To Think, To See

We each have unique ways of thinking, unique ways of seeing the world. How we interact with each other and with God is personal and unique. What we see, hear, smell, touch is almost as important as how we see it. Life can be beautiful, inspiring prayers and poetry and uplifting lyrics. How we see something and how we relate to it and how we ultimately share it are all equally important. Our entire beings are needed as we listen to God's call, as we answer God's call. As Christians we are part of the Church and part of the world. Each day we are faced with moral and ethical questions. Each day we see and hear things which make us feel uncomfortable. The world needs prayer. The world needs love.

What do you see in this painting? Is there anything familiar? Does this inspire hope? Does it inspire fear? Look closely what do you see? What do you want to see?

Simple Thoughts

Being Christian is being part of a never-ending expedition. It is an adventure. It is a way of life. Words like morality, moralistic, morals, good character, incorruptibility, virtue are frequently mentioned. Being Christian is an exercise in charity, humility, obedience to God. It is not simply high ideals. It is action, it is reaction. It is prayer and reflection and hope. It is tears and laughter. Being Christian is an eternal struggle of good against bad. Being Christian is an intimate interior dialogue between the soul, the heart, and the mind. It is an argument. It is a choice. Being Christian is often difficult. Being Christian means saying yes to God, yes to sacrificing for God, yes to being obedient to God's wishes. Being Christian can be very public or very private. Being Christian means believing in and loving God. Being Christian means seeking out those others who believe and love God, too.

Courage is needed. Faith is required. Simplicity is needed. Love is required.

We Can Pray

In our daily lives we are over stimulated, provided with too much information, and not given enough time to either digest or process it. Knowledge without rigorous contemplation can create anxiety, uneasiness. So we all need some attention, we want some semblance of morality and decency. We often edit our thoughts, censor our statements.

In our spiritual lives we must always make time to read the Bible or another good book. When there is prayer in our lives there is also calmness and peace. Allow yourself to be quiet, to be patient. Believing in God and being Christian is magnificent as we all breathe hope, love ourselves and all of our neighbors. We can pray during Mass, after Mass, in our homes and offices and our prayers can make any situation feel better. We must remember to always be faithful and humble. We must respect God by making choices based upon fairness and social justice. This may not always be easy but we must strive to develop the courage and confidence to based our lives on God’s moral teachings. Our lives are better when we remember and incorporate God’s plan in them. We must nourish and encourage the goodness and holiness within ourselves and within our neighbors. Simply we must love.

Thoughts on a Controversial Subject

I am happy to be able to have a rational calm discussion about the moral and ethical implications of abortion without and violent measures or unacceptable speech. How I have lived as a gentle invalid to avoid direct discourse on this issue. How easy it is to talk about freedom, political rights. How much more difficult it is to contemplate and then respect the life span of each human being from conception to natural death. Science does not provide answers for us; science creates new questions. I must oppose abortion with the same fervor that I oppose the death penalty; they both deny another human being the opportunity to live their lives. There is no reason that we should ever sanction the killing of another human being. We must discipline ourselves to a routine of regular prayer and peaceful civil protest to help with the strengthening of our position with other like minded people. We must work for the ultimate restoration of the organic respect and reverence for life instead of corporate commodity view. Our society needs to be reminded the truth about the fragility and beauty of life. Each of our actions cause reactions. We must remember this. It is time to demand that our elected officials provide us with moral, ethical, and just leadership. Instead of chasing polls and campaign contributions, they should be chasing social justice and social responsibility. Although we are an affluent society, we are not a responsible society. That abortion is legal points to a callousness, a coarseness which does not respect life or God. Each time there is an abortion we all are affected in a small subtle way. Since Roe vs Wade the country has been soothed and tranquillized by that Supreme Court decision; others have been proposing new laws and restrictions, organizing protest marches, and praying outside abortion clinics. We must keep our spirits up and filled with God’s love and mercy. We do not have to be quiet. This is an outrage, a dangerous, immoral outrage. This is a time for prayer and action; and we must remember and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. We must be stronger, louder, and brisker in our movements and efforts to free our country from this social injustice. This entry is, perhaps, too political, and will appear so to you when you think about it, as I am afraid you must, our gaze must shine the spotlight on the dirty little secret, the dirty reality that abortion kills unborn babies. But we must remember to keep both the unborn babies and their mothers in our prayers; both need our hope and our love. I am not sanguine about the chances of legally removing abortion as a choice in the immediate future but the struggle must continue. We must avoid the temptation to judge the women who are considering or have had abortions. Treat them gently with fairness and respect. Keep them in your prayers. Let God, and God alone to judge them. Keep mercy in your heart and be willing to hope, be ready to hope: though really, without being too simplistic, open your heart, allow yourself to love life with all the beauty, respect, reverence that you can that your actions may inspire others to think like you think, to act as you think. We can all be a witness of Christ’s love; we can all follow him.

Choices

Today reviewed some photographs taken inside the Cathedral. Handsome and inspiring with calm, peaceful, unobtrusive lighting.

In these troubled times making ethical and moral choices requires diligence and patience. We are still without complete protection from sin and sinful behavior, but we have the teachings of Jesus Christ as a template. We also have to remember the Ten Commandments and all of the parables, psalms, and lessons within the Bible which help to create our spiritual landscape, notwithstanding the creation of our social justice beliefs. Within our social justice beliefs reside the best of us, the ability to love, to show mercy, to forgive, and to be humble; the best impression of the human heart, mind, and soul begins here with thoughts which hopefully will transform into actions called moral. Great hope will be made upon our desire for fairness and goodness. We must always remember that our lives as Christians require fortitude, sacrifice, obedience, patience. We must remember fortitude.