Sunday, July 31, 2011
How Happy I Am
How happy I am that today is Sunday! My heart yearns to call all who are dear to me beloved! How I enjoy hearing that word. How I want to embrace that word. I yearn to feel the presence of God within my weak heart. That is the simple desire, of a simple man wanting to live a life of humility and obedience to God. What wonderful things the Lord has shown me. What wonderful things I want to do for the Lord. Each day I try and make a little more room for God within my heart, mind, and soul. God is within my heart, encouraging me to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. What a thing is the soul of man! What beauty, what energy rests there to benefit and to praise the Lord with all that is merciful, all that is good, all that is gentle. To love God, is to recognize a perfection, a desire for the well-being and protection and eternal life of others, to want these things freely, naturally. To love God is to see the world not with your eyes, not with your ears, not with fingers but with all of the goodness and hope of the Holy Spirit. We can easily be deceived by the flesh, by grand sentences, faltering gestures. Allow the Holy Spirit to be your guide and your friend, allow it to be inseparable within your heart, mind, and soul. Respect and love the Holy Spirit as it leads you to God whom I love so dearly. We are asked to love and respect God with our every thoughts and every actions. We are warned that this might be difficult, might involve suffering. Avoid fear, avoid anxiety. When we are obedient, loyal, loving servants of God we will be protected. With time we will learn how feel happy in the face of any adversity or crisis; happy in the love of God! Allow yourself to meditate on forgiveness and love. Allow yourself to learn how to forgive, how to love as Jesus Christ taught us. Avoid attachments and possessions that do not aide in serving the Lord. Neither torment others or allow yourself to be tormented by others. Keep yourself busy with thoughts of goodness, thoughts of God. Learn to forgive yourself for your actions and thoughts. Learn to love those who have offended you. Live with peace, hope, humility. Avoid seeking the errors and faults of yourself and your neighbors. Avoid searching for someone to blame for every event that does not proceed as planned. Believing in God provides a particular sense of calm and security which affords greater understanding, greater wisdom when we allow ourselves time for reflection and prayer. Allow your heart to direct you to a deeper, genuine relationship with God. How happy I am that I am able to think and talk about God.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Rosary or Umbrella
Saturday began quietly. There was slight hesitation about whether to go to early Mass or not. The weather forecast was a confusing mixture of clouds and sunshine. A slight debate over which camera, which lenses, which camera bag began. There were more reasons to remain indoors than to leave, there were more reasons to do something else, anything else than to leave and be productive.
Outside there was sunlight caressing one side of the still silent, somehow wonderfully traffic free avenue. There was something gently beautiful about this view, something which provided hope. There was a brief debate over taking photograph or not.
The walk to the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle continued. There were few pedestrians moving about that Saturday morning. There were joggers and cyclists and dogs on leashes. The air was cool, the sky was blank. People looked liked statues or other inanimate objects.
There were trees without leaves, buses without riders, taxicabs without passengers. There were many things to think about, many things to remember. This was a time for silent prayer, silent reflection. This was a time to remember some of the people that I had promised to pray for. This was a time to remember my own search for my personal sense of humanity. This was a time to remember to pray for strangers. Mass had been missed, the second destination was plotted.
Walking on the sidewalks, jaywalking at some intersections provided a crazy sense of anonymity and anxiety. There was a second or two of calm carelessness as I looked at this glass and steel building. There was a second or two of casual thoughtlessness as I darted into traffic.
Walking south there was a moment when I wondered if I had the wrong date, if this event was going to occur on another future time.
Then, I saw them. It was about twenty people of all ages, standing there holding their rosaries. Some were holding sheets of paper.
Their voices were gentle, merciful, loving. Their manner was civil, polite. They were publicly praying in front of the local abortion clinic. There was one police vehicle on the street.
