Mostly, I cried when I heard.
I wasn’t quite sure how to assimilate the news, and tears just seemed to fill the space that had been created by my apparent lack of processing skills.
Why, I had to ask myself, was I so saddened by the news that Barack Obama was speaking at my son’s commencement May 1 at the University of Michigan?
After a few days, the tears subsided, and it occurred to me that if I had any hope of dealing with the information, there must include some sort of examination of it and my own relationship to it.
It wasn’t as if we were the University of Notre Dame and had invited an ardent pro-abortion president to speak at our Catholic university’s commencement. If labels could be applied, it would be fair to say that we were the prestigious, but culturally liberal, University of Michigan. And to have a sitting president, regardless of his pro-abortion stance, speak was an honor, to say the least.
But labels don’t always apply in a consistent manner. Nor should they.
The halls of Ann Arbor are also the hallowed halls walked by President Gerald Ford: the man who pulled our nation out of the quagmire of Watergate by granting pardon to Richard Nixon on Sept. 8, 1974.
Indeed, by all accounts, Gerald Ford cared about Americans first and his own political career second. Many a historian already looks back on the pardon as the death knell of Ford’s political career, but also the turning point in healing America.
Gerald Ford was a mere man filling an office — albeit the highest elected office in the land.
As I reflected on his connection to this prestigious university and his contributions to the country, I realized that, like Gerald Ford, Barack Obama is also a mere man filling an office. However, it occurred to me as I continued to discern my own reaction to Obama’s invitation to speak at my son’s commencement that Obama’s mortal status is often forgotten by those who believe in his agenda as well as by those who oppose it.
Pope Benedict XVI calls us to be engaged in the culture, and we have enthusiastically responded. We have a whole new world of evangelization available to us through social-networking sites, instant messaging communications, and millions of bloggers and podcasters. All the while, the Internet is providing new and exciting ways to receive the news and information.
But this entire new media puts on our shoulders the onerous responsibility of filtering information through a Catholic lens. When we act responsibly with the information, we find that no man becomes bigger than life and no agenda bigger than the reality of salvation through Jesus. When we act irresponsibly, we are like Peter, who took his eyes off Christ and floundered.
Responsible information consumption helps us keep our focus on Christ and all that leads us to him, as our Lord and Savior. We ought to bear in mind that before we can effectively use today’s technology — whether actively or passively — we must always consider that we are a people of hope and joy. In that way, we become a vibrant and engaging populace who is able to witness to our Catholic faith in new and electrifying ways, while never succumbing to messages that have the potential to derail us.
This understanding translated into the need for me to prepare for Obama’s presence as a Catholic first and foremost: not getting carried away with media hype, but grounding myself in my faith.
Once that revelation made itself known to me, I took the first step: I requested prayers from family and friends, and I’m sure even a few strangers were implored upon to keep us in prayer that day. In particular, I asked that everyone pray for peace and truth for all who attended the event. Prayer allows hearts to be touched and minds to change.
Although my heart was heavy knowing that Barack Obama was to be my son’s commencement speaker, I had to admit that it was giving me a unique perspective on my call as a Catholic Christian. It provided a unique vantage point to reflect on how God is able to work all things to his good and for the good of those who love him.
As my heart moved from sadness to preparation, it became apparent to me that preparedness is what we are always called to as Catholic Christians. When we prepare, it reminds us that we are a people of hope, and that victory has been won for us, through Christ.
Lent prepares us for the Resurrection through fasting, penance and prayer. We anticipate an eternal reward in heaven — not one earned, but one given through grace and mercy.
Likewise, Advent is a time of preparation in which we become more focused on how we are living on a day-to-day basis. We look forward to the arrival — or second coming — of Christ.
And all the days in between Lent and Advent are also meant to prepare us for a life with Christ. I could see how this graduation day was providing me with ample ways to grow in my faith!
