Host: Welcome to Saint Patrick Catholic Community Podcast. We're glad you're with us.
Fr. Eric: The act of the Ascension of Jesus going to the father gives glory to his body, his human body. Even though the scars of the crucifixion remained there, it honors the glorified body. And that also then speaks powerfully of our human bodies, that the Ascension honors our human bodies, that God's desire of honoring the human body both physically, both spiritually and mentally. And so even when we struggle in one of those areas, God has a message for our human body and the sacredness. How do we do that when something is not working properly in our human body?
I invite you to listen to this video, watch this video on the screens, that give us a little story of dealing with someone struggling with mental issues.
Speaker 3: We end the week with CBS's Steve Hartman on the road. Questions, comments, complaints, concerns?
Speaker 4: Behind most every great teacher, there's a great teacher, a mentor who long ago kindled a passion for education. Yes.
Speaker 3: Say it louder.
Speaker 4: For science teacher Clay Morton, that guiding light was Walt Manger.
Speaker 3: There was nothing he wouldn't do for his students. He's just one hell of a man. You know? There's my parents, and there's Walt.
Speaker 4: Walt was Clay's geology professor in college. He says they stayed close for a while, but eventually lost touch. Until a few years ago, when Clay learned his old professor had Alzheimer's. The thought of all that genius and gentleness going to waste was more than Clay could bear. So he set out to save as much of his brilliance as possible.
Walter. The plan was to meet monthly How are you? Here at the high school where Clay teaches in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Speaker 3: He doesn't remember where my room is. He doesn't remember what we talked about last time, but he knows that we do this.
Speaker 4: What they do is look at Walt's old geology slides.
Speaker 3: Look how flat it is.
Speaker 4: In the beginning, Walt could explain each picture in great detail, and Clay would take notes.
Speaker 3: I remember you talking about this in general geology. You explained why these people would build these structures way up in the the mountains. Yes.
Speaker 4: But now, three years on.
Speaker 3: Who took that picture?
Speaker 4: He doesn't even remember taking most of them.
Speaker 3: Well, these are really nice pictures. Whoever took these. Yeah. It's so hard to see them. But it's still the best week of the month.
Speaker 4: When you get to spend time with him?
Speaker 3: Because he's still Walt, you know, he still laughs, he's still funny, he's still willing to help you do anything. Yeah. I don't I can't even imagine where I'd be without Walt.
Speaker 4: Which is why Clay plans to continue these sessions for as long as Walt is able and why he will always end each one with the same words of gratitude.
Speaker 3: Almost everything I learned about teaching was from you. Oh, well, thank you.
Speaker 4: And although Walt will soon forget that compliment, Clay says that's actually fine by him. Walter.
Speaker 3: It's nice to be able to tell it to him over and over again.
Speaker 4: Ah. Walt and Clay, rock stars of compassion.
Speaker 3: You done good. Steve Hartman on the road on
Speaker 4: road in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Fr. Eric: Clay Morton doesn't correct Walt by telling them again and again who took those pictures. He's just present with him without creating anxiety or having to correct. And humility by Clay and acceptance of saying, I don't mind telling him over and over and over again what he means to me. The Ascension and mental health awareness are connected. Jesus doesn't leave humanity behind.
Jesus carries humanity into the presence of being with God the father. The Ascension reminds us that our humanity matters. Jesus still goes to the father even though he has the scarring of human nature. Faith teaches us. Our faith teaches that our humanity filled with emotions, with wounds, fears and struggles aren't rejected by God.
Rather, those things are embraced by God. And so the struggle with anxiety, with depression, with grief, trauma, and loneliness. Here's what the Ascension tells us about these things. Your humanity is not a failure. Your struggles do not separate you from God and Christ carries wounded humanity into glory.
His glorified body does not erase our struggles or suffering. Rather, it transforms our suffering. So the Ascension emphasizes community, not isolation. The disciples, when Jesus goes into heaven, gather together to pray, and Christianity reminds us that people are not seen or meant to be surviving alone. Isolation only deepens our suffering.
A community can heal by people who listen, who are compassionate, and who are willing to accompany people who are struggling in men with mental issues. Saint Patrick and any Christian community is at our best when our community allows people not to hide their struggles. Saint Patrick, any Christian community is at our best when we don't allow people to hide their struggles. In other words, we are safe. We are open to them, and they can freely share that.
When Bishop Dolan was first named our bishop here in the Diocese of Phoenix, he was the first diocese in the entire world that made specifically the diocesan office called the mental health office. He shared his own stories of how family members, a number of them, have taken their own lives, and he saw the need that there is something important that our faith needs to do for mental health. And so I spoke with the office this week and I said, what would be important to remind our people the importance of mental health and being aware of that? And here's what they said. One, do not over spiritualize mental health.
In other words, don't use language as this. We don't say prayer alone will affix your mental illness. We don't say stronger faith removes all anxiety and all depression. And we don't say your emotional struggles are a sign of spiritual weaknesses. That is not what spirituality does.
But rather the second thing they said that's most important, be willing to accompany people on their journey. That means you'd be like Clay today in the video. You don't have to fix people. You don't have to fix their problems and keep correcting, but rather journey and listen, work with compassion and encourage them to seek the help that is important. So even though our diocese recently started officially this office of mental health, Saint Patrick for a long time, many years, has preached and taught and allowed mental health to be an important part of our spirituality here at Saint Patrick's with many talks, many services, many guidance because God wants the human body to be glorified and dignified even when we struggle with mental issues.
After mass today are a number of tables out there with information, with resources that are available for you. One, you may think this doesn't apply to me. I'm not really concerned about it. And yet, you know, there are people that sometimes God will use to help reach out to people. Maybe in your own family, maybe a neighbor, a coworker, a classmate might just need some guidance.
That's why we show our videos of the announcements after the homily because let's be honest, some of you never make it to the end of mass. You leave early. As Jesus said in the bible, you will always have people leaving mass early, I guess. But that's why we do it there so that everyone will know. So even if you aren't engaged in community, if all you do is show up and you do nothing, at least when a neighbor, a friend, a classmate comes up to you with a situation, you can say, I know I heard Saint Patrick's do something.
I know they offer something. I heard a homily in saying that your human body matters and so does your mind. If that's at least what you can do, let god use you as a vessel. The second thing, many people have a stigma with counseling, with support. I've known a number of Christians say, I will only seek Christian counselors or only those that will tell me what I want to hear is basically what they're saying.
Remember, God uses human resources, mental resources as part of the healing. You are always in charge of what you hear and what you allow in your life. Good counselors, good therapists, good professionals know that. You are in control of your life. And hopefully, we can learn to make decisions that we can be open to that need and overcome the stigma of saying, don't need any help.
I don't need to see anyone. And I've heard often only weak people look for counsel. The greatness of Saint Patrick is when people do not have to hide their struggles. Don't over spiritualize by saying things that limit people's ability to seek resources and help and be willing to accompany people on their journey.
Host: This has been a Saint Patrick Catholic Community podcast. For more of our shows, go to our website and click Saint Patrick's Studio.