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Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28

That verse and the thought of it is has been with me.  Sometimes bad things happen to good people and I don’t think that God fore ordains those bad things. I think they just happen,  just like rain falls on everyone whether good or bad.  When things happen in my life that I think are bad I tend to blame myself. That’s one of my character defects. Lately I’ve been thinking more and more of this verse when adverse events come and they do. Just today our son called to say that his car had “conked out.” It’s only a couple of days before Christmas and we’re looking at over three hundred dollars to put a new starter in the car. Last night my sister was due to arrive from out of town to celebrate her 50th birthday, but the weather didn’t cooperate and her flight was cancelled. Naturally, we were all discouraged, but in this too I need to look for something good to happen out of this.

Much of my life I’ve spent walking around under a gray cloud when in fact I should be looking for something good to happen.   It really all depends on how I look at a situation. My tendency is to be negative rather than positive.

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Get a grip

The so-called progressives in this country are going nuts about President-elect Obama’s choice of Rick Warren for the invocation at his inauguration.  Rick Warren’s not my kind of guy, but give Obama credit for doing what he promised and attempting to change the culture. We are not a gay America, nor a straight America. We are not blue America and red America. We are the United States of America, a country of many hues and voices that needs to become one. I’d have chosen Jim Wallis myself, but I applaud the President-elect’s choice of Rick Warren because he believes as I do that it’s okay to disagree as long as we don’t become disagreeable. We’ve been too disagreeable for too long and it’s killing us.

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A snowy evening

Last night my wife left for an overnight with our daughter. The mission for them is Christmas shopping. Whenever I ask my wife what she’d like for Christmas, the answer is, “don’t buy me any clothes,” or “I don’t need anything.” Truth of the matter is neither of us really needs anything. We’ve got our health, a warm home, employment, our children and twenty-five years of wonderful memories. Nonetheless, Christmas won’t be complete without gifts. Each day of our lives is Christmas. Each day we give of ourselves and sometimes the gifts are only a kind word, but it is still a gift.

With Diane gone I was left to find my own meal and since it was Friday night and I had business in nearby Ellicottville, New York I decided to stop by my favorite eatery there, Tips Up Cafe. I know the owner and he makes the best strip steak I’ve ever tasted. Tips Up was packed last night even though the weather outside was wintry. I love coming to Ellicottville. It’s such a lovely village and as you can see from the picture it’s decorated with lots of lights for the holidays.

Ellicottville is home to Holiday Valley, one of the largest ski areas in New York State and even though the rest of the country is in a steep recession Ellicottville is doing well with all the snow we’ve received thus far. A couple of weeks ago the snow totals for Ellicottville had exceeded 71 inches. We’ve added to that in recent days and then too the resorts make snow. Last night after dinner I drove with a friend to an area just below the slopes. The skiing had finished for the evening and the trails looked surreal as lights shined through both man made and earth made snow. It was a chillingly beautiful sight.  My ride home was exciting too as I made my way slowly along Route 242 which was snow covered and not plowed well. The dense snowfall made it difficult to see. My visibility was limited to just much less than a tenth of a mile in spots. Still there is something mystically beautiful about snowfalls.

Times like these always remind me of the words of Robert Frost.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep

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Gratefulness

Today is my birthday and I’m fortunate to have so many friends with whom to celebrate. Birthdays are events for looking forward and sometimes looking back. Today I did a little of each as I wondered how much longer I get to hang around here. Fifty-six is only four years from sixty and that used to seem old. Now that it’s right around the corner it’s different. My brother Mark called at 7:30 this morning to wish me well. He was in Charleston, South Carolina and it was a warm 32 F compared to our 8 F here in Franklinville. Mark always calls and this year we chatted for longer than usual. I asked about my nephew Tom who is serving in the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard in Washington, DC. Mark said he was doing well and had even served at the White House already.

I spend most of my day in an elementary school where my office is and so each morning I’m greeted by a sea of young faces many of whom know me by name. Sometimes I stop to visit, other times they need help opening a locker or picking up something they’ve dropped. I’ve been greeting young people in this building for just a few months shy of thirty years.  These children are the flowers of my life. They pick me up on days that I’m down.  This morning I greeted a kindergarten class that was passing near my office. I asked them to wait so I could bring a special friend to greet them. I quickly retrieved a life-size Teddy bear from my office and held him so the children could touch the bear. They were delighted that I brought the bear out. Most of the children took time to hug the bear and when I saw them later in the hall they mentioned the bear again.

