Ah Christmas Songs

Christmas Songs I don't Particularly Like:

Cherry Cherry Christmas - never should have been written. I don't have this strong feelings about most songs, but seriously. (P.S. I have a magic touch - no sooner had I typed this out than the next song on the radio - you guessed it! And I did this yesterday...okay, let's talk about "Do You Hear What I Hear" "What Child Is This" and "Africa.")
Mary, Did You Know? - Very good lyrics, yes, and perhaps goes farther than most songs to tell the Nativity / Jesus story, but I just don't like it, and that's that. I think it has to do with years of going to church as a kid and hearing terrible covers of it, usually by people who introduced it as a "wonderful new song they found just this year that they really like and is just so beautiful.' Yeah, it can't be new every year.
Merry Xmas (War Is Over) - mixed feelings here. The song itself is okay and singable and not requiring of changing the channel, but it is so...well...you know...written by hippies.
Christmastime Is Here - Really bad children's choir, not a really good melody...you have to be really sure of yourself to make up a new Christmas song and actually expect it to be a hit...this is yuck.
Santa Baby
Merry Christmas Baby - honestly, it says she is "lit up like a Christmas tree."
God Bless America - okay, I know it's not a Christmas song, but this seems as good a place as any to put it. It is disproportionately popular, and I absolutely can't stand it. It's not that I have a problem with the words...but it is an ugly, repeat U-G-L-Y tune. Yuck.
Christmas in Kansas City - that is not even a real song.

Songs Overplayed:

Chipmunk Christmas Song
Away in a Manger
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas - not a bad song, but it is overplayed. Now, the Burl Ives (is that right?) version I might actually move to the Don't Like list...but that may be due to overplayedness, so I won't.
Train's Song - It may be too early to tell, but I have decided that this song is GREAT if you just hear the chorus, like on the Coca Cola commercial, but even getting through the full song can be a little much, so onto this list it goes! :)
The 12 Days of Christmas - except the funny ones...honestly, the only way to get away with this song anymore is to make it funny. Specific examples are the one that says, "Beer!" and the one where they break out into other songs in the middle, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!"
All I Want for Christmas Is You
Christmas Shoes

Songs I DO Like: (I mean, really really like)

What Child Is This
Do You Hear What I Hear
Hark the Herald Angels Sing - almost any Christmas hymn with a few exceptions
Do They Know It's Christmastime?
Christmas Canon
Wizards of Winter
Anything Mannheim Steamroller
Silver Bells and It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas - make me think of 1940's Christmases....
Where Are You Christmas?
Nobody Wants to Be Alone on Christmas - from my Home Alone soundtrack
That Jamaican style song of "Hark now hear the angels singeth a new king born today and man will live forevermore because of Christmas day..." I like the old Irishy sounding version, too, but the Jamaican one is jammin' ya know?
Polar Express song by Josh Groban - I had better like it, it's in iPod.

The Christmas / Holiday Wars

Okay, so here's my thoughts. I'm not 100% opposed to "Happy Holidays" because there are so many holidays at once. In addition, in the old British sense, "Holiday" could refer to vacation from work, in which case there are multiple "holidays" at this point. But there are some times I think it is carried past nonsense. For instance, why say "Holiday Ham?" If you "holidays" is meant to include Jews, then they would not eat a ham for the holidays. And at this point of the year, (I admit I don't know much about Kwanza, I don't wish to know much, I think it's made up) Hannukah is done and over with! So unless you are referring to Christmas AND New Year's, then Holidays doesn't seem as applicable. I mean, we are two days from Christmas, what other holiday could they be talking about?

But here's another thought - is there really any way to win this? I mean, Christmas has been so commercialized, that even saying that doesn't really mean much. And we now have the "Christmas spirit" instead of Christian giving to thank for charitable contributions and general good cheer around the holidays. In a way, "holiday" is almost more appropriate because the word comes from "Holy-day." If you are fighting a Christmas vs. Holiday war, it's almost like you have to come around from the right flank and say, "I am throwing a Christ-child party." Or "I am going home to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ." It sounds a little fundamentalist but it at least keeps the real meaning of Christmas alive whereas the word Christmas doesn't necessarily do that anymore.

