Give and Take

Baxter begs for food. When I am eating and he picks up an appetizing smell, he will sit at the foot of my chair with longing eyes. If I don’t respond and the aroma is just irresistible for him, he will place his front paws on my leg and reach for my arm, trying to pull it away with a morsel attached to the fork. If I get up from the table, Baxter will be on my chair in a mini-second, cautiously eying the food on the table and hoping I am gone long enough for him to make a move. That’s when he gets my stern, “Don’t!” and he usually backs off. Baxter will do whatever he needs to do to get a share from my meal.

However, the opposite is not the case. Baxter never shares his goodies with me. He never even offers a sample. Although I find his kibble unappetizing, I would think he would at least offer a bite to be polite. No, when his feeder moves for a meal, he is there dominating the dish, leaving no room for anyone else. Baxter knows how to get what he wants, but he isn’t great with giving what he has. Then, after all, he is a cat.

How are we as human beings? Do we think of sharing what we have, or do we only think of preserving it for ourselves or even better, getting more? We need to lookat our generosity quotient. Jesus says, “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” If we always think we have less than the other guy or need more of what we do have, we will live like an animal. What marks our human nature is the ability to recognize the other as someone who has a claim on us because we share a common humanity. What marks our Christian character is the ability to recognize the other as made in God’s image and therefore, a brother or sister in the Lord.

We are made to share. We are baptized to share even more deeply. And if we think that we owe no one anything because we worked hard for all that we got, we better think again. No one is self-made. We have all relied upon others for opportunities, for help, for support and a second chance. That’s what makes us more than animals. And when it comes to our view of each other in faith, we are bondedin grace to need each other “to know, love and serve God in this life and to be happy with Him forever in the next.” No one can get to heaven alone. We come there through the prayers, ministries and witness of those who went before us and those who remain behind. There is a communion of saints. In communion is the only way we can be saints.

Baxter, it’s give and take, not just take what you can get. Well, o.k. You are a cat.

Kinder and Gentler

I was away for a week recently. When I got home, Baxter was so happy to see me he wouldn’t let me out of his sight. He followed me wherever I went, and he would either meow for attention or just lie down and stare. I think he missed me, and he wasn’t about to let me forget it. He craved my attention, and he wanted to be cuddled, scratched and petted to assure him I was close again.

When Baxter was younger and I would leave for a while, he had a different attitude about my return. At first, he would greet me and want to be close, but after those formalities, he would give me the cold shoulder for a few days, sitting with his back to me, staying out of reach for a pat or scratch, and even trying to bite me when I wasn’t looking. He was angry, and he wasn’t going to let me off the hook for abandoning him. He wouldn’t forget the loneliness of my absence.

What has caused the change in Baxter’s attitude and behavior? Age. As he has become a senior cat, Baxter has mellowed about the things that used to upset him. He more often goes along with my antics rather than resist them. He looks to what he has set before him now, rather than what he missed or lost. He is grateful for a good life.

We need to learn this feline wisdom for our own lives. As the years pass, we can get stuck by focusing on the wrong things. We think of our regrets and mishaps--what opportunities we missed, what we did wrong, how others mistreated us—and we get trapped in this negative spiral. We can so concentrate on what we have lost—health, a work position, loved ones—that we can’t see what we still have--the good we have done, others who have helped us and contributed to our success and well-being, faithful friends and family. We fail to see the blessings we have, and so we wallow in anger over what we lost or never had. How do we learn to be grateful for what remains and how it has increased in value over the years?

The Eucharist is about gratitude for the blessings we bear in life. We are encouraged by the Church to participate regularly. This isn’t just a rule to keep the collection basket full. It’s a habit that is meant to foster our mature gratitude over time and deepen it, finding its roots in the relationshipsthat shape our lives rather than the things we have earned and possess. Our relationship with God permeates all our other relationships, and it is the source for our gratitude. As it unfolds in the mystery of death and resurrection Jesus revealed to us, we recreate our personal stories to see in them the saving love of God at work for us. The negative experiences are mellowed by grace to teach us how to release our anger and grow our sense of goodness because God loves us always in every condition. These lessons come with age. May we embrace the wisdom that our lives hold. Like Baxter, may we all grow old gracefully.