While calling upon everyone who crossed my path to become a prayer warrior for my family and me, I also set about on a fun task of creating a special album for my son to commemorate the day. I wanted to be able to hand him language that would have far greater meaning than mere rhetoric (perpetuated by any of the list of speakers who would be presenting that day). I wanted the truth.
I asked family and friends to write a few faith-based “words of wisdom” that were also “relevant” and “applicable.” I tapped into men who had achieved great success in their lives — both in the home and at work. I wanted my son to be covered in knowledge and insights that would be a light for him on his earthly journey.
Of course, as the letters arrived — and before they made their way into the scrapbook that would become my son’s gift — I read each and every one with great anticipation. It became quite apparent that the Catholic faith is rich in relevancy and more applicable than most of us would imagine.
I was reminded that Catholics are a people of great joy. Hope springs eternal as we wait and prepare for the second coming of Christ. We recognize that on any given day God gives us circumstances in which virtues can be developed and behaviors can be honed.
Graduation day easily became the pinnacle of what it means to be Catholic. Just as promised in Revelation 21:4, God had wiped the tears from my eyes, and they were opened to the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith.
Cheryl Dickow is a Catholic publisher, author, speaker and columnist who lives in Michigan.
Dan Burke: Call to Prayer: Seven Resources for your Lenten Journey
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Cheryl, our oldest son graduated from Notre Dame last year. I read your article with great interest, smiling and nodding. It is not hard to pray for our President, and to feel honored with his presence at our son’s graduation. The difficult task is exactly to sift through the prevalent culture and to offer our children the Truth, as you put so well. And yet the tears and sorrow over his presence at Notre Dame definitely marred the memories of our son’s graduation, I must confess. It was a difficult and stressful time for our family. Our next child just made his college decision, and I believe his declining of ND’s offer has something to do with his memories of last year.
I ask this with the utmost respect. Did you directly love and pray for Barrack Obama and his family. I was immediately drawn to Luke 6: 27-36
Beautiful column; thank you! Asking for letters was a wonderful idea. I wish I couuld be as organized as you with the scrap book idea. Our pictures, for the most part, are in boxes, yet I must say the kids have fun taking them out at times and going through them, taking some home and scanning them, as they are located in favious parts of our great country. Christ’s peace.
Would Cheryl have cried if the speaker at her son’s commencement would have been President Bush.I just wonder…
If I,or my child had been graduating, I, or my child would NOT have walked. I think it was insipid for Catholics to walk under the circumstances. Now you know why Obama is the current God of this nation. Most Americans WORSHIP him. How very nice of this mother to participate in Obamas honoring ceremony, and see him get his doctorate at the hands of the Catholic Church..and that is all it was, friends. We all know who is in charge with the people at Notre Dame. SO..forgive them while the murder our infants handicapped and elderly. eep the “priest” who did this in nhis position..B e sure our kida kneel to the new great truth. But NOT ME..! I am not selling MY soul for a mess of the pottage some people can’t get enough of. CATHOLIC ACTION..! Even Jesus ran the money changers out of the temple..and Catholics sit and snivvel like some weak kneed pseudo cult..!
So..tell me..What do we REALLY support..YOU GUESS..!
You and your son attended the honoring of Baraka Obama, and his receiving of an honorarfy doctorate from A Catholic University. Don’t hand me the baloney that it was the Christian thing to do ! Jesus ran the moneychangers OUT of th temple. He didn’t sit and simper.HE never did that..!
My ancestors were in the Crusades.I am not in favor of whatg happened at Notre dame. THAT priest still has his position. I am not “kind” enough to honor a murderer.
No thanks..
PERIOD.
Re Michel. After reading Cheryl’s story, why would you “wonder” that?
Mia Archer, Do you love your enenmies and do you pray for them? If not you are part of the problem. Notre Dame is not the Temple, it is a universtiy which is quite different from a Temple. Your anger is poison and serves no purpose except to gratify itself.
I know this sounds harsh. Anger must be converted into action and prayer that converts rather than condemns.
