What's the Big Deal about CST?

Now that Lent is over, we at Tobar Mhuire needed to come up with a new theme for our blog. And we decided on...drum roll please...Catholic Social Teaching! Yours truly wrote the first blog with the intention of introduce people to Catholic Social Teaching and explaining why I think its so important. Enjoy!

"To be honest, as popular as service trips and immersion experiences are in the United States, I have never been one. Until two years ago, I never volunteered in either my local or global community. I took a class on Catholic Social Teaching as an undergraduate student. Of course I agreed with themes and principles that were taught in class, but I left the learning in the classroom. When I went to Boston College to study Theology, despite the world renowned ethics professors, I had no serious interest in taking any of their classes. My whole faith experience was based on me and Jesus.

 And all of a sudden, that changed. I moved. I actually moved six houses down the street and my world changed forever. I move in with five amazing people, people who were dedicated to advocating for equality, for women’s rights, for the end of domestic violence, and for the poor and marginalized  both in Boston and the developing world. I had the honour of living and learning from a community committed to justice and I have become a better person because of it.

I learned that my family is bigger than my mom, dad, sister and brother. I learned that my community is bigger than my friends, colleagues, and professors.

 I saw the face of Jesus in my house mates. Their commitment to loving their neighbor, no matter his or her race, gender, occupation, education level, socio-economic position, or sexual orientation, was a powerful reminder to me who Jesus Christ was. He was one to dine with the sinner, reach out and touch the sick, and built relationships with those most marginalized in his society. It was Jesus who said, “Whatever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.”In my case, it was “whatever you DIDN’T do for the least of my people, that you DIDN’T do unto to me.” I soon began to realize my faith compels me to do something.

The big question becomes, what can I do? How do I begin this task of advocating and promoting justice? The answer came to me in the form of Catholic Social Teaching. What is Catholic Social Teaching? It is the comprehensive teaching of the Catholic Church, informed by the Gospels and the lived experiences of Christians, on social, political, and economic issues. Popes have written encyclicals, bishops have created statements, and theologians have decided their lives to exploring, nuancing, updating, and reflecting upon Catholic Social Teaching.

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) gives us concrete steps for putting our faith into action. CST gives us seven different themes that help shape our actions.

·      Life and Dignity of the Human Person
·      Call to Family, Community, and Participation
·      Rights and Responsibilities
·      Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
·      Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
·      Solidarity
·      Care for Creation

For the next seven weeks, a different team member is going to be reflecting on one of these themes. The hope is that we will both learning more about each theme and be inspired to incorporate the themes into our lives. The key is to start small. I challenge you to find one practical and concrete way you can express each week’s theme in your everyday life. Just one thing. But if we all do one thing, think of the difference we will make!"

Christ is Risen!

The Tobar Mhuire Retreat Team and Community has just finished of our Easter Celebrations with a day of good food, good company, and LOTS of rest! It was a whirlwind of a Holy Week, but I wouldn't want it any other way! I've had a very powerful, moving, and blessed past few days. I want to (and will) share more about our lovely services and Kate will be a guest blogger as she shares her experience on the Holy Week Retreat lead by Fr. Tom C.P. But, for this blessed Easter night, I want to leave you with this....A video I created that features the meditation hymn we used at the Easter Vigil. The song is "Christ is Risen" by Matt Maher and it was beautifully preformed by the Tobar Mhuire Youth and Young Adult Music Ministry. I am blessed to be able to sing with such talented young people, and I dare you to think otherwise after listening to this!

International Women's Day: Part 1

Recently, Kate and I have decided that we wanted to start offering monthly ecumenical prayer services that call attention to and pray for particular social justice issues. In February  in honor of LGBT awareness month, Kate organized a "We are Dignified" prayer service that celebrated the dignity of all people, with a particular emphasis on the LGBT community. And then, on the eve of International Women's Day, I planned a prayer service that recognized and celebrated the voices of women around the world. We used a beautiful litany honoring women poets from around the world, prayers, scripture readings, and intentions that celebrate women, and I gave a guided meditation. If you have a few minutes, prayerful read through my meditation and watch the inspiring video "One Woman" written for UN Women.

"As we prepare for our meditation, find a comfortable position. You may, put your feet flat on the floor and place your hands gently on your lap, or you may find a position that is comfortable for you. When you are ready, close your eyes, and take a deep breath in…and then exhale.

Take a moment to reconnect with your body... As you do, take some time to reconnect with all the women in your life. …

Think about all the women in your life…your mother, your sister, a friend, a teacher, a co-worker...