-Monsignor Statnick

Bad Dog

One of the great things about dogs is that you can make them “feel” bad about wrong things they have done.

There is even a YouTube series of Denver the naughty lab who is always caught. Denver’s “dad” busts her, and Denver squints her eyes and dog smiles to show how sorry she is. It’s hilarious.

Charlie is no different. When he does something wrong, I just ask, “Did you do this?” He immediately reacts with his head down and a low wagging tail. He comes as close to me as possible and tries to put his head on my lap.

It’s so sweet, it’s almost impossible not to laugh. He wants to make things right as soon as possible, so that harmony can return to his simple doggy life.

Of course, pardoning him his easy, too. His sweet dog face and intense desire to be forgiven melt my heart and all is well in no time. I can’t stand to see my dog so sad to see me upset!

We don’t really have that reaction with one another, though, do we?

Without a doubt, forgiving a dog can be much easier than forgiving a person. I mean, whoever heard of a dog who had malicious intent and a manipulative mind? Even when a dog attacks it is either because it was poorly trained, or being threatened.

People, on the other hand think things through. People are intent on hurting us. People manipulate and abuse us so that they can get what they want no matter the cost. Right? Maybe not.

One of the ways confession is supposed to help us is to try and see things from the sinner’s perspective. The sinner being us, of course.

When you get right to it, you have to ask yourself, are people inherently bad or inherently good? From our Christian point of view, we say they are inherently good. How is that, you ask? It is because we are all created in the likeness and image of God. Every. One. Of. Us.

Certainly we all have original sin, and therefore a tendency to make poor choices for our own promotion, but at our core we still have the love of God within us.

What if when someone wronged us, we would think about this? How would the world be different if instead of counting our hurts, we counted our blessings? What if we would think of our own sins before we worried so much about the sins of others?

Perhaps, the world would look a little bit more like the Kingdom of God. And, after all, isn’t that what we are supposed to be striving for?

How could we learn to be more like Charlie and readily seek forgiveness?

It starts with realizing that God is not like people. Jesus came so that we might know the Father. Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy.

Jesus seeks to heal us, to repair our broken relationships, and to bring peace to our lives. Jesus shows us what forgiveness is. Jesus shows us love.

Trying to live our lives according to God’s will can be hard, but it is also freeing. When we let go of the things that hold us back, we become happier and closer to God’s love.

Our Catholic living is supposed to help us with that. Going to Mass gives us food for the journey, and God’s word to help us on our way. Reconciliation is a time to realize that we have hurt others, and need forgiveness for that. The Sacramental life is supposed to open our lives to God’s grace and help us to do and be better.

I love my dog, but not as much as God loves us. I always forgive Charlie when he is bad, and God always forgives us. Jesus tells us that to show God we love him, we have to love one another. That takes a little forgiveness now and then.

Right, Charlie?

~ Christy Cabaniss

Under Foot

The last time I went for a medical check-up, the nurse asked me some new questions. They covered the “tripping hazard inventory” that is part of a “senior” medical review these days. They asked if I had area rugs in my home, if there were a bath tub or walk-in shower, and if I had a pet, specifically a cat or a dog. Of course, I said I had a cat. That was a negative point for my overall evaluation.

You see, having Baxter increases my odds of tripping over him. I can understand the reasoning here. Baxter does get under foot sometimes, especially if he wants to eat something I am preparing in the kitchen. He also has this habit of plopping in a prone position wherever he wants to land, and that is usually in the way--in the middle of a hallway, a room, a doorway or my lap. These behaviors make Baxter a tripping hazard for me. He lowered my home safety score. I wonder if he will be the reason for my early admission to a convalescent facility!

Well, I’ll chance it. Because what I may lose in physical safety from living with a pet, I gain ten-fold in soulful security with his companionship. Baxter fills an empty house when I come home at night. He sits and listens when I have had a hard day. He forces me to think of someone other than myself when he needs fed and watered, a clean bathroom and a few comforting strokes. His mysterious looks, strange sounds, and delights in sunshine and fresh air remind me to pay attention to what is going on in others’ lives around me and appreciate that we are on this life journey together. Baxter is my live-in angel.

