End Time ~ Make a Difference!

If each grain of sand were to say:
One grain does not make a mountain,
There would be no land

If each drop of water were to say:
One drop does not make an ocean
There would be no sea

If each note of music were to say:              
One note does not make a symphony,
There would be no melody

If each word were to say:
One word does not make a library
There would be no book

If each brick were to say:
One brick does not make a wall,
There would be no house

If each seed were to say:
One seed does not make a field
There would be no harvest

You do make the difference
Begin today and make the difference
~ Author Unknown

My sister called to tell me that she and her husband had just taken part in a three-day Mission at their home parish.  The priest-preacher-presenter belongs to a religious order that ministers in the south side of Chicago.  My sister was so impressed with his presentations that she could actually quote some of his statements to me. But what moved her the most was that on the first night of the Mission, he informed the crowded church that there would be the Sacrament of Reconciliation the next night and that twelve priests would be available.

He told them that they needed only to confess that one story that keeps them from being free – he went on - according to my sister, that there would only be an Our Father and Hail Mary required for a “penance” along with one act of kindness.  He told them that no one would condemn them, yell at them, judge them, or insult them. They would only be companioned by the gift of God’s grace, mercy, forgiveness, and compassion.  My sister also said that he often would tell the crowd of people that in the name of his brothers, he apologizes for any priests who may have brought harm or shame to them in any way.  My sister said that on the night of Reconciliation, there was standing room only.  This one priest, at this one Mission, in this one place and time has made a difference in the lives of so many.

In our Scripture readings this Sunday, in the Gospel of Luke, the Biblical commentaries reflect on Jesus’ preaching of the End Times – it is Jesus’ final time of preaching in the Temple.  And according to the theologians, as Jesus speaks about the destruction of the Temple, “The destruction of the Temple was connected in the popular mind to the end of the world.”  How in our lives have we experienced an “end time” in a variety of forms, such as, significant events or unexpected occurrences? How were we changed because of these occurrences?

I was pondering this writing while waiting for the oil change in my car, and so I made a short list of “end time” items that came to mind.  What if you would make your own “end time” listing – and reflect how each one has affected you in any way.  Here’s my list:
• Days are shorter now, temperatures are dropping, trees have shed their leaves, and we have had our first snow.  
• Dictators, powerful rulers, government leaders have come and gone 
• Houston Astrodome is slated for demolition
• Aaron Rogers, quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, is injured, healing, and waiting to return to the game of football
• Pope Francis is a “disturbance in the Force” in a good way ~ the most significant person on Twitter!
So how do we live in “end time” times? We live in them by being present to the Presence of God, and living out our qualities of mercy, generosity, compassion, hope, harmony, and love. 

• REVIEW YOUR LIFE NOW

"At least once a year, I imagine that I am about to die. Looking back as truthfully as I can at my entire life, I give full attention to the things I wish hadn’t occurred. Recognizing these mistakes honestly but without self-recrimination, I try to rejoice in the innate wisdom that allows me to see so bravely, and I feel compassion for how I so frequently messed up. Then I can go forward. The future is wide open, and what I do with it is up to me." ~ Pema Chodron

“Simplicity, patience, compassion. 
These three are your greatest treasures. 
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. 
Patient with both friends and enemies, 
you accord with the way things are. 
Compassionate toward yourself, 
you reconcile all beings in the world.”  ~ Lao Tzu

Prayer of Transformation

Spirit of the living God
Bless us with wisdom and insight.
Confirm in us simplicity and humility
As we recognize our place
In the community of beings.

Flood us with perseverance to continue
The pursuit of justice and peace
In who we are and in all we do.

Draw us into your deep well of love
To courageously embrace new ways
Of living your compassion
With one another, all our sisters and brothers,
And all creation.

