Reflecting on the Word

By Dr. Karla J. Bellinger

The young man was an atheist, born of Russian parents. He had  never prayed before. He had only walked into a church once, on a  visit to Europe. A sincere young man, he was open to participating  in prayer class, at least to try it. He had a Catholic girlfriend and he  wanted to understand. As a tennis player, he had learned mindfulness  to stay focused. After five weeks, he had an “Aha!” moment: “In  prayer, there is Someone to call on,” he said. In mindfulness, all he  had was himself. 

A woman in the same class was teaching mindfulness to men in  prison. She said that they didn’t like it at all. When she suggested  that they turn inward and draw upon their inner strength, one man  objected, “There is nothing inside of me that I want to bring up!”  His life was not what he wanted it to be. He wanted to pray. He  wanted Someone to turn to who could help him. 

After the Second Vatican Council, there was a deliberate  abandonment of the word “Lord.” (The Council itself did not speak  about this matter.) And yet at the heart of our faith and the Jewish  faith is the Shema. Notice that Jesus did not set it aside: “The Lord  our God is Lord alone.” 

Once when teaching twelve-year-olds in religious education,  I asked them what the word “Lord” meant. They got blank looks  on their faces. Then one said, “I heard it in a video game once  somewhere.” 

An earlier generation may have gotten an over-abundance of God  as detached authority and thus deliberately set “Lordship” aside. As  a result, a younger generation floats on shifting ground, rudderless  and prone to anxiety, for there is no one in charge; everything is up  for grabs. What one generation knows as a solid groundwork from  childhood, another generation has never known. All they have is  themselves. And that seems not to suffice.

Consider/Discuss 

  • What emotions are evoked within you when you hear “The Lord our  God is Lord alone”? Is the Lordship of God an oppressive feeling of  an authority who weighs you down? Do you want to delete the word  “Lord” from this reflection and Christian usage? Or are you looking for  a benevolent Someone to turn to in a shifting world, Someone who holds  you up in times of trouble? The generational divide in the Church rests on  this theological difference. Why can we not talk about it? How might you  explore the experience (and thus the perspective) of someone on the other  side of the issue? 
  • Do we have Someone to turn to? Can we assume that others have that  same inner assurance? What would life be like if there were no foundation  of faith? Imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes. 

Living and Praying with the Word 

Lord our God, I offer to you my whole heart and soul and mind  and strength. I turn to you. I cannot do this on my own. Be my  center. Be my source. Be my goal. Let me not take you for granted.  You have asked me to have no other gods before you. Give me the  grace to love you with all my heart, all my understanding, and all  my strength. And in that strength and by your grace, help me to  love my neighbor as myself. Let the assurance of your care and your  protection wash over me always.

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