And Now News for the Day - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

In Washington, DC the US Senate reached a bipartisan spending agreement on Monday which allows the government to avoid a shutdown on September 30. The Senate voted 79 -12 for a seven week extension of government financing. The House will have to approve the measure next week.

In London six men from Birmingham have been charged with planning an act of terrorism in Britain. The plot included training in Pakistan, preparing for suicide bombings, and constructing an explosive device. Wanting to be suicide bombers, having raised money for terrorism, recruiting people for terrorism are some of the charges the men received. Four of the men will appear at the Old Bailey on October 21.


In Austria computer hackers published names and addresses of almost 25,000 police officials, a move that critics say compromises the personal security of the police officials. The names were published in response against a draft law requiring telecommunications companies to provide police with internet and telephone activity for six months.


Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president knows it's all over. His party lost its Senate majority in a historic defeat seven months before the 2012 presidential election. The Socialist party will have the majority in the Senate for the first time since 1958. Optimism fuels the Socialist party leaders who now think their chances of winning the presidency have improved greatly because Sarkozy is unpopular with many voters.


Wangari Maathai was one of Kenya's most recognizable women. in 2004 Ms Maathai won her Nobel in 2004 for combining science and social activism. Wangari Maathai was beaten and arrested by the former president of Kenya who described her as the mad woman. World leaders, former students, and some African visionaries remembered her as the Tree Mother of Africa. Maathai was the first female from Africa to win the Nobel Peace Prize. She died after a battle with cancer. She was 71.

Household vinegar can be used in fighting cervical cancer. The procedure was developed at John Hopkins medical school and endorsed last year by the World Health Organization.

At least 26 schoolchildren and two teachers were killed and forty other people injured in a bus accident in Pakistan. The accident occurred east of the capital of Islamabad.

Events happen which require the prayers of the faithful.

Retreat

I like to look at retreats as being examples of neoclassicism, a revival of hope, humility, charity. I like to call retreats confined nuclear testing. The spiritual life needs to be challenged, expanded. Our souls need to learn new prayers and hymns.

With the fatalism of a teenager who was watched too many R movies, I ventured into the rainy morning with thoughts of the Nativity, the Nobel Peace Prize, Notre Dame, and nonviolent resistance. I opened my black neocolonial umbrella and thought of the Old Testament. The rain collided with the umbrella and did an uneven tap dance above my head.

With a mesmerizing fluidity the retreat began and my mind was filled with images of St. Francis of Assissi. I was able to learn about his youth while remembering my own. Knowledge needs prayer and silence.

It is easy to carper about our mistakes and setbacks. Venting and whining easily can be interpreted as stereotypical whimpering. If our lives are filled with love for God and love for humanity, then how could we complain about events in our lives.

I enjoyed hearing about St. Francis’s life, his labors, the chapels he worked on. I could relate to the majesty and power of activity and work. It focuses the mind, provides direction and guidance.

We must examine our lives, how we think, what we think, when we think; how we act, when we act, why we act.

Without proper care and dedication malnutrition can attack our souls, weaken us, hinder our ability to love, be humble, be compassionate, be merciful. Without proper attention sin can attack our minds and souls leaving us with malignant bitterness, selfishness, jealousy, festering.

We must remember to read the bible and reflect on what we have read; we need silence; we need time to contemplate, to meditate. Prayer needs to be an important part of our lives.

Our lives must always be overflowing with humility, charity, compassion, mercy, and love to combat the reduction of humanity, reduction of social justice that the secular world promotes. I understand that life contains moments of uncertainty, moments of unfulfillment.

But, with a little effort our lives can inspire hope when we remember to place God first.

We must remember that we are fallible, we are imperfect. In order to be good Christians our lives must be filled with goodness, we must be moving in Jesus’ footsteps, moving toward holiness in our thoughts and actions.