Misa del Pueblo in honor of Oscar Romero

Attended a glorious performance last night of Mozart's Requiem by the American choral group Viva la Musica in one of Prague's most beautiful concert venues, the Basilica of  Sts. Simon and Jude. The opening number, however, was a fifteen minute composition in honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero,  entitled Misa del Pueblo by Rene Ochoa. The mass is filled with a sense of joy and celebration very much in the spirit of the Resurrection. Here are his comments from the program notes:

Misa del Pueblo was inspired by the life - and death - of Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador, who was tragically assassinated in 1980 due to his support and efforts on behalf of the poor of his country. He remains for me an enduring symbol of the greatness of the human spirit and the sacrifice that is often required to bring peace and justice into our world.

Misa del Pueblo was originally written for a small church choir of untutored musicians in San José, California. When first heard, Misa included but a single melodic line with its text and a guitar accompaniment. Years later - at the suggestion of Shulamit Hoffmann - I expanded the initial scoring to include four-part choir and the characteristic instruments of the Mariachi - strings and trumpets. A piano part and simple rhythmic suggestions for a percussionist have also been added.

The music is "folksy" and "popular" in its style.

In light of the recent "push" to canonize Pope John II, it is well to remember this truly heroic figure and the fact that his canonization process is "stalled." This from Wikipedia:


Three decades after Romero's assassination, the canonization cause is stalled. In March 2005, Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, the Vatican official in charge of the drive, announced that Romero's cause had cleared an unprecedented hurdle, having survived a theological audit by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, at the time headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later elected Pope Benedict XVI) and that beatification could follow within six months.  Pope John Paul II died within weeks of those remarks. Predictably, the transition of the new Pontiff slowed down the work of canonizations and beatifications. Pope Benedict XVI additionally instituted liturgical changes that had the overall effect of reining in the Vatican's so-called "factory of saints." Later that year, an October 2005 interview by Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, appeared to stall the prospect of an impending Romero beatification. Asked if Msgr. Paglia's predictions checked out, Cardinal Saraiva responded, "Not as far as I know today." In November 2005, a Jesuit magazine signaled that Romero's beatification was still "years away."

Many suspect that the delay in the declaration of heroism and martyrdom is due to the fact that Romero is closely tied to, but not directly involved with, the liberation theology movement espoused especially by the Jesuits of Latin America. The charge has been dismissed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints who have pointed out that Romero has not yet met certain criteria to move on to the next levels of the inquests, processes which have historically taken decades to roll into motion.

Hmmm. Well, it hasn't taken decades to roll into motion the processes for the canonization of Pope John Paul II, whose beatification is imminent and whose canonization will likely take place within five years. Does it really matter? In the light of eternity, I suppose not, (and certainly not to me, an outsider looking in) but it is another sign of how the truly Christ-like have a way of being marginalized by official institutions. Such is human nature  and human history, and such is the power of the life giving Spirit, which moves gently and slowly, firmly and irrevocably, in the subterranean depths. The marginalization of Oscar Romero in this fashion is a sign of joy and hope in the future, signaling to us that the power of the Resurrection is still working it's way in this world in it's mysterious, contradictory and paradoxical fashion. The powerful (within the church and without) may seem to "win," but the workings of grace are irresistible.

I should probably add that 'thirty years' or even fifty is not a long time for an official recognition of sainthood - in fact this feels quite responsible.  It is the other canonization processes (Jose Escrivea, JPII) that have been irresponsibly 'speeded up'.

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Joy in Adversity: Petr's Spiritual Call as Minister to Gays

 

(Photo is of Jan Hus, Catholic reformer burned at the stake by the Inquisition in 1414 for teaching the fundamental equality of laypersons and priests, insisting that both should receive communion under both species. He is frequently and mistakenly described as a "Protestant Reformer," but at the time of his death he considered himself a full member of the  Catholic Church, despite its ban of excommunication against him. His witness and death gave inspiration to the Czech Hussite Reform Churches, including the Czech Brotherhood. Nearly six centuries after his death, Pope John Paul II expressed "deep regret for the cruel death inflicted upon Jan Hus.")

