We will ease into blogging by practicing with a simple reaction to the book after previewing it. Click on the comments button below the post and share your thoughts about the book before you begin reading.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Welcome
Welcome to the blog for Rediscovering Catholicism by Matthew Kelly. Some of us have used blogging with our students, but for many this is your first experience with the world of blogging in a professional setting. Please don't feel overwhelmed! This was intended to help facilitate our conversations about the book, not be an extra chore or burden. Courtney graciously volunteered her services in each building to answer any questions you might have about setting yourself up for the process of blogging, so don't hesitate to ask.
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As we discussed in inservice recently, one of the ways people add to their list of books to read is based on friend recommendations. That was the case with this book for me. A friend of mine teaches at Xavier and had mentioned that they were reading this book for professional development last year and how much she enjoyed it. We are in a book club together and often have similar viewpoints on issues, so this book has been in on my list since, but unfortunately didn't take priority over other books.
ReplyDeleteWhen I began previewing this book, Part One immediately grabbed my attention with the headline Appearance vs. The Authentic. This book doesn't seem to shy away from the hard conversations that I believe need to be had when it comes to Catholicism. I often struggle with the fact that I think many people within the Catholic Community are more concerned about the appearance of being religious versus actually doing good deeds for altruistic reasons. The often used phrase "Going to Church doesn't make you a good Catholic any more than being in a garage makes you a car" comes to mind in this instance. I am curious what the author has to say about this topic.
I first heard of this book at our inservice last school year (maybe the year before??) at Beckman. I can remember that Fr. Kruse had very strong convictions about Mathew Kelly as an author and thought that this book was both harsh and honest.
ReplyDeleteRediscovering Catholicism. It surprising how many of us have the need in our life to rediscover something that has always been there. I always find it interesting how much better of "Catholics" converted Catholics sometimes are compared to those of us who have been Catholic our whole lives.
I attended a Catholic grade school, middle school, high school, and college. Yet, somewhere along the way, I lost some of my Catholic heritage. I am interested to see what Mathew Kelly has to say about Christians and today's society.
I am curious to read the rest of this book as well. I was previewing it the day that we received it and opened to a section on holiness. I am curious to learn more about this. As for the first section, the example of the mystery flu was a dramatic way to demonstrate the magnitude of Jesus coming to life on earth and sadly, the subsequent lethargy that exists where attending church is concerned. I wonder what, if anything, will inspire those who choose not to practice their Catholicism to come back. I also wonder how those who do practice can do so (as stated in the book) in a more authentic fashion. I am curious to read more to see how I measure up?
ReplyDeleteThe statement in this chapter that spoke to me the most is that this is a tired culture. We have so much going on in our lives and seem to be bombarded with all kinds of stimuli that it is often difficult to find the time to focus on what really matters. I do believe that our reason for being on earth is to come to know God and to share his love with others. However, amidst the business that sometimes gets lost. I know a few people who are authentic and I admire them. They are not the ones that pray so others notice, share their faith to impress someone else on how holy they are. They are not always "nice" but speak the truth and challenge me to grow in my own spirituality. These people seem to have a crowd around them at all times. People just want to be near them. There is something that radiates from them that people are drawn to. What I admire most about these authentic people is the sense of peace that seems to envelope them. At the conclusion of this chapter I ask myself - How authentic am I? What do I need to do to come to know and live the truth?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mary's comment that there are a few people that are authentic. It really humbles me to realize that I am lucky enough to know such people. God has blessed us to have these people in our lives. I just wish I could be more like them. I often get caught up in my own business or difficulties in my life. To be able to see the true spirituality these people have is very admirable. But they never do it to put on a show for others to see. They are often very quiet people.
ReplyDeleteCatholicism for many people is more about appearance than anything else. When I read the first section about the mystery flu it really made me think. Would I be willing to give up my child to save others? How difficult that would be for anyone. Yet God gave up his only son for each of us. Each of us needs to be genuinely thankful for what God has given us. We don't need to make a scene or go out and show people, but it is important for us to thank God for all that he has given us. In the words from the Gospel, "Too often, we listen to these words but do not allow them to transform our hearts and our lives." It is time for us to allow God to be the center of our lives. We need to rediscover what it means to live a Christian life. Getting our young people involved actively in the celebration of the mass is one step in the right direction. I always tell my students when I ask them to pray for someone that Jesus listens to the children first. All of us need to be pure of heart like young children. Which is much easier said than done. We need to open our hearts and embrace a life more fully following the example and teachings of Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to reading the next two chapters. By the end of the book I hope I can change and become a more authentic person.
The comment in the book about the "tired culture" really struck me too. Unfortunately with everything that people have going on between their work lives, family lives, and what they choose to do personally, practicing their faith often comes last. I see how this has happened with family members and I struggle with what I can do to be a good role model without being "preachy." I do agree with Debbie how the most authentic people are often the ones who are quiet about their faith and don't use the "gongs and whistles" to show what they are doing. These are the genuine people in our lives, who when they say they will help you or will just listen without judgement, do that but don't flash it around.
ReplyDeleteBefore I began reading Rediscovering Catholicism a week ago, I read the questions on the back of the book. There was one question that really stuck out to me: "Why are young people rejecting Catholicism?" As a part of the younger generation, this question really made me think about my life as a Catholic.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I attended a Catholic grade school. During middle school and high school, I went to a public school. Lastly, I attended a Catholic college. Even though I went to a few Catholic schools when I was growing up, there was a short time in my life where I did not attend Mass. My parents wanted me to go to Mass, but I just didn't get much out of it. After a few sad and difficult times in my life, I turned towards God for help. I am not saying that he wasn't part of my life before, but he became more prevalent in my life during the hard times.
From my own experience, I believe that we all become close to God in our own ways. It makes me wonder if some people of the younger generation will end up looking to God during difficult times in their lives.