The Days of Taking Counsel

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:58:42 -0400

Today, April 19, Archbishop Borders died. He was 96 years of age. Many of you will say, “I never heard of him!”
He led the archdiocese of Baltimore from 1974-1996. For me, his death symbolizes a great loss; not just of the person but of what he symbolized. Borders was deeply committed to the ‘conciliar’ process, believing that as the leader, the solutions to the vexing situations of life and faith were to be found in taking good counsel. »The Catholic Review Online | Catholic newspaper, serving the Archdiocese of Baltimore, about us and Archbishop William Donald Borders dies - baltimoresun.com

Part of my mourning his death is connected to what I see happening in both Church and society today. From the Tea Party to the vociferous calls to sue the Holy See, it is our season of discontent. Every leader is fair game for attacks. Archbishop Borders was not without his detractors, although in death, he will be praised and exhorted for a man of vision and humility. Which he was, but not always. Perhaps what made him stand out, however, was not his failure but his extraordinary ability to listen to all sides of the questions. And I am not sure that this gift is easily replaced. Especially today in our present climate of hate and anger.

More and more, when I travel, I find myself avoiding speaking to anyone about the present issues facing the Church and society in the USA. Intelligence is often replaced with sound bites or the quotes of someone’s TV station. That is the ‘truth’ and is it believed with little or no thinking through opposing opinions. Dialogue is impossible when Fox News meets MSNBC. Both are so right! And there is no room for hearing the other’s point of view without being ridiculed, written off, or shouted down. There is no place for dialogue or civil debate. After all, that would mean losing and we want our side to win! We want heroes or heroines to shout their way through and tell us what to do. We do not have the time to listen to more than five seconds of ‘truth.’

When anyone says “I have the full truth” he or she is not able to take good counsel. Behind this righteousness is fear. Fear that I would have to acknowledge the position of someone else thus having to alter my position. It is easier to stay where I am than to move to another point. It is dangerous to live this way as life continuously changes. If we are people of Faith, we must learn how to bring the Gospel message into these messy times.

Archbishop Borders lived in a time when the teachings and directions of the Second Vatican Council were seriously being adopted. It was not an easy time for both Church and society. My insight into this man was that his ability to take counsel also shaped his thinking about justice and the poor. The self righteous, who know all truth, cannot hear the cry of the poor. This is especially true in the USA. The social issues are so complex. We must listen to many sides to find the right answers. And we cannot afford to follow the loudest voice much less those who make a mockery of ‘thinking.’ As I watch some of the scenarios being played out, I find myself looking at those who speak with such truth and wonder if she or he would give their life for the poor? Would those who follow them? I do not think so. So much of this anger is connected to self and personal needs.

To take counsel is to open one’s mind to the truth of others. If I am a leader, it is to recognize, as did Archbishop Borders, that every single person holds a piece of the truth and we must learn how to both hear it and accept it if solutions are to be found. Not easy. I pray that his gift will be ‘caught’ especially by the young.

Build a Life Giving Parish : The Gift of Counsel in the Modern World

Where Would You Prefer to Sleep Tonight?

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:03:13 -0500

In the last two weeks, two totally non connected events have danced upon the screens of life; TV and movies.

The first screen of course is the incomprehensible tragedy in Haiti. Haiti is a country that has next to nothing in the way of material goods and services. At the same time, Haitians are a people of relationships. Family, friends, and faith in God are the very fabric of this poor and destitute people. This is their everything.

Several years ago I worked there with the small but vibrant community of L’Arche. Upon arrival I was over whelmed with the utter poverty of the place, nothing that I had ever witnessed in the Americas. I remember the smiles of the people, the color, the Liturgy as we stood in rows because there were no pews to be had. I have hundreds of memories of the country and of the long-suffering people. Most of all I remember the singing and the joy.

MWEN PA FOU | Mwen Pa Fou

To witness this destruction of a country that had little infrastructure to begin with is beyond our imagination. To hear it said that buildings were destroyed is to think outside our idea of neat rows of houses and structures. I somehow think that they have been able to survive under the rubble because sorrow has buried them for years. Eating very little on a daily basis has allowed them to live days without food or water.

