Michelle Anderson's Blog

Posted by Michelle Anderson

On his way to his weekly papal address, Pope Benedict XVI was riding in what has become known as the pope mobile, in a circle through the thousands that had gathered. Amid the cheering one man, whose intentions are unknown at this time, leapt over the barricade and attempted to jump into the pope mobile with Pope Benedict XVI.

Although security officers subdued the man rather quickly, it was reminicent of that fateful day when another man breached security and shot Pope John Paul II, also in the pope mobile.

It appeared from footage shown that Pope Benedict XVI may not have been aware of the breach. It must be pretty noisy in the midst of such a crowd.

It also calls into question whether a Pope's wishes should be ignored in light of increasing security concerns.

It's an interesting dichotomy that most Popes like to be close to the people who have come to see him in an audience, but that he may be removed from situations like that due to concerns for his safety.

How will a Pope be a voice for the people if it becomes too dangerous for the Pope to visit the people?

Posted by Michelle Anderson

Well, Father's Day is just around the corner and I have to admit, over the years I haven't exactly given Dad the same treatment that Mom received on her day. Why? Because she's a woman maybe and Dad is tough to buy for.

I don't know the real reason, maybe it's because my Dad goes about his job quietly, without calling attention to himself. He's kind of a stealth Dad. He's always there when it counts. It's too bad though that it took me this long to recognize his contributions to my rearing. Following is a minor list of all that he contributed:

• Money of course. Going to work every day, putting aside dreams to fund my whims and not to mention those new jeans I just had to have
• Moral strength. I don't remember him ever acting the fool, getting unjustly upset or being a jerk to anyone
• Treating me with respect. I may have been just a kid, but I always felt he respected my opinions, even when he said no
• Taking us everywhere. My parents exposed us to a lot of culture on those arduous family trips - the true value of which I didn't understand until much later
• Spirituality and faith. He isn't a bible thumper or one of those hallelujah folks but I don't know anyone more devoted to living a Christ-like life
• Showing me what a marriage should be. To my consternation I could not, as a kid, divide and conquer. It was maddening but they always agreed with each other, at least in front of me. Actually, he still brings my mother flowers quite often
• Talk radio. We didn't go anywhere without some kind of talk in the background instead of constant music. I was introduced at a young age to a Prarie Home Companion, public radio and a plethora of "boring" talk. I still listen to NPR daily
• Always being Dad. I may have a family of my own but if he sees a need, he shows up (I can't believe you actually come to the house at 6:00 a.m. during a blizzard to clear the drive so I can get to work)

Thanks Dad - although the word sounds so inadequate. I guess I just want to say you are the best. Happy Father's Day. Oh, I promise to not buy that tie and bad cologne this year.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

This summer many people will venture out and about on vacations. Some will enjoy lavish jaunts to the far east or wherever the "it" people jet to. Others will enjoy more traditional vacations to camp sites, amusement parks or grandmother's home on the lake/ocean/river. Still others won't get those vacations, instead, you'll try to take the kids on whatever two days you may have off and do everything possible.

Whatever your choice, let me offer one suggestion, especially if you are away from home. Often if traveling a long way, a Catholic church is not available for Mass, especially if you travel to an area that is not well-populated. Take this opportunity to attend a different religious ceremony. Whether it's something similar, such as Greek Orthodox, or something completely different, Temple for example, you can gain a great deal of understanding and new found respect for both your religion and someone elses.

If you do plan to venture into unchartered territory, however, do be mindful of practices and traditions. For example, what kind of clothes do most women and men wear to Temple? What do Pentacostals wear to services? A call to the pastor or Rabbi can avoid embarrassing situations for you and help you to not unintentionally insult the members of the congregation.

Whether the service is conducted in a language you understand or not, you can gain a great deal by just being fully present in respectful silence.

It's a great reminder of all we have in common.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

This Thursday is Ascension Thursday. It is another Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics. In case you've forgotten, a Holy Day of Obligation is a day that we must attend church. Will you go?

I remember when I was young Holy Days seemed like such a big deal. What do you mean we have to go to church in the middle of the week? Are they crazy? Don't they know what an inconvenience it is to me, in all my teenage and preteen angst? How dare they?

I always used to try to come up with excuses why I couldn't go. These excuses ranged from "I'm sick," to "I have way too much homework." Of course my parents never bought it. I HAD to go. I remember looking around and thinking none of my other Catholic friends seemed to be there. Why didn't their parents make them go? They must have cool parents. Not like mine, they're zealots.

