

THUS, WITHOUT SIN, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO NEED FOR THE INCARNATION.
This approach to God’s love is shown in his willingness to forgive us and offer us salvation.

But, my question is: What if God created everything for the Incarnation?

This view is also expressed in Scripture and Tradition. The Gospel according to John speaks about Christ as the divine Word of God who became human.

I believe that God shares love in a total way and that the purpose of Jesus’ life if the fulfillment of God’s eternal longing to become human.

Some theologians hold that the act of Incarnation was enough to save the world.

The Prologue of the Gospel according to John (1:1-18) speak of God's revelation, of how God has explained himself to us. God through the centuries has self-revealed through creation (vv.2-5), through the Old Testament word (vv.10-13), that is, through his covenants, the Mosaic writings, the prophets, and the wisdom literature. Those who believed in the ancient revelation became children of God...begotten...by God (vv.12-13). According to John, God has finally revealed himself to the utmost through the incarnation of the Word, in whom God's glory,and presence, stands as a sign of his enduring love (v.14).

The seeds for the theological development of the doctrine of the Trinity are found in the most explicit form in John's Gospel. Jesus is the personal manifestation of God in this world. In Jesus, the Word of God, holy Sophia or Wisdom in the Old Testament, through whom and in whom God created all things, became incarnate (Jn 1:14).

In the Fourth Gospel Jesus is the full revelation of a loving and compassionate God who invites us to know this truth so that we can be free (8:31-32).

I believe in God who has been revealed in Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:15-20 (written in the 60's) by unknown author is one of the most important theological statements about the person of Christ in the New Testament. Christ is praised as the icon or image of the invisible God, that is, he manifests God's presence in his person. He is called the first-born of all creation because everything else was created through his mediation. Therefore, he existed before all creation.

The late Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, once wrote: “By virtue of Creation, and even more of the Incarnation, nothing here below is profane for those who know how to see.”

If we believe in an incarnate God, in the Emmanuel (God-with-us), in the Divine who became human so that humanity could become divine (Irenaeus), then our spirituality must be Incarnational. Among other things, this means shifting some of our present paradigms:

- From an emphasis on Golgotha, to an emphasis on Bethlehem.
- From an emphasis on getting to heaven, to incarnating the reign of God, here and now.
- From wanting to leave matter and the body behind, to understanding that creation and our flesh and bones really do “matter.”
- From “private concerns” to social participation, and witness that violence, oppression and exploitation are never acceptable for a Christian.
- From an individual, personal and private relationship with God to a communal and relational spirituality that includes all of creation.
- From relationships based on position, role and productivity, to relationships based on the love of God who loved us first and calls us to that love.

I do believe that even if we had not sinned, the Incarnation would have happened, as the fulfillment of God's desire for total communion with creation!

THE DEMANDS OF THE COVENANT WITH THE LORD

DEUTERONOMY 24:17-20

"You shall not violate the rights of the alien or of the orphan, nor take the clothing of a widow as a pledge. For remember, you were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord, your God, ransomed you from there; that is why I command you to observe this rule. When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf there, you shall not go back to get it; let it be for the alien, the orphan or the widow, that the Lord, your God, may bless you in all your undertakings. When you knock down the first of your olive trees, you shall not go over the branches a second time; let what remains be for the alien, the orphan and the widow."

After leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, God made a covenant with them. On God's part, the obligation was for God to be Israel's sovereign, to love the people, and to dwell among them. The Israelites, for their part, were to observe God's commandments. The reading from Deuteronomy sets out one of the oldest ethical codes demanded by God. It underscores both the nature of the relationship between God and the people, and the unequivocal nature of the demand.

The code highlights three groups of people in the Israelite world who are the most poor and vulnerable: widows, orphans, and aliens. In the ancient society, women counted for nothing (cf. Matthew 14:21), and when a woman married she became the property of her husband and moved into his clan. In the event of his death, the widow belonged to no one; she was penniless, and became virtually homeless unless taken in by a brother-in-law or relative. The orphan, similar to the widow, belonged to no one and came under no one's care. Aliens, by definition, were foreigners in the land away from their tribe and did not belong to anyone, with no home or family for support. The characteristic common to each of these persons is that they become the poorest members of society by virtue of circumstance.

God's solicitation for this three-part grouping of impoverished people--widows, orphans, and aliens (including immigrants, refugees, and strangers)--dominate the Hebrew scriptures. (See Deuteronomy 10:17-18; 24:17; 26-12; 27:19; Leviticus 19:9-10; 23:22; Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 7:5-6; Job 22:9).

It is Isaiah who lifts up God's promise to those who care for the poor: "Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; clothing the naked . . . Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed . . . Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: 'Here I am!'" (Isaiah 58:7-9).