One last thought, though. Even though Christmas itself has been so commercialized and taken away from the purpose, it is interesting to note that the word is under attack. That means there is still enough of Christ in Christmas to make someone upset. As long as there are carols and ancient symbols (Christmas trees) there will always be opportunities to explain the true meaning of Christmas

I have observed that there are two types of rich people. The first enjoys spreading his ealth: he loves to live in a fine house, surrounded by beautiful furniture, and to eat the most expensive food. The second enjoys keeping his wealth: he would rather live in a howel as long as he possessed a chest full of gold and silver coins, and his greatest pleasure is to sit at a tabile, counting out his money. Which type of rich person can most easily be redeemed? Without doubt it is the first. The rich man who likes spending his money usually enjoys welcoming others into his home, so they can admire his wealth; and he takes pride in welcoming them to his table, to enjoy a sumptuous banquet. That openness to others can, with effort, be transformed into a genuine desire to share his wealth with others. But the miser who hoards his money has a heart that is closed and dark; and it is almost impossible to pry open the door of his heart in order to let the light enter. If a rich man invites me to a banquet, I may accept, hoping to convert him. But the miser never invites anyone into his home or his heart.

-St. John Chrysostom

Idols

We may observe people worshipping statues, and we accuse them of idolatry. We say that these lumps of wood, clay, or metal are lifeless, and so possess no divine qualities. Indeed we find the idea of worshiping statues so bizarre that we even laugh with contempt at those who do it. Yet far more dangerous than statues that are visible are the numerous idols which are invisible. Power is such an idol. Some people who possess powerful personalities desire power for themselves, and in this way make it their idol. Others like to be under the sway of a powerful personality, who makes decisions on their behalf, and in this way releases them from the task of making moral choices for themselves; thus they make the powerful person their idol. Fame is another invisible idol. Some people with the gift of speech love to bask in the warmth of adulation, and so make the admiration of others their idol. Those others find perverse pleasure in treating the gifted speaker as a god, whose every word must be treated as infallible. What I am saying is that the most dangerous idols are not outward objects made of wood and clay, but reside inside the human heart.

-St. John Chrysostom

Sometimes I feel that I have the last problem that St. John talks about. I know how much I admire hearing a gifted speaker or reading an inspiring book. It is hard to hear that perhaps I put more faith in these people than in God - the man who gave them their gifts. How humbling to

Greed

Those who love money are fierce in the pursuit of it, like wild animals pursuing their prey. They do not allow th eties of friendship to restrain them; they betray, cheat, or exploit their closest friends when there is gold and silver to be gained. Nor do they let the chains of conscience inhibit them; they learn to make their consciences as numb as fingers on a cold day. Even members of their own families may be used in their quest for wealth. Their eyes become blind to the suffering they cause, and their ears deaf to the cries of those whose lives are ruined by them. They imagine themselves to be free, purusing their own interests without constraint. Yet in truth they are slaves to their own greed; and this greed only brings them misery. So they bring a double misery into the world, to those they exploit and to themselves. Worst of all, they are even grateful for their own greed; they give thanks that this desire for money motivates their actions and gives purpose to their lives. While they feel this gratitude, they can never escape.

-St. John Chrysostom

O Holy Night

"O holy night the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O Night when Christ was born!
O night dvine! Oh night, O holy night"

This song is so peaceful and beautiful - if the readio is any indicator, I think it is one of the most beloved Christmas songs. Josh Groban, I think, is the one you will most often hear singing it now. But he also cuts out important parts of the song, in my opinion.

In the first verse, I just noticed this year the phrase, "The soul felt its worth." Wow! What a great way to describe the Christian experience. We know how much God loves us - that He would send his son to die for us, to save us, to allow us to come up and be with him. I would say that means our souls are worth a LOT!

I also like the phrase "weary world." Whenever I think things are really bad, I think about when Jesus came to the world, and I realize that even 2,000 years ago the world was weary. The Jews were a conquered people. Life was hard.

"Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall he break for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all opression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we.
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord, that ever, ever praise we
Noel! Noel! Oh night, oh night divine!
Noel! Noel! Oh night, oh night divine!"

