Ladies at Work

Yep, those are "altar girls" with Blessed Pope John Paul II

In the summer of 1998, a few weeks after I donned a pure white First Communion dress with a pretty awesome veil, I went to altar server training. For three years I served my parish community alongside my older brother every Sunday and for several more years I continued on and helped (and by help I mean tell then after Mass “Ringing the bells is all in the wrist. Here I’ll show you.” I was ten give me a break) other young girls and boys fulfill their role as an altar server. I loved it. I loved bringing the priest what he needed throughout the Mass, I held the book for him as he read blessings and when I was strong enough l carried the cross, leading the procession of altar servers, lector, deacon and priest in and out of the sanctuary. I took my job setting up for the next Mass seriously. Once I hit high high school I followed in the footsteps of mother and sister and became a lector. I had the wonderful experience of Sunday after Sunday listening to either the bold, authoritative voice of my mother or my sister’s kind, assertive voice over the pulpit, reading the Word of God from the lectern. It was not uncommon for people to recognize our family, which included my brother (who became an usher) and father, a Eucharistic Minister at the groceries or restaurants, etc.

Look boys AND girls serving

Despite what Michael Voris claims in his recent installment of the Vortex, The Feminization of the Church*, my presence and the presence of women in leadership positions have not deterred men from taking active roles in the parish. Along with seeing my mother and older sister read to our congregation I also saw men do the same. I served alongside boys my age on the altar too. My father served shoulder to shoulder with women when distributing Communion. All around me I see men and women playing their part to serve our parish family and Heavenly Father.

Voris is right, however, men typically do not enjoy taking direction from women. Doesn’t that say more about men than it does about women? He is also right that men attend church less frequently and serve in ministries less frequently too. But when I look at my home parish it feels very 50/50.

We have a pastor (the head priest, my childhood priest is now a Monsigeur but we all still call him Father) and two parochial vicars (a fancy way of saying priest), and four deacons. These guys are the top dogs followed closely by our very capable and organized female parish office manager. Our religious education director is a nun and the mother superior of her convent. By the way, her office manager is a lay man. For a period of time growing up the RE director was a young charismatic priest. I attend 8 am Mass (which means the church is not packed and we’re always looking for more people to serve in every capacity) and when I was younger my brother and I were the only altar servers. When I go to Mass with my parents most of the alter servers are girls with a few boys now and then. Most lectors at 8 am are women, however in my parish in New York it’s practically even. The choir director is female and has a couple of men and four or five women under her stewardship. The head usher and altar server trainer is a man. In terms of RE teachers I have had a variation of male and female teachers. The ushers are predominately male but I know of a family of girls who have all served in this capacity at Masses later in the day. The leader of the ACTS retreat community is a woman (my mom!) and she serves with both men and women.

A lady at work

I see a vibrant community at my home parish, my NYC parish and the new parish I will be attending in the Summer.

Voris’s assertion that the presence of female altar servers “blurs the distinction” between masculinity and femininity just ain’t true. My days as an altar server are a defining part of my life as a Catholic. What equitable experience of service during the Celebration of the Eucharist is there for an eight year old?

I was a fabulous altar server and if my female presence on the altar deterred boys from serving their faith community that says more about them and their parents than it does about me.

The bigger problem in my Church is the education of the laity (both young and old) and retention, not little girls who are awesome at ringing bells and lining up purificators. 

*He also says some stuff about it’s feminie to run out of a room crying and other things that are pretty darn sexist. Voris is right in saying there is something intrinsically different about males and females but the things he decided to point out were sickening.

Applauding Violence and The Patriotic

After I read on facebook “turn on you TVs” from an old history teacher and ran into my roommate’s bedroom and said “Did you hear Osama Bin Laden died?”. The first channel we flipped to was FOX News and read the headline “Usama is dead.” I felt an immediate sense of relief. I did not know I was carrying around any tension until it was gone. The intensely patriotic side of me, the part that cries when I hear the anthem, had tears streaming down my face. Once we flipped over to CNN and saw the crowd at the White House chanting my student of history, future teacher self turned on. Why are we celebrating? Are the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq coming home? Is the War on terror over? Now, that is cause for celebration.

Am I glad this particular chapter is over? Yep. Am I feeling some kind of closure? Yeah, I guess so.

I have an uneasy feeling about applauding violence.
I have an uneasy feeling about mindless, alcohol induced patriotism.

I worry about the reputation of the United States in walking into a sovereign nation and performing a military operation (this is not the first time we’ve done it). I worry about the fact Bin Laden was unarmed and what that means for the way our government determines its future actions.