LA IRA (3era parte)

FUERZA DE CAMBIO

Del lado positivo, la energía de este sentimiento tan poderoso puede convertirse en una fuerza que produzca cambios. Podría reevaluar mis expectativas, y darme cuenta de que los niños no son perfectos y que de vez en cuando me van a dar un dolor de cabeza. También mi frustración me podría motivar a pasar más tiempo con ellos ayudándolos con sus tareas, tener una conversación con sus maestros, o dejar atrás mi deseo de que ellos obtengan la excelencia que yo nunca alcancé. Es decir, la emoción de la ira debe ser canalizada de un modo positivo, que llame la atención pero no dañe a nadie.
Cuando ignoramos el sentimiento de ira o lo negamos pensando que sentirla es ya un pecado, es cuando permitimos que la ira nos controle y se convierta en una fuerza negativa. Cuando no le prestamos atención, la ira se convierte en violencia o agresividad.

Violencia externa e interna
La violencia más obvia, la más fácil de identificar, es la externa o dirigida hacia afuera. Entre estos comportamientos encontramos la violencia física y verbal, los chismes, la indiferencia y el control a través del silencio.
La violencia interna, o dirigida hacia adentro, es la más difícil de reconocer. Cuando es “activa” puede causar todo tipo de adicciones: drogas, alcohol, comida, juego, trabajo, etc. Incluso en casos extremos, nos puede llevar hasta el suicidio. Cuando esta violencia interna es pasiva, sufrimos de depresión y nos enfermamos más a menudo.

EARTH DAY

Earth Day -- April 22

Earth Day, celebrated in the US on April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wisconsin) as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

"The earth is in greater peril than ever, but there is also unprecedented opportunity to build a new future. Earth Day has the power to bring about historic advances in climate policy, renewable energy and green jobs and catalyze millions who make personal commitments to sustainability - “A Billion Acts of Green” – mobilizing the power of people to create change by taking small steps in our homes, our schools and our businesses that add up to an enormous collective action." www.earthday.net/earthday2010

Earth Day 2010 // Bloggers Unite

Earth Day 2010 // Bloggers Unite

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IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Thirteen months ago today, my youngest niece gave birth to identical twin girls. The last months of the pregnancy were difficult for mother and babies, but finally on March 10, 2009 the twins were born. Because they were premature, they stayed in the hospital for a few weeks. During that time, I had a lot of space to reflect and contemplate the new life just begun.

This picture is one of the many we took, but it was also the most significant. The two sisters were placed for the first time in the same incubator facing each other. To us it seemed like a mirror reflecting back the same face.

To me, this is who we are before God. Made in God's image, we can look in the mirror and see God, and God can look at us and see Godself. Because of the power of Creation and even more of the Incarnation, we all carry inside the sacred spark of the life of God. In many cases this resemblance is hard to see, but the twins revealed to me what IS and often gets clouded by my poor vision.

As time passed, each baby showed their own specific idiosyncrasies. One seems to be more outgoing and extroverted, while the other observes and analyzes before she jumps into a new situation. Yet they continue to look so much alike that their mother put ruby earrings on one and emerald on the other; this way we all know who is who.

Our relationship with God is the same. I do not know who wears which color, but it should be difficult for those who know us to see any difference between our "face" and the "face" of God.

As we grow older our external features change, we get taller, maybe heavier... but our internal face continues to be the same: the face of God.

During this Easter Season I hope that we can always look in the mirror and see God, and that if we ever see a different face we would go back to the picture and remember who we really are!

RESURRECTION?

Today is Holy Saturday and tomorrow Christians all over the earth will celebrate Easter; Christ is Risen and the time of prayer, fasting and alms giving is over. Or is it?

It seems to me that this year is different. We are waging several wars, the unemployment rate is out of the charts, people are losing their homes, our civic leaders are fighting a war of their own and they seem to care more about politics than about the common good they are expected to foster.

I turn to my faith for strength. For heaven's sake, the scandals appear in the headlines of all major newspapers all over the world. "The Pope should resign!" "The list of priests who have abused children continue to grow and the silence of the leaders is frightening."

What is the meaning of Easter in this mess?

It is my belief that this crisis has brought about a rude, but healthy awakening in our church:

- We need to put our trust back in the Spirit to guide us.
- We need to reclaim the spiritual power that we (lay people) surrendered to the clergy many centuries ago and start working with them and not for them. We are in this together!
- We must rediscover who the center of our faith is.
- We need to assume more responsibility in the religious and the civic societies.
- We need to stand for the truth.
- We need to be a prophetic presence in today’s church and world.

I choose to believe that the Spirit of God will guide us as we continue to live the Gospel values.

Yes, we can celebrate Easter which brings us the same message as the Incarnation: God is with us. God is not out there somewhere waiting to reward us in heaven one day; God is here, in the middle of this mess, suffering with us, dying with us, and bringing us together to the dawn of a new day.

A blessed new beginning to all!

LA IRA (2da parte)

La carta a los Efesios exhorta: “¡Enójense, pero sin pecar!” (Ef 4:26). ¿Cómo es posible enojarse sin pecar? ¿Cómo podemos encontrar expresiones de ira en la Biblia, incluso en la vida de Jesús, cuando es un pecado mortal?