A priest with a microphone was leading those saying the Rosary. This was a moment of reverence. This was a moment of hope. This was a moment of charity. The voices gently said the Rosary, each mystery was clearly announced. Standing on the edge of a sidewalk near the entrance to the abortion clinic, these Christians peacefully, calmly prayed for life, prayed for those thinking about having an abortion, prayed for those who have had an abortion, prayed for those innocent children who were killed by abortion.
The Rosary is powerful. As Catholics we are taught to respect life, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. A sign of that love is supporting life, supporting hope. We must remember God, remember goodness, holiness, and kindness.
We must encourage our friends to help with this fight. All human life is important. All human life contains the potential for beauty, for hope, for love.
All human life deserves a chance.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
practicing
Let us not tire of preaching love; it is the force that will overcome the world. Archbishop Oscar Romero.
Each day we are reminded that the world needs more social justice, more compassion, more mercy. There are millions of homeless, millions unemployed, millions hungry. There are a million reasons for us to pray, a million reasons for us to take action. How do we approach prayer? Where do we position prayer in our lives?
We should allow ourselves to burst into prayer as often as possible. Prayer should be free, alive in our entire being. Our hearts and minds should always be filled with thoughts of sharing goodness, holiness, and kindness. Our actions should be helping us move closer and closer to God. We must acknowledge our past, present, and future mistakes. Our lives are not easy. We strive to avoid sin.
Current events can sometimes influence our prayers. Our thoughts about Charlie Sheen, the weather, contaminated water in Japan are good things to reflect on and to pray about.
Civil war in Libya, unrest in Syria, each day we are given more reasons to pray, more events to reflect upon and ask God’s guidance. Modern life is filled with consumerism, hedonism, individualism. Belief in God is no longer the center of our culture. Being Christian is accepted and often criticized.
Almost all vice is approved, accepted, and glamorized. We must always pray that each Catholic, each Christian, each human being be able to learn how to avoid vice, avoid sin.
We should not fear silence. We should not fear prayer.
There are radiation leaks in Japan, Yemen’s political crisis, the Saudi’s anger at the United States’ handling of the Egyptian power struggle and collapse of President Hosni Mubarak’s government, these events and so many others provide more and more reasons for us to pray, for us to put our faith in God.
Each day we are reminded that the world needs more social justice, more compassion, more mercy. There are millions of homeless, millions unemployed, millions hungry. There are a million reasons for us to pray, a million reasons for us to take action. How do we approach prayer? Where do we position prayer in our lives?
We should allow ourselves to burst into prayer as often as possible. Prayer should be free, alive in our entire being. Our hearts and minds should always be filled with thoughts of sharing goodness, holiness, and kindness. Our actions should be helping us move closer and closer to God. We must acknowledge our past, present, and future mistakes. Our lives are not easy. We strive to avoid sin.
Current events can sometimes influence our prayers. Our thoughts about Charlie Sheen, the weather, contaminated water in Japan are good things to reflect on and to pray about.
Civil war in Libya, unrest in Syria, each day we are given more reasons to pray, more events to reflect upon and ask God’s guidance. Modern life is filled with consumerism, hedonism, individualism. Belief in God is no longer the center of our culture. Being Christian is accepted and often criticized.
Almost all vice is approved, accepted, and glamorized. We must always pray that each Catholic, each Christian, each human being be able to learn how to avoid vice, avoid sin.
We should not fear silence. We should not fear prayer.
There are radiation leaks in Japan, Yemen’s political crisis, the Saudi’s anger at the United States’ handling of the Egyptian power struggle and collapse of President Hosni Mubarak’s government, these events and so many others provide more and more reasons for us to pray, for us to put our faith in God.
Monday, March 28, 2011
How to Explain
When I originally conceived this essay, I wanted to explain how I spent my Sunday. What I thought about, what I prayed about, what I thought about praying about, where I went. It was arranged in a completely accessible linear fashion. But, how would my story translate to non Catholics, to non Christians. Is there something universal in my activities?
My activities are amusing to me sometime. I am always making deals with myself. I am always filled with all types of crazy yet conventional thoughts created by great literature and big budget Hollywood films.
