Catholic Faith – Page 4

Grief as a life-giving creative process

Published on November 13, 2015 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

This is my latest column from The Catholic Free Press.

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November can be a difficult month for many. The clocks roll back and the sun sets at 4:30. The temperatures cool and the last of the leaves fall to the ground. There are many cloudy, gray days.

Rosa Dik 009 --- November Golden Reflection ---, Flickr Creative Commons — Rosa Dik 009 — November Golden Reflection —, Flickr Creative Commons

November reminds us that we cannot escape our fate–we all die at some point. Our physical deaths can happen suddenly. Or our health may deteriorate over time, bit by agonizing bit. Dying may be the daily giving up of some part of ourselves that we cherish. Memories fade. Legs weaken and fail. We can barely check our email or turn on the TV because the technology overwhelms us.

November is the month we remember all those who have died and as a community, we lift them in prayer. It reminds us of the grief that never ends, perhaps bringing it forward just when we thought we had sent it to the back of our minds and hearts.

Grief is mysterious and capricious. It creeps up on us, explodes inside of us, in the most inopportune times and places. I can’t tell you how many times tears have suddenly sprung to my eyes in the middle of a crowded room. There is never a day that we forget our loved ones. Happy occasions make us long for them so that we can share our joy. Hard times see us reaching out in vain for those loving arms that would assure us that “everything will okay.”

Grief is a journey that demands our compliance. Resist, and we will pay the price of remaining stuck in that place of sorrow, bitterness and anger; we will die in our grief. Comply, and grief will recreate us; we will live again.

At the age of fifty-nine I have become the published author of not one, but two books, both of which are the products of my grief. When the journey began in 2010 after I lost my mother, I was too numb and worn out to resist– God’s grace beckoned me to go on grief’s journey. In the process, I discovered the life-giving creativity inherent in that journey, taking that which already existed and shaping it into something new and wonderful.

Any artist, writer, musician or dancer will tell you that excellence in the creative life requires a letting go of control–you must give yourself over to something bigger than yourself, and collaborate with that force which compels you to create. That force will demand that you dig deep for answers and that you be open to any possibility. Your heart must remain soft, supple, and vulnerable.

Beverly & Pack Aurora Borealis, Flickr Creative Commons

Grief is that kind of creative force, demanding much the same.

I have no idea why I allowed myself to go with the flow of my grief journey. For some reason I was able to trust in God’s care and float down his river of grace. It was often a very confusing journey as I was given just enough knowledge to motivate me to continue, but no more; I was clueless as to where it would all lead. Sometimes the waters were rough. What I do know is that in the midst of my deep sorrow I found a wellspring of joy: “A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”. (Luke 6:38, NIV). As a result, each day became part of an exhilarating adventure.

Death and mourning need not signal the end; our faith teaches us that it is in fact a beginning. During this month of All Souls, may we pray for those who have penetrated the veil, and ask for God’s river of grace to carry us through our grief and recreate us. In the words of Saint Paul from Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

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Broken dolls, injured kittens . . . Beth March, Cassidy the miracle kitten, and the message of Pope Francis

Published on September 27, 2015March 23, 2016 by susanwbailey2 Comments

Last night as I watched Pope Francis speak with thousands at the Festival of Families in Philadelphia I was amazed at his energy. This 78-year-old man has been at break-neck speed all week, traveling first to Cuba, then to Washington, DC, onto New York and now Philadelphia. His schedule has been non-stop. He has given several long speeches in English which he has admitted, is a difficult language for him. Continue reading “Broken dolls, injured kittens . . . Beth March, Cassidy the miracle kitten, and the message of Pope Francis” →

Come and meditate on the words of Pope Francis

Published on September 25, 2015March 24, 2016 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

Are you enjoying the Pope’s visit as much as I am? I have been glued to EWTN and CatholicTV, listening carefully to the words of the Holy Father.

Do you find as I do that his words are pregnant with meaning? That you need time to process what he has said?

I do. My head is full. Today I took some time to walk outdoors to a favorite spot in the Wellesley College botanical gardens to sit, pray, think and sort out my head. I took pictures of this “outdoor chapel” and I will share them with you, so you can go there too to think on the words of Pope Francis. Continue reading “Come and meditate on the words of Pope Francis” →

In honor of the Solemnity of Mary: Mary’s silent burden, and her solace

Published on August 15, 2015March 23, 2016 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

This is my latest Catholicmom.com / Catholic Free Press column.

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As the Solemnity of Mary approaches, I recall a homily by our pastor about the true meaning of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception: we celebrate Mary’s conception, not our Lord’s. While preaching about Mary being born without Original Sin, he made an important point: Mary was the first creature to be born since the creation of man without the veil that separates us from God. Our true selves are meant to be in total union with God and the veil of Original Sin acts as a wall, impeding that relationship. Jesus came to lift that veil so that we could be one with God again even though sin was still a reality. He opened the door to heaven for us so that one day, the veil could be completely lifted and sin could be wiped out of our lives.