Angels are divine messengers. They arise in the scriptures whenever God is about to do something important for people. Gabriel announces the conception of Jesus. Michael battles Satan and the forces of evil. Angels were at the tomb to tell Mary and the other women that He is Risen. And angels bid the disciples at the Lord’s ascension to trust that He will return. Angels mark the movements of God among human beings throughout the course of history. Sometimes they reveal dramatic actions changing the human condition completely. Sometimes the angels are hidden within the ordinary affairs of daily life, reminding us that God is with us and calling us to deeper faith and discipleship.

Whoever or whatever calls us out of our too comfortable, narcissistic and selfish worlds to be aware of, empathetic towards and of service to others in their need is an angel for us. Sometimes they may trip us to get our attention. But don’t be afraid, as we hear so often in this Easter season. When we are tripped by a true angel, we break only unnecessary parts, baggage that should be left behind. Then we can get up and be about the business of God’s work inour world. Jesus flunked the tripping test too on the way to Calvary, but He sure did show those who thought themselves hardy and healthy how to rise stronger and whole. When God is under foot, we all walk taller.

The Picture of Peace

When Baxter is intent upon sleeping soundly, he can get into it. He is lost to this world. He snores and makes strange sounds. He curls in a ball and covers his eyes. He doesn’t respond to his name or any familiar stimulus. He enters into another dimension, free from the mundane concerns of his regular life. I think he dreams in these deep sleeps. That’s the reason for all the uncharacteristic noise he makes. Nothing like a meow is heard at these times. The messages are delivered in another language, and he is lost in the conversation.

This kind of deep involvement in another dimension is what we are called to consider in our prayer. This is a time when we step out of the ordinary activities of our lives, and enter into a conversation with the Holy. This dialogue is unlike any other we may have. It is not about the “stuff” with which we may be dealing. It speaks in a wholly different way. It is an exchange of energy, a union of hearts, a sense of presence, a seeking to understand what is beyond our grasp. In our deepest prayer, we encounter God for Who God is - the Love that moves the stars and the other planets, the Love that died on the cross to save us. Prayer is an experience of our relationship with God when we realize how close God is to us and how wonderful is His Love for us.

Our deepest prayer doesn’t solve any problems for us. It doesn’t teach us any doctrines of our faith or new moral principles. Rather, it shows us who we are as a child of God and how much we matter to our heavenly Father who gave us life. It reveals that God is with us, Emmanuel, and that His unconditional Love never abandons us no matter how severe the suffering or how much rejection we may experience from others. Divorce, betrayal, abandonment or even the separation of death cannot exclude the Love of God from our lives. These experiences may mask His love in the pain of personal hurt and grief, but they cannot conquer this Love. His face remains turned to us, and when we open our pain to His healing power, we can see it again, perhaps even more clearly, for now we better understand the passage from death to new life He marked out for us.

So when we pray, don’t worry about what we are to say or wear. Relax in our Father’s arms. When we pray, enter deeply into the Holy Mystery that envelops our lives every second of the day. Allow God to speak His love for us, and let nothing else disturb us. The first words of the Risen Lord were so often these: “Peace be with you.” We can sleep well knowing we are known and loved by God.

On Alert

Baxter seems to be always on alert. Even when he is in his deepest sleep, if a strange noise or bright light arises, he is instantly awake, ears erect, eyes wide open, searching the surroundings for what is going on. Sometimes this alertness puts him on edge. He jumps at the slightest sound, or runs and hides at any unusual person or thing invading his familiar territory. He can be a “Nervous Nelly”, unable to relax and feel safe, always thinking that some impending doom looms nearby. There is a careful balance needed to be a watch cat. Too much anxiousness, and no one will pay attention to your warnings. Too little vigilance, and the place will be invaded while everyone sleeps through it.

