The Future is Open

Got to watch our son play another game last night at Geneseo State. It’s great to watch and not get emotionally involved. It’s not good to get emotionally involved in games, but I can never draw that line. I’m just no good at detaching. After the game I scolded my son for not playing well and got scolded by my wife. I’m still in the dog house over that one. I’ve lived through it before and I’ll live through it again. I apologized to my son for expecting him to be superman. One of the blessings of having a big mouth is I get to apologize. Some one told me that every time I sin I cut the “rope” between me and God and when I repent and ask forgiveness God connects us again by tying a knot in the rope. God knows I have lots of knots in my rope, but also each time each knot makes the rope closer to God. If I look at it that way I can see that even though I fail to live up to what I believe, God has a way of making me and it better.

Today I did some volunteer work for the Friars at University Ministries at St. Bonaventure University. As a way of thanking me, Brother Joe offered a ticket to the St. Bonaventure vs. UNC-Charlotte game tonight. I was beat but went anyway because I didn’t want to have “hot tongue and cold shoulder” for dinner at home. Bonaventure eventually lost the game by about 16 points. It’s always a pleasure to watch a game with Brother Joe and Father Bob. Brother Joe really gets into the game, whistling and cheering. Fr. Bob is more restrained but offers some really good insights. I always feel holier after spending time in their presence. Going to basketball games can be a call to holiness if I allow myself to think that way. Almost everything I do or don’t do can be a call to holiness.

I’m pooped right now and need to take a rest. Maybe I’ll write more later.

Peace.

A headline in tonight’s Olean paper proclaimed that Secretary of State Rice has asked other governments around the world to cut off aid to the newly elected Hamas government in Palestine. Secretary Rice is a brilliant woman, she holds a Ph. D., but brilliant woman or not she’s headed in the wrong direction.

In the 12th chapter of Romans the apostle Paul states, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.” It’s age old wisdom that St. Paul was repeating from the Book of Proverbs, but even highly educated people like Dr. Rice ignore it at their peril. If you throw a stone one will come back at you. It’s almost common sense. For every action their will be an equal and opposite reaction. The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls on us to break the cycle and to turn the other cheek. St. Paul clearly instructs us to do the unthinkable and to feed our enemy. That just does not make any sense, but I can tell you from personal experience it works time after time and it is a lot less expensive in the long term.

I’m a bit of a “doubting Thomas” and a bit of skeptic on top of that but, all these Gospel principles really work. They are not just pious pronouncements by some idealist. I wish I knew Dr. Rice better, I’d go talk to her. Maybe I’ll write her. Writing letters does work. Little things like letter writing, praying and practicing the Gospel really work. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” Sometimes I get discouraged and wonder if living this way really does change things. Change takes a long time and I hope I won’t give up trying. If Secretary Rice really wanted to impact Hamas she’d go to Palestine and sit down with them, be present to them and get to know them as people. I don’t know how or what we could do to feed this enemy, but I do know that is the only way to defeat them. Cutting off aid from them is just another way of throwing stones and eventually the stones will come back to us. Everything in this world is connected.

Peace.

I like Sister Joan Chittister. She’s a prophet. She’s got many fine books and has a weekly column in entitled “From Where I Stand” in the National Catholic Reporter. I read her posts frequently and this week she writes about some differences between Ireland and the United States. In short Irish citizenry are better cared for by their government because their government isn’t obsessed with the machinery of death. Tuesday night our president will give his annual “State of the Union” address and it’ll be full of baloney about all the threats we face and why it’s necessary to continue to build weapons and weapons systems while our millions of our citizens do without health care and other basic necessities. In Ireland young men and women don’t leave college thousands of dollars in debt because in Ireland education is essentially free. It’s paid for by taxes. Ireland spends 3 percent of their national outlays on defense while in this coutry we spend 54 percent.

It’s interesting that terrorists aren’t threatening Ireland. No one is attacking Ireland and the Irish are as free as we are. In fact they might even have more liberty than we do. Their senior citizens can have free transportation and free medicine. There is no worry of a prescription drug benefit because their national priorities are about taking care of people. They are closer to living the Gospel than we are here.

One of my favorite scripture quotes comes from the profit Michah. “You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do the right and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”–Micah 6:8.