I don't have anything to comment on the second verse, really. But I do love the line about breaking chains. Consequently, I did a quick internet search, and it doesn't seem that this song was written as a political statement about slavery in the Civil War, although that is what I think about when I hear it. Still - breaking chains is not a concept for days gone by. There are still slaves today - literally, and people enslaved by their own sins, their own trials, their misfortunes. In that sense, everyone is a slave. But more importantly, everyone is our brother.

But truly, I think that I could just sing the words of this song over and over again without getting in to any special "meaning." O Holy Night!

All of us are liable to complain of our work. We grumble at the hardness of our work, at its monotony and dullness, at th elack of time to rest and relax. We moan about how weary we feel. And we wish that we were wealthy enough to be free of work. But just imagine what perpetual leisure actually means. In your mind let me give you a large house in which to live, filled with comfortable furniture. In this house you only need to nod at a servant, and you will be brought dish upon dish of the most delicious food. Outside there is a garden filled with trees and shrubs, which bear sweet-smelling flowers. For a few hours, for a hew days perhaps, you would enjoy being in such a place. But soon you would feel bored and restless . Your bones would become still for lack of exercise. Your stomach would swell with all that food. Your head would ache for lack of anything to stimulate the mind. Your mansion in which work was impossible would seem like a prison. God has designed us to labor for our bread; only in toil can our minds and bodies find contentment.

-St. John Chrysostom

An Ideal Church Community

I often speak of the rich and the poor. I would rather not have to speak in these terms. If everyone acted according to the teachings of Christ, there would be no rich and poor; all would be equal. This is because the rich would continue giving away their wealth until everyone had the same. Since only a minority have truly embraced the teachings of Christ, this is not going to happen. But we can make a start; and the place to start is the Church. Let the rich give liberally to their church congregations. Then let each congregation use this bounty to support widows and orphans, the sick and the crippled. And let those whom God has called to perpetual virginity be the primary means through which this bounty is channeled. Hospitals and schools can be built where those in need can come, and where those called to celibacy can serve them. The rich would take no pride in their gifts, because those receiving the gifts would not know their names; their gratitude could be directed only to the Church. So let your particular church become in this way a reflection on earth of the glory of heaven.

-St. John Chrysostom

Well churches are halfway there. I love church fundraisers and the weekly ways that the church asks me to give. I love knowing that Pastor knows where to send our charitable contributions - that the needy in our parish know to come to him, and that the rich in our parish DO give. On the other hand, we fall short of St. John's dream in many ways.

First of all, the rich have not given away so much that they are like the poor. I don't blame them entirely. It would be irresponsible to give away so much that your own family is not taken care of, or that you are not taken care of in your old age, or if there is a disaster. Then again, if you have become such a generous giver, then I am sure people will help you in your time of need.

Second, there are not enough religious to take care of the administration. Yes, Pastor does a good job for our church. But what about the school attached? In the olden days, schools and hospitals were run by nuns - sisters who only needed lodging and food, not large salaries like the teachers and nurses in today's hospitals. How do we get more people into the religious life? Why has it lost its appeal? I don't know the answer to that. But I believe it starts in the home. Much like parents should teach their children good morals and charity, they should encourage children to THINK about going into religious life. That is one of the most charitable things a person could do.

Self Discipline

The skill which the rich need to use their wealth well is the highest of all arts. Its workshop is built not on earth but in heaven, because those who are rich must communicate directly with God to acquire and practice this art. Its tools are not made of iron or brass, but of good will, because the rich will only use their wealth well if they want to do so. Indeed good will is itself the skill. When a rich person sincerely wants to help the poor, God will quickly show the best way. Thus while a person training to be a carpenter must learn how to control a hammer and saw and chisel, the rich person training to serve the poor must learn how to control the mind and heart and soul. He must learn always to think good thoughts, expunging all selfish thoughts. He must learn how to feel compassion, expunging all malice and contempt. He must learn how to desire only to obey the will fo God. That is why I say the skill of being a rich disciple of Christ is the highest of all arts; and the one who possesses it is truly a saint.