The same holds true for recognizing the Spirit of the Risen Lord in our midst. We need to be alert to the signs of resurrection that come our way. Looking to the scriptures for direction, we see that these often happen while engaging in the tasks of our daily lives. Mary went to attend the grave and thought she met a gardener. When the Lord spoke to her by name, she recognized Him. Peter went fishing and was frustrated with his lack of success. When the stranger on the shore directed him to cast his net to the right side of the boat and the catch was overflowing, he knew it was the Lord. The group of disciples was huddled in a locked room to avoid being arrested after Jesus’ death. They recognized the Lord when He appeared and said “Peace be with you” and showed them His hands and His side.

Notice the hallmarks in all these scenes. The Lord incorporates Himself into whatever is happening in the first disciples’ lives. He speaks words of reassurance and directs their activity to be fruitful in witnessing to their faith. He gives them a mission, because once they have encountered the Risen Christ they cannot keep it to themselves. He teaches them what to look for as signs of His resurrected presence: a sense that God knows you personally like Mary in the garden; a direction that will feed everyone in body and spirit like Peter on the lake; a calming power that brings peace and offers forgiveness through us.

But sometimes we can be overly anxious about meeting the Lord. We so want to encounter His Risen presence and power that we force the issue. We look for the bazaar and strange to verify His new life. Visions, voices, paranormal phenomena set us on edge to know that the power of God is at work. Often we view such power as threatening, forcing us in line with Church teachings,getting back at God’s enemies. Such is not the picture the scriptures draw for us of the Risen Lord’s Spirit.

This new life is strong, subtle and resilient. It is woven into the issues we face each day, offering a higher viewpoint and a different way. When others may think the situation hopeless, it opens a door to another possibility. When our fears may get out of hand, it brings peace and calming assurance to think clearly and act reasonably. When some people may want to force their ways on others, it invites, encourages and entices all of us to come and see without undue pressure or manipulation. The Spirit of the Risen Lord is not of this world, but works in this world to transform it into God’s Kingdom.

So stay alert, but be at peace. “The strife is o’er, the battle done.” Christ is Risen, never to die again, and we share in His victory.

Open Windows

Baxter had a treat last week. The spring temperatures were delightful, and for two days, he was able to sit on the window sills with the windows open. Although there are screens keeping him securely indoors, the open windows give him a sense of being outside. He hears the sounds of the birds chirping. He feels the warm sunshine on his back. He smells the first aromas of life returning after the long winter. He loves the sense of being outdoors on days like these, free and refreshed, after being locked in and confined by the winter cold and darkness.

The Risen Christ opened the tombs of those who were dead. The power of His resurrection introduces a spring time to our human living. Like the rebirth that comes with warmer temperatures, the resurrection is meant to bring us to life anew as well. Witnessing the dedication, joy and enthusiasm of those newly baptized or received into the church at Easter, should encourage all of us to reinvigorate our faith by reaching deeper into its meaning and reaching out with generosity to serve others. The winter of selfpity, loneliness, and selfindulgence can lock us into our own little worlds with petty concerns. Easter opens these tombs we shut on ourselves, and calls us to go forth with the news that God has conquered sin and death in Jesus, the Christ.

Easter Sunday Masses were filled to capacity. Many people attended then who don’t return again until Christmas or next Easter. We are tempted to blame them, to think they are lazy or don’t care, but maybe we should turn the mirror on ourselves. What do they see in the regular attendees when they come here for the holiday? Do they see dedication, joy and excitement for being here? Do they encounter hospitality, personal interest and an invitation to come back? Is our first reaction one of being glad they are back, or is it an arrogant judgment against them for being away? Christ’s resurrection is a warm welcome to beginning a new life. Is this what we witness to others?

We were all blessed with surprisingly warm temperatures on an early Easter. Nature didn’t ask who deserved to have the sun shine on him or her. All were invited to come out into the uplifting light. Resurrection works the same way. Instead of a window sill, anyone can hop into a pew and hopefully find light and warmth, signs of new life, and the beginning of a new season in their lives. It can happen, if the warmth of God’s love touches them through disciples who show His love.

-Monsignor Statnick