Flash forward to grown up land. I have to admit a lot of these Holy Days of Obligation seem to sneak up on me despite my having a Catholic calendar in not one but two places in my house. When the priest makes his announcements at the end of Sunday Mass about the various Mass times for the Holy Day, I've invariably made an appointment outside of my work schedule for that day. But now, instead of thinking what an inconvenience the Mass will be, I think of how great it will be that the Church will be full.

It's another time I can go and worship. What's best about it is it is mandatory. Daily Mass is great but I have to admit I don't practice daily Mass. But I'm happy the Church compels me to go to Holy Days. It's another reminder that I should be worshipping God throughout my week and not just at Sunday Mass.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

May 1 we celebrated the feast of St. Joseph the Worker. That got me thinking, what does work mean to us in our secular lives? Can it be holy?

We can look to biblical examples of work as a tool to holiness. Of course we need only remember Joseph. He was a carpenter, afterall. We can imagine he took pride in his work without being prideful. He most likely gave the best work he could and charged a fair price for it. It's hard to imagine that he over charged.

But what can we do to make our own pursuits holy? We can seek to do our best each day. We can conduct ourselves in a manner that is respectful before the Lord. No gossiping, no ill will. We can seek to understand and to be perfect in our work. Of course, being human, it's pretty hard to measure up to this, but we can aspire to it.

Furthermore, during mass, when we give our tithe, we are giving of ourselves. Long ago, people used to give the work of their hands as an offering to God. These days, it's pretty hard to give the paperwork that is the result of the work of our hands. Instead, we give a portion of what we have earned from the work of our hands, or minds as it were. We give in thanksgiving to God for all our blessings. We give to help those less fortunate.

Giving and working hard and honestly are two ways we can make our work holy.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

In his closing remarks during his audience today, Pope Benedict XVI asked for people to pray for safe driving around the world.

This week is safety week, initiated by the United Nations. The pope said he would like to give "a word of encouragement to the public institutions that seek to maintain highways safe and to protect human life with appropriate means, and to the people who dedicate themselves to research into new technologies and strategies to reduce the many accidents on the road," all over the world.

He also urged young people to practice prudence and show respect for highway codes.

It just goes to show, there's always something to pray for. If you start listing all the things in this world that could benefit from prayer, well, you’d understand why some religious never stop praying. That is their mission in fact, continual prayer for the souls in purgatory, the humans on earth, peace, justice, those suffering in poverty, from disease. You name it. But the pope’s remarks also highlight another fact. You can pray for the heavies: famine, war, disease, but you can also pray for daily needs. What’s important is you pray and speak with God every day.

Don’t forget to listen either. That’s the hardest part for me, trying to quiet my mind and become open to the presence of Jesus. I’ll sit with every intention of listening, then something will happen. It’s at that precise moment I usually remember where I put that item that’s been lost for a month. I’ll remember a bill I forgot to pay. All these things that seemingly need to be done right now before I forget again. It’s hard to not just take a second to write it down and go back to prayer.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

Recently the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, invited Pope Benedict XVI to visit the UN in New York. It was announced today that the Pope has accepted the invitation, although no date has been set.

The invitation perhaps acknowledges the Popes recent efforts to bring peace to the world. Although the comparisons to Pope John Paul II are inevitable, this pope is making his own mark on the world.

John Paul II visited the UN twice. He visited once in 1979 and again in 1995. His more recent visit was to help celebrate the UN's 50th anniversary.

Hopefully, we'll see that Pope Benedict will be just as welcome in the world community. These are difficult times for religious leaders. As John Paul faced challenges with freedom and communism, the current pope faces freedom and human rights issues as well. Let's hope God will guide him and the world will hear another voice crying out for justice and the dignity of all humans.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

On April 29 Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the 44th World Day of Prayer. This year's theme is "The vocation to the Church as communion."

Certainly, the topic of vocations is something which the church must focus on. Just look at the number of dwindling priests. In other areas of the world there seems to be a lot of success at getting people to answer the call to vocations. So why is it so difficult here in the good old USA?

In his remarks on the theme, the Pope asks us to recall the first members of the church and their actions.

"The first Christian community was built, in its original core, when some fishermen of Galilee, having met Jesus, . . . accepted His pressing initiaion: 'Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men!'" That sounds pretty darn good to me.

Why then, is it so difficult for us to answer that call? Perhaps its because we feel in our hearts that serving Jesus means giving up the things that we love. But is loving Jesus about sacrifice? I guess not in a ture sense of suffering. Loving Jesus with our whole hearts, minds and souls means recognizing what truly matters. Ask any person in a vocation and they will probably tell you they don't miss those "things" they gave up, not really.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

I've heard of suffering for one's sins but what a group of Catholics is doing in South America is just plain wrong. I recently watched footage of a group of Catholics who were voluntarily nailed to crosses to atone for their sins and to show their dedication to Jesus.

