Archive for April, 2007
A good friend of mine sent this to me in response to my April 8 post on The Secret:
I was just in Borders on Good Friday to purchase the Passion of the Christ with my mother, and as we were checking out, the book/DVD (The Secret) was there on the counter. The clerk was promoting it to us as the latest findings on how to live a happy and peaceful life. I just laughed and said “I know what the secret of life is…and we just bought a DVD on it.” Then she looked at me strangely and asked “Oh yes, what is it?” I smiled and said, “Love. And love others as you would yourself.” The clerk just looked at me and said, “Oh. Sure. But the Secret has other ways of happiness and success.” Being that we were walking out the door, and others were in line to check out, I just smiled again and said, “There are no other ways to happiness. Just others ways of distracting one from doing the real work to get there.” Sorry to say, she didn’t get what I was saying. And as I left, I thought as you wrote: Another heresy for us to battle through evangelization.
Another friend who is a director of adult formation writes:
Thanks, Joe. This has gotten all kinds of discussions started today over e-mail. I think we will be doing something at my parish on this, now that you brought it up!
Happy Easter to all!
I was overwhelmed at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at the Gospel Acclamation which was so joyful and thunderous. It occurred to me that we have no secrets as Christians. What we have is mystery but we PROCLAIM it loudly to the world. As catechists, we do not pass on a secret…we proclaim the mystery of faith revealed to us in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
This is in stark contrast to the best-selling book The Secret (Rhonda Byrne) that has captivated so many people, including Oprah Winfrey, one of the book’s biggest fans. According to the author, the key to happiness is a secret that has been passed down through the ages. So, what exactly is The Secret (which has already sold 2 million copies)? It is the law of attraction. Here’s how Oprah describes it on her Web site: “the energy you put into the world — both good and bad — is exactly what comes back to you. This means you create the circumstances of your life with the choices you make every day.” Simple enough? The book itself describes the law of attraction as a “law of nature” similar to the law of gravity and says that “nothing comes into your experience unless you summon it through persistent thoughts.” The book promises that, if you learn “how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life – money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world…you’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.”
Sound good? I suppose if this book is helping some people to dispel negative thinking and replace it with positive thinking, that’s good, but here are some serious problems with The Secret in relation to the Catholic faith:
| The Secret teaches that… |
As Catholic catechists, we teach that…
|
| YOU yourself are responsible for your own “salvation” |
we cannot save ourselves but are saved by the death and resurrection of Jesus |
| you are responsible for any of the negative things in your life…you attracted them to yourself through negative thinking |
we do indeed suffer the consequences of our own actions and of sin but we are not the cause of every negative thing that happens to us |
| the poor people have no one to blame but themselves for being poor. It is their own negative thinking that keeps them where they are. |
we all share responsibility for the plight of the poor |
| narcissism is OK, i.e. it offers a way for you to be completely consumed with yourself and your own well-being (the abundance of the universe is there for YOU) |
we are to consider the needs of others, often putting their needs before our own |
| materialism is OK, it emphasizes how you can draw good things to yourself |
we are to live with the spirit of poverty, i.e. with a sense of detachment from material things. |
| individualism is OK. There is no sense of community or corporate responsibility. You can be one with the power of the universe (the law of attraction) but you have no responsibility for the well-being of others. |
we are members of the Body of Christ and members of the human family, responsible for the well-being of one another. |
| love is an emotion or a feeling |
love is a commitment to the well-being of another |
| greed is OK, it gives examples of rich people who achieved their material success through the power of attraction |
we are called to live with a spirit of stewardship, sharing God’s abundance with one another |
| the law of attraction (like attracts like) is the primary rule of the universe |
God (who is love) is the creative force of the universe and the law of love is the primary rule |
| the law of attraction can be thought of as the law of love, thus suggesting that we’re all talking about the same thing anyway! |
the law of love is not the law of attraction but is the call to self-less giving of oneself to others |
| you alone are the creator of who you are through your thoughts (“you are the creator of you. You are the masterpiece of your own life. You are the Michelangelo of your own life. The David you are sculpting is you.”) |
God is the Creator of all things seen and unseen |
| you can have complete control over your own circumstances |
God is in control and our call is to learn to discern and abide by God’s will |
| no moral compass is necessary. You simply have a right to everything and anything you want: “all good things are your birthright!” “trust your instincts” |
we are called to form our conscience and to rely on that informed conscience to guide our actions |
| the universe is your Genie: it is here to serve you (“your wish is my command”) |
we are called to serve others and to be stewards of God’s creation |
| faith is simply a positive mindset and that possessions are the focus of faith |
faith is radical trust in God; faith is a relationship |
| happiness can be equated with having things |
happiness is found in living in communion with God and neighbor and in following the will of God |
| the ultimate reality is an impersonal force |
God, who loves us in a very personal way, is the ultimate reality |
| self-reliance is all that is needed: “all you need is YOU” |
we rely totally on the grace of God |
| we are to have an attitude of gratitude, i.e. to be thankful, however, it never identifies the object of our thanks or the source of all goodness…just be thankful |
we are to be thankful to God who is the source of all blessings and all good gifts. |
| giving and sacrificing are diametrically opposed (sacrificing doesn’t feel good and leads to resentment ) |
to sacrifice is to make holy. It is not about feeling good, it is about doing what is right and holy. |
| “you are the master of your life” |