-St. John Chrysostom

I know he talks about physical wealth in this passage, but to me I think also about our hearts and minds. Do you think only rich people need to learn unselfishness? Perhaps they do - perhaps my perception of rich is different from his. For I am sure St. John would think we are all rich, here in America. Someone starving to death, always worried about getting enough to eat, would not have time to learn the arts of unselfishness, and indeed he could not possibly think to be selfish. Someone starving to death does not wish for a TV or iPod. He only wants food, and that is reasonable.

Here in America we all want more, more, more. No matter how rich we are, we always want more. And no matter how poor we are, we can be a little selfish. Admit it. That is why we all need to follow his advice in this passage - to learn to "control the mind and heart and soul." This is what we call "discipline" and hardly anybody I know (including myself!) has it anymore.

A World Without Money

You tell me that you need money. You say that money is necessary to enable you to buy the things you need. I do not disagree with you. I, too, require money in order to survive. But I wish that I did not need money. Or rather, I wish that none of us needed money. Got tells us to trust him to provide for all our needs. I wish we could trust other people also to provide what we need. Indeed as a preacher I am forced to do this. I proclaim the truth of God; and I dpeend entirely on the gifts of those who hear me - gifts which usually come in the form of money. Others among you make things. If all of you gave to others freely what you have made, money would become unecessary. If each of you took trouble to observe the needs of others, and then according to your abilities freely met those needs, none of use would need moeny. And no one would go hungry or cold; all would have sufficient.

-St. John Chrysostom

I don't think the point St. John is making here is so much about a barter economy as it is a continuation about talking about meeting peoples' needs. It seems hard, when you think of it, to take what we do for a living and do it for free to those who need it. If you check out items at a grocery store, how can you just, um, not charge someone? If you work in a factory making lightbulbs, you can't just take a few to distrubte to the poor. You are not in charge of making those decisions. Although I have discovered that there are charities that take accountants to help prepare tax returns for the needy. I could also help people with their finances by giving advice. But we CAN help those in need - either with our money, or with our talents. It doesn't have to be the same talent we use to make a living. It could mean making dinner at a soup kitchen.

Also, he talks about looking around for need. Open your eyes! I have been upset recently because our society doesn't favor charity. What I mean is that, when I read books or watch movies from about WWII or before, people would take baskets of food to poor neighbors or go give soup to a sick friend. Nowadays we live in neighborhoods separated by miles and also by class. Those in large houses don't just "see" the poor needing food. But that doesn't mean we can't go out and seek it. I wonder how often we see a need that needs met, but don't "see" it. How many times do we have the opportunity to do good but don't even know it's time to do something? I am sure I am the worst at this, so I am not trying to lecture, but I am trying to become more aware myself.

Interconnectivity

Consider how an ear of corn is produced. Most of us would point to the labor of the farmer in tilling the soil, sowing the seed, and harvesting the grain. But it is not as simple as that. The farmer needs the blacksmith to make the spade, ploughshare, sickle, and axe. He needs the carpenter to make a fram for the plough and to make a yoke for the horse. He needs the leather worker to make the harness. He needs the builder to make a stable for the horse, and a barn to store the hay and grain. He needs a baker to turn the grain into bread, otherwise his labors are worthless. And he needs the forest worker to provide wood for the carpenter to saw, and wood for the baker to heat the oven. So just to produce corn, many different people are needed. Since we depend on one another for our very survival, why do we ever try to exploit and cheat one another? Nothing could be more stupid and irrational than to try to get the better of someone else; people who cheat and exploit others are cheating and exploiting themselves.

-St. John Chrysostom

I think about the politics of the day and the anger that is out there when I read this. Everything is connected including, in a way, cheating people. (Think about someone who runs a Pay Day Loan operation and then uses the profits to, well, buy stuff). All I have to do is to look personally at my job to see how it connects to the rest of the economy.

We sell insurance to small businesses. Small businesses do most of the hiring in this country. I have been used to working with big corporations - I worked for a large accounting firm, audited huge, Fortune 500, public companies, and now I work for a Fortune 500 public company. But, large as we are, and as much as my world has revolved around large businesses, we need small businesses to thrive! This is something I have to remind myself of when I wonder what the "big deal" is about small businesses.

It's a circle, too. Although I do a lot of shopping online, or at Wal-Mart, or at a large grocery store, I also do patronize small businesses without knowing it. What is a local restaurant but a small business? And when I needed a contractor? So they help me by being customers of the company I work for, and I help them out with my patronage.