Like my professor said in class today “I’m certainly not mourning the loss of Bin Laden” but I am not sure his death will bring about the future all those demonstrators at the White House and the WTC had in mind. He was one man in a vast network of politically violent peoples. His particular skill and genius in concocting terrorist plots and bring other terrorists resources is gone but Al Qaeda remains. For Bin Laden’s followers he died a maytr, a unifying rallying point for Al Qaeda. His death does not make them throw up their hand and leave the work of the organization behind. I think Al Qaeda is invigorated to act out against the United States and Pakistan.

Furthermore the celebration happening on the internet was just as disturbing to me as the American demonstrations. The same former teacher who alerted his “friends” to turn on the TV posted a picture of a scantily clad women with Bin Laden’s face photoshopped on her head. Um…what purpose does that serve?

The jubilant “Suck mahhh D–K, bin Laden. AMERICA, F–K YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!”, (I don’t curse on the blog but you get the idea) ” Sweet! Went down in a firefight! Ha ha!” to the apathetic “i think its hillarious how when something happens in the world, everyone and their mom has something to say about it on facebook, i dont even want to look in my newsfeed.” The responses of my peers had me staring at my computer in disbelief…what about the future? Not even the future, what about common human decency. Our humanity is wrapped up in our ability to feel and to analyze the bigger picture.

If I were to guess, according to the kids at partying outside the White House you have to be excited, yelling “USA! USA! USA!” to believe justice was done. I do think justice was done but I am also uncomfortable with people getting excited that someone was killed.

I went to bed shortly after listening to the President’s remarks (he sure kept us waiting, right?). All the celebrating on TV and facebook was making me naseuous.

Joanna Brooks wrote on facebook: just explained to our kids: “remember how during passover, we spilled a drop of grape juice on the plate for every plague on the egyptians because we take no pleasure even in the suffering of oppressors and murderers.” After a few people questioned Brooks’ lack of celebratory zeal she responded “i’ll party when the troops come home and the military budget is cut by 40%….I’m trying to be soberly reflective about when that reign of terror will actually end. I don’t indulge in hyperboles. I don’t pin evil on individuals. I think hard and pray for peace. Everywhere.”

another of my “friends” wrote: ‎”I have never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.” -Mark Twain

I am still experiencing a heap of feeling about the whole thing. I cannot stop thinking about what I am going to tell my future students. So many of the students (14-17 years old) I observe and chat with weekly were more interested in the military and intelligence strategies of the operation than actually killing Bin Laden. One girl told me “Hell, I was five on 9/11. He’s gone. I guess that’s good. I don’t know.” I wonder about students growing up in a Post 9/11 world and if they will ever grasp this big moment and appreciate all the mixed feelings so many Americans will be feeling in the coming weeks, months and years.

Glenn Beck, herald of reason or oblivious to the depth of the problem?

While channel surfing I caught the last few minutes of Glenn Beck’s show. Today Beck warned America about the Left’s assault on the freedom of speech. I’ve heard the argument before (even from people in my family). I understand why it is easy to come to that conclusion, albeit the wrong conclusion. Yes it is true, liberals tend towards political correctness and a certain savvy with terminology and media but so do ideologues and politically minded people–and perhaps not-so politically minded people too–on the other side of the aisle.

His beef, for today, was the backlash against the rhetoric of folks like Sarah Palin and her unfortunate use of crosshairs on congressional districts that voted for the health care bill on her website. Beck, like Palin is part of the media firestorm surrounding the recent shooting in Tucson that took the lives of six and injured another fourteen. The charge against them is less than civil rhetoric against moderates and liberals not in align with their belief in small government.

Did Beck, Palin or other pundits pull the trigger? Of course not.

Are they to blame personally? Doubtful.

Are they influential in shaping the country’s political climate? You bet.

At the very least someone like Beck has to realize that when he talks about America being under attack and paints the left as a scary group of people out to steal your children’s future in the cover of darkness it incites people.

The American people and politicians are calling for a cooling of rhetoric. People are pointing out in wake of Saturday’s tragedy that um…maybe our political rhetoric should be chosen a bit more carefully. That ‘we’re targeting’ specific districts’ or that ‘I’m not retreating I’m reloading’ are not the best means of explaining a point of view. Maybe there are classier ways of going about the business of getting one’s point across.

Beck says if you have something to say, just say it. There’s no need to speak in secret or hide your true feelings. We have the right and by-golly we should use it. After all, that’s why Beck’s so darn popular, according to Beck at least. He is now challenging liberals determined to take away our freedom of speech to come out and say ‘Yes, we should limit the freedom of speech and here’s why.’

“Have a conversation, like adults.” Beck declared.

What I find personally interesting is Beck’s assertion that because we have the freedom of speech we should not be afraid to use it (which I agree with). So I was thinking about taking Beck’s assertion one-step further.

If I follow Beck correctly, and I prepared for the emails saying I’m not, because we have a right means we should exercise it to the full extent. So what about the Cordoba Initiative’s Park 51 community center blocks away from Ground Zero, dubbed the 9/11 Mosque by conservative circles? We have a freedom of religion. So should we not exercise that right?