Transform us in the living waters of your justice,
So that in countering the hate,
Violence and brokenness of our world,
Each of us is an agent of peace and hope. Amen

 (Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace)

http://c19915.r15.cf1.rackcdn.com/2009/10/PS_Natural_Disaster_Handout_EFJ.pdf
 

An Inconvenient Truth Re-visited!

Image from Super Typhoon Haiyan

This week the 2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference will be held in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 22 November.  In light of the recent super typhoons and tropical cyclones it is time to consider once again the “inconvenient truth” of global warming.

I am posting the prayer below by Wende Wheeler which was quoted by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat on their website at the time of the tornado in Joplin, Missouri.  The Joplin EF5 tornado killed 161 people and destroyed about 7,500 homes and 550 businesses in a town of 50,000.

And so we pray:
Almighty and merciful God, your people are suffering in the wake of this natural disaster. As we struggle to imagine its scope and comprehend the pain and loss, so that we may be your agents in relief, we lift our voices to you in prayer:

For all those who have lost their lives, that you have received them into your arms of mercy and love;
For all those who grieve, having lost children, parents, family, friends, neighbors, and community, and for all those who are still searching, that they may sense the solace of your presence;

For all those who are sick, injured or suffering, and for those have lost their homes and belongings, that they may find healing and the strength to continue, and the resources to rebuild their lives;
For all those who go to provide food, shelter, sanitation, medical care, and other aid, serving as your hands to comfort, heal and help, that they may be strengthened to do difficult work in devastating conditions;

For all those around the globe who look on in shock and anguish, that you may fill our hearts with compassion for those in need, showing us how you wish us to pray and reach out in the face of such suffering, and not turn from its enormity;

For all of your people, that such events on this earth should not shake our faith. Help us to recognize that our suffering is your suffering, and that your love can be found even in the darkest places. Allow us to see how all of humanity is bound inextricably together, even as we seek your truth in different languages, faiths, cultures, and traditions. Help us to accept the healing and strength you offer, and to remember that ultimately the pain and cares of this world will yield to the peace of everlasting life in you.

All of these prayers we make to you in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

By Wende Wheeler in Lifting Women's Voices: Prayers to Change the World edited by Margaret Rose, Jenny Te Paa, Jeanne Person and Abagail Nelson

Images from Super Typhoon Haiyan

 

A November Meditation

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

-- St. Teresa of Avila

As we live into the month of November in the northern hemisphere,  we are saying good-bye to our lovely colorful leaves on the trees, and  the trees slowly bow to the winter winds and accept being exposed to the harsh winter temperatures. All of us know that we are invited to take time to rest, “hibernate” from the busyness of our warm weather activities, and to “expose” ourselves to new practices of coping with our season of winter. However, like Teresa’s prayer – what may give us hope is that “all things are passing” and by the time January lst arrives, I start counting the days to spring!  I always thank the folks “down under” for sending us the change of seasons!  It’s nice to know that we share this planet together!

I also think that as I write this, I am a tad soft around my heart. It seems that somehow I have lived long enough to now find myself reading the Obituaries in our daily paper and notice the passing of the wonderful people I have met along the way as I ministered at an earlier time in this city.  And this brings me to another “passing” experience.

This week across the road from our motherhouse is the “Old Main” building of once St. Mary’s Springs Academy.  This building was built in 1928 and served as a high school until 1970.  Currently plans for a new high school building to replace the old building are in process.  There was a farewell ceremony to “kiss”  Old Main good-bye. Truly there will be a shift in the outer and inner landscapes of passers-by. 

November also holds a calendar of remembrances as well.  We began with All Saints day, All Souls day, the Day of the Dead, Veteran’s Day, Cookie Monster’s birthday, Daylight Savings Time ends, Election Day for public officials, and of course, National Clean Your Refrigerator Day on November 14, Stop the Violence Day on November 22, 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Thanksgiving Day, followed by Black Friday, followed by Buy Nothing Day. “All things are passing.”