Certainly all people should look at their lives this way. So many people get angry at "the rich" or "big business." But we all rely on each other. If someone who makes cars resents those who buy cars, what good is that? It would be like a doctor resenting sick people.

What Child Is This?

"What Child Is This" has been a favorite Christmas song of mine from the first time I can remember singing it. The Greensleeves melody is beautiful and haunting, reminding me of a far away age. Yet, without the the carol's lyrics, the melody is nice but not absolutely memorable.

"What Child is this who, laid to rest, on Mary's lap is sleeping,
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shephderds' watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe the son of Mary."

"Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are keeping?
Good Christians fear: for sinners here the silent Word is pleading.
This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.
Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe the son of Mary."

I like the second line in this verse, and yet I am not sure if I am interpreting it right. "Good Christians fear." Can you imagine the awe and fear of seeing God in person? And perhaps, if a Christian, of seeing your personal Savior? The fact that He is a little baby makes it even more awesome - that power causing fear. Not fear for our lives, but just immense awareness of something greater than we are. I wonder if those who visited Baby Jesus felt that - did they know how important he was? They knew something, or they would not have come, but did they KNOW? I wonder what it would have been like to have seen Him on that night (or any time as a baby) and carried that one meeting with you your whole life. Did they become Christians later on?

Of course, the second half of the line, "For sinners here the silent Word is pleading." Are the two halves connected? Well, I think so. All Christians are still sinners - so here they are meeting their Savior, the Word, who pleads their case before the Throne of Heaven. I think that would increase my awe and fear, knowing that. And non Christians? Other "sinners?" Well, their case is being plead as well. That is the beauty of the Christmas story.

"So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh. Come peasant, king to own him.
The King of Kings salvation brings; let loving hearts enthrone Him!
Raise, raise the song on high, the Virgin sings a lullaby.
Joy! Joy! For Christ is born, the babe, the son of Mary."

It was a few years ago that this carol became my all-time favorite. Usually there is one each season, and true enough there are those that I like. But since the words, "King of Kings" popped out at me, I cannot get them out of my head at Christmastime. The King of Kings! The greatest king the world will ever know, and He is just a little baby! It goes back to the awe in the last verse. I can't write more because the feeling those words inspire in me is not one that I can put into words. It's just...wow. This is why I do not write Christmas songs - I am not articulate enough to express what needs to be said about the incarnation. All the awe and power and joy come to earth on one night. It is beautiful!

The amount we give is not judged by the largeness of the gifts but the largeness of our hearts. The poor woman who shares her meager pot of stew with another poor woman is far more to be praised than the rich man who throws a few gold coins into a collection at church. But although most Christians acknowledge the truth of this, their words and actions convey a different message. When a rich man makes a large gift to the church, he is heartily thanked; and although he will not feel the lack of that money himself, he is praised for his generosity. When apoor man makes a small gift, nothing is said; even though that gift may cause him to go hungry, no one praises him or thanks him. It would be better to priase no one than to confine our praise to the rich. Better still, we should take trouble to observe every true act of generosity, whether by the rich or the poor, and then offer our praise. Indeed let us be as generous with our praise as people are generous with their money.

-St. John Chrysostom

Hark! A Carol

Once again as I listen to the Christmas carols playing on the radio this year, I am lulled to sleep by the wonderful beauty not only of the songs but of the messages they convey. So much theology, such a complete story of Christianity, is wrapped up in these simple hymns! And it is so gratifying to hear them play on secular radio stations - what a way to get the message out!

So I am adding some here - to just celebrate their words and to add my thoughts.

"Hark! The herald angels sing,
'Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinner reconciled!'
Joyful all ye nations rise!
Join the triumph of the skies!
With the angelic voice proclaim
Christ is born in Bethlehem!
Hark! The herald angels sing,
'Glory to the newborn King!"

I think the fourth line says it all here - "God and sinner reconciled!" Why, that's not a statement about the nativity, it's a statement about the cross! It's all about WHY Jesus came to earth - not just the fact that He did. Of course, the joy of the nations sends a powerful message, too. For instance, that Jesus came for the entire world, not just for Israel. Rejoice ye earth!