I usually eat alone in my office but today my wife came and made sure that I’d come to the faculty room at 11:30 AM for a special lunch. When I entered the room all present began to sing Happy Birthday. It was a nice surprise and I was very touched. We all shared some birthday cake and a few stories.  I’m grateful for my wife, my life and the students of Franklinville Elementary School who have been so much a part of my life since March of 1979.

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Deep peace

Tomorrow is my birthday and I’m very happy to be celebrating another year of life. This weekend I was able to join my mother, my wife and two children for a basketball game and dinner. It was great to be together again. I suppose the one cause to which I’ve devoted much of my life to is the cause of peace. Sometimes I’m not sure if peace will ever come in my time, but perhaps eventually it will. My hope for you is peace.

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace to you

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8UTJYhmCjw]

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Marian blue

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It’s a holy day and in my earlier life it was a holiday. I’ve often thought of the coincidence of my birthday with the holy day. Even in my early years I had a special connection with Mary. Perhaps it came from my Mom. She was and is a rosary prayer. Maybe there was just some special connection with Mary for me. In any event the Blessed Lady is part of my spirituality. Blue is my favorite color. I’m wearing a blue hoodie and blue jeans. Yesterday it was a blue shirt, blue sweater and blue corduroys. I do like other colors, but throughout my life there has been a special attraction to blue. My car is Marian blue too. Mary is my special protector. Salve Regina.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5p_U8J0iRQ]

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The Shack

On Sunday I noticed that Fr. Lou McCormick, OFM was reading a new book. It had a curious title, “The Shack.”  He said, “I want to talk about it at our fraternity meeting.” He gave the book a strong endorsement and said it was very Franciscan in its spirituality. Today, I found myself in Borders Books and near the front of the store I spied, “The Shack.” I took it off the shelf, sat down with a cup of Seattle’s Best Coffee and a snickerdoodle and started to read. I could not put the book down. Four hours later I finished reading it. I never left the store. I bought the book for my wife and the audio-book for a visually impaired friend. I highly recommend you read “The Shack.” It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I don’t want to take anything away from your enjoyment of the book so I won’t disclose the story.

Today was a personal day for an errand that never materialized, but it was no coincidence that I wound up in Borders reading that book. My faith had been shaken lately and this book was exactly what I needed to read. Reading this was like being on retreat. Do yourself a favor and get the book.

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No reality fits an ideology

This came by way of Gerry Straub’s blog and like much I’ve read of Anthony de Mello it is right on target. Ideology from left, right, center, or whatever all miss the point.

As soon as you look at the world through an ideology you are finished. No reality fits an ideology. Life is beyond that. That is why people are always searching for a meaning to life…. Meaning is only found when you go beyond meaning. Life only makes sense when you perceive it as a mystery and it makes no sense to the conceptualizing mind.”-Anthony de Mello, SJ
Awareness
[New York: Doubleday, 1990 – page 148]

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Mountain Madonna


The topic today at our Secular Franciscan meeting was Mary. There was a lot of sharing and discussion among our members. I said that this painting was one of my favorites and Fr. Lou McCormick, OFM our spiritual assistant knew exactly where it was and brought it into our meeting and placed it on the table in front of us. I took this picture after the meeting. I think I’ve written about this painting before, but I find it especially captivating. The picture embodies the way I think of Mary. She was the mother of the Messiah and she is our protector too. She was the ultimate mother. She’s my mother too and my protector too and when I feel troubled as I do sometimes I always turn to her. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of her as a mystic before but I should have. What else could she have been?

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

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Advent

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Today we begin the journey to Bethlehem once again. Later I’ll drive to Mt. Irenaeus for Mass and then our monthly Secular Franciscan meeting. This will be my first meeting since May. I’ve managed to be ill for the past two meetings this fall. Today, the first candle of the wreath will be lit at Mass. We’ll probably sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” I the hymn. I have loved it every since I learned it as a boy. There is something special in it for me. Even though God is with us always, there is a special expectation of a new birth at Christmas and Advent brings that time of expectant waiting and wanting.

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuJz4k43Zy4]