Think about the women who may have made just a short appearance in your life… think about the women who have touched your heart time and time again…

As all of these amazing women flood your mind and heart, focus on just one. Who is she?  What does she look like? How has she touched your heart? What are the good moments you have shared? What are the difficult storms you have weathered? What have you learned from her?

As you sit with her, remembering, cherishing, and celebrating the time you spent together, thank her. Thank her for the goodness she brings into the world. Thank her for the impact she has made in your life and in the lives of others. Thank her for her unique and inspiring story. And lastly, thank her for being a woman, who reflects the image of God.

Now, take a moment and say good-bye. As you say good-bye, remember every women has a story that deserves to be remembered, cherished and celebrated. Remember that every woman has touched the life of someone, just like the woman you have been remembering has touched your life.

When you are ready, gentle open your eyes and join me in watching this short video that celebrates women from around the world…"

Lenten Blog... aka I'm in the Huffington Post!!!

One of Tobar Mhuire's Lenten offerings is a weekly blog. Every Wednesday one of the fabulous Tobar Mhuire team reflects on the Sunday Psalm. It's a great way to give people continued spiritual nourishment from the comfort of their own home, and it's been a good way for us to increase the traffic to our website! Then, my very clever co-worker, Kate, discovered that the Huffington Post is running a Lenten blog special too! They are reblogging posts from all different blogs...and a number of ours have been chosen!!! Including mine! I was so excited when I found out...I mean, how cool is that, being featured on the Huffington Post! So, click here to read my blog on Psalm 51, or just keep reading!

Psalm 51 

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is blameless in thy judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desires truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 12 Restore to me the joy of salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee. 14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of thy deliverance. 17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou will no despise.

“Just say it already!” I do not know how many times I have heard that phrase being used. But, I do remember one instance when I yelled it…to myself. I was living in Boston at the time and the stress of an important paper for my graduate degree was looming over me. I remember running into my housemate before one of my classes and I ended up saying something really insensitive. It was not until my walk home a few hours later that I realized how hurtful I had been. When I unlocked the door, I knew my housemate was in her room and I knew I had to apologize. As I made my way down the corridor I thought of every excuse and rationalization for my words, but only an apology would do. I was in the wrong and I knew it. As I stood outside her door, I finally heard this voice in my head yelling, “Just say it already!” And with a deep breath, I did. 

Why did I apologize? Because I was in the wrong and I wanted to restore my relationship with my housemate. The only way to restore that relationship was to take ownership of my words, apologizes to her, and hope that she would forgive me and would want to continue on our path of friendship.   

Why was it so hard for me to apologize? There was no question about who was in the right and who was in the wrong. I learned that one of the most difficult things to do is look someone in the eyes and admit that I was wrong, to admit that I made a mistake, to admit I have sinned. But, this is the message we receive from Psalm 51. Instead of trying to sweep his mistakes under the rug, we see David lamenting, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me,” and begging, “Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God.” This shows us how important it is to take ownership of our wrongdoing. 

While the psalm teaches us the importance to taking ownership of our wrongdoing, it does not make it easy. Before David mustered up the courage to make his proclamation to God, there probably was a little voice in his head yelling, “Just say it already!” No matter how hard it maybe, in both our human relationships and in our relationship with God, there will be times when we need to apologize for our words and actions. Until we accept the fact that we have sinned and apologize, we cannot hope to repair the damaged relationship.

The beauty of this psalm and the beauty of our relationship with God is that the story doesn’t end with us and our sin. That’s only the beginning! The Christian faith is not centered on mistakes and sins, but on forgiveness and new relationships. We see David speaking with confidence that God would restore to him the joy of salvation and that God would not despise a broken and contrite heart. It is with the same confidence that we should approach God. If we apologize with sincerity and strive to live a better life, we too will not be despised.

So, as we remember our sins and our shortcomings, let this Ash Wednesday be an opportunity for growth rather than guilt. Give us the courage this Lenten season to begin repairing the broken relationships in our lives. And, lastly, pray that our individual apologies and the collective apology of the Church will become a catalyst for a new and deeper relationship with God and others.

Tobar Mhuire's Greatest Hits!

So, I am currently working on a blog post about the retreat center most popular retreat:The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: The Adventure is Just Beginning. But, as I was typing I realized there was one part of the retreat that is so awesomely amazing that it deserves its own post. And so, this post is dedicated to the song that will be track #1 Tobar Mhuire's Greatest Hits: Father Abraham.

You know…Father Abraham had many sons, and many sons had Father Abraham…I am one of them, and so are you…so let’s just praise the Lord! Not only are these inspiring lyrics, but there was totally awesome actions that go with it. Be honest with yourself. You know and LOVE this song.

