Sharing great songs (and in this case, videos) that are inspiring, uplifting and/or are otherwise “worth a listen”. Read here for a short explanation of this feature.
I love Blimey Cow. That is all.
The Behold Conference
The Behold Conference is back!
Here is the registration page for the 2014 event. I plan to sign up myself and my older teen daughter, who enthused about the conference on Facebook and elsewhere. Will you be attending? What are you looking forward to most?
I am looking forward to hearing Mother Assumpta, and getting the chance to see Mary Rice Hasson and Marie Miller again. I’m sure it is going to be great.
But I’m not going to be heavily involved with planning the conference this year. Last time, I was “social media director.” I had to make a tough decision several weeks back to step back from helping with the conference in a “big” way. I’ll help out as needed, but I won’t be organizing the “Meet the Bloggers” and blogger events as I did at Behold 2012.
On the one hand, I’m still grieving about not being hugely involved with Behold. On the other hand, there has been enormous relief about the decision, and so much in our family’s life in past weeks has confirmed that this was the right thing for me to do.
Strangely enough, Twitter was a source of comfort. I’m such a Twitter failure (a la Amber Dusick, only with older kids), but I do really enjoy it for so many reasons.
Just a few days ago, I was on Twitter for work reasons (yes! that can actually happen). I use the TweetDeck app on my laptop, and so as I tweet out, I can see new tweets for the five minutes I’m on here and there. And just as I was about to close up, I saw this tweet from Kathryn Whitaker.
And since I was already overdue on getting kids out the door to an appointment, I couldn’t take the time to respond. But I felt so grateful for her tweet, and for putting into words what I had been feeling. Letting go of something you love is hard. So, thank you, Kathryn, for that tweet that I needed just at that time. (And now I’ve gone and favorited her tweet–I wonder if it’s too late to respond since it’s nearly a week?)
Are you planning to attend Behold? Have you ever had to let go of something you love?
Musician and Pilgrim: An Interview with Matt Maher
Last week, I was privileged to interview Matt Maher, the best-selling and award-winning Catholic singer/songwriter. Maher performed at a standing-room only concert, “An Evening of Worship” of more than 1,400 at Harvest Bible Chapel in East Peoria November 14, along with worship singer Meredith Andrews and Vertical Church Band. Following is a longer version of our Q&A that will appear in The Catholic Post. Tomorrow I will be sharing the “back story” behind the interview and more about Matt Maher, including what books he’s reading these days.
Q. The video of you singing “Lord, I Need You” during the Eucharistic Adoration Vigil at World Youth Day in Rio went viral among Catholics online. What was it like to sing at World Youth Day?
I’ve been to World Youth Day many times. The first was 2000 in Rome, and then 2002 in Toronto and then 2008 in Sydney. I missed Madrid because my wife was having our first baby.
I was actually on the fence about attending World Youth Day in Brazil, but the artistic director e-mailed me several times. The producer of the main stage events had heard “Lord, I Need You” and wanted to have the song sung there.
At first I thought I would be singing in the time before Adoration. I didn’t realize until about an hour and a half before that I was going to sing while the Blessed Sacrament was exposed.
Q. Did you plan to kneel?
Well, that’s interesting, because some people were kneeling and some people were standing in Brazil.
And I did parish ministry for 13 years, and in the work I did with LifeTeen, and leading music during Eucharistic Adoration, was big part of the ministry. I had almost always knelt. At first, there’s a challenge to it—how do I kneel and sing at the same time?
At World Youth Day, I was waiting to walk up the stairs to go on. I said a prayer and then I said a Hail Mary, and all of sudden I felt the Holy Spirit say, “You should kneel,” and I said, “Okay.” And I knelt.
There were two million people at the Vigil. The two thoughts I had during adoration were the Lord saying, “I am the same. There’s really nothing different.” There’s no way for eye to the comprehend two million people, and they were behind me, so I couldn’t see them. And so it was the Lord saying to me, “You’ve done this before.” And the miracle of it was rooted back in the fact that the Lord chooses to come to His people in this way.