Sunday began with thoughts of the night before at the Dominican House of Study Spring Gala and Silent Auction. I briefly reconstructed the evening into interesting little bits and ordered it in a more literary way. My morning began with brief prayer and then I began writing.
I stopped writing and then planned my day. I planned to attend Mass at 11:30 AM and then return to the Cathedral around 2:30 to photograph the Spanish Stations of the Cross.
How completely cautious and conventional this is. Where is the passion, where is the energy? Is it possible to share my exuberance, my excitement without sounding too zealous, too fervent? Is it possible to create a document which makes going to Mass appear like a great way to spend an afternoon?
As a Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle Altar Server my spirituality has deepened; my love and enjoyment of the Mass has grown exponentially; my sense of goodness, kindness, and holiness has increased. I look for signs of goodness, kindness, and holiness in my actions and the actions of others.
I was asked to carry the Cross in the procession during the 11:30 Mass. Although I frequently have fears of dropping the Cross because of my own personal lack of strength, carrying the Cross helps me focus on the Mass more completely.
How can such a beautiful ceremony be described in such a way to personalize the experience, bring it alive with hope and yet, encourage curiosity with appearing to encourage curiosity.
What is it that makes attending Mass unique for me? Why do I attend Mass? There is a wonderful feeling which I experience sometime while being an Altar Server. There is a moment when I am able to forget myself for a moment, forget my own silly pettiness and hope and pray for someone else’s happiness and security. Attending Mass is more than prayers, attending Mass is more than receiving Communion. Here is a chance to hear God’s voice, here is a chance to answer the call. Here is a chance to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Is there a way to say that simply, gently in a manner which could help someone want to walk into the Cathedral and ask about being Catholic, about being an adopted child of God.
After the 11:30 AM Mass I remembered that there was a special Mass in honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who was assassinated thirty-one years ago while saying Mass. I quickly left the Cathedral, returned home, picked up my camera.
I returned shortly after the 1:00 PM Spanish Mass had started. How great it was to see all of the faces in the Cathedral. How great it was to hear the choir singing, to hear the guitar playing, the congregation singing.
Remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero is important for all Christians who want to follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus. His life was both cautious and bold, his words were erudite, brash, and inspiring. Archbishop Romero’s life presented the beauty of and the danger of Christ Jesus’s social justice teaching captured in the Beatitudes.
There is much to learn from his life. His approach was slow, filled with reflection and prayer. He provided a valuable lesson about involvement in dealing with the marginalized people and their oppressors. He started out with hope, with love. He studied the issue and prayed about the conditions of the poor, and those who were in opposition to the government. His decisions were not always the most popular decisions, the most popular statements but they were the correct ones for the situations, for his country. There is nothing worse than ignoring social injustice.
Archbishop Romero reminds us about the living water, about being shocking, about doing the right thing and not being afraid of making the greatest sacrifice.
How can all of this be shared with others in a conversational, non threatening way.
My activities are amusing to me sometime. I am always making deals with myself. I am always filled with all types of crazy yet conventional thoughts created by great literature and big budget Hollywood films.
Sunday began with thoughts of the night before at the Dominican House of Study Spring Gala and Silent Auction. I briefly reconstructed the evening into interesting little bits and ordered it in a more literary way. My morning began with brief prayer and then I began writing.
I stopped writing and then planned my day. I planned to attend Mass at 11:30 AM and then return to the Cathedral around 2:30 to photograph the Spanish Stations of the Cross.
How completely cautious and conventional this is. Where is the passion, where is the energy? Is it possible to share my exuberance, my excitement without sounding too zealous, too fervent? Is it possible to create a document which makes going to Mass appear like a great way to spend an afternoon?
As a Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle Altar Server my spirituality has deepened; my love and enjoyment of the Mass has grown exponentially; my sense of goodness, kindness, and holiness has increased. I look for signs of goodness, kindness, and holiness in my actions and the actions of others.