"Christ by highest heaven adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of the Virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the Incarnate Deity!
Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!"

I love the way this verse emphasizes the nature of Jesus. This is theology at its finest, and from the earliest days of Christianity. Jesus - fully God! - the Incarnate Deity! And also wholly man - a man who chooses to dwell with us!

"Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings
Mild he lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die:
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn king!"

This is my favorite verse of all! Once again we have the beautiful names for Jesus and a description of the joy he brings - light and life! But what I love is the incorporation of the Passion into the Christmas story. Here Jesus lays his Glory aside to come to earth as a man. But not only to come to earth, to die! Although the song doesn't talk about Jesus' death specifically, we know that is what it means when it says, "Born that man no more may die." It was his Passion that gave us that everlasting life.

Further, there is a kind of dual meaning of the words saying "Born that man no more may die: born to raise the sons of earth." The words speak of us - men. But they also tell the story of Jesus. He died, so that we would not have to die. And then he raised himself from the dead - and now he will raise us up as well.

This is why I love Christmas songs so much - what a wonderful opportunity to sing or talk about Jesus - and not just baby Jesus - His entire life's work! Because it all started at the Nativity!

When a tailor makes and sells a garment, only one service is performed, that of putting clothes on a body. The same is true of a cobbler making and selling a pair of shoes; the only service in this case is to put shoes on the feet. But when a person makes a gift to another person, of money or some object, a double service is performed. First, the receiver derives a material benefit from the gift. Second, the giver derives a spiritual benefit, because this act of generosity will have brought a blessing to his soul. And there can even be a third service: if the receiver is filled with humble gratitude that will be a blessing to that person's soul. Imagine a society in which no one sold anything, but everyone shared freely their skills and wealth. Then every action in that society would bring not only material benefits, but spiritual benefits also. Such societies already exists in miniature: families operate in this way. How wonderful it would be if villages and towns could become like large families. Then heaven would come down to earth.

- St. John Chrysostom

Thus the joy of continual giving. Imagine if Christmas were all year round. Imagine if we took care of each other - first those closest to us in our families and our friends, and then ever widening our circles. Last year I went to the St. Joseph table at my church, a communal supper and fundraiser to give money to feed the poor in our parish throughout the year. What if each parish had not just one St. Joseph table, but several throughout the year. And it not only fed but clothed and sheltered the needy in the parish. And then perhaps those not "in" the parish, but in the nearby community. How great the world would be if we gave not just on holidays and parties, but all the time!

The Skill of the Rich People

One person has the skill to hammer brass into the most exquisite shapes and to engrave elaborate patterns on to it. Another has the skill to make furniture, joining together different pieces of wood so firmly that no one can break them apart. A third person can spin the finest yarn, while a fourth weaves it into cloth. A fifth craftsman can lay stones one on top of the other to build walls, while a sixth puts a roof on top of the walls to make a house. Indeed there are so many different skills, each one requiring many years to attain, that it would be impossible to list them all. So what is the skill that rich people should acquire? They do not need to fashion brass or wood, or to build houses. Rather, they must learn how to use their wealth well, to the good of all the people around them. The ordinary craftsman may think that that is an easy skill to learn. On the contrary, it is the hardest skill of all. It requires both great wisdom and great moral strength. Look at how many rich people fail to acquire it, and how few practice it to perfection.

- St. John Chrysostom

This was a good challenge for me to read. One way you can read this is in terms of how we serve others. Some people have passions and talents that allow them to volunteer in very hands-on ways. But others, truly most of us in this middle-class society we live in, have financial means to give to those less fortunate. It is possible that there are those in this world whose talents are making money. There is nothing shameful in that. And if they use that money to procure their own security, and make more money, they can give even more money to those in need.

The challenge is in determining how much someone needs. We want to set aside money for the future - for future children, for retirement, or for unforeseen accidents. But hoarding too much money can be greedy and uncessary. So what is a reasonable amount? That depends on the person - we all just have to give some serious thought as to what that is for us.