They are wrong. God doesn't want us to punish ourselves and to physically torment ourselves in the name of worshiping Him.

Long ago, self-flagellating was viewed as a way to discipline the body and the mind, atone for sins, etc. This practice is no longer condoned by the Church. One can make up for sins through prayer, true reconciliation, penance and good works. If you are truly sorry, God will forgive you your sins.

I can't help but wonder how seeing His children hurting themselves affects God. Imagine this, you have a young child who is fresh, or who even steals something or some other act you disapprove of. Now, after the tears and the punishment (no TV maybe?) your child takes it a step farther. You think the matter is resolved but he decides to show you just how sorry he is. You discover him in his room repeatedly bashing himself on the head with a bat. How would that affect you? Would you say - oh now I know he's really sorry? Probably not. As a parent you knew he was really sorry before all this. Instead, you are incredulous and incredibly alarmed. Your first reaction is to stop the child. You never want the child to hurt himself.

Now, if we look to God as our heavenly Father, how could we possibly think that hurting ourselves would be pleasing to Him?

Posted by Michelle Anderson

John Paul was known as the people's pope. Now he may well be on his way to becoming the people's saint.

If you're thinking that's awful quick, you're right. Normally there is a five-year waiting period after a person dies before he or she can be considered for beatification, a step on the way to sainthood. But Pope Benedict waived that time after the crowd shouted "Sainthood Now," at John Paul's funeral.

In order to be beatified, then canonized, the church must study the writings and deeds of the person for purity. But that isn't enough. A miracle must be attributed to that person's intercession. Here's where it gets tricky. Although we refer in our vernacular to miracles all the time, the church takes this term very seriously. An investigation that would make Watergate look like a grade-school project needs to take place.

That investigation is underway in the case of Pope John Paul. You see, a nun from The Little Sisters of the Maternity has come forward stating that it was she who was granted a miracle by praying to John Paul. She had suffered from Parkinson's disease. The sisters of her community prayed for her and two months after John Paul's death, she was cured.

So far there has been testimony, blood tests, physical exams, X-rays and every conceivable investigation into the woman's claim - all carried out by the church.

If it concludes that John Paul's intercession is the reason for her recovery, he will no doubt become a saint. I for one look forward to the fast tracking of this Pope into sainthood. He was a beacon of light, hope and understanding. He revived much of the church and brought many into it. He was a peacemaker who was unafraid to stand up to tyranny. I look forward to praying to Saint John Paul.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

Some time ago, I wrote an article titled Websites for Jesus Freaks. It was a list of websites that might be of interest to Christians. Unbeknownst to me, however, was the fact that there actually is a website titled jesusfreak.com. Turns out its a whole ministry.

I checked out the website and it is full of news, commentary and some blogs that make you think. One blog that got me thinking was about squeezing the life out of your pastor.

You see, the pastor of our parish recently left. His departure was swift and health reasons were cited. My sincere hope is that his new, much smaller parish, will allow him to practice his vocation without risking his life (his ticker's not so good).

It was pretty sad to see him leave. He had been here for over a decade and helped transform this parish into a community that gave over a million dollars a year to shelters, food pantries and other charities. Not bad for a city with less than 500,000 residents.

He will be missed and the new pastor will have enormous shoes to fill. But even with his leaving, something made me even more sad. This past Sunday, the first without him, the church pews were not as full as they usually are. In fact, people from other masses told me that the pews were a lot more empty than anyone could recall. I realize that he will be missed, but I can't help but wonder if people truly go to mass only for the priest and not for the mass. I'm no fool, I know having a rousing homily and a lively priest makes for a more enjoyable mass but that's not the reason I go. But then again, maybe I'm just making a mountain out of a molehill. Stay tuned for more dispatches from the front.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

Replayed over and over again in our Lord’s Passion is that fateful kiss given by Judas to Jesus in the garden at Gethsemane. Now it seems that that kiss wasn’t so much a betrayal as a fulfillment of a command by Jesus himself.

The so-called Gospel of Judas as part of the Gnostic gospels has been studied for decades. The National Geographic Channel has aired a special on what the documents contain.

The most sensational revelation is that Jesus may have instructed Judas to turn Him over to the authorities. If that’s the case, will Judas’ role in the death of our Lord change our faith?

Probably not.

Because Jesus was Human and God at the same time, He knew that He would suffer and die. What difference to us does it make if He waited for events to play out or if He was the initiator?