Mary was one with our Lord, right from the first moments of her creation; no veil separated her from her Creator. She was born to be her true self; singled out to be completely pure. How ironic then that Mary, who was chosen to bear the unknowable, unfathomable God incarnate in her womb, had to bear the ‘sin’ of being pregnant before being married.

Continue reading at Catholicmom.com.

Introducing Flow Lessons from my book, River of Grace – prayerful exercises connecting practical every day life with the Divine

Published on August 7, 2015 by susanwbailey2 Comments

One of the unique features of my upcoming book, River of Grace: Creative Passages Through Difficult Times are its Flow Lessons: prayerful exercises using concrete elements from our every day lives to reveal spiritual truths. They combine prayer with action, creating a practical life application.

Here is the first Flow Lesson from the introduction to my book. Did this exercise change the way you look at receiving the Eucharist? Please share in the comments section.

I hope this blesses you. I did it a couple of weeks ago when I received communion and it made for a wonderful, lingering meditation that lasted long after mass was over.

Materials needed: pen or pencil and paper, food, and your imagination.

Pick a quiet place in your home to do this exercise and make sure you can sit still comfortably for several minutes.

Be still

To begin, take a moment to be still with God. If you are having trouble with noise in your mind from the cares of the day, close your eyes and imagine a tree in winter filled with screeching birds. The tree is dense with these birds and the noise is unbearable. Now watch as each bird flies away. Attach a thought or care to that flying bird and bid it adieu. Do this until the tree is entirely empty of birds and it is quiet.

Bo Insogna, TheLightningMan.com "Bird Land," Flickr Creative Commons — Bo Insogna, TheLightningMan.com “Bird Land,” Flickr Creative Commons

Choosing some food

After a few moments of quiet, go to the kitchen and fix yourself something to eat that is both nutritious and something you really like. As you prepare your food, say a prayer of thanksgiving to God for that food and for the privilege of eating it in his presence.

Describe your food

Return with your food to the place you had designated for this exercise and examine it carefully. Write down a few descriptive phrases about the food, noting its color, smell and texture. Now take a bite and chew slowly, thinking about how the food tastes, what it feels like in your mouth and what you enjoy about that food. Write down phrases that pop into your mind.

Michael Stern Wall_Food_10171, Flickr Creative Commons

Think about where your food is going

When you finish your meal, think about where food goes after you eat it, how it goes to your stomach, is digested and then circulated throughout your body via your bloodstream. As you are thinking about that, consider how you are feeling: do you feel energized and satisfied after eating? Does it give you what you need to carry on with your day?

Meditate

Write down your impressions and then put your piece of paper in a prominent place so you will remember to take it with you the next time you go to mass. Ask God to take what you have written and plant it on your heart for when you receive communion.

Receive …

Episcopal Diocese Common-wafers, Flickr Creative Commons

During mass take out that piece of paper and read it before you receive the Eucharist. Now consider the Eucharist in the same way you considered the food you ate during your meditation. Be mindful of the texture of the wafer as you receive it and notice how you eat it:

Do you chew it or let it dissolve?
Think about why you eat it in that way and how it makes you feel. If you also receive the wine, do you hold the wafer in your mouth and wait to consume it until you drink the wine?
How does the wine add to the experience?

Pray and Ponder …

When you get back to your place, think about the wafer and the wine being digested, soon to be coursing through your veins.

What symbols come to mind, if any?
How will the Eucharist nourish you, both spiritually and physically?
Thinking about the Eucharist being the body and blood of Christ, how does it make you feel to know it is now present within your body?

When you get home from mass, take a few moments and write down your impressions of receiving communion on your piece of paper and compare notes. Ask God to continue to offer insight, opening the eyes of your mind to new ideas and possibilities.

copyright 2015 Susan W. Bailey;
from the preface of River of Grace: Creative Passages Through Difficult Times,
published by Ave Maria Press
You can read the back story of this exercise in the preface of River of Grace by subscribing to my email list.

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Changing your Outlook: Reflections on the Sunday Gospel (John 6:1-15) by Father Steven LaBaire

Published on July 26, 2015 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

I am pleased to present this guest post from Father Steven LaBaire, pastor of Holy Family Parish in Worcester, MA.

In preparation for mass this Sunday:

This morning the U.S. Surgeon General was interviewed on the radio. Not surprisingly, he was talking about medicine and health.

He said, “People tend to think that healthy people are happier people… That might be true.”

“But,” he added, “ so much science and research is pointing to the fact that happy people are healthier people.

People who choose to be happy, end up being healthier overall. So it works the other way around. Choose happiness first and health follows. “

Riccardo Cuppini Happiness, Flickr Creative Commons

That’s an interesting way of looking at it: Happiness is a choice we make. It isn’t something that just suddenly “happens.” A person’s chosen outlook can often change the course and outcome of things.

That goes to the heart of this week’s gospel: Jesus feeding an immense crowd of people with very few resources, some bread and a few fish.