The other human thought was, “Man, I really hope I’m not bothering the Holy Father, because that would be a real drag.”
Q. Did you get a chance to meet Pope Francis?
No, I didn’t, but someone sent me the freeze frame photo of us very close together, and I’ve thought of maybe sending it to him along with a note saying, “Hey, we were really close, but we didn’t get to meet. Let me know if you’d ever like to have lunch.” Some of my friends have joked that he might call me, since he likes to do that.
Q. Do you have thoughts on or a favorite quote from Pope Francis?
He’s so prolific. I’m like everyone else in that I’m constantly digesting it. Every morning I read the Vatican News Service and he is saying something really profound.
My favorite theme from Pope Francis, what I’m hearing, is how he wants a church that is poor.
God is using him; He is casting a different vision for how Catholics are how to engage in the world.
There are some areas of tension in the United States. While we’re part of such a wealthy country, we forget that we’re really a very small part of the global Catholic Church. When you are the vicar of Christ, you are thinking about the entire world—Europe, Africa, Asia. Sometimes in the West, we can fall into the temptation to be self-obsessed, and we need to change that.
Pope Francis talks about how we’re hospital workers on a battlefield, and if you’re treating the wounded, some of it gets on you. It’s always a challenge for us in Western culture (which itself is narcissistic) to wonder, “Is the Church being narcissistic?”
I think that’s what he is talking about when he is talking about getting away from being self-referential. It’s considering what do you think about first, are you thinking about yourself, or are you thinking about the people you are called to serve? It’s going to take time (to fully understand all that Pope Francis is teaching). [John Paul II] preached the Theology of the Body, and we’re still unpacking it, and we will be for a couple of hundred years.
Q. You’re open about your Catholic faith, but in a way that is accessible to all Christians—your music & ministry strike me as realistic and healthy ecumenism. What makes you successful at that, and what can the average person learn from you?
There’s a couple of things to remember. Our understanding of Christians from other denominations has changed so much since Vatican II, and needs to change further. Jeffrey Gros was one of the leading Catholic experts on ecumenism—he died recently. Last April I met him at Mundelein Seminary, and he said something there that was very profound. He said that when it comes to ecumenism, we have to realize that we are a pilgrim church and we are on a journey to the New Jerusalem. So when we meet other Christians on the way, it’s not about coming back home, as much as it is the destination.
Before ecumenism used to be an academic endeavor, done mostly by debating and writing papers.
What God is doing now— and maybe I get to be a small part of it— is missional ecumenism. It’s ecumenism ordered around developing understanding in the middle of a common work together.
Ecumenism is Emmaus. To me, Emmaus is the model for evangelization, but it’s also a model for ecumenism. Emmaus was when two people were walking together on “The Way” and Jesus encounters them. And as early Christians, we were known as “the people of the Way”. So as Christians together, we’re really about The Way.
I’ve been reflecting on the charism of World Youth Day as pilgrimage. Prior to the Reformation, pilgrimage was a way that people to developed deeper in their faith and their relationships with each other, and learn about and connected to the history of the Church, literally through the ground by going to holy sites, and to the Holy Land.
And so missional ecumenism carries this whole pilgrimage spirituality of the “now” and the “not yet.” We’re building the kingdom of God, but it’s not finished. Because (all Christians) have a common goal of reaching culture, of helping bring restoration, you can start to dialogue about the differences.
Q. Some of the interviews with Pope Francis share how he felt a deep sense of peace, and absence of fear, when he was elected Holy Father. You seem to me similar in that you have no fear about sharing your faith or being open about it.
Sometimes I’ve gotten flack that I haven’t been “Catholic “enough, but I’m approaching from the part of the prayer of St. Francis, “not be understood, but to understand.” I’m not concerned primarily with trying to be right, as much as trying to understand the people I serve.