Of course something more profound than that is at stake here. If it is true, than the Gnostics are correct in that Jesus shared a secret with Judas, substantiating the claims of there being “secret” knowledge. In a news story for Catholic News Service Cindy Wooden interviewed Jesuit Father Gerald O’Collins who said that the Judas manuscript does not rise to the level of Gospel in that it exalts Judas instead of Jesus.

While the nuances will be debated by theologians, for the faithful it shouldn’t change much. Our opinion of Judas perhaps may change, but our focus has always been not so much on the peripheral players but on the star, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

It's not even Palm Sunday yet and I'm already having a hard time figuring out what to serve my family on Fridays. Breakfast is easy, cereal. Lunch? Well, okay peanut butter or tuna fish. Not so bad. But when it comes to dinner time I bet mothers across America hear "Fish! Again!" from their offsprings' mouths. Well, to mix it up, try this receipe for a fish fry http://menu-planning.suite101.com/article.cfm/lenten_fish_fry by one of our contributing writers.

Other ideas include a zesty Alfredo sauce or vegetarian soup or pasta sauce. Also, check the religion section of your local paper. Many churches, mine included, offer Seder or Friday dinners. The Friday dinners usually consist of a simple meal of corn chowder or fish chowder. The Seder dinner is a great chance to learn about Catholicism's Jewish origins.

I'd welcome any tips or ideas about meals you've served during Lent.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

This Sunday, March 4 at 9:00 p.m. the Discovery Channel will air a program titled "The Lost Tomb of Jesus." It promises to look at ossuaries discovered in a tomb in Jerusalem that allegedly hold the family of Jesus and perhaps even Jesus himself.

Promotional material on the Discovery Channel site also includes sensational entries such as that the DNA extracted from the tombs, "throws light on Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene." It also promises to be controversial.

While I understand the need to not give the store away to get people to tune in, I feel that such a discovery, for most people, is enough of a motivation to tune in without trying to ride the coat tales of such hot button issues as Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene. It is unfortunate that writers underestimate the public's interest in Jesus and His family.

Of course there is plenty of mud slinging on both sides. For instance, while flipping through the channels last night, I caught a few shows talking about the special. One talking head accused the Discovery Channel of always placing their Jesus-as-man-not-God stories to air during the Lenten season. I don't think the people at Discovery are that diabolical. Rather, I think that the Lenten and Easter seasons are naturally a time for reflection on all topics related to Jesus. I think it's an easy sell in the programing room and I think they are right to air it during Lent.

Besides the claims alluded to in the programming note, however, I will be interested to see just what they have discovered, both from an archeaological standpoint and a theological one as well.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

Over the weekend I watched "Crossing Borders," a movie about refugee and famine relief the world over. While the movie revolves around a socialite (Angelina Jolie) who is jarred out of her bubble of sweetness and privelige, it also shows in startling detail just how immediate the danger is.

We follow the two main characters from starving refugees in Ethiopia, to Cambodia to the former Soviet Republic. I found myself thinking quite a few times about my role. What is my responsibility to the people of the world, particularly as a Catholic.

In my parish we have both local and international ministries that give aid. We have a food pantry and during lent we have Operation Rice bowl in which we collect money for famine relief. But in addition to giving money, shouldn't I, as a world citizen, make it my business to find out just what geopolitical events are resulting in these famines? My answer is yes.

Secondly, if, having found out what world events result in such tragedies, do I have an obligation to make a difference with every vote? Yes, of course I do. Having said that, however, it's going to take more work on my part - researching politician stances and voting records etc. But, it is my responsibility after all...

Posted by Michelle Anderson

As a side event to the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women, the Holy See will run a side event on February 27 titled The Human Dignity of Women in Contemporary Society: Addressing Violence Against Women.

Speakers from Catholic Charities, the United Nations and experts on traficking and exploitation of girls and women will appear at the event.

Topics will include economic and legal issues resulting from violence against women, the dignity of the human person and allow for the exchange of experiences from people of different nations, according to a press release from the office of the Holy See.

Some of the discussion topics that are a part of many womens day-to-day lives including caregiving, aging with dignity and security and moral and economic issues will also be addressed.

Anyone who wishes to attend may email office@holyseemission.org

Posted by Michelle Anderson

According to Catholic World News, the Vatican has promised Catholics who participate by praying during the World Day of the Sick on February 11, a plenary indulgence.

February 11 is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and ceremonies will be held in Seoul, Korea as well as other locations throughout the world.

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia online version, “An indulgence is the extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due, in God’s justice, to sin that has been forgiven, which remission is granted by the Church in the exercise of the power of the keys, through the application of the superabundant merits of Christ and of the saints, and for some just and reasonable motive.”

