| Sep 5, 2002 | Trust in God |
| Sep 12, 2002 | Some Humor for relieving Stress |
| Sep 19, 2002 | We Have a Forgiving God |
| Sep 26, 2002 | Survival Kit for Life |
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"When all is said and done, more is said than done." I've always loved that quote. It invites us to look beyond all words to see what is at the root of our lives. It reminds me of a similar quote: "People may not always believe what you say, but they will always believe what you do."
What is the deepest reality of our lives? What inspires our words and gives meaning to our actions? I believe, when all is said and done, that our lives must be grounded in a total sense of trust in God, or nothing else matters. Fr. George Aschenbrenner, S.J. in his book, "Quickening The Fire In Our Midst", makes this point about the life of Jesus. In Jesus' total abandonment at the time of his arrest and crucifixion, He had only the love of His Father to cling to. Allow me to quote two paragraphs from Aschenbrenner's book:
"In an olive grove, strengthened by a fearful, anguished renewal of obedient abandonment into the providential, loving hands of his Beloved, Jesus literally gave himself over into the hands of his adversaries. For a moment in that olive grove, the prospect of imminent death struck savagely and violently at the sensibleness of human reason. No temporal cause or rationale, no human ideology brought saving significance into that moment's temporary absurdity. Only a dearly Beloved's love and a mission transcending all ages and boundaries brought light into such darkness. It was logic and love beyond anything of this world that was able to see through such absurdity.
The starkest and most dramatic experience of utter reliance on God alone occurs at the height of Jesus' Calvary experience. After being stripped of his clothes and lifted on the cross, a last, far starker stripping occurred. Having always been energized by his dearly Beloved's favor and choice, Jesus now felt forsaken and, at the level of felt experience, utterly separated from that Beloved who had always been there for him. At the profoundest level of being the Son, however, he remained more than ever united to God as the only Son of a dearly faithful Father. In that moment of final, intense testing, Jesus believed in, reclaimed, and confirmed the unimaginable faithfulness of his Beloved Father, which had always been central to his identity. Since it was absolutely all he had left in that moment of apparent forsakenness, Jesus' true and only home stood out dramatically."
At some point, all of us will be at that point! We may be experiencing a personal crisis. Our whole world may be falling apart. We may be facing our own death. At some point we will all be at a place where no "temporal cause… or human ideology" will bring salvation.
It won't matter whether we were liberal or conservative. The liberals or conservatives won't be able to save us. It won't matter whether we were Republicans or Democrat. The Republican or Democrats won't be able to save us. It won't matter whether our candidate became Governor or President. Neither the Governor, nor the President, will be able to save us. It won't matter whether our team won or lost. Neither the Orioles, nor the Ravens, will be able to save us.
Whether we are dying in a mansion, surrounded by the symbols of our wealth and power, or dying under a bridge, surrounded by the symbols of failure and rejection, it won't matter. Neither our wealth, nor our poverty will save us.
At some point, none of the things we cling to for our identity - wealth, status, titles, honors, clothes, jewelry, etc - will have any meaning. All we will have is God. And God will be enough.
If God will be all that we will need then, why do we seek so many distractions from God now? No, to ground our lives, to ground our being in our relationship with God, does not mean we will withdraw from the world. Jesus totally poured his love into the world in bringing the Kingdom of God, and so must we. We will try to elect the best candidates, identify with ideologies that reflect our highest ideals, cheer for our team as a form of entertainment, try to build successful careers, and create healthy families. But we will do them, not as ends in themselves, but as reflections of our deeper identity. We know that we are beloved of God, and we try to share that love.
Ten thousand years from now, when all of the things that are important to us have long since been erased from human consciousness, we will still be the beloved of God. Can we work daily to ground our lives in total trust and confidence in this Beloved Father who will never abandon us?
Catholic Review, September 12, 2002
In the midst of all the stresses and strains of the 'New Year' - schools reopening, religious education classes beginning, parish activities and meeting multiplying, I thought perhaps a lighthearted column would be appropriate. I hope the first story makes you feel 'fine', and the one liners give you a chuckle.
First, the story: "Farmer John decided his injuries from the accident were serious enough to take trucking company (responsible for the accident) to court. In court, the trucking company's fancy lawyer was questioning farmer Joe.