Q. I loved what you said on a radio interview before the concert (on a morning WCIC interview with Jill and Jeremy Tracey) in which you quoted St. Faustina and her vision of “the ocean of mercy.” Can you share that with readers of The Catholic Post?
Well, it comes from St. Faustina’s diary. Jesus talks about sinners, and he says, “bring them to my ocean of mercy.” I sort of elaborated on it by saying that God gives us an ocean of mercy and we tend to act like it’s a cup.
When we first encounter Jesus, we experience the ocean, and then we walk away from it. When we walk away from it, and then think, I can’t carry the ocean with me, so I guess I’ll carry a cup. But that size mercy would be exhausted rather quickly, on yourself and on others. Mercy is so needed.
I think there is a huge emphasis now in ministries in proclaiming the truth, standing for the truth. Some people amend this to say that you need to share the truth in love.
But before it all, in Scripture it says, “God’s kindness leads us to repentance.” The kindness that is talked about is God’s mercy, the mercy that he has shown us. And when you are walking in humility—which is a big aspect of this papacy— the reason you are humble is because you are aware of the mercy of God. There’s less time to cast judgment.
Q. You’re a new dad. How does parenthood affect your music, your faith, and your life?
My wife and I have a two-year-old son and a month-old daughter.
Marriage exposes all the things in you that are selfish, but you’re dealing with another adult so you don’t necessarily have to change.
Being a parent makes you realize that if you don’t, it will drastically affect the life of another human being, and they are counting on you.
So, first of all, marriage has changed my DNA, and then parenthood as well. Marriage is a sacrament and it changes you. It’s like the first time you go to confession or the first time you receive the Eucharist. Marriage is the same way. We need to help people understand that. And also, that the priesthood and marriage are mystically linked. You can’t have good marriages without the priesthood and vice versa.
For me, I think the parenthood thing is only settling in now, because my kids are so young.
Q. What’s next for you?
I’m working on something ambitious; it should come out in 2015. I’m just writing and reading and praying right now. The two things that I’m thinking about and praying about is World Youth Day in Krakow in 2016 and the fact that several years from now is 500 years from the Reformation.
I am so grateful to Matt Maher for being willing to do this interview. He was very articulate and had much more to say than this Q&A. I’ll share a few behind-the-scenes facts and more from our interview tomorrow, so be sure to check back. Or you can just sign up to receive e-mail updates from Reading Catholic by using the box on the upper right of this page, and you’ll get updates when they appear here.
Worth a Listen: John Paul II AutoTuned
Sharing great songs that are inspiring, uplifting and/or are otherwise “worth a listen”). Read here for a short explanation of this feature.
Many local readers will know about the relic of Blessed John Paul II that was in the Peoria diocese the last few days. Here is an article here about Monday night’s Mass and veneration of the relic. The article is well worth reading:
“Bishop Jenky used the historic occasion — the Diocese of Peoria was one of only three dioceses to host the relic during its U.S. pilgrimage — to remind Catholics that ‘like John Paul, we too are all called to be saints.'”
This event made me recall this favorite video that came out last year of Blessed John Paul II AutoTuned to sing “Dynamite.” It’s really fun to watch.
I have so many favorite parts of this video, but the crowd singing, “We love you” and JPII singing back, “Perhaps I love you more” is just about perfect. The video creator has made several other Catholic-themed AutoTunes that are also great, but this one is my favorite.
Were you at the Mass Monday night? Are you excited for the canonization of JPII and John XXIII in April on Divine Mercy Sunday?
Twitterature, November 2013
Linking up with Anne Bogel at Modern Mrs. Darcy for her monthly round-up of quick reviews. I enjoy doing this and sharing great current reads, and seeing what others are reading.
For grown-ups:
I’ve recently read two novels suggested by one of my four sisters, and seconded by most of the other sisters. That’s one of the many nice thing about having a lot of sisters–crowdsourcing good reads.
Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.