What a puff piece this was.I wonder why any one who is pro-life would attend the stadium graduation? I was picketing at the stadium with a photo of the aborted baby Malachi. There were a lot of prolifers attending and they did not make one peep or any kind of protest in the stadium, but expressed their approval of the whole charade. Why didn’t they attend just the college graduation? It is the more important and intimate one.
An honor to have a man speak who forces taxpayers to fund the execution of poor children? I suppose if Hitler would have come to give the speech, would it be an honor to watch him too because, after all, he would be the Fuehrer of Germany? How is it an honor to have a usurper, an undocumented alien who was apparently illegally elected, be invited to give the commencement speech? Cheryl Dickow forgot to mention that Ann Arbor is a hot-bed of radicalism and is not merely liberal. It is known for its active anarchist groups who were probably in the stadium cheering their chief community organizer.
Cheryl, you voice the cotton-candy “ethics” which has come to represent the Church’s teachings here in America where nobody is standing up to declare what is right or wrong in God’s eyes, according to the True, Eternal teachings of the Church….we truly deserve the government we have if this article actually represents the true beliefs of most Americans….
Cheryl, would it be possible for you to share some of the letters that you recieved and put into your son’s scrap book? It sounds like there is something in them that might spread hope to the rest of us. Just wondering. thank you.
I have prayed for Obama - Psalm 109 v 8 has been my prayer
Tim, That is sick. I am leaving this site.
You presume a lot. Your mind can wander all it wants, and I will pray that both you and Obama find the peace you crave.
LvB: Well done, very good post. That actually is what we all (who are protesting Obama’s “honoring” universities) are trying to say in various ways. “You are either with me or against me” and the “lukewarm I shall vomit from my mouth” are two things Christ said that must be applied in these circumstances. What will our personal judgment be? According to Christ, it will include whether or not we stood up for Him and His teachings….‘In Season or Out of Season,’ as St. Paul and St. Thomas More said….. Please also remember St. Peter said that trying to convert the obstinate was “casting pearls before swine”......
For this specific article I was asked to write about Obama’s presence from a perspective of hope as a Catholic and I certainly tried to do just that.
I am saddened/dismayed to see that honoring that request has elicited such responses as “puff piece” and “cotton-candy ethics.” Neither apply to my years of pro-life writing at Catholic Exchange and other sites and also seem to have missed the essence of what this parituclar article was about.
For my other recent article on Obama’s presence at the graduation, please visit the following link:
http://catholicexchange.com/2010/05/08/130079/
Why do certain people always parade out the money changers in the Temple any time they disagree with someone? This apparently makes them feel justified in their anger so that they feel free to spew all kinds of mean-spirited comments before moving on to the next piece. Do consider that there is a very real person behind the words on your screen! Jesus may have called the group of money changers a “den of thieves” but he did not get in the face of an individual person and start blasting personal attacks. When Jesus encountered an individual sinner, he always spoke with love. He told us to always “love one another”. If you disagree, please do so with charity. Pray first, THEN type, choosing your words carefully out of love for that other, even if unknown, person.
Last year when the President was the commencement speaker at U. of AZ, he wasn’t given any awards. U of MI could’ve taken a cue.
I don’t believe for a second that Obama is pro abortion. He’s pro choice. They are vastly different, even though the end result can be the same. He doesn;t advocate killing innocents and in fact has proposed social programs that would reduce abortion numbers. Catholics should support him in that and urge their senators and representatives to act. Just as we see the world through a Catholic lens, he sees the world through the lens of a constitutional lawyer. I pray his heart will be changed.
Cocon..IK may believe that the moon is made of swiss cheese..But that does not mean that it is. You may also believe that Obama is a Constitutional Lawyer..BUT he simply is not.
Hm. Following that logic, anyone could be pro-choice. They could choose to kill their 10 yr old who can’t survive on her own without their providing for her. At least, that is what one of Obama’s czars wrote in his book…. And you can’t tell me Obama’s not pro-abortion. Are you aware that he voted for the law in Illinois that provides for the killing of an infant who survives an abortion?