If for some sad reason you’ve never heard this little ditty before, check out you the tube video and imgine that these crazy kids are Paige and I.

Paige and I LOVE this song. Paige plays the tune on the uke and I jump around like a crazy person, what can I say, we make a great team! And now that Kate has joined the team, we both jump around like crazy people! In my experience, there’s no better way to start the day with 11 year olds. I have done this song with every group so far and every time the reaction of the crowd is the same.

First, you make them all stand up and take off their jackets, warning them that about how CRAZY it is going to get. They slowly stand up and while they’re not saying anything, their body language is screaming, “Oh, right… how crazy can two Americas and a ukulele be?” They clearly haven’t met anyone quite like us yet!

Second, you sing the song to the group. At this point, they stare at you in disbelief… “Oh, no…I am NOT singing that!”

Third, the call and response… they are still staring and you need to work really hard to get them all to sing along. At this point, you need to remember, they are only 11. They haven’t reach the “I’m way to cool for everything” stage so just stay strong.

Fourth, you make it through the song for the first time and call out the first motion “RIGHT ARM.” Now the tides begin to change. A few smiles being to crack…

Fifth, “RIGHT ARM, LEFT ARM,” even the “cool guy” begins to give in to the awesomeness.

Sixth, there is a scientifically proven correlation between the number of motions and the amount of laughter in the room. After three or fourth motions, you’ve totally won them over…everyone loving it. I mean really, what 11 year old doesn’t like jumping around in a circle screaming?

Seventh, the big finale…“RIGHT ARM, LEFT ARM, RIGHT FOOT, LEFT FOOT, NOD YOUR HEAD, STICK OUT YOUR TONGUE, TURN AROUND, SIT DOWN!!!” Everyone is laugh, gasping for air, and completely dizzy. What can I say, its good craic!

It’s a crowd pleaser… a guaranteed success. We’ve even had groups request to sing it again at the end! I always say at the beginning that is going to be crazy…and I do not lie about my bible songs

Let's Start at the Very Beginning

Most of us are familiar with the beloved musical, "The Sound of Music." Whenever I think about my first months in Ireland I immediately start singing,

"Let's start at the very beginning,

A very good place to start

When you read you begin with A-B-C

When you sing you begin with do-re-mi

When you start ministry programs you begin with databases"

Wait? That's not right, but it has definitely been my experience! 

I was lucky enough to be able to meet with Fr. John in person when I was still living in Boston. He was able to provide some context for Paige's and my work, and answer some of our questions. We knew going into it that Tobar Mhuire had just reopened as a retreat center (it was actually a school for Passionists students at one point!) and we knew that there was no established youth ministry program in place. But, there was no way to really understand the task that Paige and I had waiting for us. 

Neither of us had any experience in program creation and development, so we had quite a shock when we were shown our office. An empty office with empty desks and empty filing cabinets. There were no databases with previous retreatants, schools, or anything. We didn't even have a specific target audience, just "youth and young adults." There was absolutely nothing.  We were starting completely from scratch.

Building a ministry program is like building a house. You need to have a strong foundation. And that is what Paige and I created. It was hard and tedious work. For the first month, we researched and sought out as many people as we could to meet and talk to about the current climate of youth ministry in Ireland. Unfortunately, there were more un-returned calls and emails than I wish to say. On top of that, the youth ministry was "our project" and as a result Paige and I received very little help from the rest of the Retreat Team. There is a real value in begin an independent worker. I would like to think that when given a manageable and realistic task, I am self motivated. But, sometimes last year (and this year) I felt isolated and I craved more of a team environment. 

After our preliminary assessment of youth ministry in the North of Ireland, we moved into the database and brochure making period. Paige and I made databases for everything under the sun - primary schools, high schools, other youth ministry programs in the area, dioceses and many, many parishes. And after the databases and brochures had been made, we mailed and we mailed. And after the mailing, we waited for the phone to ring. And, it did.

I have now facilitated well over 20 retreats for both youths and adults. I've had opportunities to create prayer services, faith development opportunities and service projects. And, much of that is thanks to the hours that Paige and I dedicated to creating a firm foundation for the youth and young adult ministry to be built on. 

In all honesty, it took almost an entire year to create a functioning foundation. I use the word functioning intentional, because there is still a great need to continue identifying more supporters, collaborators, and allies. But, I have done what I could, and I have done it to the best of my ability. I am proud of what I am leaving behind: a starting point. While they may be few, Tobar Mhuire's youth and young adult ministry does have supporters, collaborators, and allies. Now the task is to continue fostering the relationships that have already been developed and to identify and nurture more healthy working relationships. Good luck 2013-2014 volunteers!    