On another screen, two of us saw the movie “Up in the Air” It is not a comedy, nor is it a film with tremendous depth. It is a movie about a man who has everything but keeps looking for more. Not quite ‘happy’, he seeks to earn his 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles and becomes one of the ‘club. Bingham is a man who travels to ‘terminate’ people from their job. He is vapid. He lives 320 days in the first class cabin of an airplane. He returns to a stark white empty apartment. He has no family connections and when he meets a woman who begins to touch his feelings, he discovers she is his mirror image…but with a bit more connections in her life. Aptly titled, the movie is the direct opposite of what is happening in Haiti. It points out that having everything really gets us nothing if we have no faith, family or friends. And when we have no faith, no grounding, even the 10, 000,000 miles cannot give us a feeling of fulfillment. At the moment Ryan Bingham earns his status, he is in the first class cabin and the captain comes out to give his prestigious reward. Bingham relates that he has dreamed of this…but somehow, it is not quite what he thought it would be.
Is it ever?

The future of Haiti is ‘up in the air.’ There is little future stability at the moment of utter chaos. Aid is rushing in as suffering must be alleviated. The most deeply felt suffering, however, is for those who have lost those they love. Worse it seems, are those well intentioned people who would remove them to other countries, separating them from the very people they love.
Bingham’s suffering cannot be alleviated as he has little awareness, until almost the end of the film, that he is lacking anything. I left the film thinking of the old, sad, Peggy Lee song, “Is That All There Is?”

YouTube - Peggy Lee -- Is That All There Is? 1969
or the updated
YouTube - Bette Midler "Is That All There Is?"

So, what makes us happy? Is it having everything…is it having nothing? Is that all there is to life?

Let us pray for the Ryan Bingham’s of the world. These are often the people who have every resource at their finger tips, even 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles but can find no reason to have connections or to be of service to another person.

Let us pray for the people of Haiti. Let us give of our abundance and our poverty. There always is something more we can give.

Prayer for Haiti
God of all creation, as we weep with our family in Haiti, console us.
In this time of crisis, open our eyes to look beyond the disaster to see Christ in our brothers and sisters in Haiti, as Christ sees us.
Be with all creation; strengthen us in solidarity with those living and working in Haiti.
All creation returns to you in mourning and your grace guides our efforts to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, comfort the grieving and stand for justice.
With your mercy, sustain us at this time as we continue to work for peace and justice. Amen.
Catholic Relief Services/CRS

Christmas is a love story...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:53:45 -0500

Christmas is a love story, ever ancient, ever new. It is the timeless story of a man and woman who leave their family so as to love and honor each other. It is a story of a husband and his pregnant wife who are forced to travel and during this period of time, she gives birth. It is a story of things not going as planned and as a result, they are forced to find an alternative place to stay in a very crowded city.
It is a story repeated many times over in the lives of people who love and marry and bring children into this world. Most often the birth of the child changes circumstances, sometimes drastically.
Today, I want to think about the timeless couple of Joseph and Mary and the birth of the baby named Jesus. Their story is ‘our’ Christmas story. And I wish to reflect on this story through the presence of a man named Joseph.
Often called the hidden saint, not much is written about him in the scriptures. He is called just and upright, two very powerful adjectives used to describe a man. He was a carpenter. And he had dreams to remember!
While working in Hobart, Tasmania, I was invited to a home of a carpenter and had the opportunity to visit his workshop. I remember the smell of the wood shavings and the utter fascination with the many different things he was carving. He gifted me with a carving board he had made. The remembrance of that visit returns when I think of Joseph. No doubt, the first smells for the baby Jesus would have been of the stable or barn in which he was born. But what about the smell of Joseph as he took him into his arms? That wonderful smell of wood and work. The smell of a man and a father?
A friend of mine posted on his Face Book this sentence about his wedding anniversary: “The day that changed my life.” Now the father of three children, Jose is correct. His life has been changed.
I have often thought that if I could invite someone to dinner, it would be Joseph. I would like to ask him what it was like to hold the new born Jesus in his arms, how concerned he felt about Mary. I would love to know what he learned during those years he saw the child grow. How he grew in his love of Mary. He was a man and a provider. I doubt if Joseph would have been talking a lot. I suspect he would have been figuring out how to make the circumstances better for them all, especially his wife and the baby. He must have been concerned for their safety. And maybe even a little scared? Every new dad in the world knows those feelings!
We all need support in life. How thoughtful of God to provide that in the person of Joseph! Mary and Jesus needed this man and his integrity and strength. Jesus needed him as the male he would emulate.
In an age where men betraying their wives is headline news, Joseph stands apart. He is the model for all those faithful and loving husbands and fathers who deeply care about their family and love their wives and children. I know so many of them and today, I especially pray for them.
I have to think that Joseph, much less Jesus and Mary, get a chuckle out of seeing people ‘burying a Saint Joseph statue.’ This practice of burying St. Joseph to assist in selling a home or property has been around for a very long time. It is said that the tradition started when Sister Teresa of Avila and her fellow nuns started burying St. Joseph medals in grounds they wanted to attain for their monasteries.
One website states: “The practice has in more recent times evolved into the tradition of burying a St. Joseph statue (in the ground) with a few moments of prayer. This tradition grows more popular every day. Our kits are designed specifically for Home Sellers and contain everything you need to perform the tradition: the statue, instructions, history and prayers.”
Even though I poke fun at this, underneath it lies an indisputable fact about Joseph. He remains a man who is a provider, protector, and someone who loves and is deeply concerned about his family’s well being including their property.
I will always be grateful for my father and his 92 years of life and the over fifty years of marriage to my mom. I am grateful to the many men in my life who over the years, like Joseph, provide support, love, and concern. This Christmas, I invite us all to pray for families, especially those in the making. For all the fractured and struggling families, let us pray even more intensely. Let us also pray for all men and fathers especially those most tempted to neglect their wife and children through abandonment or infidelity. Somehow I know that Joseph is always there to support and guide them.
"The crib is a school of life where we can learn the secret of true joy. This does not consist in having so many things, but in feeling loved by the Lord, in becoming a gift for others and loving one another. Let us look at the Nativity Scene: the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph do not seem like a very lucky family, they had their first child in the midst of great hardship, and yet are filled with deep joy, because they love each other, help each other and, above all, are certain that in their history God is at work, present in the Infant Jesus.” Benedict XVI