So as I slowly and gently have these remembrances sift through the “fingers of my mind”, I share with you two of my favorite reflections – one is from Erma Bombeck, entitled:”If I had my life to live over”.  What would you write if you had  to make known what you would do differently if you had a second chance?  I know that No.1 on my list would be to Not blame my twin sister for all my troublesome neighborhood adventures!

The second video I think is a great prayer and reflection . It is entitled, “The Last Lecture,” by Randy Pausch.  Again, what would you write if you had the chance?    

Let us pray:
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.

-- St. Teresa of Avila

All Saints Day ~ Looking Through Another Window!

WELCOME: GUEST BLOGGER ~ Sister Alice Ann

Would you like to win the lottery? Well, there IS a way of giving yourself the same 50/50 odds of winning  that you would have in an ordinary coin toss. In a few easy steps, here is what you do: 
-- Take the $2 and ten seconds it takes to fill out a Powerball lottery ticket.
-- Now spend 12 hours every day doing nothing else but buying and filling out lottery tickets.

-- Do this for the next 55 years. By the end of that time, you will have spent $2 at least 86 million times.

-- And this, my friends, is how you increase your odds of winning the lottery. Follow these simple steps and you give yourself a 50/50 chance.

We've all known people whose biggest ambition in life is to get ahead, whether through luck, personal effort, or some combination of both. I know someone, for instance, who married a woman who convinced him that their main goal in life should be earning a million dollars by the time they both reached the age of 30. You probably know how this story ends. Together they owned and operated a body-building business in a major American city. The trouble was, they started acting like millionaires before they actually were millionaires. They bought a big, fancy house. They gave their preschool children everything, including expensive clothes and $50 haircuts. Then the Great Recession came. They went bankrupt, his wife ran off with another man who was richer than he was, and he had to raise his kids alone until he married his second wife. It was a hard lesson learned.

Today we celebrate the great feast day of all those people -- whether world-famous or largely unknown -- who made the reign of God their top priority in life. Instead of luck or personal effort or some combination of both, they relied on the grace of God to get them where they were going. 

And one beautiful thing about setting your heart on the reign of God is that you always take others with you when you go. Think about it. No one goes to heaven alone. It's not a place you enter single file with no regard for who's ahead of you or who's behind you. You don't get there by disappearing into an anonymous crowd and pushing your way through it. Nor does heaven begin with a private meeting between you and St. Peter at a pearly gate or you and Jesus on a billowy cloud. The late Edgar Cayce put it this way: "You'll not be in heaven if you're not leaning on the arm of someone you have helped." 

Here is another beautiful thing about setting your sights on the reign of God. Even when your physical strength and vigor start ebbing away, every moment of your life can still be a moment of helping others. Simply living your life in a graced way, whatever your limitations, can and does inspire those around you. We all know sisters at the court and center who are -- simply in themselves -- blessings to those around them. They cheer up the people who care for them and the people who come to visit them. They're grateful for every little favor they receive. They ask you how you are doing -- and honestly want to know your answer. They ask about your family. Their days of giving active service as teachers or nurses or administrators or social workers may be over, but not their days of living the spirit of the Beatitudes. 

Some of you may have heard of the Bible translation called The Message. It was done by a Presbyterian minister educated in the ancient languages in which the Bible was first written. Reverend Eugene Peterson wanted to put the words of the Bible into ordinary everyday conversational English for his parishioners. He explained his motives in this way: "When Paul of Tarsus wrote a letter, the people who received it understood it instantly. When the prophet Isaiah preached a sermon, I can't imagine that people went to the library to figure it out. That was the basic premise under which I worked. I began with the New Testament in the Greek --- a rough and jagged language, not so grammatically clean. I just typed out a page the way I thought it would have sounded to the Galatians." 
Anyway, here is what Reverend Peterson came up with for his modern English translation of the Beatitudes. If Jesus were with us today, speaking in a human voice in our own language, here is what he might say. As I read from this translation of Matthew's Gospel, think of our sisters at the court and center, and think of yourselves:
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5 “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

SOURCES
Adam Piore, "How state lotteries deliberately exploit people's dreams," The Week. http://theweek.com/article/index/248934/how-state-lotteries-deliberately-exploit-peoples-dreams
"Eugene H. Peterson," Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_H._Peterson
Matthew 5:1-12, The Message, Eugene H. Peterson, trans., Bible Gateway. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%205&version=MSG

Zacchaeus ~ out on a limb!

