Deacon Tom Fox

My Mom's Old School Catholic Habits

My mother (God rest her soul) was what we used to call "OLD SCHOOL"… as in the way one raises kids, what to teach them, how to teach them. OLD SCHOOL as in the values conveyed to young ones. OLD SCHOOL as in how one should respect priests and nuns… and how her family (well everyone actually) should practice Catholic Faith.

When my mom died (again, peace to her soul) --- I was barely a Christian. I didn’t agree with much of what mom believed. I didn’t believe in how she practiced religion. I did agree that mom was an OLD SCHOOL Catholic – and that she was as convinced of her practices and habits as it’s possible for humans to be. To quote a saying of these times – she walked the talk: daily Mass, rosaries, novenas, scapular medals, statues, icons, enrollment in organizations, supporting the missions, and the like.

One of the things that used to gall me a little was mom’s habit of blessing herself whenever she passed a Catholic church. She blessed herself and said a short, silent prayer. This particular habit used to bother me – and I’ve spent time thinking about it ... why would her little ritual bother me?

Perhaps it was a reminder that she had something she was ‘anchored to’ and I didn’t. Perhaps it was just an uncomfortable reminder of how far away from religious practice and acceptance I had gotten by the 80’s.

Part of it was my intolerance of her ‘old fashioned religion;’ I felt she was out of touch with modern times. I used to scoff at her habits a lot.

There have been some changes in my life in recent years. Those reading these words already know I’m a deacon – to have gotten to this place in my journey from where I was – it’s almost beyond belief. You may guess that I often cry when we sing Amazing Grace. In this new life, I am dealing with many new and re-found ideas and attitudes in my own life. Which brings me to why I’m on this subject of mom being OLD SCHOOL.

Part of these changes in my life was because of searching for something. St. Augustine says we all have the ‘hole in the soul’  --- we are looking for ‘something’ in our lives. Some time ago, I really heard and accepted the following reading from the gospel of Luke (2:48-49): “When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety. And he said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?"

At one time, I was like people who don’t even think we need (all them) churches. So as I was beginning to ‘get convicted,’ I read that Jesus is telling his parents that he must spend time in his Father’s house. His Father’s house? I was challenged to deal with that. If I interpret the gospel literally like many are want to do --- then that particular temple in Jerusalem is the house of Jesus’ Father.

Okay --- what should I do? Should we organize a tour and all of us head for the Holy Land and visit that particular temple? Can’t do it. If I remember correctly, it was destroyed. And then it came to me that wherever Jesus went, he went to Sabbath services – he read and talked and preached where he went. So likely, all those temples belonged to His Father.

And then a spiritual light bulb came on although it doesn’t seem all that profound in the telling of it: the church I go to – the one that you attend – they are the ‘houses’ where sinners and saints come to say hosannas and hellos each week to the Father. And the more I thought about it --- the more I remembered my mom and her habit of blessing herself as she passed Catholic churches. And you know what I started to do? Nearly every time I pass a Catholic church, I would say a prayer: “Praise to you Lord God in your temple.” And for a while, that felt okay to me. “Praise and adoration to You, Father in your temple.”

I didn’t want to start blessing myself when I went by a Catholic church --- cause that would be to admit that my mom was right all along. So I contented myself that I had intellectually arrived at a new generation of understanding about how to think on this subject. No beads --- no pious mumbo jumbo --- just intellectual assent that this church I’m passing could be a temple – the House of Christ’s Father.  Alas --- they say God has a sense of humor. After a while, I felt that maybe I wasn’t done with this lesson.

It wasn’t enough to nod towards the Catholic Church. In recent years, I’ve seen other Christians at their worship services. Eyes closed --- praying for themselves and others. Christian brothers and sisters who are singing hymns of praise. Humbly coming to the God of their understanding. Saying Hosanna. Saying hello. Now guess what? I’m hooked. Whenever I pass a Catholic or a Methodist, or a Baptist church, whenever I pass any church and I think about it – I say something like “Praise to you Lord in your Temple.” I often think of the Lord when I pass synagogues and other non-Christian houses of worship.

I wish the humor of God was finished cause now I’m feeling called to think of the Lord’s Temple as actually being right inside other people. Imagine if I had to start praying every time I came upon someone in the course of the day. IMAGINE. You, mom as a Temple of the Lord! And maybe, just maybe I should bless myself when I pass you – or at least nod my head to the ‘work of the Father’ unfolding in your life.

I wish my mom hadn’t been so dang old fashioned. I wish she had kept her religion to herself. I wish she wasn’t OLD SCHOOL. I wish God didn’t have a sense of humor.

Blessings, moms. I am in prayer for you.
Deacon Tom.
www.deacontomonline.com

Tom Fox was ordained a Deacon in the Archdiocese of Denver. He currently lives and serves in a small, but growing mountain community in northern Arizona. Tom has received many requests for copies of his Sunday homilies and his shorter Communion Service Reflections. He is an experiential preacher who uses life and stories to share a message of today for Catholics and other Christians Many of his sermons are found on the internet – and a collection of them are found on his website: www.deacontomonline.com. Tom would love to hear from you and will try to answer any questions or sharing that you send in.

 

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