An indulgence, it points out, is not used to forgive sin, nor as permission to sin in the future.

Indulgences has long been a topic misunderstood by Catholics and non-Catholics alike - including myself. I'm vowing to myself, however, to look more into this topic and write articles about it so please stay tuned and write in with any questions or opinions you may have on this subject.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

The Frontline program on PBS has long been known for its frank portrayal of difficult issues. So I wasn't surprised when I saw the show "Hand of God," advertised. Originally broadcast in January of 2006, it presented a documentary film made by the brother of a man molested by a priest during his boyhood in Salem, Ma. More than just a who, where, what story, the filmaker tackles seemingly every facet of the impact and doesn't even shy away from asking his parents the tough questions.

I was originally going to write a review of the program but found, after having watched it, that my response was much more emotional. I was outraged, horrified, ashamed, afraid and more than any of those, extremely sad.

I was angered by the fact that some of those in power then are still in power now. I was dumbstruck at the level of arrogance displayed by those who knew about allegations of abuse and did nothing. I was profoundly saddened at the circumstances and the issues forced upon a boy by an adult, a man of God, that had vowed to put others before himself.

I'm still struggling with my feelings on the topic but if you're curious, the entire edition is viewable online. I encourage you to watch this thought-provoking, well-made film.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

Recently some of my relatives went on a church-sponsored trip to Rome. About once every two years my parish offers an organized trip abroad, the last one being to England and Scotland. My relatives went on that one too. It offered the chance to see another country among a group of friends and acquaintances. Another benefit was that someone else worried about travel arrangments, tickets, buses, etc.

Although both trips were thoroughly enjoyable, they were unexpectedly deeply moved by the trip to Rome. Of course they expected to be awed by the historic grandeur of St. Peter's Square and the Vatican as well as other religious sites they visited, they didn't expect to come away with a more profound spirituality. One of them said that although she knows God is everywhere, being surrounded by people who believe made her more aware of what that statement "God is everywhere," really meant. This really struck me because while she is spiritual, she's not the type to shout out a Hallalujah or an Amen.

Her descriptions of the experience were so vivid, it caused me to reflect on my own experiences and to seek out the holy in my every day more often. I'd love to hear your accounts of pilgrimages you've experienced and how they have affected you and your beliefs.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

I read with disgust and disbelief the account of Rev. Rodney L. Rodis out of Pennsylvania. He is currently facing charges of embezzling more than $1 million from his parish while he served as pastor. He has since retired and is living with a woman in a comfortable home, according to media reports. I guess any person has the capability of choosing the wrong thing but I tend to hold religious to a higher standard.

I can't help but think, what could have that money been used for. Could it have supplied a year's worth of food and shelter for 20 families in need in his parish? Could it have funded a program for teenage mothers to help them get on their feet and create a great future for their children? Could it have heated the homes of the city's elderly who couldn't afford the oil?

I can't help feeling personally wronged in situations like this. I give a portion of my earnings to the church and I trust that the money will find its way to those in need. If true, this was an outrageous breach of trust.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

Now that the new year has been here for a few weeks, I've had time to get over my typical resolutions - like losing weight and getting in shape - to reflect on some equally important facets of my life. Here are my resolutions for the new year:

Resolve - to attend mass on days I'm not obligated to.

Resolve - to concentrate on every facet of the mass, learning it's background and meaning.

Resolve - to truly apply the readings to my every day life and if I can't, to seek help in understanding

Resolve - to pay more attention to the suffering in the world around me, whether it's the plight of refugees in third-world countries, the poor around the world and in my neighborhood and human rights violations.

Resolve - to DO SOMETHING about these injustices, even if only to contribute money to organizations that fight against poverty, abuse and for justice and human dignity.

Resolve - to spend less time worrying about everything and more time thanking God for the incredible blessings I enjoy every day.

So there you go, oh these may seem lofty, but check in at the end of the year and I'll give you an honest score of how well I've kept these resolutions.

Posted by Michelle Anderson

In his New Year address, Pope Benedict called for a few things you might expect, world peace and freedom but one of his hopes was for allowing people to freely practice their own religions. Why did this stand out for me? Because I have a few friends that are so anti-Catholic that we can't discuss religion at the dinner table. Granted, their experiences with organized religion were so heinous, I'm not sure I could overcome them and remain faithful. So why did the Pope's remarks hit home? Because they fly in the face of many who say the Pope always pushes his own agenda. That he is intolerant and always trying to inflict his will on people. To publicaly call for freedom of religion betrays his true motivation, to call the world to love of their fellow man. That's my interpretation of it anyway. If only his hopes could come true.