As I was pondering the story of Zacchaeus, I played around in my head with idiomatic phrases about trees. What came to mind are the following phrases: “barking up the wrong tree”; “money doesn’t grow on trees”; “a tree is known by its fruit”; “up a tree”; and “out on a limb” – do any of these phrases touch into your own stories of your relationship with trees?

I leaned back into my memory when I was a “wild child” of about eight years old.  I had a fondness for climbing, especially trees. I would often climb telephone poles, rock formations, backyard swing sets, tree houses, swinging ropes, and all sorts of trees in my neighborhood.  When my father got wind of my desire to climb objects, especially trees, he warned me not to do it in case I would fall.  Was this warning heeded?  Maybe my future was to be the pioneer that initiated artificial wall climbing, or a mountain guide as a companion of the Sherpa people! However, the warning was not heeded, as you could have guessed.  One day I found myself at the very top of a neighbor’s cherry tree. It was not too sturdy for climbers like me.  In fact, I was not able to make my way down with ease for I would break a few significant branches in my decent as well as possibly an arm or a leg.  So I had to shout to the nearby neighbor and have him bring his ladder to dislodge me from the “twisted hands” of the branches that were holding me in place. Once I reached the ground, I asked my kind neighbor to not tell my father.  No luck.  How did I know that fathers had a secret code to snitch on the exploits of their children? But what I’m failing to tell you is that it was sheer joy that I felt when I reached the top of that tree. You could gain a whole new perspective of your environment, spy on your friends or bullies of the neighborhood, and it offered a vision that ground level would never provide.  

So what does this have to do with Zacchaeus?  My thoughts are these:  that when there are murmuring mobs, critical crowds, or individuals who stand in our way of our potential, then maybe we have to be risk takers with curiosity and creativity so as to pursue a new perspective about ourselves and take up the challenge to “go out on a limb” seeking new possibilities. That is, maybe we have to take leave of the space and time that is our comfort zone and to be willing to know ourselves differently from what others assume, expect, or judge us to be.  

As a chief tax collector for the Romans, we know that this position did not “gain points” for Zacchaeus.  Being in this work made him eligible for the same snubbing, rejection, and ridicule as widows, children, and blind beggars.  He was not liked by his fellow Jews for he was not about anyone’s potential, only his own. Having heard that Jesus was passing through he was determined to see him. Word must have traveled (without the aid of Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or Pinterest) and made him interested in Jesus. Being vertically challenged did not help him get a clear view of the itinerant preacher entering his city. So why not rise above the crowd and gain a new way of seeing this Jesus.  However, it was Jesus that spied him first “up a tree” and truly “out on a limb.”  

Everything about this story has a sense of urgency.  Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, but he has the time to notice and be totally present to this little man with potential. This is how I believe that God truly sees us – in our potentialness! Jesus sees him as he is – and says, “Hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”  God doesn’t desire worthiness, only willingness and this is what Jesus experienced with Zacchaeus.  Jesus peered into his heart and invited him to see himself as standing tall in his authentic self – his entire self was then open to trust and have faith in Jesus. Now Jesus has made himself an “outsider” once again since he entered the home of a tax collector – a “sinner.”  However, he names Zacchaeus as a “son of Abraham” and gathers him up once again to being an “insider” in the Reign of God – known by name, seen with potential, and loved unconditionally.  
I often wonder what Mrs. Zacchaeus thought when her husband brought home Jesus and his trusty friends for a meal.  Also, there seems to be some hints of what Jesus’ future will be with his own encounter of critical crowds shouting “Crucify him” and his own experience of being “up a tree” for all to see his total and unconditional love for all humanity!
So let us ponder: 
• May our curiosities implore us to seek out Jesus as Zacchaeus did.
• May any obstacles to our seeing be overcome with curiosity and creativity.
• May we ask for the grace to be willing to “go out on a limb” for God to know us at our deepest self.
• May we invite God within us so as to hear us being called by name again and again.
• May we always be willing to reach out for someone with a “ladder” to help us in our predicaments if we find ourselves stuck in the “branches” of criticism, doubt, and fear.

