Conclave 2013

With the recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, there is a lot of discussion about the new church leader. I honestly am not very familiar with all of the duties of a pope. However, I am aware that the church is changing. Over the past few weeks in class we have talked about some of the issues that the church is facing. Change is usually good, but we need the right man to carry out these changes. In my opinion, the new Pope should be dedicated to the Catholic church and all of it's people. He must be ready to take on the challenges that have surfaced over the past few years. The new pope should be understanding of the changing world and be aware of ALL of the people affected by the Church's decisions.

Lent

For me, Lent is a time when I can reflect on myself and my relationship with God. It is a time for starting anew. This Lent, I am going to try and make subtle changes in my faith. Throughout grade school, I was very close with God. I would pray every night and go to mass every Sunday. I have recently become more separated from God and the Church. I believe that Lent is the perfect time to reignite my relationship with God. My personal theme for this Lent is going to be involvement in my community. I want to offer my services to those who need them, even if it is just helping my grandparents. I would like to see myself become less involved in electronics and everyday social life, and more involved in service, family, and my community.

Roses in December

Prior to watching the documentary, I knew very little about the four missionary women who traveled to El Salvador. S. Ita Ford, S. Maura Clarke, S. Dorothy Kazel and Jean Donovan were so committed to their mission in El Salvador and fulfilled it with such bravery. One part of the documentary that really struck me was when Jean was in Ireland. She knew that when she returned to El Salvador, she would be killed, but she returned anyway. Even though I do not really understand this decision, I admire her for it. I don't think that I would be able to do what these four women did. They believed so strongly in a cause that they put themselves in a situation where they knew that they would most likely be killed.
In addition, I do agree with the opinion of the writer who thought that every Catholic should be familiar with the stories of S. Ita Ford, S. Maura Clarke, S. Dorothy Kazel and Jean Donovan. I believe that the writer thought this was important because the story shows how four brave women with husbands, friends, and family can leave everything behind to practice what they believe in and serve their mission with courage.

Theology of Suffering

After reading “The Mystery of Suffering: How Should I Respond?”, I have a clearer understanding of how Jesus dealt with the suffering that was present in his life. Kenneth R. Overberg’s first point is “Jesus resisted and eliminated suffering.” In grade school, one of the main topics that we learned about in religion class was the healing power of Jesus. We read countless stories about Jesus helping the sick and suffering, just as Matthew describes in his Gospel. Overberg’s second point is “Jesus rejected suffering as a punishment for sin.” Although the Hebrew tradition teaches that suffering is punishment for sin, Jesus proclaims otherwise. He rejects the idea that people are made to suffer for their sins. As Jesus healed the blind man, he tells everyone that the man had not sinned. The third point, “Jesus trusted a compassionate, present God,” explains how Jesus preached forgiveness in his parables. Even as Jesus experienced suffering himself, he remained faithful, and trusted God.

The two traditional interpretations of Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection are very different. The first interpretation comes from Jewish practices about sacrifice and atonement. The Hebrew people poured the blood of a sacrificed animal on the altar as a symbol of people’s desire for reconciliation and union with God. St. Augustine and St. Anselm’s ideas describe atonement for sin. This first interpretation views God as angry and demanding. The alternative interpretation of the life and death of Jesus is orthodox and rooted in the Christian tradition. This view is that the whole purpose of creation is for the Incarnation. God is not thought of as angry, as in the first interpretation, but is gracious and loving of his creation. My personal preference is “A Theology of Incarnation.” I do not view God as angry and demanding, but instead as caring and understanding. I believe that God desires to share his love and watch over everyone.