"Didn't you say at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine'? asked the lawyer.
Farmer Joe replied: "Well, I'll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule, Bessie into the …."
"I didn't ask for any details", the lawyer interrupted, "Just answer the question. Did you say at the scene of the accident, 'I'm fine.'.
Farmer Joe continued: "Well, I had just got Bessie into the trailer, and I was driving down the road….'
The lawyer interrupted again: "Judge, I'm trying to establish the this man told the Highway Patrolman at the scene of the accident that he was fine. Please tell him to simply answer the question."
The Judge was interested in Farmer Joe's answer and said: "I'd like to hear what he had to say about his favorite mule Bessie."
Joe thanked the Judge and proceeded: "I had just loaded Bessie into the trailer and was driving down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side.
I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurt real bad, and I could hear Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape.
Shortly, a Highway Patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning, so he went over to her. After he looked at her, he took out his gun and shot her. Then the Patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me.
He said: "Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?"
(In that situation, I think all of us would feel fine.)
Some one liners:
"Old Burglars never die. They just steal away.
Old Realtors never die. They just become listless.
Old Bankers never die. They just yield to maturity.
Old Lecturers never die. They know they will see better dais.
Old Dictators never die. They just fly the coup.
Old Politicians never die. They just harangue in there.
Some Advertising bloopers - actual ads that ran this way:
"Lost: Small poodle. Neutered, like one of the family.
"Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home too."
"Used Cars - Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first."
"No matter what your topcoat is made of, this miracle spray will make it really repellent."
"For Sale: Eight puppies from a German shepherd and an Alaskan Hussy."
"Dog for Sale: Eats anything, and is fond of children."
"Man, honest, will take anything."
"Wanted: Preparer of food. Must like the food business, be dependable, and be willing to get hands dirty."
"And now the superstore - unequaled in size, unmatched in variety, unrivaled inconvenience."
Finally, some thoughts to help you remember your worth:
"If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If God had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring, and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
He could live anywhere in the universe, but He chose your heart."
Some time ago I was having supper with a parish staff when one of the ladies commented: "You would probably be glad that I'm not God." Having just met her, I joking responded: "Oh, I think you might make a pretty good God." "No", she responded, "I would smite a lot of people!"
I mentioned that, in the Old Testament, God apparently did smite quite a few people. In fact, God was so discouraged with his creation, that He sent a flood, and destroyed everyone but Noah's family and started over. After that He declared that he wouldn't destroy the world again, although he did smite more than a few people in various battles that Israel fought.
She replied: "I would keep on smiting people, until they got it right!"
I then said to her: "I am glad that you're not God."
We are fortunate that we do have a forgiving God, aren't we? While God is indeed portrayed as smiting quite a few people in the course of the Bible, we need to remember that there is a definite evolution in the Bible of understanding God. The Bible is indeed the Word of God, but a Word that is transmitted through the limitations, prejudices, and words of human beings. God does indeed inspire human authors to write, but those authors can only express their understanding of God through categories that make sense to them.
Thus, a tribal understanding of God would mean that those members could believe that God would want them to smite members of another tribe. If you believed that God was giving you a land to be your land, then it would be easy to believe that God would want you to smite those tribes currently occupying that land. When Israel's self concept grew to thinking of itself as a nation, it would be natural to think that God would fight with them against other nations.
When God entered history in the person of Jesus, a whole new understanding of God came into being. Suddenly, God was revealed not as the God of a tribe, or the God of a land, or the God of a nation, but as the God of all tribes, and all lands, and all nations! Suddenly, smiting other people becomes much more difficult. If everyone is a son or daughter of God, then any war we fight necessarily means killing brothers and sisters. Yes we have developed a theory of a "just war" to deal with the realities of psychopaths leading nations and groups to attack others. We do indeed have the right to resist evil. Again, the harm done by a war must always be balanced against the good that will be attained. Thus, while there may indeed be a just war, there is never a good war, since in every conflict thousands, even millions, of innocent civilians are injured or killed.
What am I leading up to? Simply that, as much as we might want to smite evil people, very few people are just evil. The truth is that all of us are mixtures of good and evil. That's why the battle against something, must always be balanced by the battle for something.
