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REFLECTION ARCHIVE
November 13
Let Your Light Shine
We are often reluctant to “toot our own horn” so to speak for fear of seeming egotistical or self-serving. Elitism is generally frowned upon whether it is in the way we act or in the way we speak and frequently elicits a “Who does he think he is?” It is evident from personal experience that, if we are blatantly ostentatious in the way we use our talents, we know that comments will be forthcoming either to us directly or to others behind our back. People, friends or otherwise, don’t care for excessive bragging about what we have done or plan to do. There is even a bit of morose delectation when someone whose ego has been center stage is “cut down to size”. On the other hand we are always eager to encourage others, especially the young, to use their talents to the full, but at the same time we don’t want them to flaunt their gifts and accomplishments. For whatever reason, we find it difficult to appreciate others receiving the attention that comes with success or notoriety. We are fickle people.
But in the Sermon on the
Mount
How do we reconcile the
invitation of
November 7
The Soil was Ready and the Time was Right
Throughout history there have always been moments when significant breakthroughs have taken place. It is like a hidden energy that God placed within all of creation that patiently waits until the right moment and then bursts forth in a flurry of creativity bringing creation to a totally new level. The potential for life, for example, existed in the vast evolutionary forces that shaped the beginnings of our solar system and at that right moment when matter was ready, life forms emerged starting a journey of three and half billion years that has culminated in each of us. Throughout the whole passage critical moments occurred repeatedly that became turning points that determined the direction the process was to take. Everything that exists today on our planet is the result of creation responding to the right moment in the way it did.
Just as there were these critical moments in the vast evolutionary flow, the same has held true in our own human history: the development of tools, oral and written language, culture, abstract thinking and conceptualization, scientific discoveries, artistic expression. Life may have existed at a particular level for centuries and then there would be a paradigm shift, and life would change, sometimes in small ways and at other times with major ramifications. At times there were parallel breakthroughs occurring in different parts of the world simultaneously. The situation was ripe for the new development.
During
these last two years we have
seen an exceptional example
of this phenomenon.
We are a land of
great diversity with people
from every corner of the
globe and we have prided
ourselves, at least in
theory, that we offer a new
life and freedom for all. In
reality, however, slavery
and oppression in one form
or another – physical,
moral, psychological, social
– shaped the lives of
countless millions for
generations.
Just a little over
fifty years ago a new effort
was initiated to confront
the inequality that actually
existed across the country,
with Dr.
Martin Luther King as
charismatic spokesperson
spelling out the
great dream for minorities
and for all Americans. As
the marches and sit-ins took
place no one could have ever
dreamed of the kind of
breakthrough that would take
place one half-century later
on the fourth of November
2008: an
African-American elected as
the forty-fourth president
of the
October 30
World Series Fever
At the
end of every season in every
sport the players on all the
teams except one can be
heard repeating the old
saying, “We’ll get em next
year.”
Isn’t it true in sports even
in the midst of loss that
hope springs eternal! But at
the end of any season it
finally does boil down to
one winner with all the rest
going home without the
trophy.
This year, however, the long
wait for the Phillies came
to an end with their victory
in the fifth game of the
World Series. During the
long 126 year history of the
franchise each February and
March the players gathered
for spring training with the
hope and the desire of
winning the World Series
some eight months later.
For the Phillies it
has happened only twice in
that century and a quarter,
in 1980 and now for the
second time in 2008.
In spite of the
drought the hope and the
desire never died:
“maybe this would be
the year when the World
Series flag would fly over
One of the great beauties of sport is the way it is able to bring the peoples of a city and region together. During playoff time, especially, conversations can be initiated easily, even with strangers. Just mention the Phillies and people are comfortable and excited to talk about them and their chances. Strangers become neighbors in this kind of atmosphere and there is the feeling that the city is one vast community. All kinds of differences exist among us but at least for a little while everyone is brought together in a common spirit. We all know the downside of professional sports, but when the game is played, in some almost magical way, we become kids again and all the other elements drift in the background as we are caught up in something that just exists for itself. As we often say the game is just a game and is about the fun of playing. But then again, as we ponder it and feel it in our bones, we realize that it is more than just a game and in some way mirrors the beauty of existence – that great harmony and balance between the need for rules and boundaries and the freedom for the expression of talent and creativity with time and space for the serendipitous moment. After the tension and excitement of the game there is that blessed catharsis of victory and a championship and, yes, no need to say again this October, “We’ll get em next year.”
October 23,
2008
Stuffed Elephants
“Things
that matter most must never
be at the mercy of things
which matter least.”
What we consider important in our lives changes gradually and occasionally even dramatically as we grow. Do you remember when you were about five or six and went shopping with your mother? As you walked through a toy store you spotted a stuffed elephant on the top shelf and that became the whole focus of your attention. You told your mother that you wanted that stuffed elephant as if your life depended on it – nothing seemed more important to you at that moment – it was of the highest priority. Your mother, spotting the price tag, knew that she could not really afford it and even if she could she knew what would happen to that elephant in a day or so: tossed in the corner with the other toys. She may have tried reasoning with you, but at that moment no reasoning was going to be effective because the desire for the elephant had nothing to do with reason. She may have given in, all the while regretting that she did, or she may have said no firmly and you spent the next hour pouting. This was one of the steps in the learning process and there were many to follow. You made requests and received a yes or a no and learned eventually to understand and accept the reasons that your parents gave.
As we mature we learn to distinguish the more important from the less important even though our feelings may pull us in another direction. Parents form their children well when they teach them how to make these distinctions and to recognize the difference between needs and wants while providing opportunities to make choices. Whether teens or young adults, middle-aged or retired we will be confronted with the need to set priorities. It is easy to fall into the trap of allowing the less important to overtake the more important, and this even when our head tells us that our choice is unreasonable or ultimately harmful either to ourselves or others. Examples abound throughout our lives: driving a car too fast and carelessly, continuing to drink when all the evidence points to borderline or actual alcoholism, smoking several packs of cigarettes a day in spite of cancer warnings or flirting with a secretary that could jeopardize a marriage. In every case there exists the possibility of choosing an apparent good over a real good. There is always the danger of wanting the “stuffed elephant” in spite of what reason, common sense and our value system dictate.