P.S. I know you all have been humming Do-Re-Mi in your heads. So here you go, have a wee sing-a-long. You know you want too! 

"A Day of Prayer for a Listening Church:" Ash Wednesday 2013

Every year on Ash Wednesday Tobar Mhuire opens up its doors for the whole day and welcomes all those seeking a place for prayer. We have a formal opening and closing prayer service, a reading (or singing) of a lament psalm to mark each hour, and continuous adoration of the Blesses Sacrament. This year the day was entitle "A Day of Prayer for a Listening Church," which fits into our Lenten theme of storytelling. It was a day for us, as a Church, to listen to God's story.

Kate and I took on the responsibility of planning the opening prayer service, and we really enjoyed the experience. We wove together more tradition elements, like Taize style singing, and more creatively elements, like ending the service with the opportunity for those present to illustrate how their individual story fits into the ultimate story of salvation. (Yep, crayons in the chapel!) And, yours truly gave the reflection!

Enjoy my thoughts on God's story, our stories, and the words spoken as we receive our ashes!

"Today is very special day in the life of the Church. Today marks the beginning of Lent. Through these next 40 days we are going to be remembering and retelling the story of Jesus’ last days.  It is a suspenseful story full of unexpected twists and turns. It is a story of broken relationships, a story of betrayal, a story of heartbreak, but ultimately, it is a story of love. It is the story of God’s great and unending love for humanity. It is the story of God’s only begotten Son who offers his life so that we might gain salvation. In my opinion, it is the greatest love story ever told.

For those of you who read our brochure, you would know that we entitled today as “A Day of Prayer for a Listening Church.” Today is an opportunity to listen to God’s story and allow ourselves to be inspired, refreshed, and challenged by it. God’s story is the story of salvation. It is the story of our salvation.

What I like to call the greatest love story ever told, theologians like to call Salvation History.  What is Salvation History? Well, you already know the answer…because you just heard it. It is the creation story, it is the story of the Ark, of Abraham and Sarah, of Moses. It is the story of the prophets and the early Church. Salvation history incorporates all of the Bible stories that we hold dear to our hearts. Ultimately, it is the ongoing story of the relationship between God and humanity.  

The climax of the story is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, I use the word climax intentionally, because it is not the end. While in a few weeks we will celebrate Good Friday and reverence the cross on which our salvation was won, it is not say that the story is over.  There is no question about God’s promises, salvation has been won, but the story continues to unfold around us. Just as the Old and New Testament figures had their role to play in salvation history, so do we.

What an honour, to have a part to play in the story of salvation. Think about that for a second. Maybe even say quietly to yourself, “I have a part to play in the story of salvation.” Let the magnitude of that statement sink in.

When I was writing this reflection, that statement caught me off guard. I never thought about how my very existence is part of the story of salvation, or at least I never thought about it in those exact words.  As I let myself take in that statement, I had so many thoughts running through my head. First, I was amazed that I would have my own unique contribution to make. Then, I got all excited as I thought about what I am going to do and what my role is going to look like. And then, I panicked, “What can I do?”

That is a serious soul-searching question, “What is my part to play in the story of salvation?” And, it began to overwhelm me. I found solace in a somewhat surprising place. I found solace in the words that are spoken as we receive our ashes. “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.”  It is that simple. Every day I need to wake and decide to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. It’s also that challenging. Every. Day. I need to wake up and decide to turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.

By choosing to turn away from sin we open ourselves up more completely to God. But not allowing sin to creep into our lives we create a space or a home for God in our heart. And as for begin faithful to the Gospel, just think of the golden rule. “Love the Lord your God will all your heart, all your mind and all your soul. And love your neighbour as yourself.” If we take this command seriously, every moment of our lives provides us with an opportunity to be faithful to the gospel.

The words spoken as we receive our ashes can be our starting point, but where we end up is the exciting part! Just think about it. What if tomorrow morning we all woke up and tried our very hardest to turn away from sin and tried to the best of our ability live as faithfully to the Gospel in our everyday lives, where would we end up? It’s hard to say, but what I do know is that we all would do amazing things; we all would do different amazing things.

We all have different gifts, talents, interests and careers. That is what makes us special. That is what gives us our own unique story. Thinking about our lives as a part of salvation history is both humbling and energizing. It gives us purpose. It gives our lives meaning beyond the 50, 80, or 90 years that we are blessed with. Our life stories are important and necessary parts the bigger story of the Church and the even bigger story of salvation.

We all have our own unique part to play. So what is yours going to be?"