Some argue that Jesus simply got everyone in the crowd to share what they brought with them. Who would bother to leave home and travel in the wilderness without food in the first century? If people saw Jesus and his disciples sharing a few loaves and fishes with others and by that were inspired to share what they had brought themselves, isn’t that miracle enough? Good point.

On the other hand, if humans can fly to the moon and defy the laws of gravity, why couldn’t God defy the laws of nature and “miraculously” multiply loaves to feed a huge crowd in order to teach a lesson about how we ought to live? Can’t God do more than our minds can imagine? That’s a good point too.

Either way, there is a lesson here about life: God begins to work in us when we focus on what we have rather than what we lack.

BK Gratitude changes the way we look at the world, Flickr Creative Commons

Start your day, start your next big project focusing on what you have been given, blessed with.

Focusing on what you lack, on what you don’t have will leave you disappointed and afraid.

Jesus got people to be grateful and use what they had. He dared them to trust that what had would go much further than they imagined.

And somehow, they ended up dealing with the challenge at hand: everybody got fed.

Outlook can change a lot. Jesus knew that.

Our way of looking at the day can leave us feeling happy or starving.

You choose.

I choose.

We all choose.

Obligated to Rest: Reflections on the Sunday Gospel Mark 6:30-34 by Father Steven LaBaire

Published on July 18, 2015March 23, 2016 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

Most people experience a different rhythm of life during the summer months.

School is out. People head out on vacation or go away. One need only look at the volume of traffic in Worcester as ask, “Where did everyone go?”

During the summer, many of us experience a “slowing down” of the pace of life. Continue reading “Obligated to Rest: Reflections on the Sunday Gospel Mark 6:30-34 by Father Steven LaBaire” →

Three ways your smart phone can strengthen your faith

Published on July 15, 2015March 22, 2016 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

This is from my recent Tech Talk column on Catholicmom.com. Portions of this article were taken from my upcoming book, River of Grace: Creative Passages Through Difficult Times, from Ave Maria Press. It is available on Amazon.

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You and your smartphone are tied at the hip. Emails, phone calls and Google Calendar reminders direct your day’s activities. What if that same smartphone could help you develop spiritual discipline? Continue reading “Three ways your smart phone can strengthen your faith” →

Confession of a timid soul

Published on July 12, 2015March 23, 2016 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

My latest Catholic Free Press column.

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The recent ruling by the Supreme Court on the legal state of marriage has reverberated across the country. People cannot stop talking about it and the conversations are often heated. A seismic shift has taken place in our culture. It caught me unprepared for the personal storm of confusion and fear that I would experience as a result.

Facing the inevitable

Christians are facing a “brave new world.” Confrontation is now inevitable; I cannot avoid it no matter how uncomfortable it makes me feel. I have to be clear as to what I think and how I feel and learn how to express it both firmly and in love, as Jesus would do. Continue reading “Confession of a timid soul” →

Slave or Free? Less or More? Reflections on the Sunday Readings for May 31, 2015

Published on May 30, 2015 by susanwbaileyLeave a comment

The Sunday Readings: Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40, Psalm 33, Romans 8:14-17, Matthew 28: 16-20

Why is it that so many people today attack Christianity?
What are they so afraid of?

Is it because the Church is perceived as an authority figure bent on depriving us of personal freedoms, especially that of choice?

Is it because it is seen as an institution that deprives rather than as a life choice that fulfills?

For it is a choice.

God gave us free will which we can exercise as we please. Since choices have consequences, we need to be well informed before deciding.

God gave us his Holy Word as a means of helping us to make an informed choice. A thoughtful examination of this week’s Sunday readings points to reasons why inviting God into our lives could be considered a good choice.

Powerful and generous

Lawrence OP Moses teaches the Law, Flickr Creative Commons

The first reading portrays a powerful God, generous in spirit, going out of his way to demonstrate his love for his people. In Deuteronomy 4: 32-34, 39-40 Moses reminds the Israelites of all that has been done for them: “Did anything so great ever happen before?” referring to their miraculous release from slavery in Egypt. God intervened directly, raising a leader in Moses to take the people to a new land and a new life. The subsequent commandments of the Lord that Moses presented to the people were meant for their well-being, to ensure that they “may prosper” and have “long life.”

Does it sound like these people were being deprived?

The second reading from Romans 8:14-17 spells out the benefits of choosing God clearly: we are no longer slaves but children, heirs to a great fortune–a meaningful (though not trouble-free) life on earth and eternal life in paradise.

Deprived or privileged?

Michael Radwin Noam and Abba at Father's Day brunch — Michael Radwin Noam and Abba at Father’s Day brunch, Flickr Creative Commons

Children are disciplined and schooled, guided into adulthood by the love of their parents. We have the privilege of calling the Omnipotent God, the God we cannot see or ever hope to understand “Abba,” Daddy!

Slaves are deprived; children are privileged.

Spreading the word

With this in mind, today’s Gospel from Matthew 28 shows Jesus sending his disciples forth to spread the Word, the Good News, to inform the world that we can choose to be children; and not to be slaves.