Sentir no es consentir

Lo primero que tenemos que hacer es distinguir el sentimiento de enojo/ira del pecado de la ira. Nos enseñan la psicología y el Catecismo de la Iglesia Católica que sentir y consentir no es lo mismo, y que los sentimientos en sí mismos son amorales. “El término ‘pasiones’ designa los afectos y los sentimientos. Ejemplos eminentes de pasiones son el amor y el odio, el deseo y el temor, la alegría, la tristeza y la ira. En sí mismas, las pasiones no son buenas ni malas. Las emociones y sentimientos pueden ser asumidos por las virtudes, o pervertidos en los vicios”. (Catecismo #s 1767-1774.)

En segundo lugar, analicemos qué causa la ira. El sentimiento de ira surge cuando lo que la persona espera, necesita o desea no es alcanzado. Por ejemplo: si yo espero que mis hijos se porten siempre bien, hagan la tarea sin protestar, y mantengan sus cuartos en orden, me voy a frustrar. La emoción de la ira es una reacción a mi frustración, porque las cosas no son como yo quisiera que fueran.
(Esperen la 3era parte)

Trusting in God

A few weeks ago, Emmanuel wrote me asking an excellent question. It seems that he went to church on Sunday (a Catholic Mass) and was shocked by some comments made by the priest during the homily. I must admit that I was also shocked when I read them and decided to answer them in my blog in case somebody else heard similar ideas.

The topic was trust in God. The comments were: "one who trusts in God is a glorious person, but damned is the one who trust in others, because one can only trust God. Happy the poor, the hungry and the less fortunate, because in the future he or she will be wealthy. But woe the rich and the people who receive praise from others."

These words, Emmanuel, are a bit related to the sermon on the mountain, but maybe the way it was explained was unclear.

Trusting God is a blessing because God never fails. God is the only one that is forever with us unconditionally. That does not mean that we should not trust one another. Actually, the foundation of any relationship is trust. Just look at what is happening in our government today. No one trusts any one else. This mistrust turns into self-righteousness, and this in turn becomes anger and eventually violence.


The poor, Jesus said, are blessed, because they know that everything they have comes from God and is a gift. The poor in spirit, even if they are millionaires, know that whatever they have is a gift to be used for the common good and not to be abused and to fill them with contempt for others and feelings of superiority.

When the rich are not grateful for their wealth and instead of using it for good they allow themselves to be controlled by GREED, COMPETITION, NARCISSISM, ETC., they are indeed very poor, sad people without identity other than what they have. They go through life unaware of who they are and measure their worth by possessions.

I think this may be what the priest tried to say. I hope you and any one who reads these comments find them helpful.

LA IRA

La ira es una de las emociones más difíciles de controlar. Los cristianos la consideramos un pecado capital. Sin embargo, la Biblia está llena de pasajes donde la ira desempeña un papel sobresaliente.
En el Antiguo Testamento encontramos sentimientos de ira en la literatura profética: Isaías 1:11-20; 58; Jeremías 7:8-14; Amós 5:21-24. Los profetas hablan del enojo de Yavé cuando el pueblo de Israel actúa en contra de la Alianza, es decir, cuando adoran ídolos falsos o cuando dejan de ayudar a los pobres, a los afligidos y a los extranjeros. También en el Libro de los Salmos, encontramos la ira expresada en forma de oración, cuando el salmista siente que sus enemigos lo acosan y Dios parece estar sordo a su plegaria. También en los Evangelios encontramos historias en las que Jesús se enoja contra los mercaderes en el templo de Jerusalén (Juan 2:13-16), o cuando los fariseos quisieron ridiculizarlo por curar en el día sábado y Jesús “paseó sobre ellos su mirada enojado y apenado por su ceguera…” (Mc 3:5).
CONTINUA...

Thoughts for today

I am grateful for the many comments I got yesterday. There was one I particularly want to share with all of you. It is an article written by a rabbinical student. Go to www.jewishexponent.com/article/20593. I hope you can copy and paste the address. It is a wonderful piece about a recent interfaith experience. I wish we could all commment on it.

Some of you noted the expression "Shit happens." Jean reminded us of the words of Elie Weisel, Jewish theologian and philosopher. When he faced the question, "How could a good God permit the holocoust"?, he realized that God did not cause it, but suffered it with each one of the victims.

Is God capable of suffering? Is God really in the middle of our shit?

Back to life!

I did my first posting over six months ago and then... I got sick! Shit happens! But nothing lasts forever and here I am, ready to continue my attempt to have an intelligent, fun, and interesting blog in cyberspace. If you have any suggestions, comments, etc. let me know. I hope to create a safe space where no idea or feeling is stupid or irrelevant. Remember, in this awesome creation, nothing is profane for those who know how to see!