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I saw this quote tonight on a sweatshirt and I really liked it. I hope it works for you too.

“When you lose the rhythm of the drumbeat of God, you are lost from the peace and rhythm of life.” –a Cheyenne saying

Thich Nhat Hanh’s quote from the other day has gotten me to thinking again about its similarities and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the work of St. Francis of Assisi. “Many of us claim to be disciples of the Buddha, of Jesus Christ, of Mohammed, but we don’t listen to their teachings…We must think that our spiritual teachings are not realistic, because we have put so much faith in military and financial power.”

What are those teachings that we don’t listen to? What would it take to really follow those teachings of Jesus? What separates us from believing as Francis did? Francis is said to have heard the words of Jesus in the Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 10:7-10, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick”

What does it take to hear like Francis heard?

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st. francis, jesus, spiritual, poverty

“It is no exaggeration to say that democratic society is founded on a kind of faith: on the conviction that each citizen is capable of, and assumes, complete political responsibility. Each one not only broadly understands the problems of government but is willing and ready to take part in their solution. In a word, democracy assumes that the citizen knows what is going on, understands the difficulties of the situation, and has worked out for himself an answer that will help him to contribute, intelligently and constructively, to the common work (or “liturgy”) of running his society.

“For this to be true, there must be a considerable amount of solid educational preparation. A real training of the mind. A genuine formation in those intellectual and spiritual disciplines without which freedom is impossible.

“There must be a completely free exchange of ideas. Minority opinions, even opinions which may appear to be dangerous, must be given a hearing, clearly understood and seriously evaluated on their own merits, not merely suppressed. Religious beliefs and disciplines must be respected. The rights of the individual conscience must be protected against every kind of open or occult encroachment.

“Democracy cannot exist when men prefer ideas and opinions that are fabricated for them. The actions and statements of the citizen must not be mere automatic “reactions”-mere mechanical salutes, gesticulations signifying passive conformity with the dictates of those in power.

“To be truthful, we will have to admit that one cannot expect this to be realized in all the citizens of a democracy. But if it is not realized in a significant proportion of them, democracy ceases to be an objective fact and becomes nothing but an emotionally loaded word.

“What is the situation in the United States today?”

Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander by Thomas Merton,

New York: Doubleday & Co, Inc., 1968 edition, p. 100-101

The theme change has a Marian character to it. I’ve been thinking a lot about Our Lady and I love the color blue. The two go together for me. Blue is also one of my favorite colors. Blue and Green are among my favorites along the brown of the Friars Minor. Lately I’ve been thinking more of Mary and praying the Magnificat and just some simple Hail Marys as I run in the morning and when I think of it throughout the day. When I think of the war in Iraq and the local young men there I think of Mary, Queen of Peace and say a Hail Mary. I was at Genesee Abbey again today and I stopped by the statue of Our Lady of the Genesee to offer a short prayer for peace and for another special intention.

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mary, queen of peace

Today, three more of our fraternity made their profession as Secular Franciscans. It was great to see the emotion and the support of family, friends from our fraternity and the friars present. It was a reminder of my own profession just a little over four years ago. Reflecting on their profession and sharing this day with them caused me to reflect on my own Franciscan journey and to commit again to following the Rule.

Today on my way to Mass at Mt. Irenaeus and to the profession ceremony I spied an old friend waiting outside the grocery story for his wife who was inside shopping. As we spoke he asked me about being a Secular Franciscan. He said he’d seen folders in the back of his church and wondered. I explained a bit about our fraternity and a neighboring group and suggested he attend one of their meetings. He said, “I’d like to come with you.” I asked for his address and email and promised to send him more information about our next meeting. He’s already a busy man with a business, a chaplaincy in a local fire company and chaplain at a local funeral home. There is apparently another call in the midst of all of this and this might be to the Secular Franciscan Order. Is God calling you to the Secular Franciscan Order?

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vocation, secular franciscan

Many of us claim to be disciples of the Buddha, of Jesus Christ, of Mohammed, but we don’t listen to their teachings. Hatred cannot overcome hatred. Violence cannot overcome violence. The Bible, the Koran, the Torah, and the Sutras teach us that. But we don’t always believe in our spiritual path. We must think that our spiritual teachings are not realistic, because we have put so much faith in military and financial power. We think that money and weapons can make us strong. But our country has a lot of weapons and a lot of money and we are still very afraid and insecure. –Thich Nhat Hanh.

That quote comes from a new book I’m reading, “Calming the Fearful Mind: A Zen Response to Terrorism.” I first saw the book upon recently visiting Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village Meditation Center website. I recommend this book for everyone, but especially high school seniors and college students. It’s a very practical book. Recently I have discovered that we can listen to some of Thich Nhat Hanh’s talks on Google Video. Peace.

