Resurrecting Chicago

As I write this, Scots wait for the tally of the votes gathered today which might separate their nation from over three hundred years of union with England. Regardless of the outcome, in Scotland, what about Wales?

What about Spain’s Catalonia? The Basque country? What about Texas, for heaven sakes!

It seems like everyone wants to exalt their own culture. I’m not saying separation is necessarily a bad thing, but that the movement is happening, and that it is happening now is interesting. Freedom is in, conformity is out. Union is archaic, celebrating diversity is millennial.

My last name is Scotish (think of James Watt) and my ancestors on my father’s side came from Northern Ireland. In order to keep a hold on Ireland, Great Britain sent lowlanders from Scotland to the Northern part of Ireland and carved out the latest member of the United Kingdom, namely, Northern Ireland.  On my mother’s side we are from the “Auld Sod” itself, County Galway, I ‘m told. And, other than the U.S., it’s the country with which I identify.

I wonder what they are talking about in Quebec today.

Today as he does most Sundays, Pope Francis appeared at his papal apartment window to pray and bless the thousands of people who gathered below him in St. Peter’s square.

It was 4 am when I watched a live feed of his mid-day Angelus greeting and prayer.  For a seventy-seven year old Francis appears remarkably vigorous and happy.

Francis spoke of today’s feast of the Exaltation of the Cross and reminded us that the cross of Our Lord is a saving instrument of salvation.  While He hung on the cross, bystanders taunted Him: “If you are the Son of God come down from that cross!” Francis said rather than come down from the cross, Our Lord ascended from it.  His resurrection occurred from the bed of the cross.

Each of us have a cross, some of us, crosses.  He asks us to carry our cross as a light and easy burden.  With His grace we can and do resurrect from the sins that attempt to pull us down.

We are exalted today by the love of Christ and His saving help.

Father Ron Rolheiser is often accused of giving in to secularism.  Critics say that he dances a chancy jig  with liberals and then moves on to more traditional Catholic partners in equal abandon.  It’s hard sometimes to catch up with him. He finds good in most opinions while pointing out the shabby, the bad.  He is not afraid of ambiguity.

In a recent article in America, the author selects several attributes of secularism as Rolheiser’s case study for accepting secularism.

Today’s secularism holds dear the following values:

TOLERANCE — Think of Pope Francis’s answer to journalists when he was asked to comment on the gay life style: “Who am I to judge?”

BENEVOLENCE — Wishing everyone well  and helping as you are able.  We take it for granted that Walgreen’s will send on our $5.oo addition to our checkout receipt to the fight against breast cancer.  Imagine how many people do add a buck or two as a donation to a good thing.

RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUAL DIGNITY — Everyone has a right to their opinion, to courtesy, and accommodation:  Think of the breaks in crosswalks meant for handicapped in wheel chairs; or, of the devices in hotels  that lower and raise handicapped people into and our of  their swimming pools and hot tubs. These things are just standard today.

FREEDOM — To speak your opinion; to manage your own life; to seek happiness.

Rolheiser believes that these values have deep Christian roots.  So secularism is not a dirty word in Rolheiser’s view. There is a lot of good there.

It is, however, the Christian’s right and duty to stand up for the entire Gospel while embracing what it sees as good in our culture. Rolheiser believes this principle, too.