Palin argued this past August that the center should be built “somewhere else that’s less offensive and provoking of more pain and anger.”  Palin also called for the developers of Park 51 to “be tolerant and understand Americans’ feelings on this. ”

Should public opinion have such sway in the matters of personal freedoms?

Sure Sarah Palin can talk about guns all day long—it most certainly is her right–but should she use militaristic rhetoric in her twitter, facebook and other media forums?

That personal responsibility, the consequences of our actions that conservatives like to talk about, why does it never seem to really seep into their discourse about themselves?

Can Beck see the inherent tension between personal liberties and popular opinion; that it can’t be resolved or teased out during a radio or television programs?

The Rally to Restore Sanity taught me what’s sexy in America

I stood with big fat tears rolling down my face, soaking in Cat Stevens. I thought back to all the times I blasted “Peace Train” in my headphones and when I first bought one of his albums. I got outrageously excited when I realized the O’Jays were taking the stage to sing “Love Train”. I made a note to tell my dad that the Myth Busters were there too. And I couldn’t help but laugh at John Oliver in his Peter Pan costume as he helped us revive sanity.

I knew there was a decent amount of people there but was so utterly moved when the jumbo trons showed us reaching from one end of the National Mall to the other.

I even peer pressured a man next to me to take his hat off during a troops’ rendition of out National Anthem. Naturally, I proceeded to cry.

Sure I was sleepy (I was operating on approximately 2 hours of sleep.), my feet were in agony (I stood in virtually the same place for at least five hours, not including all the walking I did). It was pretty annoying when a tall man walked through my little area and proceeded to make the rest of us crunch together while he blew cigarette smoke in our direction.

Drew Aderer of the NY Times

But I also witnessed kindness and camaraderie.

I witnessed people pulling strangers aside because “I just have to take a picture so I can show your sign (I’m not scared of a government who helps people) to my social studies class” or because they had to photograph “I want my county (ham) back.”

A women told me “I love your sticker (Vote Pro-Choice. Politicians make crappy doctors.). It’s so true.”

I signed one of these!

Before the rally began, as the jumbo trons kept us entertained, I witnessed people politely chant “Signs down, please” and the people in front lowered their signs so others could see the screens.

My eyes are horrible, completely incapable of adjusting to wearing glasses, and dry all the time. My eyes get red and water even when I’m not having a spiritual crisis. As my eyes were red and watery the lady behind me offered to give me a bottle of water because she “mothers everyone.”

airphotoslive.com

I got to see people find a space amongst the crowd, saying “I’m sorry, excuse me,” as they waded through.

I got to see a mass of people empty the mall and smile at each other as we all tried to walk in all different directions.

Jon Stewart is right.

Traffic merging is American. We can negotiate. Take turns. Compromise.

We can all actually get along.

From the Huffington Post report

Right now I’m sitting on a bus with a bunch of sleepy, achy rally attendents, who after getting a little cranky with greyhound for running late decided cracking up at our silly bus driver was a much more reasonable and uplifting way to spend their time.

I’m not saying I had something to do with it but I did pray for our aching  feet, our growling stomachs and for all of us to remember what we learned.

So the message of the rally, that I was so concerned with just days ago, can best be explained by a sign I saw on the jumbo tron.

CIVILITY IS SEXY.

Rationality is good thing.

Jon Stewart told us in his address to remember:

“Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats or Republicans or conservatives or liberals…Impossible things get done every day that are only made possible by the little, reasonable compromises.”

Civility is American.

Civility really is sexy.

 

Author’s note: Oh, it’s 2 in the morning…whoever wants to proofread, please do. Send me corrections.

President Obama on The Daily Show

To steal a headline from the Huffinton Post and to quote Jon Stewart “The expectation, I think, was audacity.”

I’m a moderate who votes democrat most of the time but enjoys NYU College Republican meetings. So many of my fellow moderates and republicans complain that President Obama is a socialist, a nutty liberal…etc.

I think he ran on the left and then sprinted to the middle. I am not unrealistic. I know, to quote the president, “change doesn’t happen overnight.” I know that governing means you have to compromise. I still think he is pretty moderate.

I could not tell if Obama knew he was entering a real interview. It seemed Stewart was willing to ask tough questions but expected a more laid back interview. Often times I think it looked like the president was surprised he was being asked real questions.

However, it is important for the president to visit a show like Stewart’s. It is important for Stewart’s audience to see President Obama and hear about his views for the country. I know for a fact many young Americans use The Daily Show as their primary news source so this type of presidential outreach is important. It’s important for the public to see the president in less formal settings in order to see how he can handle himself in every type of situation. Any time we can hear the president respond to questions without the press secretary filter it is a good thing (I’m sure Obama’s advisor’s went over questions with him).

Take a look for yourself…

Part One

Part Two

Part Three