Thus
October 17. 2008
From Neighbor to Brother and Sister
The beauty of the variety of races, nationalities, languages and cultures is clearly evident when we are paging through National Geographic or watching one of their exceptionally poignant documentaries. A smiling face from anywhere in the world engages us, touches our heart, whether that smile radiates from the face of a child, a young mother with her newborn or an elderly grandmother decked out in colorful traditional garb. We realize that natural beauty and grace take different forms and that our world has been blessed because of such vibrant and often elegant diversity. During these moments we realize that we are bonded as human beings to every other human being and that, in spite of a tendency to focus on differences rather than similarities, we have more in common than what may appear at first sight.
Another experience, the flip side of the above, is what we see in the media week in and week out – the biases, fears, tensions and conflicts that result from ethnic, religious, political and cultural differences. We are aware from history that all of these have existed for millennia. Human nature, being what it is, has not always functioned ideally and has been far from perfect on countless occasions. Today, because of hi-tech communication, we are more acutely aware of what is taking place in every corner of the world. We sense the urgent need to find new ways of resolving difficulties because we have become a smaller and smaller global community. We know that we cannot escape the fact that we are all neighbors to one another whether we like it or not.
An
exhortation of
October 17, 2008
The resolutions we make about living a more interior life are often similar to our New Year’s resolutions, at least in their outcome. We begin our new resolutions with great resolve but it isn’t long before we miss a day and then a few days and before we know it we are back to our old pattern of living: another year of failed resolutions. It is often the same with the desire to be more conscious of our inner life. We may in a quiet moment have felt the movement of God or have read something that inspired us. A talk or a sermon may have struck a chord about how different life could be if we were able to live more from the inside. As a result a desire is stirred - God’s invitation really - to be in touch with our spiritual life and to respond to the presence of God dwelling in our heart. In faith we are convinced of this reality and see the value of fostering it in our life. The difficulty, however, arises in living it out day by day - to persevere until it has become a part of the very rhythm of our life.
As with so many things in our lives we need not only the desire and determination, both of which are very necessary, but we also need the bottom line which is the doing: carrying out with perseverance and fidelity what we have committed ourselves to. All three elements are significant: without desire we would never even be moved to do anything, not even to think about it, without determination we would not get beyond wishful thinking because there would be no inner fire to get us excited about the possibilities, but concrete action with its sacrifices it remains only an ideal we dream about in a reflective moment.
These three elements are especially necessary when we are trying to incorporate a spiritual dimension into our lives. The desire and the determination may be very strong but if we set the expectations too high we soon find that we cannot accomplish what we set out to do. Then even the desire and determination fade. Setting a realistic goal will enable us to follow through even on difficult days. For example, ten minutes set aside for personal quiet prayer before going to bed is better than twenty or thirty minutes if after a short time the longer period of time proves unworkable and we give up on our good intention. God is not bound by time – so whether one minute or twenty minutes, God is fully present and God can transform us and will if we open ourselves as fully as we can to that loving presence. Fidelity to the small steps can lead to a spirit-centered and life-changing interiority.
October 10, 2008
New Perspectives –
New Strategies
The financial
health of our country is
entrusted to men and
women who have a breadth
of knowledge in both
economic theory and
practice. The
assumption of the
general public has been
that they would bring to
their positions
responsibility,
integrity and concern
for the commonwealth;
that they would have the
competence to make sound
investments, oversee and
regulate borrowing and
lending and not put the
fundamental well-being
of the financial system
at risk. In spite
of the wealth of
expertise, in recent
years the shadow side of
human nature, a reality
that influences all of
our lives, seems to have
had the upper hand
leading to shortsighted
corporate mismanagement
for personal short-term
gain. Poor
decisions of
unimaginable magnitude
were made that resulted
in massive foreclosures
in the housing market
and the collapse of
major financial
institutions. To
prevent further damage
both nationally and
internationally the
federal government has
attempted to stem the
bleeding and return the
financial sector to a
firm footing.
Amidst all the political
posturing it is
difficult to determine
if anyone really knows
what to do and where a
realistic solution
actually lies. If
even the experts are 180
degrees apart, how is
the ordinary layperson
to know where to stand
in the matter? In
all quarters there is
the danger of acting out
of emotion rather than
from clear reasoning
aided by a touch of
intuition and thinking
“outside the box”.
A saying of Albert
Einstein comes to mind
during this period of
instability when there
are so many question
marks in our minds about
the judgment of our
financial experts and
their ability to resolve
what is an extraordinary
monetary crisis.
Einstein’s insight
causes one to pause:
“Problems cannot be
solved at the same level
of awareness that
created them.”
If we are asking those
who caused the problem
to now solve the
problem, but they
continue to go about
business as usual, we
have a recipe for future
disasters. As
Einstein says, we have
to go to a different
level, bring a different
perspective to the
problem - in his words:
a new level of
awareness. Will
the individuals who led
us into the crisis be
able to step back and
move to this new level
of awareness? It
is a pertinent question.
We all know from
our own experience in
school and on the job
how we have been stumped
by some problem, maybe
in math or science, and
that as long as we
continued looking at the
problem from the same
perspective, we kept
circling it and were
unable to find a way
through it. But if
we went for a walk in
the park or for a drive
in the country,
literally forgetting
about the problem at
hand, not infrequently
an intuition would burst
in upon us that provided
a new approach the
problem. Perhaps
in this present crisis
we need a few people who
are willing to “go for a
walk” and give
themselves the time and
space to see the whole
economic picture from a
different angle.