Sycamore Tree in Jericho

All Saints ~ A Reflection

Several years ago, a Presbyterian minister challenged his congregation to open its doors and its heart more fully to the poor. The congregation initially responded with enthusiasm, and a number of programs were introduced that actively invited people from the less-privileged economic areas of the city, including a number of street-people, to come to their church.
Unfortunately, the romance soon died as coffee cups and other loose items began to disappear, some purses were stolen, and the church and meeting space were often left messy and soiled. A number of the congregation began to complain and demand an end to the experiment: "This isn't what we expected! Our church isn't clean and safe anymore!  We wanted to reach out to these people and this is what we get! This is too messy to continue!"
However, the minister held his ground, pointing out that their expectations were naïve, that what they were experiencing was precisely part of the cost of reaching out to the poor, and that Jesus assures us that loving is unsafe and messy, not just in reaching out to the poor, but also in reaching out to anyone.
++++

Wisdom of Charles Schultz:
After Charlie Brown's team lost another baseball game, he went to Lucy and paid five cents for her psychiatric help. She said: "Adversity builds character. Without adversity a person would never mature and be able to face up to all the things that will come later in life." Charlie asked, "What things?" She replied, "More adversity."
+ + + 
Since the early centuries, the church has set aside one day to honor, collectively, all saints, both those officially recognized and those known only to God.  Today, we celebrate all those known and unknown women, men, and even children who lived their lives with transparency, and who were grounded in their personal integrity.  They radiated God’s compassion and were willing to reach out beyond race, creed, gender, ideology, and differences of every kind – no matter the cost, no matter how messy life became when they reached beyond themselves - frequently embracing adversity and more adversity!

Sometimes we tend to think of saints as pious people, at times, irrelevant to our experience and often shown in pictures with halos and ecstatic gazes. But today, saints are women and men like us who live regular lives and struggle with the ordinary and the extraordinary problems of life.  What makes them saints is their clear and unwavering focus on God, the Gospel, and God’s people.  Each one, in his or her own inimitable way, rolled up their sleeves, put on an apron, and in bending, were eager to wash the feet of all whom they met, no matter how messy the conditions or how unwelcoming the environment. They were willing to face up to all the adversities they encountered – from their own culture, their government, the church, or even their own families or communities!

And so, we may ask, who are the holy ones for us today?  What does holiness look like in our time?  Are we not all called to holiness through our very Baptism?
One author remarks: “For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is 'icon,' 'star,' 'hero,' ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves." 
— Joan D. Chittister in A Passion for Life

On the feast of all saints, we are not only celebrating those who have died –we are celebrating all who have experienced the Gospel message and know that God dwells with them now.  Death is not the criteria required for sainthood, nor is perfection.  It is in our very participation in life knowing that we have God’s grace and power within us that we can reach beyond ourselves, no matter the cost – no matter the adversity. The saints we celebrate today are the people we know and who lived their faith.  Today, we honor all who have gone before us – and what we can simply say about them is that they tried; they believed.  They lived as best they could; they persevered in their trust in God; they lived the Beatitudes – perhaps without even knowing it.