Jesus revealed that some things are worth dying for, but nothing is worth killing for. Jesus chose to die. He didn't protect himself or his followers. Yes, I understand that you can't build a national defense on the life of Jesus. Hitler simply killed those who didn't resist. We do have an obligation to resist evil.
But can our resistance at least be built on the principles of Jesus? Jesus introduced the notion of forgiving our enemies, not smiting our enemies. In short, weapons of war must always be balanced with efforts for justice. Pope John Paul II articulated it so well: "There is no peace without justice and no justice without forgiveness."
Years ago, a prison chaplain accompanied a poor and uneducated prisoner to his execution. Afterward the priest said: "The society that failed to educate him was quick to execute him."
If we see all people of the world as sons and daughters of God, all people as our brothers and sisters, then we must first work to feed, clothe, educate, and fight for justice for all before we destroy anyone. We must resist terror with strength, but we must also resist terror with compassion for the poor, the hungry, the uneducated, the lowly.
There may indeed by just wars, but no war is ever the last war. That's why Jesus didn't tell us to wage war seventy times seven times, but to forgive seventy times seven times. War may change political leaders, but only forgiveness can change human hearts - others' hearts and our own hearts.
I'm always touched, and humbled, when people approach me at parish missions or retreats, with copies or clippings of various columns from the Catholic Review. I'm touched that people are reading this column. Humbled by the fact, that, almost every time, the clipping is something someone else wrote! What a revoltin development!
Here are two clips that helped some people:
"There's so much good in the worst of us, and so much wrong with the best of us, that it keeps any of us from judging the rest of us".
I quoted that. I believe Fr. Joe Gallagher wrote it.
Next is a Survival Kit For Life: 1.
Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others. 2.
Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out. 3.
Band-Aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings, yours or someone else's. 4.
Pencil - to remind you to list your blessings every day. 5.
Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and its OK. 6.
Chewing Gum - to remind you to stick with it, and you can accomplish anything. 7.
Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint. 8.
Candy Kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug every day. 9.
Tea bag - to remind you to relax daily and to reflect on the positive things in your life.
St. Bartholomew's Parish in Manchester packaged those items in a little plastic bag, attached the list explaining the items, and has sold these bags as a fund raiser. If you're looking for cheap gifts for Christmas, why not do the same. That way, you give someone a meaningful gift, and the money you save, you can give to the parish Poor Box or to Catholic Relief Services.
Since people like things that other people say, I thought I'd include these thoughts from Vernon Howard. They were in the Friends of Mercy Newsletter. (Friends of Mercy is a support group which helps people adjust to the crisis of being separated, widowed, or divorced. The group meets at Mercy High School.)
"Happiness follows a sincere effort at self-discovery.
Self understanding is the door to quietude.
Change yourself, rather than working to change others.
Place the inner in control of the outer.
Abandon the false before seeking the true.
Be loving and you will be loved.
Attend to the reason you felt hurt, not to those who hurt you.
Set inner integrity before good works.
Place thinking before speaking.
Be a real person, then a social person.
Understand yourself, then try to know others.
Change negative attitudes, not negative conditions.
Place small efforts before great determinations.
Finally, just for fun, here are some favorite song titles for various professions:
The Dentist's Hymn - Crown Him With Many Crowns
The Weatherman's Hymn - There Shall Be Showers Of Blessings.
The Tailor's Hymn - Holy, Holy, Holy.
The Golfer's Hymn - There Is A Green Hill Far Away
The Politician's Hymn - Standing On The Promises.
The Optometrist's Hymn - Open My Eyes That I May See
The IRS Agent's Hymn - I Surrender All
The Gossip's Hymn - Pass It On
The Electrician's Hymn - Send The Light
The Shopper's Hymn - Sweet Be And By
Finally, quoting myself, a health note from a former column. There was an amazing study conducted on cholesterol. Scientists fed a group of rabbits a diet high in fat. Predictably, the rabbits developed high cholesterol levels, which resulted in hardening of the arteries and other cardiovascular diseases. Curiously, one group of rabbits in the study, fed the exact same diet, did not develop high cholesterol levels.
When scientists took a closer look at this particular group, they discovered that the lab assistants in charge of these rabbits would take the rabbits out of their cage, pet them, kiss them, and play with them. These rabbits that were touched with love and loving attention did not develop heart disease.