What may be required is
not only oversight and a
renewed moral integrity,
but also a new level of
awareness that can
generate the policies
and strategies needed to
meet twenty-first
problems and crises.
Even as adults isolating tactics are still evident in the way we deal with one another, albeit usually more subtle, which may stereotype and isolate an individual creating an inner loneliness and emptiness. How easily elitism, sexism, racism, for example, can seep into the way we deal with others – nothing very overt but easily picked up in body language, tone of voice and facial expression. We know that we have not been accepted just as we are; these slights are felt deeply, even though we may be forced to mask them well.
How different it is when someone reaches out to us, when we have someone to talk to who understands and accepts us as we are, a person we can trust, who will share in our ups and downs, laugh with us but also keep us honest and help us to be the person we are called to be. This is what that lonely, isolated person is looking for and at times craves with an agonizing yearning of soul. Whether youngster or adolescent, young adult, middle-aged or elderly, loneliness and isolation can eat away at our spirit, erode our enthusiasm for life and blind us to the richness that actually surrounds us. It is a simple response that is asked of us: to recognize these situations in others’ lives and to reach out and be the helping hand that draws someone back into life. Often all it takes is a friendly smile, a listening ear, the sacrifice of a little time and the patience to be a welcoming presence in the person’s life. Opportunities abound.
September 26, 2008
Meeting the Challenge
After reading the morning paper or watching the evening news we may feel overwhelmed by what is happening in our world. It is all so big and we are so small in comparison. We talk in numbers that are astronomical – not only millions, but billions and trillions. The stock market loses a massive number of points based on what seems like the whisper of someone in the know or in the present instance due to greed and corporate mismanagement. We watch the price of gasoline rise and fall week after week feeling helpless to do anything about it – we are told it is all about supply and demand, or a weakening dollar or whatever. At the supermarket the price of food inches up while the contents in the package are reduced. Control seems beyond our reach. We know, however, that at the practical level our lives are affected in a very real way by what happens in that vast arena of international business.
We then turn the page of the newspaper or hear the next item of the evening news and are immersed in violence: war and other forms of armed conflict, threats of terrorism, lack of safety on city streets, abuse in its many forms inside and outside the family - the list is endless. When the destruction of property and the loss of life resulting from natural disasters are factored in, we are left with a disturbing uneasiness of spirit and a heaviness of heart.
The enormity of the problems that face the human community can both numb us and discourage us. Confidence is undermined, dreams wither and we languish in the status quo. We begin to feel like one of the numbers that are thrown around so cavalierly by the experts, a mere statistic amidst other statistics. Because we have such little control over the larger picture it is easy to fall into a state where we merely survive. Life goes on but the zest for living has been dulled and we succumb to living at the lowest common denominator.
It demands a firm and strong spirit to be willing to say no to this attitude and to choose to hold onto one’s vision and love of life. This kind of courage is asked of each of us daily to prevent the erosion of all that is best within us. We may not be able to change in any significant way the larger picture that we are part of, but we can choose to live within it with enthusiasm and joy of spirit without losing our zest for life.
September 19, 2008
The Tattered Garment of Faith
In his book
Now and Then,
How
graphically and beautifully Buechner
expresses the reality that is
experienced by a person whose faith
is firmly grounded in the messy
world of everyday.
At
one time or another, perhaps during
a moment of
reflective soul-searching or during
a time of personal tragedy or loss,
we have all experienced the tension
between faith and the pain and
anguish of spirit that results from
the downside of human existence.
The
temptation is very real to throw off
the torn and ragged garment, to be
rid of all this nonsense of a loving
personal God.
At
times like that all evidence seems
to point to the opposite – to a
world of chance, of fate, of no
ultimate meaning.
But as
September 5-The Power Within Us
In the fifth
chapter of
In this
beautiful scene from
August 29 - With Eyes Wide Open
We
live in an age when the
flood of images, sounds
and information can
easily inundate our
consciousness. We
are called upon to deal
with so many diverse and
sophisticated tasks at
work and competing
schedules at home that
we often have little
time or space to be
really fully attentive
to anything. Our emails
get answered as quickly
and briefly as possible
often with careless
spelling and syntax.
The kids are rushed to
soccer practice then
we’re off to shopping or
a meeting. In
between there are those
moments when we are
catching our breath
amidst all of this and
wonder if we might be
missing something.
The poet Mary Oliver
gives us a clue in the
final line of her prose
poem “Yes! No!” which
ends with these words:
To pay attention, this
is our endless and
proper work. As
simple as “being
attentive” seems to be,
in day-to-day living we
often find it difficult
to do – we are partly
there, which seems to
satisfy the need at the
moment. Pressed by
work or the hectic pace
of family life we find
ourselves slightly
distracted much of the
time. Learning to
be attentive is not
something that comes
naturally to all of us
and may require a
conscious effort to make
it an integral part of
the way we live.
Mary Oliver’s own poetry
illustrates in a very
tangible way what she
invites us to
experience.
In simple language and
in commonplace images
she captures the magic
and mystery contained in
the most ordinary which
can only be seen when
the eyes of the mind and
heart are wide open to
receive what nature and
the world offer.
Being attentive,
however, is not just
something that is nice
to do when we have a
break in the action.
As Mary Oliver says, it
is our endless and
proper work, that is, it
is to be part of our
life all of the time
(our endless work), it
is what we are called to
do as human beings (our
proper work). We
all have had the
experience of being with
someone who has given us
their full attention and
hopefully we have had
the parallel experience
of giving someone our
full attention – when
time stopped and we knew
that we had experienced
something special.
But usually we
considered those
occasions exceptions to
normal behavior and
experience. The
invitation, however, is
to incorporate the
essence of those moments
into our ordinary way of
living. What is
required in order to
see, to hear and to feel
in this way is an
attentive and open heart
– the miracle and
mystery are always
there. Ours is
simply to learn to live
with heart, ears and
eyes wide open!