I’d like to share from the life of a newly sainted woman – Mother Marianne Cope – who reached beyond herself and met adversity in its many forms and disguises. (I share this with you as a graduate of Brother Dutton Grade School and recall fondly the stories of Br. Joseph Dutton who worked on the island of Molokai for 43 years, and who no doubt ministered with Mother Marianne.) 
Prior to the inroads made by Mother Marianne, it is said that hospitals in the U.S. had an unsavory reputation. Many were staffed with unknowledgeable people and were filthy. Many people went to hospitals to die. Mother Marianne began to change all that by instituting cleanliness standards. The simple act of hand-washing between patient visits cut the spread of disease significantly.
• She was a hospital administrator that started the patients' rights movement and changed how people cared for the sick.
• She made sure the medical facilities welcomed all people regardless of race, creed or economic standing.
• She was harshly criticized for treating alcoholics - for she treated their condition as a disease rather than a problem.
In 1884, the Sisters of St. Francis of Syracuse took charge of a leper hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.  “When they arrived at the request of the Fr. Damian, they found horrendous conditions.  Patients of all ages and both sexes slept together on bloodstained mattresses on the floor; wards crawled with bedbugs, lice, and maggots.  The stench of rotting flesh permeated the premises.  Mother Marianne immediately improved the sanitary and social conditions of the patients, teaching her sisters how to nurse the sores of the patients" 

"When Fr. Damian died from leprosy himself, Mother Marianne took over for him at the island of Molokai.  She took charge and established a new standard of living for the residents.  As a teenager growing up in New York, she had worked in a clothing factory and had a great sense of style.  Rather than provide simple, drab uniforms for her patients, she fashioned beautiful clothing for them.  She took great pride in making dresses for the girls.  When Mother Marianne went to the island people they had no thought for the graces of life.  ‘We are lepers,’ they told her, ‘what does it matter?’ She changed all that.  Doctors have said that her psychology was 50 years ahead of its time.” 

“As Mother Marianne continued to lead her sisters in their work, she also had to deal with government officials who often seemed to cause more hindrance than help. With tact and determination, she was able to overcome the obstacles put in her way.”
No doubt, Mother Marianne and her sisters  could have said,  “this isn’t what we expected,” but they truly reached out in love and looked beyond the mess into the eyes and hearts of those with leprosy.

And so in our age, when there is renewed awareness of the suffering of innocent people though human trafficking, or through the exploitation of third world countries, or through the tragic systematic death of peoples by means of torture, famine, and genocide, then we can be sure that the saints are there tirelessly spending their lives to alleviate the suffering of humankind – in all its messiness and adversity.

In an age when there is a clash between human dignity of all and the restrictive power of a few over all, we can be sure that the saints will be there to name the injustice and call it social sin.
In an age when Christians are often confronted to choose between life and death for the sake of the Gospel, we can be sure the saints will be there with a holy resiliency, boldly standing in the mess and muck of it all - choosing life - and willing to stare death in the face for the sake of God’s reign.

 In an age when there is an ecclesial restriction of gifts of the Spirit to some groups, we can be sure that the saints will be there and will witness to the freedom of the Spirit regardless of restrictive laws about the use of those gifts.
In an age when discrimination, elitism, and oppression operates in society, in governments, or in churches, we can be sure the saints will be there to again proclaim the reign of God and be voice and heart, call and sign of the God whose design for this world is justice and mercy for all.  
The nature of sainthood is an incarnational reality, the shape and form of holiness may change from age to age and culture to culture.  But, the Spirit of the Holy will continue to call people like all of us who are present here and those beyond this faith community – for it is God’s caring that we witness and it is God’s love that we share – no matter the cost, no matter the messiness of it all – let us be willing to face up to all things that will come now and later as adversity and more adversity, for it truly builds character.
So, I close with the words of Tagore – who speaks to us about walking forth as living the Beatitudes and what being a saint truly is:
-I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
 I awoke and saw that life was service.
 I acted and behold, service was joy.

- Rabindranath Tagore