Just had dinner tonight with my young gay Christian friend, Petr (pronounced Petra), who is studying for his Master's in Divinity with the seminary of the Czech Brotherhood Reform Church, of which he is a member. His seminary shares many of the same professors as the Catholic Faculty of Theology of St. Charles University. Petr has a strong sense of calling to be an openly gay minister in his Church, even though 'officially' the Czech Brotherhood is not at all open  to acknowledging gay people and their relationships. In fact, Petr was eligible for ordination two years ago, but was denied this privilege because his Church elders are quite suspicious of what he might do with his ministry. So he is being monitored closely and his Master's thesis is also being carefully scrutinized. He is being required to read a great many books (in English!) on reparative therapy, designed to 'turn' homosexuals into decent, healthy, well-adjusted heteros. I felt a certain chill go through me as he showed me his extensive library on the subject, but Petr is such a sensitive, fair-minded, tolerant soul that he gently protested that, in fact the books, have some worth, and many of the authors are genuinely sympathetic to gay persons and only suggesting that, perhaps, they might be happier and more well adjusted if they could turn their sexual orientation around. Furthermore, many of the gays they deal with are coming from profoundly addictive lifestyles and the therapy does have some benefit in healing them of their addictions, which then allows them to see themselves with greater clarity and objectivity. Many of them discover that they are in fact bisexual, and therefore capable of harmonious and fulfilling sexual relationships with the opposite sex. Many, as well, discover after the therapy that they truly are same sex orientated, for which the therapy is a blessing for making that clear. Petr says he stays clear of the more aggressive and intolerant forms of reparative therapy in his studies. He also said it was very good for his thesis to be able to understand and evaluate both sides of the argument, and that his professors were not insisting that he endorse reparative therapy, only that he give evidence of having fairly considered it. In the face of Petr's gentle charity and  wise tolerance, I felt somewhat chastened in my own resentment and anger towards such treatments, though I remained concerned that Petr not be too 'brainwashed' by these studies he is compelled to make. However, in his library he also has extensive literature on the spiritual values and gifts of being gay and being gay partnered. There is no question of Petr's own very strong sense of calling as a gay Christian man, who is open to normal same sexual relations with other gay persons (at 26 Petr is not yet partnered, but open). 

And as I sat on the carpet in his small upstairs study, with the books scattered all around us on the floor, with gentle flute music from the mountains of Northern Thailand playing in the background, I was conscious of Petr's own special gift as a charismatic gay man chosen 'in the Spirit' to remain within a suspicious religious congregation and to seek to change it from within. For some reason, I was reminded of the fourth vow of stability Trappist monks take, promising to remain in their monastery for life. This vow is a gift as well as a promise, one which  the monk cannot make without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. So, too, Petr seems to have received a similar gift of perseverance, which gives him his inner strength and his radiant serenity within a trying situation. Many of his church members, he tells me, are closeted gays, too afraid to come out, yet unwilling to leave the church which they love and which feels like their spiritual home. They come to Petr for advice as to  how they, too, may persevere in their faith and within an unwelcoming community. Yet, as Petr described his elders to me and their relationships to him, it sounds like his gentle, compassionate, understanding self is gently wearing away the walls of intolerance and suspicion. They are, after all, allowing him to complete a Master's thesis on the topic of Gay Christianity, and to take a primarily positive approach, but they are not quite ready yet to allow him access to full ministry in the Church. However, I'm confident this will come in time.

Feeling Petr's inner serenity and grace - which is as palpable in the room as the fragrance of  incense - I had to marvel at the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, calling us each to our own special place in our own  special time. Some gay Christians are being given the grace to move beyond their intolerant communities and to find more welcoming, life affirming sources of spiritual support. Others are being given the grace of heroic perseverance, to remain where they are, giving a firm, but gentle, persistent,  and loving non-violent witness to the holiness of being a fully sexualized gay human being. I had to marvel at the signs of the Spirit at work everywhere in a wide variety of religious communities in such a similar fashion. Petr's grace and serenity, wisdom and compassion testify to the life giving fruits of his own religious community, which is the locus of God's grace for him, despite its present intolerance towards gay persons. Such a witness makes relative any claims to exclusivity or superiority on the part of any religious community. Many gifts, one Spirit, working her own wondrous miracles of openness and tolerance, but doing so through the life giving, long suffering passion of  devoted Christians such as Petr.

 

As a further sign of the Spirit's synchronicity,  I casually opened one of Petr's books resting on the carpet,  Donald Bloesch' Spirituality Old and New, and I came across this remarkable passage which I felt encapsulated our entire evening with its spiritual colloquy.

The Church Within:

One of the hallmarks of mystical spirituality is to uphold the invisible church over the visible church. The true church is the company of the committed who reside in all denominations and sometimes outside of any particular religious fellowship. According to Gerad Heaard, the true church is comprised of holy souls in all religions. The real people of God are those who are making progress toward sainthood. They are those who have put to death the animal nature within them and have become fully or purely spiritual.

Christian mystics, in contrast to generic mystics, continue to affirm the role of sacraments and rituals in the life of faith; yet they consider these things expendable or at least not absolutely essential. Meister Eckhart regarded the sacraments and even the "human shape of our Lord Jesus Christ" as obstacles to spiritual grown. The important thing is to get beyond visible signs to invisible reality. According to Geert Grote, founder of the mystical Brethren of the Common Life, the valiant soul will leave "the scriptures and external signs behind" as he or she makes progress in the Christian life toward the perfection of faith. 