There will be little doubt that our leader will invoke God’s name often. That’s popular with his political base. The truth however is, “These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.–Matthew 15:8. Let us pray that our leaders will do right, love goodness and walk humbly with their God.

Peace.

This weekend has been busy. Our son plays college basketball and we were on the road to two away games. First night at State University College at Oswego and second at State University College at New Paltz. That’s almost over seven hundred miles of driving over two days and nights. It’s exciting to see Devin and his teammates compete. The boys lost both games but it wasn’t for lack of effort. The first game was decided by only four points and the second by a similar margin. It’s really tough to see a young man we love have to lose, but playing college basketball is a dream come true for him and it’s great to share in that dream.

Between the Oswego and New Paltz lies some very beautiful countryside and we enjoyed our trip down the New York Thruway and the Mohawk and Hudson Valley’s on our journey between the two games. We had plenty of time to do some sightseeing and with my wife’s blessing we stopped at Auriesville Shrine. My mom first took me here as a little boy and again in high school. Yesterday as I walked the grounds at Auriesville I reflected on how much my Mom impacted my faith and my Franciscan journey. Mom insisted that I attend St. Pius X Grammar School as a young boy and that was the beginning of my Franciscan formation. Mom is a “cradle Catholic” and though I tease her about being a “saint” I’m very grateful that she steered my early faith journey. Yesterday gave me a chance to see Auriesville again in all it’s mystical beauty in the heart of the Mohawk Valley on a beautiful mid-winter afternoon. It was great to be back on this holy ground and to gratefully recall my Mother’s gift of her faith to her children

I also wanted to visit the Kateri Shrine because Bl. Kateri Tekawitha is the patroness of our Secular Franciscan Region. Kateri’s life and conversion are celebrated at Auriesville, but the Conventual Franciscan Friars maintain a lovely shrine in her memory very close to Auriesville. Having never been to the Kateri Shrine I was able to get directions from a very accomodating Jesuit priest who was leading a retreat at Auriesville. Diane and I made the short trip to the Kateri Shrine. It was just as “Fr. Bob” had told me on the opposite bank of the Mohawk River and about 6 miles distant. The Kateri Shrine is a beautiful place and I want to return to it again soon to walk the grounds and experience again the peacefulness. While I was there I ran into a perfect stranger, a fellow who by his own admission was neither Catholic nor Franciscan, but who regularily visits the Martyr’s Shrine and the Kateri Shrine and he told me he preferred the latter because of the peacefulness of the surroundings and the presence of the community of friars and lay people who frequent the place. I found a prayer in a small chapel on the grounds which was very lovely and touching.

Loving Creator God, we acknowledge your power and presence in the Four Directions of your vast and beautiful universe. We celebrate Kateri Tekawitha, “Lily of the Mohawks,” as one your Son’s most faithful followers. Help us to turn our backs on all evil and walk in her footsteps, sharing our love and Christian concern with others. Let us reverence, as she did, your mystical presence in the poor and suffering. Through Kateri’s powerful intercession we confidently ask you to grant us this special favor we ask in her name. (Mention your intentions.) Share your healing and peace especially with my family, friends and the sick, whom we commend to your loving care. We ask this through your crucified and risen Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Word, who lives and reigns with your forever and ever. Amen.

Following our trip to Martyr’s Shrine and the Kateri Shrine we made it to New Paltz had dinner with a young man who is as much a member of our family as our own children. He’s like a brother to Devin. The evening was highlighted by the appearance of my brother and his wife who surprised us with their presence. We hadn’t seen them in nearly a year and it was great to see them and to share the game together.

Peace.

It is not thou that shapest God
It is God that shapest thee.
If then, thou art the work of God,
Await the hand of the Artist who does
All things in due season.
Offer Him thy heart,
Soft and tractable and keep the form
In which the artist has fashioned thee.
Let the clay be moist
Lest thou grow hard
And lose the imprint of His fingers.–St. Irenaeus

Often times I can get the idea that I need to stay strong, but often my efforts at strength result in rigidity. When that happens my clay is no longer moist and I begin to lose the imprint of his fingers. I’ve often had trouble seeing and recognizing grace in my life. It’s easiest for me to see grace in a gentle rainstorm. It is that rain that moistens my clay.

Peace.

These four lines are something that I have long admired about the Society of Friends. The Quakers have had an ongoing witness for peace since 1660. Franciscans helped to end the Crusades and have been an effective witness for peace since the Renaissance. Originally Secular Franciscans were not allowed to take up armaments. The following is a story that is told well by Jim Forest, a well known author.