Reflection:
I invite you to take a few quiet minutes to both watch and listen to these videos and songs posted from YouTube. They are non-traditional Christmas carols.

YouTube - Joseph's Song -Michael Card
AND/OR
YouTube - Is There Any Room?

“The People in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light”

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:13:51 -0500

Sister Brenda’s previous two blog entries focus on the realm of the human: both its light and its dark side. For us who are believers, however, our deepest awareness is that we ourselves are not gods and goddesses, the determiners of our complete existence. Rather, we are creatures of a loving God – who is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit in the community of faith. In the liturgical season of Advent – Christmas, we ponder anew how this mystery once entered time and place in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. We seek to enter this mystery each day in the hope of eternal joy.

Advent also gives us pause to revisit our understanding of the theological virtue of hope, which sets our gaze on God’s mysterious future and our place in it. Hope is directed toward our salvation and God’s “beatific vision” which can only be received as a gift, i.e. grace, of God. It is a divine gift; it is not to be confused with mere human optimism or idyllic, wishful thinking.

I, too, have observed the array of televangelists who preach a gospel which confuses human optimism with biblical hope. The message is essentially this: God wants to make us wealthy or successful in this life – if only we change and adopt a more positive attitude to life around us! These preachers are motivational speakers whose audiences are mesmerized by sermons that equate hope in God’s promises with the natural desire for tangible security and prosperity here and now!

Mature people of faith who have suffered know differently. Our earthly lives and our ultimate eternal salvation in Christ are gifts to be received and nurtured in spite of all appearances to the contrary. Our origin and destiny are not confined to the realm of merely human possibilities; they are a participation in the very life of God (2 Peter 1:4). This gift cannot be attained by human knowledge, willfulness or other power. As such, hope is not a “self help” possibility.

The cultural observations that Sister Brenda made earlier about “bright sidedness” are re-runs of the classic temptations of pride and subjectivism that appear in disguise on the spiritual journey. The foundational virtue of humility is the counterbalance to this pride. We stand powerless before a loving God. The disciples of Jesus must embrace our impotence in achieving salvation. This is authentic humility and the seedbed of hope.

The seed of hope in eternal life is sown in us at baptism. We are “on track” and share this destiny incompletely in this life; we live in the knowledge and hope of sharing in a transformative union with God at the end of our earthly sojourn. It is a profound mystery.

I was called recently to the bedside of an unconscious man in his last hours of battling cancer. I celebrated the Anointing of the Sick with him in the presence of his wife and another person. When I was finished, while remaining at bedside, I spoke aloud about the grace of this sacrament: the cessation of fear and the trust to surrender oneself into the hands of God. His wife told me later that when she returned to be with him, she saw tears streaming down his cheek. He had heard the prayers and words spoken and received the gift of hope! So did she! The man died peacefully within two hours.

I think it is uncanny that Pope Benedict, in his Advent letter, describes hope this way:

Hope marks the path of humanity, but for Christians it is animated by a certainty: The Lord is present in the course of our life, he accompanies us and one day he will also dry our tears. In a not too distant day, everything will find its fulfillment in the Kingdom of God, Kingdom of justice and peace.