Jesus is the Lord (master) of our lives and we are called to surrender to the will of the Father. |
| there is no limit to what we can think or do |
as human beings, we are made in the image of God but are not equal to God and therefore have limitations and weaknesses |
| everything is energy |
the universe exists not only on a physical plane but also on a spiritual plane |
| God is energy |
God is love |
| each of us is eternal energy and that we have always been and will always be |
we each have a unique soul created by God and our share in eternal life is judged by the extent to which we live in the divine life (selfless love) in this life |
| universal consciousness (ourselves) runs the universe and can control it |
God sustains the universe |
| the body just holds the spirit |
our bodies and our spirits are one in this life |
| we are God in a human body |
we are made in the image and likeness of God; Jesus alone is God in a human body |
| all power is from within and is under our control |
all power belongs to God |
| your purpose is what you say it is; your mission is the mission you give yourself |
our purpose is to know, love, and serve God – to be holy; our mission is to proclaim salvation in Jesus to all people. |
| no one will stand in judgment of us, now or ever |
we will be judged by God based on the extent to which we loved and served others |
| our primary aim is to feel and experience joy |
our primary aim is to love God with our whole mind, heart, soul, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves |
| whatever you choose is right |
whenever making choices, we need to be sure our conscience is informed and we must consider the consequences of our actions for ourselves and others |
| you are the master of the universe |
God is the master of the universe |
If you spotted more than a few heresies in The Secret, you’re right! Personally, I enjoy reading a lot of self-help books and I am a firm believer in positive thinking. However, this book is such complete trash that it’s scary that it is selling in such large numbers. The Da Vinci Code did not worry me one bit because it primarily was a form of entertainment. The Secret is very scary because it proposes a philosophy of life that is being swallowed whole by way too many people. As catechists, we have such a wonderful opportunity to teach the Truth which is God’s Law of Love as revealed in Jesus – and there are no secrets involved!
p.s. check out this review of The Secret by Jana Riess
In observance of the Triduum, I will not post over the next few days. I’ll meet you back here on the “other side” of the Paschal Mystery!
Have a blessed Triduum and a Happy Easter!
My niece has gone to Catholic schools all her life (kindergarten through senior year high school). She is the number 1 student in her senior class at her Catholic high school. She is involved in student government and in a variety of other extra-curriculars. She is involved in her parish. She is selflessly involved in community service.
Despite all of this, her number one choice, Notre Dame, has rejected her application. What sense does it make to have Catholic universities, if Catholic students in excellent standing and of quality character, are not accepted? What message does this send to her and to other young Catholics who are exemplary students?
She may very well be the valedictorian at her graduation in a few short months. What should she say to her classmates? “Use all of the gifts God gave you. Serve others. Persevere in your studies. Live Catholic values. But, oh, by the way, it doesn’t make any difference to certain Catholic universities.”
Pray that Notre Dame reconsiders her application (which she is appealing) and pays more attention to its Catholic mission than to NCAA sports.
Last night, the 8th grade religious education students offered a Living Stations of the Cross in the Church. The DRE, Arlene Astrowski, did such a wonderful job of working with these kids with very limited time to gather them to rehearse. It was simply done and with adolescent reverence (meaning that there were smirks and uncomfortable fidgeting that comes with teens doing something that serious in front of their friends).
Before I took my class to the Church for the experience, one of my students asked, “Are we going to see that play today?” I explained that the Living Stations are not a play…not a performance…and we are not spectators. I told the class that it is a prayer that we participate in. I think that helped them to behave a little bit better. The fact is, kids are so used to being passive spectators and being entertained that it is difficult to break them of that mind set when they go to Church for any kind of prayer or liturgy. We need to remind them of their role as the assembly.
P.S. Check out this online version of the Stations of the Cross
I will be doing a radio interview (by phone) tonight about my book God’s Library: A Catholic Introduction to the World’s Greatest Book on The Catholic Channel (Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 159). The interview is by Fr. Paul Keenan who hosts As You Think, weekdays from 9pm – 1 am (ET). I’m scheduled for 10:40 pm (ET).
I’ll be sure to say something wonderful about catechists!!!
|
As You Think
Weekdays 9 pm - 1 am ET
How do you live a meaningful, purpose-driven life in an often confusing, overwhelming world? Father Paul Keenan, author of Good News for Bad Days, Stages of the Soul, and Heartstorming will bring his pastoral advice and 30 years experience as a priest to the Catholic Channel audience. |
Quick, everyone go out and buy Sirius Satellite Radio!
Thought you would enjoy this bit of levity!
I absolutely love Holy Week, especially the Triduum. It’s what we are all about. It is also Catholicism at its best. Today, we celebrated Palm Sunday Mass at St. Julie Billiart in Tinley Park…what a beautiful liturgy and a splendid way to enter into Holy Week.
When I say that Holy Week and the Triduum are Catholicism at its finest, I mean that the power of the liturgies…word and sign…touch us at our deepest core. Catholicism is sacramental…we rely on much more than words. We turn to symbol and ritual to express the profound mystery of faith.
Because these liturgies are so exquisite, I must admit to being a Holy Week snob…I absolutely cannot tolerate poor liturgy during Holy Week. I can barely tolerate poor liturgy at any other time of the year, but Holy Week includes the most powerful and profound rituals and symbols of our faith. To see these done in a perfunctory manner is intolerable.
OK….off of my high horse. Suffice to say, the liturgies of Holy Week have enormous catechetical power…they shape and form us while allowing us to express our deepest selves. Anything we can do to encourage our students to attend any of the Triduum services will go a long way in making an impact on their faith.
Let us pray that all those repsonble for preparing for these liturgies may be guided by the Holy Spirit to do so with the greatest respect and reverence.