I was asked to carry the Cross in the procession during the 11:30 Mass. Although I frequently have fears of dropping the Cross because of my own personal lack of strength, carrying the Cross helps me focus on the Mass more completely.
How can such a beautiful ceremony be described in such a way to personalize the experience, bring it alive with hope and yet, encourage curiosity with appearing to encourage curiosity.
What is it that makes attending Mass unique for me? Why do I attend Mass? There is a wonderful feeling which I experience sometime while being an Altar Server. There is a moment when I am able to forget myself for a moment, forget my own silly pettiness and hope and pray for someone else’s happiness and security. Attending Mass is more than prayers, attending Mass is more than receiving Communion. Here is a chance to hear God’s voice, here is a chance to answer the call. Here is a chance to love your neighbor as you love yourself. Is there a way to say that simply, gently in a manner which could help someone want to walk into the Cathedral and ask about being Catholic, about being an adopted child of God.
After the 11:30 AM Mass I remembered that there was a special Mass in honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who was assassinated thirty-one years ago while saying Mass. I quickly left the Cathedral, returned home, picked up my camera.
I returned shortly after the 1:00 PM Spanish Mass had started. How great it was to see all of the faces in the Cathedral. How great it was to hear the choir singing, to hear the guitar playing, the congregation singing.
Remembering Archbishop Oscar Romero is important for all Christians who want to follow in the footsteps of Christ Jesus. His life was both cautious and bold, his words were erudite, brash, and inspiring. Archbishop Romero’s life presented the beauty of and the danger of Christ Jesus’s social justice teaching captured in the Beatitudes.
There is much to learn from his life. His approach was slow, filled with reflection and prayer. He provided a valuable lesson about involvement in dealing with the marginalized people and their oppressors. He started out with hope, with love. He studied the issue and prayed about the conditions of the poor, and those who were in opposition to the government. His decisions were not always the most popular decisions, the most popular statements but they were the correct ones for the situations, for his country. There is nothing worse than ignoring social injustice.
Archbishop Romero reminds us about the living water, about being shocking, about doing the right thing and not being afraid of making the greatest sacrifice.
How can all of this be shared with others in a conversational, non threatening way.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Spring Gala
Last night I attended the first annual Spring Gala and Silent Auction at the Dominican House of Study. I went with friends from the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle. I wore a simple blue blazer and khakis and carried my camera. I imagined eating all types of wonderful foods and drinking gallons of beer and wine. How I wanted to appear rotund and jolly and waiting for Rembrandt to paint my portrait and hang it in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam! How childish my initial thoughts were.
My journey to the Dominican House of Study began with simple conversation about my life, was briefly punctuated by stories of aggressive driving and speed cameras, and finally ended with a brief discussion about creating a homily with prayer and reflection being important ingredients.
This brief discussion became the leitmotif of the evening. Almost everything was viewed in another way, a different way. Each new person presented the opportunity for prayer. Each new conversation presented the opportunity for silence, for reflection. There was a pleasant musicality to the evening, there was a gentle repetition to the evening. Although each moment was deliciously fugacious, and I was aware that I must not look back with any yearning, I must look forward with hope, look heavenward with mercy.
And familiar faces greeted me and I responded kindly. Forgotten faces greeted me and I responded warmly. Unknown faces greeted me and I responded gently. This was an evening of goodness, holiness, and kindness. After a few minutes more faces were familiar, many connections were dusted off. A few names mischievously remained hidden from my memory.
This was not an evening about remembering names. This was an evening to say thank you, an evening to remember how someone touched your life, an evening of prayers for those present, for those absent, for all those in our hearts and minds.
As I nibbled on this and that my mind kept playing with my delicate, jumbled ideas of Thomism which I knew were somehow connected to St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest in the Catholic Church.
In search of food and ideas I wandered around the hallways, enjoying turtle soup, bleu cheese, fluffy pastries while wondering how would I describe this evening, wondering how I could help the Dominican House of Studies, how I could encourage others to help.