Such hope is a far cry from the statements of “keep your chin up” or “put on a happy face!” It is the gift of God and the assurance that divine light will overtake our darkness forever.

Msgr. James Gaston
St. Margaret Mary Church, Lower Burrell, PA

Let Us Pray:

We do not know what will become of us. We make many choices in life. We think of ourselves as free, but every choice limits freedom. We do not have the perspective of eternity; our every choice is made within the narrow limits of earthly existence. And so we make our way through life nearly blind, knowing little of what effect our choices will have on our future.   But God did not leave us alone in this world. He loved us so much that he sent his own beloved Son to be our light and our hope. He revealed to us that we are God's children, that our life is in his hands, and that he will lead us to a fulfillment far greater than anything we could attain for ourselves. We need only trust him and follow his will.

"Lord God our Father, you created us for a purpose beyond our understanding. We cannot discern this purpose by our own powers, but you revealed it to the world by the death and resurrection of your Son. He revealed to us that we are your children, and that you created us to dwell with you in love for all eternity. He overcame sin and death to reconcile us with you. Free us from every form of bondage that separates us from you and purify us by the fire of your love. Guide us by the light of your truth, and lead us to the eternal life you have prepared for us."

“Hello Darkness My Old Friend”

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 15:42:49 -0500

YouTube - Sound Of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel (live sound)

Darkness is that time of the day into night when we need external light to help us to see what is before us. (True for the sighted person) Often understood to be the absence of light, darkness is, however, its own reality. Plants need a period of darkness in order to grow taller and stronger. Humans normally need it as a time to sleep or slow down. People who suffer from depression often speak about having ‘dark’ thoughts. When we are angry or sad we can often feel a dark mood come upon us. If asked to choose, most people would prefer light to darkness.

Part I of this blog looked at being trapped in inordinate positive thinking. The corollary to this is our intolerable dark, vitriolic feelings, thoughts, and reactions as seen in blogs and heard on national radio and TV shows. Many spew hatred and slander toward everyone and everything. Many hide behind anonymity. Many are unhappy and angry at anyone or thing. This is a part of being “dark sided.” When our right to happiness (as we understand it) is denied, we destroy anything or anyone we believe makes us miserable. Most people really prefer to be with bright-sided people (no matter how unrealistic) than to be to be with the mean spirited, dark-sided ones!

There are many things to be sad, depressed or melancholy about in this world, in our country, much less in our families. To see the suffering we see everyday and to pretend it is not painful is to deny our very humanity. Looking on the bright side does not cure poverty or pain. Nor does being extremely pessimistic.

The recent writings of Mother Teresa are revealing and helpful to us all. She faced the terrible suffering of people day after day and by virtue of this fact, she felt sad. Each day she went back into the streets of suffering and felt darkness. But she went back and back again. She did not escape it or become bright sided. And her pain was made worse because she knew that she could not feel happy about it all. How many of us daily go back to work, take care of our parents or children, or are ill or troubled. We will see in part III, that it is hope that allowed Mother Teresa and allows us to continue to rise each day, day after day and often return to places of suffering.

Optimism and pessimism are on a continuum. Both are part of the way we explain the events of life to ourself. To be bright-sided is to take optimism to extreme; to be dark-sided is to take pessimism to the extreme. Both ends of the spectrum result in denial of reality.

Realism is the mid-point of the continuum. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference” is the prayer of the realist. The realist constantly remembers who is God and who is the ‘creature.’

The psalmist for this Second Sunday of Advent reminds us “those who sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. The Lord has done great things for us.” Ps 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6

Advent is a time of both promise and threat. We celebrate the great promise of Jesus birth with unbridled joy. It is truly the “Day of the Lord.” We offer prayers for deliverance from darkness into the Great Light while being aware of the strong prophetic tone of the reality of Good Friday.

“Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The winding roads shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Reflection
YouTube - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Advent Reflections

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:37:30 -0500

This is an Advent blog written in three parts. The first two reflections are written by me and will cover being bright sided and dark sided. The third reflection, on the virtue of Hope, is written by a friend and a colleague, Msgr. James Gaston, pastor of Saint Margaret Mary, Lower Burrell, PA.

Being Bright Sided

Do you remember the fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes?” It is based on the story of two swindlers who convince the Emperor and all around him that he’s really wearing the finest garments. In reality, there was no clothing and he was naked. They’d stolen the Emperor’s money and split. A small child saw the truth and proclaimed it loudly as the Emperor rode through town supposedly in his fine new clothes!

