I See You

Composed by: Sr. Mary Magdalene
 
Being what is commonly called a “cradle Catholic,” I am always interested to hear from someone who comes to their Catholic faith from a totally different direction.  Recently I was listening in on some of the take and give in conversation that was occurring at my local parish’s Oratory* when a man in attendance spoke something that absolutely caught my attention.  He has a Master’s degree in Theology,  happens to be a convert to Catholicism, and he said something that made me realize that I had taken as a “given” something of my Catholic faith that would be sorely missed if it were absent.  My (now) Catholic brother made this observation:  In Protestantism there is more of a focus on each individual’s relationship with Jesus rather than a more communal sense of relationship.  He went on to say how much he loves the line in the Mass where the priest speaks, “look not on our sins, but on the faith of Your Church.”  The collective faith, if you will, of the Church. 

In what some might describe as my Teresian hop-skip-jump, (St. Teresa of Avila had a reputation of being a bit all over the place with her thoughts, but still a Doctor of the Church!), my mind went back to an old greeting I had read about that seemed, to me, related.  A common beginning for ancient Roman letters was: SVBEEV:  Si vales bene est ego valeo which translates to “if you are well, I am well.”  It conveys the idea that if the community (or our brother or sister) is not fully “well” than we are “less well,” too.

It makes sense to me.  If someone in my nuclear family (or my human family) is struggling or ill, it has an impact on me.  Not in a selfish or demanding way, but because they are part of me.  Their need demands my recognition, my compassion, and at times my presence or response.  I am not fully myself without being part of someone else.  Our vocation or station in life does not add or detract from this reality.  We are made, as human beings, to be in relationship:  with God and with each other.  God, in fact, demands it when He tells us that we are to love God with all our being and love our neighbor as ourselves.  This does, in actuality, keep us in relationship.

But is this strictly a spiritual reality?  With the oratory and the Roman greeting still fresh in my mind, I happened across a Ted Talk by psychologist Susan Pinker.  In it, she cites some research she did with a small group of Italians living on the island of Sardinia.  On this island, inhabitants are 10 times more likely to live to be 100 years of age than in North America.  She followed them over several years and then did an analysis of the factors that likely contributed to their longevity.  I won’t recap her study in full (you can look it up here: Ted Talk: Susan Pinker ), but will mention a few points that I found interesting.  First off, you may be glad to know that diet and exercise were among the lower of the top 10 predictors of longevity.  That fact doesn’t let us off the hook for trying to stay fit, but it sure takes some of the pressure off!  What were most interesting in her results were the top two predictors.  Number 2 was Close Relationships.  She describes these relationships as being the type in which you could borrow money or have them take you to the hospital.  The number 1 predictor was what she terms Social Integration.  This includes strong and weak relationships and is more a measure of how many interactions you have on a regular basis.  Do you talk with your mail person or the guy who makes your coffee?  Dr. Pinker goes on to talk about changes in brain chemistry (demonstrated on MRI) and similar findings in the animal kingdom which seem to suggest that we are truly “wired” for regular social interaction and connectedness.

And then there was a recent article in the LA Times (Science section) entitled “Church attendance linked to reduced suicide risk, especially for Catholics, study says.”  The article outlined a study (done with a rather large cohort of participants) that indicated that regular church attendance reduced the risk of suicide by half compared to the general rate in the United States.  The risk drops even further for Catholic women who regularly attend Mass.  This group is seven times less likely to commit suicide compared to their sisters in other denominations. The authors believe that the decrease is not strictly due to a group identity but rather to “a type of meaningful social participation” that helps protect against isolation and loneliness.  Feelings of isolation and loneliness have long been known to contribute to the hopelessness felt by many struggling with depression.  For those struggling with serious depression or other mental health issues, it is a factor among factors. ^

One more quote from the article:  “Sigmund Freud, the father of psychiatry, denounced religious belief as the ‘universal obsessional neurosis of humanity.’  Much current research, however, has focused not only on the deep biological underpinnings of religiosity, but its potential benefits as well.”  Perhaps Catholicism, with its Sacramental nature and communal living faith adds to the positive impact.
Just like Dr. Pinker’s observations in nature and brain chemistry seem to indicate a very real biological basis for what I call a communal hunger, so too do these authors recognize “deep biological underpinnings of religiosity” and its benefits. 

Our Christian theology speaks of God being a community, a relationship, even within God’s triune nature (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  Scripture supports a call for us to remain in God and with each other.
Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!
Luke 22:32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.

John 17:21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Bishop Robert Barron, in a recent meditation, spoke about God’s call for us to “be like Him” and how this can be a path to happiness.  He wrote, “One of the most important words to describe God in the Old Testament is chesed (tender mercy). The New Testament version of this is found in the first letter of John:  God is agape (love).  Everything else we say about God should be seen as an aspect of this chesed and this agape.  Chesed is compassion; agape is willing the good of the other (emphasis mine).  Therefore, if you want to be happy, desire to be like God.”  In other words, meet people with compassion, always willing the good of the other.  In reaching out (connecting) in this way we help each other along the journey to wholeness.  Remember the ancient Roman greeting we talked about in the beginning?  If you are well, I am well!

All of this seems to fly in the face of a culture that tends towards individualism and a sense that each of us decides for him or herself what is right and good.  We think it loving and tolerant to abandon each person to their own sense of right, wrong and wholeness.  It also seems to counter a cultural move toward being individually ‘spiritual’ but not communally religious.  Though we can surely point out specific bad behavior of individuals and religious institutions, the research seems to support the benefits of communal worship and deliberate social outreach and bonding.

The Catholic Church, in her structure, her prayers, her apostolic succession, the communion of saints, her universality and her communal nature, meets us at the core of our human nature; a biologically and physiologically based need for God and each other.  In other words, God created us to seek Him, together!

One more greeting to share with you.  In James Cameron’s Avatar, when a character comes into the presence of another he/she says, “I see you.”  This greeting actually finds its roots in an old Zulu greeting in which one person says, “I see you” and the other responds, “I am here.”  What a great way to establish a moment of relationship!  I’m not sure that we will be able to make the Zulu greeting a “trend,” but I do believe we can meet others with the sentiment it unfolds for us; a promise of presence.  I see you, I am here.
 
 
*oratory- a gathering of people for prayer, worship, and learning and discussing a topic of faith.
^ of course, serious struggles with mental health can cross all boundaries and may require medical intervention