Our thoughts are often beautiful and energetic impulses splattering on the blank canvas of our minds. Our thoughts are brief flashes of energy. It is this fugacious quality which keeps me human, reminds me to remember to pray for others. Each human being is always in need of prayer, seeing strangers and familiar faces, hearing snippets of conversations, half remembrances, half anecdotes; watching handshakes, hugs, half smiles even in happy faces there is something which quietly asks for prayer. Briefly my mind thinks about praying for someone and just as quickly it is forgotten.
But this Gala reminded me of the need for prayer, the need to move closer to God, the need to show mercy and compassion to everyone that I might encounter. The minutes advanced gently and I realized the real reason why I decided to attend this Gala. I wanted to join in the praying of Compline, The Night Prayer of the Church.
I wanted to hear different voices singing hymns, reciting psalms, praying antiphons in unison. I wanted to see the chapel filled with people, faithful, hopeful, loving, loyal. I wanted to hear myself say and sing the words in the Compline.
While waiting for everyone to enter the chapel, my mind replayed different parts of this day. How wonderful it was to talk about creating a homily, how wonderful it was to wait for Night Prayer to begin. How wonderful it was to have shared this moment, this evening, these prayers!
My journey to the Dominican House of Study began with simple conversation about my life, was briefly punctuated by stories of aggressive driving and speed cameras, and finally ended with a brief discussion about creating a homily with prayer and reflection being important ingredients.
This brief discussion became the leitmotif of the evening. Almost everything was viewed in another way, a different way. Each new person presented the opportunity for prayer. Each new conversation presented the opportunity for silence, for reflection. There was a pleasant musicality to the evening, there was a gentle repetition to the evening. Although each moment was deliciously fugacious, and I was aware that I must not look back with any yearning, I must look forward with hope, look heavenward with mercy.
And familiar faces greeted me and I responded kindly. Forgotten faces greeted me and I responded warmly. Unknown faces greeted me and I responded gently. This was an evening of goodness, holiness, and kindness. After a few minutes more faces were familiar, many connections were dusted off. A few names mischievously remained hidden from my memory.
This was not an evening about remembering names. This was an evening to say thank you, an evening to remember how someone touched your life, an evening of prayers for those present, for those absent, for all those in our hearts and minds.
As I nibbled on this and that my mind kept playing with my delicate, jumbled ideas of Thomism which I knew were somehow connected to St. Thomas Aquinas, a Dominican priest in the Catholic Church.
In search of food and ideas I wandered around the hallways, enjoying turtle soup, bleu cheese, fluffy pastries while wondering how would I describe this evening, wondering how I could help the Dominican House of Studies, how I could encourage others to help.
Our thoughts are often beautiful and energetic impulses splattering on the blank canvas of our minds. Our thoughts are brief flashes of energy. It is this fugacious quality which keeps me human, reminds me to remember to pray for others. Each human being is always in need of prayer, seeing strangers and familiar faces, hearing snippets of conversations, half remembrances, half anecdotes; watching handshakes, hugs, half smiles even in happy faces there is something which quietly asks for prayer. Briefly my mind thinks about praying for someone and just as quickly it is forgotten.
But this Gala reminded me of the need for prayer, the need to move closer to God, the need to show mercy and compassion to everyone that I might encounter. The minutes advanced gently and I realized the real reason why I decided to attend this Gala. I wanted to join in the praying of Compline, The Night Prayer of the Church.
I wanted to hear different voices singing hymns, reciting psalms, praying antiphons in unison. I wanted to see the chapel filled with people, faithful, hopeful, loving, loyal. I wanted to hear myself say and sing the words in the Compline.
While waiting for everyone to enter the chapel, my mind replayed different parts of this day. How wonderful it was to talk about creating a homily, how wonderful it was to wait for Night Prayer to begin. How wonderful it was to have shared this moment, this evening, these prayers!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Remembering Those In Need - Simple Lenten Meal
“A PREACHING THAT DOES NOT POINT OUT SIN is not the preaching of the gospel. A preaching that makes sinners feel good, so that they are secured in their sinful state, betrays the gospel's call. A preaching that does not discomfit sinners but lulls them in their sin leaves Zebulun and Naphtali in the shadow of death”—(Jan. 22, 1978). Archbishop Oscar Romero.
