Los Angeles Religious Education Congress

“The only way to take life seriously is to realize that this is the only one you get,” Mark Hart shared this bit of wisdom this past weekend at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress and it really hit home.  Sometimes I forget how precious life is and how deadly taking it for granted can be, but in the hustle of everyday anxieties and problems I too lose my focus and fall into the temptation that my life will be long and I take my days and loved ones for granted.  I think that the saints really excelled in living their lives seriously and we can learn a great deal from them… I attended two of Mark Hart’s workshops over the weekend and the second one, on reclaiming joy in our spiritual lives, really inspired me.  There were a few protesters outside the conference a group of fundamental Christians casting their judgment upon us Catholics and the Catholic Church.  They said really wild, offensive things.  I found them really amusing because I had never been to an event where my faith was being challenged and judged so ferociously.  As the protesters shouted insults, and expressed their fanaticism some Catholic’s challenged them, other’s ignored them (which only fueled their negativity).  I sat outside having my lunch and studying the scene and slowly I found the whole thing a little funny.  One of the protesters, shouted into a speaker, “Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul are frying in hell and you know what they sound like, AHHHHHHHH!”  Maybe I have a macabre sense of humor, but after the shock of his statement I laughed admiring his creativity.  I sat eating my sandwich thinking these men are really passionate in their hate towards the Catholic faith- and as I saw arguments between the protesters and Catholics begin to arise I remembered the words of my wise political science teacher, “never argue over opinions not only is it a waste of time and energy, but people generally are not looking to be won over.”  As the scene intensified- I realized that Catholics were as bad as the protesters because instead of being loving some challenged the protesters into bigger fits and those who ignored them were not any better… I thought what these men need is a testimony of love- that we Catholics are a people of faith and above all love.  That love is what we have in common with them- love for Jesus and our neighbor…  I thought of buying them bottles of water since their throats must be parched from all the shouting, but then a friend found me in the crowd and I forgot about being loving and about the protesters.

Later in Mark’s workshop he reminded me of the protesters when he said some funny joke about going to hell and I remembered forgetting to buy them water.  After the workshop I looked around, but the protesters had been banned for the day…  Sometimes in situations that are so bleak where we are being attacked we need to remember to be loving and joyful.  I think if many of us (myself included) who attended the conference would have been more loving, humble and joyful towards the protesters we would have been a refreshing surprise to this group.  We might have even calmed them enough to enter into a dialogue of love, of the things we share in common- to help them see us as their brothers and they ours.  Yet, most responded selfishly trying to defend a God that doesn’t need defending- nor does He ever encourage us to defend Him.  On the contrary, He motivates us to love one another.  I regretted not showing them love- I was not taking my life seriously- I got lost in myself and in the moment.  How many times does this happen- when we get so distracted from giving witness- from being the light of God to others.  I thought a lot of Mark's words this weekend and that motivated me to pick a book on the lives of the saints, because I need to be inspired by godly men and women who took the message of love and self-denial and left such a huge footprint in this life...  Men and women who lived life knowing that they were just passing through this world.