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fear, terrorism, calm, thich nhat hanh

Today was a day filled with apprehension. Ever since I was a little boy and traveled to the Buffalo International Airport with my father, I have had a fascination with flying. Coupled with my enthusiasm for flying is an active concern about the overall safety of the aircraft and my return to a safe landing. It had been over a year since my last flight and it was good to have my instructor along as a companion. I pre-flighted the aircraft, checking fuel and oil levels and the control surfaces necessary for flight. We climbed into the cockpit, got our seatbelts fastened, finished the checklist and visually examined the area to make sure that no one would be in danger as I brought this Cessna Skyhawk to life. I primed the engine, pumped the throttle, turned on the master switch and flipped the key to the start position. The propeller spun once around and then the engine came to life. I kept my feet firmly on the brakes, turned on the avionics, tuned the radio and announced our taxi to Runway 4. We did our runup before takeoff and then took the active runway. As I turned this aluminum bird onto the runway I recited a Hail Mary and asked God to guide our journey into the air and asked for a safe return. With feet firmly planted on the rudder pedals and ailerons deflected into the crosswind, I slowly applied full power as we rolled down the runway. I watched the airspeed indicator as it moved from zero to forty and then to fifty and finally 55 knots and then eased back on the yoke as the nose wheel came off the runway a moment later the main gear left the asphalt and we were climbing out at eighty-five knots. It was a great night to fly. It was around forty-five degrees and as we climbed up to our cruising altitude of 3500 feet we talked and went over check lists and spoke a language familiar to pilots everywhere. My instructor is a great guy, he told me, “Don, you don’t really need me here. You’re doing great.” I was thrilled to be flying again as pilot in command, but I assured him I was glad he was there to shepherd me on this maiden voyage. Eventually we leveled off at 3500 feet and headed north towards Wyoming County and then back south over Olean, New York and the campus of St. Bonaventure University and eventually back to the airport for a “touch ‘n go” and finally the landing. An hour of flying on a lovely afternoon. I’m grateful to God for the gift of flight and his grace. Peace.

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cessna, skyhawk, general aviation, gratitude

Tomorrow afternoon I get to go flying in a Cessna Skyhawk after over a year out of the cockpit. There has been negative press lately about general aviation pilots following the tragic accident of Cory Lidle in New York City. Accidents are unfortunate and they serve as a stark reminder that all life is impermanent and to be cherished. There is another side to general aviation and that is the fun of flying. I’m looking forward to pre-flighting the aircraft and climbing into the cockpit with my instructor for my first flight in over one year. I had a health setback a year ago that kept me out of the left seat until now. Tomorrow I’ll be riding with my instructor and we’ll begin a process called a biennial flight review or BFR. It’s the FAA’s way of making sure that private pilots like me stay up to speed with their skills. It’ll be fun to feel the slipstream of air from the whirling prop as it makes it way around the fuselage and over the control surfaces as we make our way down the runway and lift slowly into the air.

I love the feel of takeoff as the “bump,bump” of the wheels on the runway give way to that pull of the lift generated by the wings that pulls the aircraft toward the sky. The bump of ground wind and the “crab” into the wind and the climb out over the foothills of the Allegany Mountains that surround my home. Tomorrow I get to join my fellow aviators and enjoy again that special vista that birds and aviators enjoy. Before I leave the ground and just after I turn onto the runway I always take a moment to ask for God’s blessing. Please pray for a safe flight. I am grateful I get to go flying. Peace be with you all.

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cessna, pilot, general aviation

I’ve found myself not looking forward to work and instead looking for a new direction in my life. I used to really look forward to work. I liked my work. Now, it seems to be not as rewarding and I look forward to spending more time away from it and involved in other things. I’ve been drawn to quiet places and increasingly to solitude. I don’t really know if I’m running away from life or running towards it. I watch very little television. I read some internet news sources and even those I read sparingly. I’m confused at times and not sure of the direction of my life.

I was thinking today that it has been ten months since I began to journal my thoughts in this blog. Overall, the experience has been both cathartic and expansive. I’ve read more reflections from other bloggers who are chronicling their own thoughts and that has been good. I’ve felt less isolated and more a part of. I feel more connected to a larger community. I get regular feedback from folks who visit this site and they share with me at time about what I write.

Snow has fallen tonight. Just a thin coat on the ground outside my window. I’m sitting here next to my pellet stove enjoying the warmth of brother fire. Looking deeply at the pellets and the fire I can see the blue sky, Brother sun and Sister Water. They are all in the fire tonight.

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blogging, spiritual

My daughter is enduring a difficult time in her college career and is questioning if she belongs at her current college. Any of us who have endured college can understand the quandary students face at times trying to balance reasonable expectations versus unreasonable expectations. Difficult semesters and difficult living situations are defining moments for us all and they are those thorns in the flesh that mould us into the people we are to become. I have a quiet devotion to Our Lady and I’ve never really shared that with my daughter. Before she began this journey, two years ago as a high school senior following our visit to another college near Abbey of the Genesee, I prayed in front of the statue of Our Lady of the Genesee for our daughter and her college career. Please pray for her in this time of trial and introspection. Peace.