“Among the well-attested stories in Francis’s life is his meeting in 1219 with one of Christianity’s chief opponents, Sultan Malik-al-Kamil. It was the time of the Fifth Crusade, shortly after a Crusader victory at the port city of Damietta — modern Dumyat — on the Nile Delta. Francis, who opposed all killing no matter what the cause, sought the blessing of the Cardinal who was chaplain to the Crusader forces to go and preach the Gospel to the sultan. The cardinal told him that the Muslims understood only weapons and that the one useful thing a Christian could do was to kill them. At last the cardinal stood aside, certain that Francis and Illuminato, the brother traveling with him, were being led to die as martyrs. The two left the Crusader encampment singing the psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd.”

Soldiers of the sultan’s army captured the pair, beat them, and then brought them before Malik-al-Kamil, who asked if they wished to become Muslims. Francis replied that they came to seek his conversion; if they failed in their effort, then let them be beheaded. According to legend, Francis offered to enter a furnace to demonstrate the truth of Christ’s Gospel; whether or not he made such a proposal, going unarmed into the enemy’s stronghold was analogous to leaping into a fire.

For a month Francis and the sultan met daily. Though neither converted the other, the sultan had such warmth for his guests that not only did he spare their lives but gave them a passport allowing them to visit Christian holy places under Muslim control and presented Francis with a beautifully carved ivory horn which is now among the relics of the saint kept in the Basilica of Assisi. It is recorded that “the two [Francis and Malik-al-Kamil] parted as brothers.”

Here is a link to the entire article.

Peace.

“Perpetual quietness of heart. It is to have no trouble.
It is never to be fretted or vexed, irritable or sore;
to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing
done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises
me, and when I am blamed or despised, it is to have a
blessed home in myself where I can go in and shut the
door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace,
as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and about
is seeming trouble.”–Andrew Murray

This quote hangs near my desk at my work place. Many folks define humility in other ways but to me these few sentences distill what humility means to me. A perpetual quietness of heart. What practice would produce such a condition?

Peace.

Diane and I went to see “Glory Road” tonight and we weren’t disappointed. It’s a great movie with a great message. The majority of Americans alive today have no idea what our “separate but equal” society was like and what our society was like in the years after segregation officially ended. Lately its been popular on the right to talk about how America was founded on Judeo-Christian values. The folks that talk about this fantasy either are ignorant of institutional racism that existed in this country or are choosing to overlook it. This movie is story of how a team of young men came together to fight for a national basketball championship and at the same time overcome social injustice. This is a movie you’ll want to take your family to.

Yesterday was busy and I didn’t get much chance to think. Sometimes I allow the people at work to get on my case. Yesterday I let the accusation of one such person to leave me troubled for more than I should have. I have problems remembering that all people can get spiritually sick from time to time. I forget that dealing with spiritually sick people is like dealing with any sick person. I have to give them their space. I try to follow the Lord’s Prayer in dealing with resentment, “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” I’m sure that I can be a load for some people as they are for me. I appreciate forgiveness and I so I must forgive those who wrong me.

Last night we drove to watch our son play college basketball. His team lost after having a five point half time lead. It’s tough to watch someone you love lose. He works very hard at being his best. He’s a tri-captain this year and this is his senior season. Going to these game is bittersweet. Soon his college career will be over and it’ll be on to suburban leagues, Gus Macker tourneys and whatever. It’s been a dream come true for he and us to watch him on the hardwood the past four seasons.

Today I’ve been helping others with my business. I’m a freelance technology consultant in addition to my full time position as a school district technology director. I try to practice spiritual principles wherever I am and that includes my business. I have a good reputation and ever increasing number of clients. My approach to business is guided by Gospel principles. Today I helped an old friend with a laptop that she recently purchased following my recommendation. Later today I helped my neighbor who’s been suffering with another bout of spyware on an aging Windows 98 machine. After fixing myself some lunch I’m finishing up a Linux install for my neighbor and I hope no more spyware problems for he and his wife. Later I’ll put together a new computer system for Holy Peace Friary. My life is a gift and I try to be a gift to others. I try to live the St. Francis Prayer. It’s my guide along with the Gospel of St. Matthew 25:34-40.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.