Jesus Said: “No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Matt. 6:24 Who is being served in providing death to an innocent? Do you know how much money is being made?
There is only one Truth. To imply that some of society has one truth, another part another kind, is to not understand the nature of what Truth is. Relativism is a heresy, one of the greatest of all time. The sky is blue. Maybe someone else wants it green or maybe pink, but the sky is blue. No Matter What. That is the way of Truth, also.
Name me the bills or initiatives which Obama has sponsored and signed into law which reduce abortions!!! The fact is, there aren’t any.
Obama, on only his second day in office, allowed our taxes to once again flow for the forced abortions of Chinese women (Bill Clinton had also funded them. So much for “choice”.) and for abortion advocacy in foreign countries with pro-life laws many of whom are predominately Catholic. Tell me how killing poor babies is justice? How does killing Catholic babies constitute loving fellow members of the Body of Christ?
I would be better for a millstone to be tied about your neck, Jesus said, then to cause one of these little ones to stumble.If causing them to stumble is such an injustice, what do you think killing them constitutes?
Cocon, that has got to be the most misguided act of charity towards Obama and thoughts devoid of much reason as I have ever read on here. Pro choice!?! Finish the sentence. To choose what!?! Choice is not a “good” in and of itself, it’s an adjective. And anything that permits the choice of evil is not a “good”. Don’t’ believe me, try using the words prochoice and pedophilia in the same sentence. I pray too that his heart will be changed, but I’m not optimistic about it, because thus far he has ignored basic human rights to life by voting against any born alive infant protection act. He views children as a punishment towards their mothers. (Not surprised considering he lived without his father and with his mother who basically acted as a single parent, hopping around from man to man, which is why the grandparents had to step in and help. I’m sure he felt like a burden to her at times because of this.) We, and I mean all of us, cannot keep treating sex like it’s an amusement park ride. The downward spiral of this sin leads to the destruction of human beings.
As for him seeing the world through a constitutional lawyer lens, he’s done more to chip away at or ignore our constitutional rights than the last guy with his patriot act and endless wars. No, he sees the world through a liberation theology lens which is not compatible with Catholicism. It is a perversion of Christianity and seeks a perverse form of social justice by the force of government, and ignores such principles of solidarity and subsidiarity coupled with personal responsibility.
Yes, I too pray for this guy. I pray for his soul. I can’t imagine the pain he’s going to feel when he realizes the damage he’s caused to human kind by his abuse of power. Notice his hair is already turning very gray from all the stress of such power.
Cocon, point 1. I am glad Jennifer O made reference to Obama’s stated thoughts about the unborn when he told a crowd that “if” his “young daughters made a mistake” (having sex) he “didn’t want them punished with a baby.”
As a Catholic, if you are one, you profess belief “in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life” during Sunday Mass. That is one of the minimum tenets one MUST believe to be able to call ones self a Christian. Obama considers such a pregnancy a “PUNISHMENT.” As such he certainly would want and help his daughter have an abortion. That makes him pro-abortion.
Cocon, point 2. You claim Obama is “seeing the world through the lens of a constitutional lawyer.” If that is so, again, he has demonstrated that he is not a very good one as was first exposed, publically, by his response to the abortion question asked of him by Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church during the election. The question was, “When do you think a baby should be given human rights?” His response was, after some ineffective prefacing, “The answer to that question is above my pay grade.” That from a man highly touted as a Constitutional lawyer? A man who was editor of Harvard Law Review? A man is Black? And he doesn’t know when a baby should be given human rights? He never heard of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, an Amendment giving “human rights” to slaves freed by the Civil War?
Pray for him if you want. I’m praying for God to protect the rest of his…he’s a mega maniac who has publicly stated in a TV morning show interview when asked “Do you ever think you are wrong?’ answered in a cold stare, “Never.” He meant it.
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