A friend of mine who had a tough time with cancer treatments and actually thought that she was going to die was invited to a social function. She was seated next to a person who politely asked ‘how are you doing?’ To which my friend promptly replied, ‘Terrible. I am struggling with this cancer and my children and spouse are not sure how we will make it through the holidays.’ Needless to say, conversation faltered and the person who asked moved onto someone else. My friend told me the story and asked a question. “Was I supposed to lie? I wasn’t looking for sympathy but was trying to be realistic and honest.” The person who asked the question however, found the answer to be ‘a downer.’ In other words, my friend’s response was not bright sided. She was not trying to build up her feelings in front of realistic evidence. She simply told the truth.

In her book Bright-Sided Barbara Ehrenreich examines the need to delude ourselves (the Emperor who had no clothes) and the friend who believed that honesty is the best policy. What is realism and optimism? What is pessimism? To be Bright-Sided she writes, “requires deliberate self-deception, including a constant effort to block out unpleasant possibilities and “negative” thoughts.”*

In the USA we spend a fortune on self help to happiness books. Last year alone, over 4000 titles were listed. The majority of these fall under the domain of positive thinking. It is a philosophy that guarantees our positive thoughts will make us healthy, wealthy, and wise. Yet, we are not happier as a nation. The Scandinavian countries tip the happiness scale because it seems, they have the sort of societies that provide good support, good social networks, and have trustworthy systems. We in America, however, have developed a cottage industry of smiley buttons and faces and the language of ‘have a good day.’ Only in America could we develop “Appreciative Inquiry” as a business tool!

Americans advocate The Gospel of “Positive Thinking.” First expressed by Norman Vincent Peale, it developed as a reaction against the theology of the Reformation that stated that man was indeed a miserable wretch. He laid the foundation for the present emphasis on being bright sided. The new theology said, “If you think you can, you can.” Peale was anti-Catholic and a practicing mason. When one examines this school of thinking, one quickly discovers that it is totally based in the self. It is a theology of success. The first words we find in Power of Positive Thinking is "Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities!" To him, all problems are personal. If a person can master and flee negative thoughts, he or she will be rewarded. Positive thinking is a denial of the reality of human suffering or evil, simply because it is too negative to think about. Absent in this pseudo theology is the reality of systemic sin and power of the “People of God” to make change or deal directly with evil. For Peale and his followers, “The Law of Forgiveness is about a mental trick that transforms debt into abundance…nearly overnight. It’s almost like turning water into wine.”

Joel Osteen is a TV preacher of the Gospel of Prosperity. He is positivity extreme. He has no theological training and he preaches that God blesses our positive thoughts with riches. If we are poor, we deserve it. In his words, “God will not promote a critical spirit. If we are critical, we are denying ourselves our God given destiny.” There is no such thing as systemic evil. If the corporation denies my rights as a worker, I deserve it. If I lose my job, it is the result of negative thoughts. Really? When one looks closely at this man and listens to the message, it is indeed an elitist religion. The rich are the blessed of God. God is again centered in the self. I have often wondered what a poor person hears if he or she happens to see his TV show. How much guilt do people feel who cannot break the endless cycles of poverty? Over 49 million people in the USA were hungry this Thanksgiving Day and visited soup-kitchens and other Church sponsored feeding places. Do we actually believe it is their fault?
YouTube - "Positive thinking" as a modern-day capitalist religion

Oprah Winfrey has developed the Gospel of Good Self-Esteem. This gospel focuses on the improvement of the self for the benefit of the self. In other words, having good self esteem, or having positive thoughts about myself, guarantees me success, etc. Majority of her audience are white middle class women. Listen closely to the underlying tenets of her brand of faith and spirituality. Centered in the self, Oprah stresses that I alone can determine the existence of God. There is no need for a community of faithful but rather a community of like minded people centered on feeling right about oneself. Under God: The end of the church of Oprah? - Elizabeth Tenety

Does God bless the rich more than the poor? Have you ever seen a football player who drops the ball, then raise his eyes to God (and often his mother) and says thank you for my failure? Why is it that some dying people are often the most encouraging of others? Is there happiness to be found in realistically facing life, being honest, and knowing that you are not the center of the universe? As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Happiness is not a goal, it is a by-product.”

What is the Christian to believe? First of all, it is to know that to be bright sided is to claim that I myself can control every outcome of life through my own will or thinking. We know that this is not true. When someone I love suffers with depression or any other illness, often my attempt to cheer them up is more about my discomfort than their illness. Often it is because I come face to face with the reality that human conditions of suffering and pain cannot be ‘willed away.’ Even when I love the person dearly, I am not in control. And most often, nor is he or she! I can be by someone’s side and I can offer my presence, love, comfort and prayer but I cannot will their recovery.
The human brain has over one hundred billion nerve cells which regulate a complexity of human behavior and thinking. To even postulate that I can control these through my own volition, or that the sick person can do so, is indeed to play God.