The Visible Church

"Theology for Beginners" by Frank Sheed has the subtitle of, "A Modern Classic." I feel the title, which appears a little self-serving, becomes a good descriptor of the book. Sheed writes in a way that is easy to understand and conversational, almost in the stylings of C.S. Lewis himself. Further, several gems pop out at you from his writings. I'd like to write a few quotes from one chapter in particular, "The Visible Church" that were "Aha" moments for me.

"There is a feeling that one who makes all his own decisions in religion is freer and more natural. But if a man joins, or remains in, the church because he believes Christ founded it to give us truth and life and union with Him, then it is mere sanity to accept the doctrines and the moral laws it tells us Christ has given it, and the means of life and union. It is not as if we could discover these things for ourselves. We know them on God's revelation or not at all. We must find the teacher authorized by God to teach and accept his authority. The alternative is to go without. And freedom is not served by ignorance."

I feel this is what many people say about "religion" or any kind of structured church. But we all accept teaching from somewhere, even from ourselves. Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that guides us to truth, but then how can so many people be guided to different truths? It is because we are not looking to the correct teacher. Perhaps we are not able to discern on our own the truth we hear or believe. That is why he says we are not able to discover these things on our own - because even if we searched and studied, we would not be able to discern the truth between different messages without the Holy Spirit.

"She [the church] has had popes who made no fetish of personal holiness, but not one of them has ever tried to reword the law of God to allow for the indulgence of his own temptations."

This is a wonderful apologetic statement for those who use the failures of the popes to reject the Catholic church, and Sheed is absolutely right. There have been popes with mistresses, it is unfortunately true. But none of these popes has come out and said that mistresses are a good thing, a holy thing, or not a sin. Instead, they have had to personally take on the burden and shame of living a double life, but the teachings of the church have remained intact.

In addition, a similar thought really helped me on my road to determining if I should convert. Many people will accuse Catholic teachings of not being biblical, or even being anti-biblical. But the Catholics use the same Bible as Protestants. In fact, it was early Catholics who wrote the Bible we all use today - although the "Catholic Church" did not write individual letters in the New Testament (the apostles did), it chose which letters to include in the canon we now know as the Bible. If the church thought its teachings were anti-biblical, would it not be easier for it to change the Bible itself than to defend its actions? I speak in a general sense here, but specific doctrines do hold up against the Bible, and many hold up better than their Protestant counterparts.

"A medicine must be judged not by those who buy it but by those who actually take it. A Church must be judged by those who hear and obey, not by those who half-hear and disobey when obedience is difficult."

Like the quote above, this quote emphasizes that we are not to say the teachings of the church of a whole are invalid because of the lack of holiness of its members. In fact, we are all less than holy, although some are more holy or unholy than others. Still, any church would agree that they want to be judged by the message they are teaching rather than the actions its members do with the message. And though members of the Catholic Church can fail miserably, but it saints have been inspirations for the entire world.

"It seems so strange that so many Christians think the Apostles fulfilled their commission by writing the New Testament, leaving behind them no successors, nor any need for successors, with the authority the Lord had given themselves. It seems strange, for one reason, that it would mean only five of the twelve had obeyed their Master - Matthew writing a gospel, John a gospel and three brief letters, Peter two letters, James and Jude one each. Not a word written from Thomas, for instance, so ready with his tongue...
It would seem strange for another reason - that the Church Christ founded would be a teaching church only for a half-century or so, in all the centuries since merely a library. Circumstances change and someone must have the authority to apply the teachings to the new circumstances; otherwise they would end up as frustrations rather than teachings. Even in the doctrines themselves there are depths which the believing mind can explore, with all the danger of error but all the rich possibilities of development. With every operation of the unstagnant mind of man upon the truth, the question must arise, "What did Christ mean?"
So it has proved. There is not a word uttered by Christ that has not met a great number of diverse interpretations, some of them intelligent, some immensely attractive, but contradicting each other. How are we to know? Without a teacher - to tell us, beyond the possibility of error, which of the various meanings is Christ's - we should have no revelation but only an ever growing pile of conundrums."

This is a beautiful, clear way of explaining some of the thoughts that went through my head before I decided to become Catholic. There were too many people running around interpreting things differently, and even though some interpretations were very intelligent, they could also be contradictory. I knew that God would no have left us to live in a world of chaos! There had to be A truth out there to find.