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Thursday night I gathered with two friars, three secular franciscans and two St. Bonaventure University students to present and evening that was entitled, “Prayer, fasting and almsgiving in a Modern World.” The group of us are part of an outreach to local parishes from the Mount Irenaeus Franciscan Retreat. The total group including us was about twenty-five or maybe thirty folks. Each of us on the outreach teamm played a part in presenting or facilitating the evening. These evenings have become very popular because they are informal yet very healing and restorative for all who.

The church and in its traditional liturgy can seem a little distant at times. During these programs we begin by inviting everyone there to introduce themselves and tell where they are from. One of our group invites us into a ten minute period of centering prayer and silent reflection. After the prayer there are several readings, a short homily, and an invitation to sharing by all present. At first people are reluctant. An invitation to share can be frightening to someone who’s never had that experience before. Some of our group shared about their recent mission trip to the gulf coast of the United States. They shared how living in unfamiliar circumstances and sleeping in tents can be an act of fasting and almsgiving. Their willingness to share was an invitation to others who began to share how the Holy Spirit is working in and through their lives. As usual the evening proved to be very rich for everyone involved. As our evening drew to a close we had a period prayer and petition followed by the Lord’s Prayer. We ended our evening by leaving all with a sign of Christ’s peace. In our ministry we do that by embracing each other and those who had come. There is a great leap between a handshake and an embrace and it’s very Franciscan. Peace and all good.

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Today as I was reading one of the internet blogs I came across a powerful presentation prepared and programmed by a young lady from the United States. Her work gives me hope for the future. It’s entitled Peace takes Courage. One of the other blogger or news sites referred to her work as political. It struck me as peculiar that when one stands up for peace you risk being called political. If however in the United States you demonize homosexuals, immigrants and the poor in general you’ll receive a much different reaction. You might even be lionized. It is interesting to note that in all the gospels there is not one mention of homosexuality. That’s something that Jesus never spoke of. All of this got me to thinking about a great quote that a fellow Franciscan shared with me several years ago. It’s attributed to Dom Helder Camara.

Peace.

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Just a few minutes ago I received an email from my friend Brother Joe. The content of his email was about an initiative that has positive implications for all of us. All around the world we’re concerned with global warming and its negative impact on our planet. Also most of us who drive automobiles would like to have an alternative to petroleum products. Joe’s mail had a link to Plug in Hybrids are Bettah. The technology has been available for years and now we’re reaching a tipping point in the demand for cleaner less expensive energy than what we have now. Read more about Plugin Hybrids here. Peace.

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Reading the newspapers today and listening to cable television provides little in the way of journalism. Most of what I see are Republican talking points being broadcast. Thank God for blogs and bloggers. Today, there is a very funny segment taken from one of Bill Maher’s recent shows. Follow this link, to “My Pet Scapegoat“. Peace.

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Bill Maher, christianity, war on christianity

Today’s Gospel is one of my favorites. The woman caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus. According to Mosaic law her sentence is sentence is death by stoning. Instead of rebuking her Jesus turns the world upside down on these pharisees and says, “let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Miraculously the woman is spared and Jesus’ only missive to her is to go away and not sin anymore. Radical forgiveness and mercy are the hallmarks of the Messiah’s message. We’ve forgotten those lessons in our contemporary quasi-Christian culture.

Some folks like the pharisees of long ago like to parade around the marketplace in their long robes and mention the name of Jesus when it will get them a favor, but they fall way short of the message. Christianity is really a religion of radical forgiveness. If I am really to follow the gospel I am called to this same radical forgiveness and mercy. Last year a young friend of mine stated that a popular radio personality was very moral. I shocked my young friend when I said, “yes, he’s moral, but the gospel is not about morality. It’s about forgiveness and mercy.” How often do we break the Gospel down to living like a boy scout when in truth we are called to radical love, forgiveness, and mercy? Peace.

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love, forgiveness, mercy

In the first reading of today’s Eucharist there is a quote that really means a lot to me, “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts.” In some circles in the United States these days there is a desire to post the Ten Commandments in public buildings and public areas. Many who propose such ideas are sure that we have removed God from our public discourse and therefore our lives. There are lots of mentions of God in our country. In God we trust is written on our currency. Public officials are sworn into office with their hand resting upon the Bible. Congress has a chaplain and sessions begin with a prayer. There is a great deal of public displays of God or so it would seem. Writing the law upon our hearts is a different or at least I think it is. It is the internalization of what God wants from me.