July 18 - A Smile.....A Moment of Joy
We have all had
the experience of being in a room
where there is a picture of a baby
yawning. Before long we catch
ourselves yawning for seemingly no
reason at all and may spot others
trying to cover their yawns – yawns
are contagious! It is
intriguing and at times even
humorous to see how easily our body
can be influenced by people, places
and things. We live for a few
years in a new area of the country
or in another English-speaking part
of the world and without being
conscious of what is happening we
begin to pick up a different accent
or nuanced way of speaking. We
don’t notice that it is happening
and only become aware of the change
when family or friends kid us about
our “new way of talking”.
Smiles too can be contagious.
A smile is a personal gift that we
can easily give to others. A
smile when it is authentic - not the
plastic, forced, duty variety -
radiates something warm and positive
about ourselves while communicating
a glimpse of the best within us –
without even a word being spoken.
How easily our smile draws forth
from others a spontaneous smile in
return. Smile to smile and
something changes within us: a
simple facial gesture that
communicates and puts us in touch
with our deeper peaceful and
affective self. In every
situation in which we find ourselves
opportunities abound for this
simple, natural way of
communicating. We express our own
wholesome and joyful approach to
life while calling forth the best
from another. Smiles can
transform.
Mark Twain appreciated how
beautiful and important smiles are:
“Wrinkles should merely indicate
where smiles have been.” Would
that all the wrinkles that become
part of our countenance as the years
pass were the result of smiles and
not the tensions, sorrows and pain
that so often accompany daily life.
We might like to check how
spontaneously smiles are part of our
life. Do we smile and speak to
people when we take a walk? Do
we give the checkout lady at the
market a smile and greeting that
boosts her spirit? Is smiling
our normal way of presenting
ourselves to others? Smiles
have a way of changing how we relate
with others, but they also have a
way of changing how we feel about
ourselves and how we are present in
this moment at this particular time
and place. To smile is a
choice that we can make – our smile
touches other people’s lives but in
a special way it reaches deep inside
and changes us!
July 11 - Ships - Winds - Destinations: Knowing Where We Are Going
As
exhilarating as
spontaneity can feel and
as valuable as it is at
a particular moment, the
words of Michel de
Montaigne are indeed
very practical and
helpful advice: No wind
blows in favor of the
ship that has no port of
destination.
Essentially, if we don’t
have any idea where
we’re going it will be
very difficult to
establish a route to get
there. No matter
how good the map or how
accurate the information
we can pull up on
Google, it will not be
helpful if we have not
made a decision about
destination. Once
we have determined where
we want to go, we will
be able to find a direct
way to get there and see
the options for
alternate and more
scenic routes.
This is often the plight
of many young people
today - a starting point
but uncertainty about
destination. The
dilemma can exist for
individuals at any point
on the spectrum, as much
of a problem for the
person blessed with an
abundance of interests
and abilities as for
someone who is not sure
what he or she would
like to do. The
person with many
conflicting pulls has
the advantage of wanting
to go somewhere, the
dilemma being what
interest to pursue, what
dream to follow, what
deep desire to respond
to; the options are
there but a decision is
needed to set everything
in motion. At the
other extreme the
individual seems to be
waiting for something to
happen or hoping for
some outside force to
set a direction.
Somewhere in the search,
we have all probably
asked ourselves: Can I
make a difference
through the life and
career choices that I
make? Is a deep
sense of satisfaction
possible?
We live in a world where
there is both less job
security on the one hand
and less loyalty to the
institution where we
work on the other.
The fluidity that exists
in society today can
create an added stress
and unsettledness as we
try to set a direction
that will provide both
security and
satisfaction in the
career and life style in
which we are investing
all of our energy.
Whether in business,
sports, politics, or
almost any area, those
who are charged with
running a company or an
organization often have
no qualms of switching
allegiance – even to a
competitor, as long as
the price is right.
It establishes an
atmosphere of looking
out for oneself and this
attitude seeps down
through the fabric of
the organization.
Ultimately, what we do
can become just a job
that we are paid for – a
situation which may make
it more difficult to see
our life as one of
dedicated service.
Satisfaction comes from
seeing what we do and
how we live as vocation.
This generates a feeling
of knowing that at least
in some small way our
life makes a difference.
It is that glint of
pride in the eye of a
good cabinet maker, the
warm smile and caring
touch of a nurse, the
patient, persevering
disposition of a primary
school teacher, the
contemplative glow on
the face of a concert
violinist – people whose
lives radiate a life
choice that was well
chosen, one that is both
meaningful and filled
with joy of spirit.
These persons model for
younger men and women
what life choice is
about and the meaning
that flows from finding
the right fit. As
Joseph Campbell, the
eminent student of
mythology, would say:
these are people who
have followed their
bliss. In the end what
they do will make a
difference.
We are a nation
whose vision has been built on the
high ideal of “unity from the many”
– e pluribus unum - with equal
opportunity for all. In New
York harbor our torch-bearing Statue
of Liberty has greeted millions who
have come to our country. We have
prided ourselves on trying to live
out what this great symbol stands
for: an eagerness to welcome the
weary and the poor from all corners
of the world. As with every nation
our history is a checkered one:
times of glory and splendor mixed
with times of embarrassment, even
shame. On occasion we have forgotten
that at one time, in the near or
distant past, we or our ancestors
were newcomers, guests really, in
this land of plenty. And
forgetting, we have treated later
newcomers with less hospitality than
our symbol of welcome and liberty
embodies, have forgotten that our
richness as a people is from the
proverbial melting pot that we are.