As a type of religious association, the mystical society is a fellowship of kindred souls, not a mission station to convert the world. The mystical society will often take the form of a parachurch fellowship that is generally supportive of the church as a social institution. Yet mysticism in its celebration of religious experience unwittingly loosens the tie to the institutional church. ...

As I have noted earlier, institutional Catholicism has always mistrusted mysticism, though it has sought to use the mystical witness to consolidate its hold over the faithful. Christian mysticism at its best calls us to rise above parochial loyalties to a genuinely catholic vision of the truth.

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PHILADEPHIA HERE I COME: Following the Spirit Away From the Institution

In light of the recent scandal in the Catholic diocese of Philadelphia,  a horror story which I have no wish to summarize - except to say that this will be worse than Boston for the American Catholic Church. -I thought I would re-quote passages from a sermon by Bishop Thomas Gumbelton (see the full posting here), making it clear through words of wisdom that many people are 'leaving the Church' not simply as an act of personal will or revulsion in response to such scandals, but in obedience to a personal call of the Holy Spirit. The scandals, as shocking and reprehensible as they are, simply provide the catalyst - the objective, concrete support - for a powerful interior movement, leading many  sincere seekers into the wilderness of faith. Many such courageous souls are carrying the 'Catholic charism' with them in their hearts, providing safe haven during a dark age. We need to ask what the Spirit is telling us about this mass exodus, and not simply view it as a sociological phenomenon - or as a flock of mindless geese scattering haphazardly during a storm. The presumption should be that the Spirit is leading many of these sincere spiritual asylum seekers, providing them with the interior guidance to discover alternative sources of spiritual nourishment outside the formal institution of the Catholic Church. What should that tell us about 'the Signs of the Times,'

(The title of this posting is an ironic reference to Irish playwright, Brian Friel's, first major success, Philadelphia Here I Come.)

That is another thing we find happening in our church today, where God seems to be leading some of us, many of us in fact, away from sort of a blind obedience to laws that were created, the human laws, even though they were created within the institution of the church. A couple weeks ago, I was part of the national meeting of the organization called SNAP, which is a Survivors’ Network of those Abused by Priests. Now these are people, almost all of whom have had bitter experience with the hierarchy of the church.

They can’t go into a church like this anymore; they’re too traumatized and hurt, so they have to find their own way, but for many of them, it’s a deeper faith life than they’ve ever had before. They discover God loves them, they can follow the path where God is leading them.

And, you know, there are 30 million people in this country, 10 percent of this population in the United States, who have walked away from our Catholic church, from the institution of the church, probably some in your families, but that doesn’t mean they’ve walked away from God for some of them because perhaps they’re gay or lesbian and they’ve been excluded, called disordered, and they can’t accept that. They know they’re good people so they have to walk away, but it’s God calling them, and with confident assurance and strong conviction, they go where perhaps they would rather not have gone. But they do it because they have faith.

So all of us, I think, have to keep on listening in our lives to God speaking to us deeply within our spirit and develop a relationship to God, not a relationship to a human institution, not a relationship to human laws, not intellectual assent to doctrines, but we must develop a relationship with God that will give us that confident assurance and strong conviction that when God asks us to move in some way in our life, or to accept some difficulty in our life that we would rather not, that we can go where God needs us with confidence, with joy, and with peace in our hearts.

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ONE NATION UNDER GOD: Sacred Art and the Mystical Dimension

 

This extraordinary portrait of the face of Christ was created by the remarkable artist, One Nation Under God (formerly known as Steve Kreuscher. He is now seeking a suitable Church that would like to incorporate this great image into its sanctuary. ) By a fortuitous "accident," we became friends when I posted one of his mystical paintings of  The Immaculate Conception of the Divine Degausser at Gay Mystic - without permission, I might add.

When I first viewed this astonishing painting, I was stunned into silence, because One Nation's work has such a powerful effect on the viewer, drawing her into the interior depths of being. It took me several minutes before I realized this was not an image of The Immaculate Conception, as we have come to think of it (mythologically or not) because then the feminine figure would be that of St. Anne, the mother of Mary. Rather, this is a painting of The Annunciation, that moment when Mary's YES to the Spirit incarnated the Divine Son within her womb (which can actually be seen within the figure's lower quarters). Other symbols include the flowering boat, the stream flowing into the horizon, the citadel on the left, the frozen fountain on the right, the flames of fire, and of course the white Dove itself, descending from a mysterious figure above. Rarely, if ever, have I seen a more powerful image of the spiritual fecundity of the feminine than this radiant work of art. It stuns the viewer into silence, suggesting realms within realms of infinite and multiple spiritual dimensions,  and resonating with the viewer's own interior depths. In fact, it brings the viewer's spiritual depths into conscious awareness, symbolizing for us our own most intimate mystical reality, and the indwelling Spirit within. Such is the power of great religious art to evoke the mystical and the sacred. Even the title is shocking in it's originality, The Immaculate Conception of the Divine Degausser. 'Degaussing' is the process of eliminating an unwanted magnetic field (Wikipedia), and clearly the artist means to suggest the power of the Divine Son to eliminate from the world the negative magnetic field of "Original Sin."