In our discussion of today’s homily which focused in part on this reading, Fr. Bob mentioned that the theologian, Karl Rahner has posited that religion of the 21st century and beyond will have a dichotomy. One side of the coin will be the atheists and the other will be the mystics. According to Rahner there will be little emphasis on dogma and theory. His comments reminded me of the quote from the fourth chapter of St. John’s Gospel, “the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” Peace.

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This week our area will have a renowned peace activist visiting. Fr. Daniel Berrigan who gained fame in the 1960’s for his opposition to the Vietnam war along with the late Thomas Merton will be visiting Alfred State University in Alfred, New York. Its not often that someone of his stature visits our area. About five years ago I attended an event at St. Bonaventure University where Jim Forrest of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship spoke. I remember how much I enjoyed that. It came at a time just months after September 11, 2001 when most of my countrymen were gung-ho about the war in Afghanistan and there was already a drumbeat for Iraq as it turns out.

Here is a link to the Alfred State University website with details of Fr. Berrigan’s visit to our area. Fr. Berrigan, will serve as “Peacemaker in Residence” at Alfred University for the duration of his stay from April 4th to April 7th. That’s a great title and an even greater responsibility. Many so called peace activists that I’ve met actually have a lot of hatred in their hearts. A former colleague once told me that she found it difficult to believe that a U.S. Naval veteran would be interested in peace. Just recently a person I know questioned why, Dan Smith, a retired U.S. Army colonel would work for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. There seems to be an unfortunate stereotype that peacemakers are unpatriotic or are anti-military. I don’t know about Fr. Berrigan, but Jim Forrest and Dan Smith are both committed to peacemaking and were once warriors. St. Francis of Assisi was a soldier himself.

It may be that real peacemakers have to embrace the seeds of violence and hatred in themselves in order to be effective witnesses for peace. We are afterall children of the same creator. Warriors and Peacemakers are two sides of the same coin. Peacemaking is difficult. There’s way more to peacemaking than being against war. I have to remember not to condemn those who don’t think like I do or who openly support war. Life is a redemptive journey and peace making is part of that journey. I must be the change I wish to see in the world. Peace.

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I mentioned in my bio that I’m an educator. More specifically I’m the technology director for a K-12 school system. In that capacity and in my business I am exposed to technological advances on regular basis. Last night I was attending a dinner seminar. The presenters were two men from Apple Computer. Their topic was podcasting. I’ve heard of podcasting and even listened to some podcasts. Last night as I listened to their presentation I began to think how podcasting might be a way for Fr. Dan Riley, OFM to reach out to St. Bonaventure University and Mt. Irenaeus alumni.

Today following a link sent to me by a fellow Secular Franciscan I came across a link for Fr. Ronald Rolheiser, OMI. Fr. Rolheiser has site that is full of Lenten reflections in a podcast format. I enjoyed listening to one of them and I suggest you do the same.
Peace.

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podcasting, lent

I’ve been invited to attend a three day retreat that’s focus is on Franciscan peacemaking. I’ll be traveling eleven or twelve hours by car to attend this event at the invitation of a friend who is a friar from nearby Mt. Irenaeus. I’ve been doing a lot of praying and meditating lately. I’ve made contemplation a focus during Lent. Maybe this invitation is some of the fruit of this effort. I’m looking forward to the trip with some anticipation and thought. I think at times of Merton’s prayer, “

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,
And the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean that I am
actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please
you does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire in all
that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this, you
will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death, I will
not fear, for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.

Today was a special day for our Secular Franciscan Fraternity. It was the day of our official visitation from the regional fraternity. It’s all a part of becoming a canonically recognized fraternity. It’s been a long journey for many of us. In six years I’ve traveled spiritually from inquirer to professed member. In that time all of us have grown as Franciscan brothers and sisters in an emerging family. In that time one of our original members has welcomed Sister Death. I thought of her today following our meeting as we cleared this last hurdle on the way to formal canonical status.

On my way to our meeting today I thought that regardless of the outcome today I would still be a Franciscan and that is the most important thing afterall. This process is a journey not a destination. Where we go from here will disclosed to us each day as we seek to do what God would have us do. On his deathbed, St. Francis said to his followers, “I have done what is mine to do. May God show you what you are to do.” Peace.