At our worst we have allowed our old
biases and prejudices to control how
we dealt with people seeking asylum
on our shores. Our fear of
those of other languages, cultures
and religions prompted us to fall
back into patterns of behavior that
we ourselves came to the United
States to escape. We enslaved others
because of color of skin and racial
background, we placed in our shop
windows posters of unwelcome to
those of different national origin,
we burned crosses and churches to
show our displeasure, even hate, for
the life and practices of others.
Every generation has experienced
some form of prejudice – but how
easily we rationalize, how easily we
forget. It almost seems as if
we want everyone to go through some
rite of passage, to pay their dues
so to speak, for the freedoms and
the opportunities that are embodied
in the American way of life.
But when we have risen to our best
we have modeled for the rest of the
world how people of every
background, race, color, language
and religion are able to live in
harmony, are able to drop the old
animosities that had festered for
centuries in a previous homeland.
We have proclaimed to peoples near
and far that it is possible to
overcome the prejudices and
stereotypes that almost seem
ingrained in our very essence as
human beings. It is what has
attracted tens of thousands of
people from every corner of the
world to walk away from their past
and establish a new beginning in
this land of opportunity.
Culture shock, growing pains, and
the tensions that accompany
transition are inevitable but we
believe that in time integration,
assimilation and a new way of life
can become the reality.
Hopefully, this high ideal will
inspire us to live up to what we
believe has made us a great nation
and a safe haven for countless
millions who have yearned for
freedom. We must remember,
especially as we celebrate our
independence or take time to honor
our flag, that this great melting
pot has been enriched by every
people that has contributed its
distinctive cultural heritage to it.
Our beauty lies in the great
multicolored garment that we are.
June 27 - God's Voice Between the Lines
One of our
convictions as Christians is that
God is an ever-present God whose
on-going revelation often lies
within the nitty-gritty of earthly
existence. One of the
implications of the Incarnation, of
God becoming man in the womb of
Mary, is that God has an especially
tender love for creation: for earth,
for flesh and for things human. God
not only does not mind being
immersed in the ebb and flow of
human existence but wants to be part
of it, and often to our surprise is
found even in the not-so-wholesome
parts of it. In Jesus God
understands what it is like to be
weak, to be tired, to be hungry and
thirsty, to need the love and
friendship of others, to be
comforted during sorrow, to suffer
physically, psychologically and
spiritually and even to experience
that final “letting go” of dying.
It is part of the great mystery of
who God is that the experience of
being human would not be a foreign
one; from the moment of Jesus’
conception it has become an eternal
experience – an experience that will
always be a part of God.
Because of the Incarnation it does
not seem strange that God would be
present at all times and in all
places and would give glimpses and
hints of that hidden presence in the
ordinary events and activities of
our lives. These events are
what our life is made up of just as
they were for Jesus. It
was amidst these activities that
Jesus in his prayer discerned the
Father’s will, determined what the
Father asked of him. Like us, he had
to wrestle with the options his life
presented him to determine where the
Father’s will lay. As we are told,
he was like us in all things except
sin, so he was also free to make
choices, choices he felt best
embodied the Father’s will. It
seems that it would be no different
for us. We too must look for those
somewhat hidden intangible movements
that indicate a direction that we
should take or a choice that we need
to make. Coming to know the will of
God often requires reading between
the lines; that seems to be God’s
way, which ultimately is the way of
wisdom since God has chosen to act
in that manner.
God’s will is not something “out
there”, as if God has some
preconceived idea about what our
life is supposed to look like or how
it is supposed to unfold – so that
all we have to do is discover what
is in the mind of God.
Rather, God’s will is a reality that
lies within us and our normal
ambience. As we listen to our heart,
as we are attentive to everything
that is going on in our life whether
joyful, painful or indifferent, as
we get in touch with the events that
are unfolding around us and become
more sensitive to how we
spontaneously respond to them, we
will be more aware of the many
pointers to God’s will in our life.
This is where God is present, in the
very messiness of the ordinary and
when we pause to listen to our life
we will become more aware of this
loving presence and what it beckons
us to be and do.
June 20 - Summer - Relaxation with a Touch of Serendipity
Remember what it
was like, the feeling that came over
you, when you were in those early
grades of primary school and the
last day of school finally arrived
and summer vacation was underway.
Even if you liked school your heart
was bubbling over with joy and you
were literally jumping up and down
with happiness at the thought of
more than two months for fun and
games, weeks and weeks of “freedom”
with no homework and no tests.
It wasn’t as if there was something
spectacular to do or to look forward
to – although a week at the shore
may have been tucked in somewhere or
for a few lucky ones a week at camp,
but mainly it was just this big
block of time for relaxing and
having fun. Remember how we
had the ability to just enjoy each
day, to live each day just for
itself – the return to school seemed
so far in the future. That was
summer - we had our little chores to
take care of and then we were free.
And we reminisce: For a boy growing
up in a small town in rural
Appalachia, the options for a day
would have been a bit different from
those of a city kid. Well
before summer a small dam would have
been built on a creek to create a
swimming “pool” – not too deep so
there was little danger of the
younger boys getting in over their
heads. Cold mountain water
would have greeted the brave souls
who took the plunge in late spring –
and every boy was a brave soul,
because no one wanted to be called
“chicken”. Nearby, over
one of the ravines the thick stems
of wild grapevines would be cut and
freed from the sides of the trees.
The upper parts of the vines,
entwined in the high branches,
provided a strong flexible swing
that carried us over a gorge and
back to safety again – the thrill
being the danger: if you lost your
grip you fell among the boulders
scattered in the bottom. Then there
was baseball – our only serious game
of summer. In an unused portion of
some farmer’s cow pasture a rough
baseball diamond was cut out to help
us fill in those afternoons and
evenings of freedom.
Reminiscing often borders on the
Garden of Eden or Shangri-La, which
of course it wasn’t, but there were
many special moments.
Could a little of the laid-back,
easy approach to life of those days
soften the intensity with which life
seems to flood over us today?