'One Nation Under God' very graciously thanked me for featuring his work (rather than scolding me for my presumption) and we exchanged a series of emails through which I came to know more of the work of this very unique and deeply spiritual artist. He referred me to his website, Yessy Art Gallery, where more of his work is on display and for sale.  Preparing this post on One Nation's work reminded me of the remarks made by Robert Dessaix, quoted in my previous posting, Twilight of Love, that 'the music, paintings, Cathedrals,' don't make up for the 'huge disappointment' the Church has become to many. Perhaps for some, but for those individuals whose hearts are open, sacred art of this quality has the rare ability to assist in a religious awakening. At the very least, it conjures realms of mystery within our own being that make us pause, reflect and wonder.

Another astonishing painting, which evokes the power of the Church at it's most mystical is this one, entitled, The Angel Comes.  The symbols need no explication, the divine light within, the luminous cross which casts a shadow before the couple below,  the beads of prayer evoking the rosary, the parent figure  pointing the way to the young girl, the severe angular designs - which, when the viewer steps back from the whole, clearly become the welcoming arms of the Angle figure, which is the Church itself. In times such as ours, when so much heartfelt (and heartbroken) criticism is leveled at the Church and it's official leadership, it's well to be reminded by such glowing works  of art of the mystical dimension of the church which transcends all reasons and disputations, divisions and disputes. Even the black cross itself that shadows the path for the two figures below, suggests the trials of faith that await the seeker before one can cross into the threshold of Divine Light.

 

One Nation has since added this 'correction' to the above painting. Rather than amend the posting itself, I will quote his comments in full as a reflection on how we subjectively interpret an artist's work:

The Title of the piece is "Trinity's Angel", and it is about my very close personal love relationship with my 8 year old granddaughter, (who also is a great artist herself also, for 8 years old. ), and it is also about me teaching her about Jesus and the things of the Lord, and about angels watching over us, and about what her name, Trinity, means spiritually speaking.  When she was 4 years old, I had her pray with me to ask Jesus to come and live in her heart, and Jesus has meant everything in the world to her since that fateful day at 4 years old when she had her very powerful mystical experience.

As a fitting end to this reflection  on this remarkable religious artist, here is another heart stopping piece (in honor of artist, M. C. Esher) which evokes the formidable and disorienting power of the sacred, turning our ordinary perspective upside down and dissolving our customary sense of self through the relentless and terrifying power of the purifying Spirit. Look closely at the eyes as the ichthus (fish) becomes the dove becomes the ichthus becomes the dove again (The ichthus is the Christian symbol from the Greek, taking the first letters of the phrase, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior). The dark, blood-red cross transforms into the luminous, glowing Angel figure, whose wings blend with the dove-like figure above, whose own outstretched wings embrace an image suggestive of a sea shell,  a symbol used for centuries in the Catholic tradition for pilgrims engaged in the religious quest. Pope Benedict, in fact, has a scallop shell at the point of honor on his coat of arms.

For those familiar with the image below, the  sea shell in One Nation's painting above might also conjure in the memory  the great painting by  Botticelli, The Birth of Venus, the chaste goddess of Love. 

As mentioned above, One Nation Under God is looking for a suitable Catholic Church that is interested in using his portrait of the face of Christ, posted above. If you know of such a church, you may contact him at his website, Yessy Gallery. One Nation has made this final comment about his intentions for his Christ portrait:

I want the portrait of Christ to be about 12 to 20 high, multi-layered, very powerfully 3-D, with strong white light shining through the inner most white layer, and the necessary lighting to light up each layer, so that even in a candle light service the whole portrait of Christ will be lite up and glow outwardly towards the congregation, in such a powerful way, that it almost enraptures their spirit into Heavenly places just by gazing upon it as their heart and their minds dwell upon God.

I have found the work of this remarkable 'Catholic' artist to be deeply inspiring and uplifting. Contemplating his work has brought a healing to my own soul and a clarity and serenity as well, making me more conscious of and more grateful for the infinite riches of the indwelling Spirit of the Divine Degausser.

By way of a lovely contrast, I would like to close these reflections with the work of another spiritual artist who draws inspiration from another great religious tradition, Thai artist, Chalermchai Kositpipat.

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