Thank you to all the people who prayed for our daughter. She seems to be progressing well. Her fever broke over twenty-four hours ago and her leg looks much better. The redness and swelling are subsiding. Dara is hoping to return to her normal life soon. I know that your prayers really helped her and I’m deeply moved by the number of visitors to this site who not only viewed the request but also left a comment. In all the writing I’ve done this simple request for prayer elicited the greatest response.
Spirituality
Christian of the 21st century
“The Christian of the future will be a mystic or he will not exist at all.”–Karl Rahner.
Fr. Bob Struzynski, OFM told me that a couple of years ago during one of my visits to Mt. Irenaeus. It resonated for me then and continues to more and more each day and week. I am drawn more and more to the mystical Christ. I always was. There was always something much deeper than words for me.
Do not resist an evildoer
You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak … Read more
Thoughts on the 1960’s and now
In reading the comments on the feed at Lifehack.org that I wrote about yesterday I’m struck by the tone of some of the comments. Life is not as some would have us believe an us vs. them. It’s not conservative vs. liberal. Life is very nuanced. Life in the 1960’s that’s drawn the ire of some conservatives was very unsettling. It was a time of flux much like today. There were wonderful things that happened like Martin Luther King, the Civil Rights movement, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the 1964 Worlds Fair, Neil Armstrong walking on the moon. There were terrible things that happened like the little girls getting killed in the 16th Street Baptist church bombing, the Kennedy assasinations, the Martin Luther King assasination and the Vietnam war.
Be yourself
I came across a great piece of writing this morning and I wanted to share it. Conformity has very little to recommend it. Trust yourself and trust others. Our world has so little trust even a little more is precious. If you can’t trust who you are—the naturally valuable, curious, interesting, and exciting person you … Read more
Hazy summer thoughts..
It’s hot here tonight. It’s muggy and hot. Today the daytime temperature in the Genesee Valley and Rochester, New York area exceeded 95F. That’s very warm in Western New York. It may not be global warming but it’s unusual. I went shopping at the Lands End Inlet store adjacent to Market Place Mall in Henrietta, New York.
All are welcome
Today as I made my way to Mt. Irenaeus for Mass I could not shut out the specter of war and an overall feeling of helplessness from my mind. Saber rattling by the Bush Administration both in Iraq and lately Iran, along with news that Russia has put its long range bomber fleet back into the air for the first time since 1992. As the father of two draft age children I cringe at the thought of a return to conscription.
Conscientious objector
Thirty-five years ago I volunteered for the United States Navy. I volunteered for the Hospital Corps because like this man I didn’t think I could kill people. It ain’t in me. No amount of training can overcome my most basic instincts and core values. Agustin Aguayo deserves a medal, but he’ll likely get jail time … Read more
Bell of mindfulness
One of my goals this summer has been to live mindfully. To enjoy each day and each moment as it comes. Life is really in the present moment. It is not in what we project nor in the past we have already lived. Only the present moment is what matters. We live and die in the present moment.
Ohio
This song became the anthem of a generation that opposed the war in Vietnam. There is no question that Iraq is not quite as bad as Vietnam, but if you’re the relative of someone serving there numbers are not important. The life and health of your family member is the only important thing. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iPBm_cES94] Working … Read more