Advent is not a time for pretending. If the story of Santa over takes the story of Christ, we Christians remain bright-sided. Jesus is the small child who tells us the truth. His birth points out some very important tenets of our faith. These are not fancy Oprah mantras; rather they are realistic truths of how we will find happiness in very realistic actions. They are the Beatitudes as found in Matthew 5:3-10. They are the call to the entire Christian community.

Happy (Blessed) are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Happy are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Happy are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
Happy are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

http://www.usccb.org/advent/

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

*Bright-Sided How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking has Undermined America. Barbara Ehrenreich
Henry Holt, NY, NY. 2009 p5

A Day of Remembrance

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:06:53 -0500

The Berlin Wall and the Brandenburg Gate.

In 1989, I was living and working in Stirling NJ. In December of that year, I was scheduled to go to Germany to work on the US Base in Frankfurt. Naturally the day the “Wall” came down was of particular interest to me.
If you were living during that period of history, you will recall that this was a significant event for the free world or for that part of the world that was not under Communism. It was significant in other ways and who can forget the crowds of young people on top of that wall armed with hammers and chisels, hacking away as they sang songs and shouted slogans of freedom.

I went to Germany. After the workshop with the military, I was invited to spend a few days with a German family in Potsdam. This couple lived but a few feet away from the wall and because people had already broken through, I was able to walk and see the famous place where the Potsdam conference was held in 1945. I took the S-Ban rail into Berlin and walked around the city, still scarred from war and the neglect accorded East Germany. I got totally lost, spoke no German or Russian and had a marvelous experience asking everyone if he or she spoke English. I did get back to the apartment and fondly remember the awe of the couple that I wanted to cross over into the east. They were even more impressed that I found a place to eat and had lunch.

Today, twenty years later, I meditated upon this experience. In 1961, the Berlin Wall went up in the dark of night and was initially a row of cinder blocks with barbed wire. There was a parallel barrier 100 feet deeper and known as No Man’s Land or the Death Strip (see picture above). By 1980, it was already a fourth generation wall built out of concrete blocks each 12 feet high. It was protected by watch towers, bunkers, electrified fences and anti-vehicle devices. President Kennedy is quoted as saying that it was not much of a solution but “a wall is a hell of a lot better than a war.” It is estimated that nearly 200 people were murdered attempting to leap the wall. They were illegal immigrants attempting to move from one side of the fence to the other. Central to the wall was the famous Brandenburg Gate. It was constructed in 1791 as a symbol of peace but ironically, it was incorporated into the Berlin Wall. Today it stands as a symbol of reunification.

I walked through this area which at the time was filled with booths of German army clothing and metals, items being sold by poor people who needed food and clothing. I remember the sounds and the smells of that area, seeing one of Hitler’s bunkers, and generally feeling very sad at what had become of this country divided by a cement wall. I recall how the East Germans looked so different from their countrymen (women) of the West. Everything and everyone looked so poor and rather sad.
The Wall did indeed come down. At least the cement blocks. I remember looking at it as it lay in heaps of broken cement, stopping to touch it, and to take a couple of pieces home with me. I remember asking how did cement have such power? Why did it take so long to topple? Why did it need to be built?

Today, this wall has a different meaning to me. I think of our own “Great Wall of Mexico.” I think of the walls of separation that are growing politically. I think of the walls that separate otherwise intelligent people. Usually the people on the ‘wrong’ side of the track or wall are those who do not build it. They are the ‘other.’ Rather than have a ‘war of words or conversation’ we build a wall. It starts out as simple cinder blocks with barbed wire and before long is built of cement blocks 12 feet high. It is easy to see Communism as the enemy but do we see our own complicity in helping to erect walls of prejudice? We have our own “cold wars” of not speaking to someone, much less ignoring entire groups of people.

In our relationships we may not use guns but we can use words. We can maim another person with gossip and accusations. We can place them in “no Man’s Land” or in the death strip. If you have ever been on the wrong side of the fence, you know the feelings of shame and hurt as well as anger. At times you also know the feeling of power when that which has kept us apart comes tumbling down.

In all of our lives there is a Brandenburg Gate. It is a place built for peace. It can become part of our war but it can also serve as a place of reconciliation. Sometimes it is a person or a place, it can even be our faith.
As we celebrate this historical event, let us pray for all the men and women and especially children who live in divided homes and countries. Let us pray that we, you and I, are not the ones building the wall.