Our holidays and vacations tend to
be like work, just another item that
we plan into a busy month or year.
Today even the play of children
often ends up organized. Not to
denigrate organized sports programs
but there was something beautiful
and spontaneous about those pick-up
games without the pressure of
winning the Little League
Championship. Maybe we
could also use some of those
relaxing evenings when talking and
being part of one another’s lives
happened without the distraction of
television or internet.
Not a bad thought: an infusion of
relaxing evenings with a touch of
serendipity thrown in to make it
interesting.
June 13 - Father's Day - Remembering with Gratitude
How
heartwarming it is to
see a new dad carefully
and gently cradling in
his arms his first-born
daughter or son, to see
the pride in his eyes
and the glow of joy on
his face as he gazes
with love at the new
baby. If anything
can draw forth the
tenderness of a man, it
is the sight and touch
of that new life that he
has been instrumental in
bringing into the world.
It is the moment when we
see one of the most
beautiful but often
consciously concealed
qualities of a man – his
innate warmth and
sensitivity.
For most of us the
celebration of Father’s
Day does not have the
same aura about it as
Mother’s Day.
During a man’s lifetime
we often take for
granted his contribution
to the life of the
family: “It is what he
is supposed to do.” Many
men prefer that the
attention not be focused
on themselves, in fact
brush it off, gladly
allowing mom to receive
the encomiums. So
we often have to wait
until the funeral at the
end of a long life to
hear the greatness of
the man when all the
tributes, humorous and
serious alike, pour
forth to the edification
and delight of family
and friends. And
it is a greatness that
consisted in the small
things, often unnoticed
until we begin to
reminisce. We
knew, for example, when
his no meant no or when
it really meant maybe or
those occasions when he
would say “see your
Mom”, and we knew the
implications of that.
It is as we eulogize him
that we hear what we
already intuitively knew
- how unique he was: no
assembly line dad but a
real flesh and blood man
who did not fit into
anyone else’s mold, a
man who had his own
one-of-a-kind way of
doing things. He
was our Dad and no one
else’s.
So again on this third
Sunday of June we
celebrate the special
place that our dads have
in our lives and we
celebrate the important
role that fathers in
general play in the
family.
Conventional wisdom
counsels us that growing
children need the kind
of modeling of adult
life that both mother
and father can provide.
In expressing our
gratitude and love we
also highlight and
reinforce the importance
of the father’s role in
the family and recognize
the ever more difficult
responsibilities that
fathers take on in this
post-modern age.
Children need to hear
the words - the advice,
the encouragement and
the corrections - but
more importantly they
need to see a life that
exemplifies the values
embodied in authentic
adult living. Our
word of gratitude can
bring that little smile
of joy at being
recognized and
appreciated.
We open our mouths
and words pour forth, words which
for the most part are organized in
logical patterns - words and
patterns that have become part of us
without conscious effort.
Words come in thousands of different
forms: most with sounds that have a
familiar ring to them, but others
that are almost unrecognizable.
No matter where we go, whether in an
isolated area of the upper Amazon or
the crowded streets of Calcutta
these sounds serve the same purpose
- to communicate information and
meaning to those who understand the
language. Even when we are not
speaking words fill our minds. A
continuous flow of words embodies
thoughts that spontaneously slide
from one idea to another, not unlike
the experience of reading James
Joyce’s Ulysses. This uncanny
ability is both boon and burden,
making it possible to creatively
call forth the ingenious from an
almost inchoate feeling, while a
second later distracting us with
something totally inane and
extraneous just because of an
association that flows from the same
word.
Equally intriguing is the subtlety
of language, the play on words, the
instantaneous recognition of the
second meaning of a word that
changes what we hear and the way we
hear it. This ability is taken for
granted when we are with others who
are fluent in our own language.
It is often only when someone misses
the humor, cynicism, irony or double
entendre that we come to appreciate
this dimension of language. We
become aware that language is about
more than conveying factual
information but colors and nuances
the subtleties of interpersonal
communication. And so we know
that “there is meaning” and “there
is meaning” – same words, same
phrases, same sentences, but
distinctly different meanings
because of the way the words are
spoken, where emphasis is placed,
the particular context and the
persons who are listening.
Besides the great diversity of
language, besides the subtlety of
words within each language, we are
also aware that words are powerful.
To be able through a turn of phrase
to bring a great burst of laughter
from a group, in a rousing speech to
transform a crowd, by a sympathetic
word to touch the heart of someone
mourning the death of a loved one,
with a sincere “I love you” to bring
joy to a dear friend, or to ruin a
reputation with an unkind remark,
innuendo, or personal revelation are
all reminders of the power that lies
within the words we use so easily
and often without thought.
We live in an age when the
boundaries of the appropriate have
been pushed back, but in so doing
have allowed the negative power of
the inappropriate to become
acceptable regardless of the harm
that may ensue. The
tendency of public figures and
celebrities to “reveal all” has
lessened the value of words and
reduced trust and credibility; at
the same time we have become numbed
to the barrage of vulgarity in
movies and in some forms of
contemporary music. Words have
a sacred dimension for they
originate in the heart; they are
part of us and need to be respected.
Jesus said it very succinctly: it is
not what goes into the mouth that
makes us unclean but what comes out
of it, what comes from the heart.
Words are more than just sounds and
we should never underestimate their
power, respecting them as we respect
ourselves.
May 30 - Complementary Paths to Truth
Controversies
surrounding the
relationship of religion
and science have existed
for centuries, certainly
in an explicit way since
the onset of the
Enlightenment.