Hilarious and heartbreaking read about Seattle, parenthood, fulfillment, Antarctica. Just a good satisfying read.
The Language of Flowers by Valerie Diffenbaugh
I loved, loved this one, and strongly suggested that my dear “wondering” friend who is a master gardener as well as a doula, also read it. When I put this book title up on Facebook, thanking my sister for suggesting it, and recommending it, there was an interesting discussion about therapy and recovery. Made me rethink my thoughts on the book, but I still loved reading it and highly recommend it.
My November column (read the whole thing here) for The Catholic Post has gift book suggestions for children and families, and top of my list is the luminous Women of the Bible by Margaret McAllister. A mom friend stopped by the other day and I let her borrow it. But I can’t wait to get it back, so much do I love this book, both for simple meditation on the mysteries of Scripture, as well as for reading to and pondering with kids.
Also by Margaret McAllister is the new-to-us series The Mistmantle Chronicles.
McAllister writes, “I think, if you like Narnia, you’ll like Mistmantle.”
That sums it up nicely. But if you want to read a more in-depth review, you can read my post on Mistmantle here. Please write more books, Margaret McAllister.
I put on library hold Anne’s suggestion of Speak Love and I’m interested to see if I will like it as much as she did.
What are you reading these days?
A Great Read for Kids: The Mistmantle Chronicles
From the author’s website: “I think, if you like Narnia, you’ll like Mistmantle.”
That pretty much sums it up this fantastic series our family has discovered in the last few weeks.
As I wrote on my GoodReads review, before I read Mistmantle #1, Urchin of the Riding Stars, (but heard my kids raving about it), I said “it looks like a worthy and noble successor to Redwall.” But now that I’ve read the first book, I can now say the series is far superior to Redwall.
Even though animals, such as squirrels, otters and hedgehogs, are the characters (like in Redwall), the spiritual content of The Mistmantle Chronicles, by Margaret McAllister, is more like C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. There’s a ton of action, mystery and virtue. These books are well worth reading if you have anyone in your house who has enjoyed Narnia or Redwall books.
That’s pretty much the important part—you can go order the first five Mistmantle books from the library or Amazon now, or you can continue reading about how I discovered this series.
***
With the gajillion of children’s books published every year, you might find it strange (and I do, too) that I get genuinely surprised when I discover a great author or series previously unknown to me. How did I not know that this person existed and was writing fantastic books?
Part of the reason is that while many books are published, it’s rare for one to stand out. Even among the many good books I review, there are only a few that I give as gifts to my own friends and family. (Some recent ones include Forming Intentional Disciples by Sherry Weddell and anything by Colleen Swaim).
Women of the Bible was one of those books. Paraclete Press, a publisher I know and love for well-designed books, sent a review copy, and I was immediately enchanted. It was “highly recommended” in my November column for The Catholic Post). I was so struck by the writing—it really wasn’t just run-of-the-mill, but lyrical.
I skimmed through most of it, and then I read to my older children one of the stories. I couldn’t get through it without tearing up. That has only happened to me a handful of times, and so I can recall them easily. The first time this happened to me was many years ago, when I first read to my then-preschooler the time in By the Shores of Silver Lake when Jack the bulldog dies. If you have ever loved a dog and tried to read that part aloud, you know what I mean.
Anyway, we all wondered if McAllister has written anything else. Turns out, Mistmantle!
I ordered the first in the series from the library, and we all LOVED it, to the point of putting it in the next person’s hands when you are finished, to the point where I ordered two copies of Book #2 from the library so that there wouldn’t be fistfights over it, and so on.
(Yes, sadly, we occasionally come to blows at our house over books, we are that serious about it—I might exaggerate a little, but this has nearly happened before with at least two of the Penderwicks books, and one of The Ranger’s Apprentice books.)
There are currently five in the Mistmantle Chronicles and I just hope and pray McAllister is planning to write more. Margaret McAllister, may you continue to be as wise as C.S. Lewis and may you be as prolific as Brian Jacques.