Berlin Wall Online - Chronicle of the Berlin Wall history includes an archive of photographs and texts

YouTube - The Wall: Special coverage on RT

YouTube - U2 One Berlin, Brandenburg Gate 2009-11-05

The Year of the Priest

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:59:33 -0400

Jesus Before the High Priest
On June 19, 2009 Benedict XVI declared a “Year for Priests.” This year will conclude with an international gathering of priests in Rome, June 9-11, 2010.
Over the journey of my life as a Roman Catholic, I have met, worked with, admired, fought with and loved different priests. I have met them all over the world. I have shared meals with them, listened to their mission stories, met the people to and with whom they minister, and in the past, met the other priests with whom they lived. Today, that is less and less a reality as many priests in the USA live and work alone. For many priests in rural areas of this country, that is probably nothing new.
I had the opportunity over the years to meet priests in large gatherings at the Diocesan and national level. I spent a year on a Bernadin Fellowship with Catholic Charities USA interviewing priests across the country, asking them questions about their formation into the social mission of the Church. I learned that majority of priests care deeply about the poor and marginalized. And I also learned that many of them fear preaching about these social issues in a climate where every word is heard by many of the laity as less about the Gospel and more connected to politics or political parties.
Today, I am concerned about priests, more than in the past. I am watching them try to regain a sense of self after one of the worst scandals in the history of the Church. I see many of them trying to understand the meaning of their confreres (including Bishops) sexual abuse. I hear them say that they feel ashamed and tainted and are working twice as hard to regain the trust and respect of the laity. And I hear them say that they often lack the support they need to keep going. This lack of support is felt in many different ways and often those who make the role more difficult can include their Bishop.
Most of them express hope. They love their people. They love the call to pastor. All with whom I have spoken over the years are clear that they have been formed by the laity. Yes, they may have learned doctrine in the seminary, but they learned to ‘pastor’ from the people. When interviewing the priests about the social mission most said that they had little or no exposure to the social teachings in the seminary but all admitted that the ‘social’ issues were made very clear when they met hungry parishioners, met the dying with no health insurance, saw people lose their homes, and saw parents try to feed and care for their children. Said one priest to me, “All the books in the world can never teach you the suffering of the people.You have to be there with them”
I realize that there are many people who have suffered in a contact with a priest. I have met people who have left the Church because of something either said or denied. I know that there are priests who today make it very difficult for laity to be part of a loving community. And I wonder about these men as well.
I chose to write this short blog simply to get us to think about the priests we have met in our own lives. Most laity and religious feel some ambivalence about the issues facing priests today. Many have said to me that they would never encourage a son to become a priest. Some have jokingly said but they would encourage a daughter! Underneath these responses often lies a deep sense of loss or anger and a struggle to understand the movement of the Holy Spirit within the Church at this time in history. Together, as ordained and laity, we must try to understand ‘the signs of the times’ and together try to discern God’s will.
I chose the picture of Jesus as the High Priest being judged by the high priest. The pointed finger, the posture of admonishing Jesus captured what I see today in many Catholics as the priest stands before them. We are more educated. We know that we are the church. We raise our fingers (even our fists) as we confront and try to find answers. Many times the priest is not blameless but many times, he is! Often the anger must be dealt with before we can move ahead.
We do not often know how to collaborate with the ordained (nor they with us) to bring about the reign of God in a very troubled and broken world.
I pray that this year of the priest brings about a great deal of dialogue among us. I hope that it surfaces all the hurts and happiness. I pray that those who are alienated from the Church because of some hurt (real or imagined) can find a way to dialogue and find peace.
I pray for the priests I know and love and all I have met over these years. While I leave the future of the ‘priesthood’ in the hands of God, I also pray for all of those who have responded to this call and who live and work amongst us.
USCCB - Year For Priests
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=5

Art work: Christ before the High Priest by Gerrit van Honthorst (1592-1656)