Whether religion or
science, extreme
positions tend to be
myopic about realities
and experiences that
seem self-evident to the
vast majority of people,
whether professional or
lay. On the one
hand we have noted
intellectuals whose
writings denigrate the
existence of God and
anything that borders on
the supernatural. On
the other hand a
fundamentalist
perspective takes the
Judeo-Christian
Scriptures so literally
that there is denial of
incontrovertible
evidence about the age
and development of the
universe or the origin
of the human species. In
the Catholic tradition
mistakes have been made
over the centuries
concerning the
interpretation of
scientific evidence and
the seemingly negative
effect certain
scientific positions
would have on Church
teaching and belief.
Most notable among them
being the censuring of
Galileo for promoting
the Copernican position
that the sun rather than
the earth is the center
of the solar system.
Belatedly exonerated,
Galileo is now held in
high esteem not only in
scientific circles but
in religious as well.
The evidence of history
and the record of past
errors of judgment are
fair warning to
religious leaders and to
all of us for that
matter to be cautious in
drawing hasty
conclusions about new
scientific developments.
A similar caution,
however, needs to be
taken to heart by
scientists as well.
A pithy statement of
Albert Einstein says it
well: “A little science
tends to estrange man
from God. But much
science leads man back
to Him.” It echoes
the familiar line of the
poet, Alexander Pope: “A
little learning is a
dangerous thing; Drink
deep, or taste not the
Pierian spring: There
shallow draughts
intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely
sobers us again.”
From diverse
perspectives “truths”
may be in conflict, but
at their deepest level
reconciled, as T.S.
Eliot writes in Burnt
Norton: “Below, the
boarhound and the boar
pursue their pattern as
before but reconciled
among the stars.”
Our limited
understanding and
interpretations may lead
to controversies, but in
the end there must be
harmony where truth
lies, even though we may
have to live with the
tensions that flow from
the finite human
condition.
Being men and women of
our time and place we
must not only stretch
our intellectual
boundaries but also
nurture the
contemplative, spiritual
capacity if we are to
maintain balance in our
lives. Both the
media and our formal
schooling flood us with
information about every
aspect of life, some of
which is less than
helpful in living
integrated lives.
We need to recognize the
need to nurture
interiority, that inner
centeredness which will
help us cope with the
intensity of life in the
twenty-first century.
The interrelationship of
science and religion is
not just a controversy
of the public forum, but
one that each person
must wrestle with in
order to conscientiously
resolve the moral issues
implicit in much that is
taking place at an
ever-quickening pace in
science, business, and
politics. We must
“drink deep” at the
pools of knowledge but
also at the well of
inner silence and
contemplation.
Both are essential
elements for living an
integrated, healthy life
amidst all the
activities that swirl
around us. Both
are needed in our honest
search for truth.
May 23 - Memorial Day - A Sacred Remembrance
As we
celebrate Memorial Day
this last full weekend
of May we again are
reminded of the
sacrifices that have
been made by countless
men and women over the
centuries to obtain and
maintain the freedoms
that we have as
Americans.
Although Memorial Day
has come to be
associated with a number
of traditions – the
beginning of the summer
season, parades in local
communities, the annual
running of the
Indianapolis 500 – its
primary meaning must
never be lost sight of
as a remembrance and a
commemoration of those
who have given their
lives that we as a
people might enjoy the
benefits of living in a
society where religious
freedom, freedom of
speech and freedom of
the press are honored
and respected.
Freedom is a God-given
right, a precious gift
to be cherished and held
as a sacred trust. How
easy it is to forget
what history teaches us:
that freedom is also a
fragile gift, one that
can be taken from us by
force, withdrawn through
subtle manipulation or
relinquished by us
through the hope of some
shortsighted benefits.
We don’t have to look
very far to realize that
freedom is not a reality
for large segments of
the world population:
where exploitation,
manipulation,
oppression, and slavery
in its modern garb are
the rule rather than the
exception. Freedom
for the vast majority of
human beings remains a
distant dream. Even we
ourselves have felt this
in recent times where
acts of terrorism have
become a very real
threat and precautions
have been taken that
change the way we live
and travel.
As we place flags and
flowers on the tombs of
loved ones and as we
honor and pray for those
who have died defending
our freedoms, let us ask
ourselves if we have
become complacent and
take for granted what
others have gained for
us. A
renewed appreciation of
what we possess can
provide a stimulus to be
more sensitive to the
lack of freedom that so
many people experience
day in and day out.
Being awakened to the
needs of others includes
an invitation and a
challenge to action on
their behalf. Attentive
to the words of the
prophets, both ancient
and modern, we know that
none of us will be fully
free until all of us are
free.
May 16 - A Passion For Life
The
German philosopher Georg
Hegel once said that
“Nothing in this world
has been accomplished
without passion.”
Passion is a fascinating
word since it conjures
up a great variety of
thoughts, emotions and
meanings. As
Christians, for example,
when we say “the passion
of Christ” we
immediately think of the
torture that was
inflicted upon Jesus and
the great suffering that
he endured in those
final hours before his
death by crucifixion.
When used of two people
who are deeply in love,
the word seems to
capture the intense
physical and emotional
response that the
persons have for each
other. Said of
someone else it may
refer to a fiery
temperament that is
easily stirred to anger.
At other times the word
names a quality or
disposition of
character: “He or she is
a very passionate
individual”, someone who
has strong feelings
about an area of life or
interest.
“Indifference”,
“flatness”, “blandness”,
“lack of interest” don’t
come to mind when we say
“passion” or
“passionate”.
Rather we expect energy
and ardor, a vibrant,
dynamic approach to
whatever one is
interested in, an inner
fire that breaks forth
in creativity,
dedication, conviction,
strongly held opinions.
Hegel’s insight
highlights one of the
powerful dimensions of
passion, that inner
spark that ignites a
fire in the heart and
drives one forward to
find and commit oneself
to a life project.
Without passion one
would hardly begin the
project let alone bring
it to fruition.
This kind of passion can
be transformative and
infuses life with spirit
and energy, gives life a
glow and makes life
worth living. We
sometimes say that
so-and-so died long
before his physical
death occurred.