As Christians we must never allow ourselves to become complacent, to accept the status quo. We must always be trying to learn more about how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, how to be more loyal servants for God. Each day we should give thanks for all of our blessings. Each day we should pray for equality and social justice for everyone. As Christians we must be prepared to make sacrifices in the name of God, for the glory of God.
The Social Justice and Community Services Ministry at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle sponsored the Simple Lenten Meal. The Spanish Prayer Group prepared and served the meal. Parishioners spoke about an orphanage in Peru that needs to purchase a van to transport patients from the orphanage to the hospital. After that discussion there was a little discussion about Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
Each moment of our lives presents a chance for us to proclaim God’s works, to praise him, to offer him thanks. Each moment of our lives presents an opportunity for us to seek fairness for everyone, to seek social justice for everyone. As Christians it is not enough to have definitions for words; we must also have understanding. We hear so many words every day, with so many being lost, misunderstood.
How often do we hear freedom, liberty, dignity, peace, liberation? How often do we really truly understand the context. It is not enough to have dictionary definitions; these words must ignite something within our souls and hearts; these words must provoke some universal thoughts for all mankind; these words ask us to look beyond our neighborhood, beyond our town, beyond our state, beyond our country; all human beings deserve the same basic things, freedom, peace, liberty, dignity.
Each day of our lives we should strive to help our neighbors, strive to become closer to God, strive to increase the goodness, kindness, and holiness which emanates from within us.
Technology does not change man’s basic instincts; human beings have always been sinners controlled and influenced by all types of desires and impulses. Jealousy, greed, selfishness can lead individuals and entire nations in the wrong direction. Archbishop spoke out against the injustice and the abuse of the poor people in El Salvador. By doing so he became a role model for us, reminding us to have compassion and empathy for our neighbors, reminding us to seek the Truth, share the Truth.
Thirty-one years ago today, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while saying Mass.
As Christians we must never allow ourselves to become complacent, to accept the status quo. We must always be trying to learn more about how to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, how to be more loyal servants for God. Each day we should give thanks for all of our blessings. Each day we should pray for equality and social justice for everyone. As Christians we must be prepared to make sacrifices in the name of God, for the glory of God.
The Social Justice and Community Services Ministry at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle sponsored the Simple Lenten Meal. The Spanish Prayer Group prepared and served the meal. Parishioners spoke about an orphanage in Peru that needs to purchase a van to transport patients from the orphanage to the hospital. After that discussion there was a little discussion about Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.
Each moment of our lives presents a chance for us to proclaim God’s works, to praise him, to offer him thanks. Each moment of our lives presents an opportunity for us to seek fairness for everyone, to seek social justice for everyone. As Christians it is not enough to have definitions for words; we must also have understanding. We hear so many words every day, with so many being lost, misunderstood.
How often do we hear freedom, liberty, dignity, peace, liberation? How often do we really truly understand the context. It is not enough to have dictionary definitions; these words must ignite something within our souls and hearts; these words must provoke some universal thoughts for all mankind; these words ask us to look beyond our neighborhood, beyond our town, beyond our state, beyond our country; all human beings deserve the same basic things, freedom, peace, liberty, dignity.
Each day of our lives we should strive to help our neighbors, strive to become closer to God, strive to increase the goodness, kindness, and holiness which emanates from within us.
Technology does not change man’s basic instincts; human beings have always been sinners controlled and influenced by all types of desires and impulses. Jealousy, greed, selfishness can lead individuals and entire nations in the wrong direction. Archbishop spoke out against the injustice and the abuse of the poor people in El Salvador. By doing so he became a role model for us, reminding us to have compassion and empathy for our neighbors, reminding us to seek the Truth, share the Truth.
Thirty-one years ago today, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while saying Mass.
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