Autumn Leaves

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:55 -0400

For those of us who live in the north of the northern hemisphere, autumn has made her very brilliant entrance. We are able to see the full and colorful beauty of Mother Nature as she puts forward her finery in anticipation of winter.
I love this season. I love the colors and the slightly cooler temperatures. I like the holidays of fall and how they come to closure with the season of Advent. Not all of my friends feel this way. Some see fall as the prelude to winter and the dark and cold of that season. They especially do not like the lengthening shadows of evening.
Yesterday, my neighbor was outside with her three young children. I watched the three year old boy jump into the piles of leaves. With delight he laughed aloud and romped and tossed them all about. His older sister of about five was a bit more circumspect. She did a slight ballet dance through the leaves but also with delight. Just a huge pile of fallen colorful leaves created so much fun for them and for those of us who were watching.
That image stayed with me in my thoughts and prayer. I can remember walking through the leaves and also kicking them about, loving the sound they make as they crackle under foot. What, I wondered, makes a pile of dead, fallen leaves so much fun and so memorable?
Fall is the season of gearing up, even though nature is closing down. We begin the new school year, football season and new season TV shows. The arts begin their new programs and everything around us gears up for the ‘new season.’ Even politics go into full spin and around us new energy is put into issues and concerns. It is as though we simply ignore the slow down of nature and her preparation for the dying that is to come as we go further and further into fall and then winter. Soon there will be no color (for those of us who live up ‘north.) And we will, once again, bring forth our own fall and winter wardrobe. So, let us pray a prayer composed by Joyce Rupp OSM.

Prayer for Autumn Days
God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process.  God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.  God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them.  God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this.  God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.  God of geese going south for another season, your wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision.  God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons.  God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life. For all this, we are grateful.
Amen.

The Compassion Of God

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:20:56 -0400

Today in the United States, a man‘s body lies in repose. Known to most Americans, Ted Kennedy, was a powerful force within the US Senate.

I have read all the various glowing commentary about him as well as the vitriol comments being made about him and the Catholic Church.

I have been deeply saddened by the latter. If I were to believe that Ted Kennedy should be condemned to the depths of hell for all eternity, then indeed I could have no hope for myself. If I were to believe the comments, the God I know and love would be a God without compassion. Like many who live public lives, he made spectacular mistakes. We all knew them, we all judged him accordingly. Those who knew him well were perhaps less harsh.

Hypocrites cannot see God’s forgiveness. Perhaps even worse, they cannot not see a lay man who worked tirelessly for the rights of the poor. He might have sinned boldly, but so did he boldly do God’s work on earth. More interesting is the revelation a man who had a deep faith, studied and discussed theology, went to Mass whenever his schedule allowed, and was above all a humble man* The parish priest who visited him daily described Ted as a man of deep and constant prayer, a side of him we did not know. I wonder how many of us could that be written? We sin boldly and boldly do God’s work on earth? We are a person of deep faith and constant prayer?

This blog is less about Ted Kennedy than it is about us. There is a tremendous amount of hate within us in America. We have a death penalty. We show little or no compassion for those who are or were our leaders. It is as though we project our self hatred everywhere. Bloggers hide behind false names and spew venom as they wish.

If we believe that the Church should not forgive and bury Ted Kennedy, should we be forgiven? Or do we not sin? If God cannot be merciful to a man who worked tirelessly for peace and justice, to have universal health care as a right and not a privilege, then God cannot be God. When we are called to be ‘perfect’ as our heavenly Father, it is not about never sinning...for to be as perfect as God is to have and be the compassion of God.

Below is something that I found on Fox news. As I read it I prayed that upon death, this could be the statement written about me and all those I love.
Ted Kennedy: At Bottom a Humble Man
What always struck me about Senator Kennedy was despite his internal demons and legislative achievements he remained a humble man.
The last time I saw Senator Kennedy was on Inauguration Day. It was about an hour before the ceremony began and I was trying to keep warm in the Capitol. Mrs. Kennedy was walking with him and stepped out to say a few words to me. He looked bright and happy. Of course, a few hours later he would have a seizure, but at that moment he looked content.
The Senator Kennedy I knew was never arrogant. He was as personable as the guy at the corner store. He rarely talked about himself and like great politicians always asked about others. He was, however, passionate about America and making sure that we did the right thing as he saw it. He was passionate about health care and passionate about his other legislative priorities such as minimum wage. His last great speech was one I saw him deliver a year ago this week at the Democratic National Convention. It swept all of us up in the excitement and the hope that America and its citizens can be part of this great country. His oratory reached "the least of these," as he invited us to "continue the dream."
What always struck me about Senator Kennedy was despite his internal demons and legislative achievements he remained a humble man, letting his dogs out of his car for a romp in Montrose Park in Georgetown and talking to the other dog owners, greeting guests at his home for events as if they were the only ones in the room.
He was able to accomplish so much in the Senate because that humbleness allowed him to reach across the aisle in genuine friendship with Republicans. Many of these friendships lasted for years and were as close as any two friends can be. He will be greatly missed.
Ellen Ratner FOXNews.com
- August 27, 2009

Ted Kennedy's Quiet Catholic Faith - TIME