Lenten program provokes reflection on tenets of faith

Cooperative effort between St. Brendan and St. Patrick churches makes program by theologian possible.

By LINDA M. LINONIS

VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR

YOUNGSTOWN — Various words describe Megan McKenna ... author, lecturer, theologian, storyteller, retreat leader, spiritual director and educator.

She used all of those talents as she challenged, inspired, instructed and preached to those attending a two-day Lenten mission earlier this week. The sessions took place Sunday at St. Brendan Church, 2800 Oakwood Ave., and Monday at St. Patrick Church, 1420 Oak Hill Ave. The Rev. Edward Noga, pastor of St. Patrick, welcomed members of both churches, praised the “cooperative effort” and introduced the speaker. This Lenten program, as many others being held at area churches, was a thought-provoking session about beliefs.

McKenna’s talk revolved around baptism, the beloved disciple and resurrection. She pointed out her sources of information were the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. “Matthew, Mark and John were written under ‘end of life’ circumstances ... written during persecutions,” she said. “Luke is the only Gospel that wasn’t.”

McKenna said in the early church, those being baptized “went down to the waters” and “under they would go” during full-immersion baptism.

She said as the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit” were said, the person would be immersed after each name.

“It was symbolic of dying to the old way of life and now living with God and Christ,” she said, noting that by the third dunking the person usually would be out of breath and have that “drowning” sensation.

“It reflected dying to everything else to live in God and the Trinity and becoming part of the body of Christ,” she said. “It’s one life shared.”

McKenna pointed out it wasn’t until the sixth century that the custom changed baptizing babies. “The preparation for Baptism as an adult ... the experience made one hungry for more,” she said. McKenna suggested that the timing of baptism changed because of people’s misconceptions about God. “It would be a mean, ugly God who wouldn’t save a child,” she said. “We might think like that but God doesn’t. The truth is God will take care of us all. He is merciful and compassionate.

“God relates to every individual in the world,” she said, while each person is focused on his or herself, children and family.

McKenna recalled the story of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha, who were all loved by Jesus. The sisters send a message to Jesus to come to their home in Bethany because their brother was ill. Jesus didn’t respond and lingered where he was for another two days. By then, Lazarus had died. When Jesus came to Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. In those times, McKenna said, a person had to be in a tomb four days to be pronounced dead ... as some illnesses made them appear dead though they weren’t.

Mary and Martha both told Jesus if he had been there, their brother wouldn’t have died. Jesus said unto her (Martha), “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” (John 11:25)

McKenna questioned her audience with “do you believe this?’

“The people in John’s Gospel are you and me,” McKenna said. “We are the disciples raised from the dead through baptism.”

McKenna said that anyone who has been “baptized in the life of the spirit is Lazarus. We are all Lazarus ... we all have been raised from the dead.”

Turning to the idea of discipleship, McKenna noted that the “beloved disciple” is mentioned in Scripture but never named. She told her audience that each person is a “beloved disciple.” “At the foot of the cross, it’s Mary, the mother of God; Mary, the wife of Clopas, her sister; Mary Magdalene; and the “disciple whom he loved.”

“The Scriptures are written for those who believe ... not to convince someone,: she said. “The Gospels are written for us ... to embrace us. You can’t prove the Resurrection ... the Holy Trinity.”

Life is the part between birth and death, she said, and is the preparation for the resurrection.

Live life abundantly,” she urged, “and if we believe, when we die, we will live in Christ.”

At the program at St. Brendan Church, McKenna spoke on the topic, “The Man Born Blind.”

The Rev. James M. Daprile, St. Brendan’s pastor, said the three weeks before Palm Sunday are more intense preparation for catechumens, those people who will be baptized at the Easter vigil.

He said studies focus on Scriptures about the woman at the well and coming to know the Lord, the man born blind and seeing Christ as the light of the world and the story of Lazarus and resurrection. “It’s about what it means to renew faith and live in the newness of faith,” Father Daprile said.

He said McKenna’s lectures imparted lessons on these three stories and focused on “renewing commitment and discipleship.”