The fire not only died
down but literally went
out and the joy and
delight in life went
with it. We are
all saddened by what
happens as a
consequences of
Alzheimer’s, but even
sadder is the person,
healthy in mind and
body, whose fire has
gone out and whose inner
life has withered.
Passion can make a
difference; it stirs up
an excitement about even
ordinary things and will
transform them and us in
the process.
Fr. William McNamara, in
his book Mystical
Passion, speaks about
the necessity of passion
in our lives. He
says of himself, “I know
what is wrong with me: I
am not passionate
enough. I am not
being aroused and lured
into the sheer totality
of me, which God desires
with infinite desire to
fashion out of the
undreamed of and
undeveloped
potentialities of my
being.” He goes on
to say, “Passion is
simply life in its most
intense vigor….Passion
is the breakthrough
virtue.” “The
Incarnation, the life of
Christ, was the passion
of God breaking through
decisively. Human
boundaries were pushed
back ad infinitum. All
things were made new. If
I have a spiritual life,
that means I am immersed
in the life of the wild
and insuppressible
Spirit.” What an
incentive to release the
power and the passion
that lies within each of
us and to immerse
ourselves wholeheartedly
in this great gift of
life. An experience of
the delight of being
alive awaits us.
May 9 - Mother and Child - Glimpses of the Divine
The images we have
of God have a subtle but very real
influence on the way we think about
God and relate with God. Our
thoughts and the words we use to
express those thoughts are not
insignificant. We are shaped
in our spiritual life just as we are
in other areas of our life by
custom, tradition and conventional
ways of doing things as well as by
our biases, opinions and viewpoints.
Over the centuries we have projected
onto God a basically masculine image
which has often masked or relegated
to a secondary position the
no-less-important feminine qualities
that bring balance to our
understanding of God.
Obviously, God can never be captured
by our limited faculties, but an
open approach may provide more
holistic, inclusive glimpses – often
heart glimpses - that reveal the
deepest and richest qualities that
we have experienced within ourselves
but which also provide valuable
insights into who God is, especially
who God is for us. As
scripture says, we are made in the
image and likeness of God, male and
female God created them.
One of the most beautiful images of
God is that found in the prophet
Isaiah where he speaks of a “mother
and her baby” to convey the
intensity of God’s love for Israel.
Can a mother forget her infant, be
without tenderness for the child of
her womb? Even should she
forget I will never forget you.
See, on the palm of my hands I have
written your name; your walls are
ever before me. (IS 49:15-16)
Fr. Carroll Stuhlmueller, CP
commenting on these verses says that
verse 15 is “one of the most
touching expressions of divine love
in the entire Bible.” He then adds
that “the feminine image of God is
natural in the setting of a walled
city which is pictured as a mother
pregnant with life.” (New Jerome
Biblical Commentary p 340) The
tender, deeply sensitive qualities
of the divine are most easily
expressed in this image of a
mother’s love for her baby, and even
this a mere reflection of the depth
and intensity of the love that God
has for each of us.
Mother’s Day provides an especially
ideal moment to remember our mothers
and to thank and honor them for
carrying and nurturing us, for
showering love and tenderness upon
us as we grew in “wisdom, age and
grace.” A mother’s womb is the
vessel of new life – the channel
through which every person has
passed. Our Mother’s Day
remembrance grounds us in the very
earthiness and genius of God while
connecting us with humans
everywhere. Even the most
callous among us is touched by the
sight of a mother and her new baby.
This most familiar sight found
universally throughout our world is
one that never loses it freshness no
matter how often we encounter it –
every mother and child a Madonna and
Child - their faces windows on the
divine.
May 2 - The Zen of Baseball - The Zen of Life
Casey Stengel, the
famous and highly successful New
York Yankee manager, once said that
“Good pitching will always stop good
hitting. And vice versa.”
Stengel was noted for his ability to
turn a phrase producing many
memorable quotable sayings.
And the above is certainly one of
them. Those of us who are life-long
baseball fans have certainly
remarked on one occasion or another
that you can’t beat good pitching
and felt we could back it up with
plenty of solid evidence. But
then on the other hand, undoubtedly,
there have been occasions when we
have said just the opposite, that
you can’t beat good hitting.
It seems like a contradiction – both
can’t be true, can they? But
it does seem to be the case – that
both are true. As John
Cressler says in his book
Reinventing Teenagers: It is “the
Zen of baseball!”
This underlying Zen-like quality of
baseball adds to the mystery of why
it is such a captivating sport,
engrossing and beautiful for those
have come to appreciate its finer
qualities. The nature of baseball
requires a slower pace; for the
spectator and player alike there is
a pause, a stepping back from the
hectic routine of life, time to
relax for a couple of hours and
allow the game to unfold at its own
rhythm, comfortable with the
deliberate and ritualistic way the
game is played. Enjoying the ballet
move of an around-the-horn double
play or a “Clemente-like” throw from
the right field wall to cut a runner
off at the plate - something of
beauty has been witnessed just for
its own sake – for a moment the
winning or losing inconsequential,
for a moment it has been pure
“play”, with even competition on
hold.
How lovely it is when occasionally
our lives mirror this type of
special moment, when life for a
short time is pure play, without
competition, when nothing has to be
proved by what we do or say but the
moment just enjoyed for itself, for
what it is. A walk by the
river - just for the sake of the
walk, a conversation with a close
friend - just for the sake of the
conversation, an afternoon by the
lake – just an afternoon by the
lake. When these moments break in on
our lives we know something special
has happened, that we have
participated in that mysterious time
outside of time that is so
refreshing and energizing. For
a little while the spirit of “the
Zen of baseball” has become “the Zen
of life.” Moments worth
cherishing.
April 25 - Having Life to the Full
The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. These very familiar opening words of psalm 23 bring to mind one of the most comforting and well-loved images of Jesus: the