Alpha Doug

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T07:19:00.002-04:00

First Day of School

2008-09-06T16:47:00.000-04:00

Debbie, Lauren & Me

2008-08-22T21:29:00.001-04:00

Debbie & Me

2008-08-22T21:29:00.000-04:00

At Camden Yards

2008-08-22T21:28:00.000-04:00

Debbie & Marisol

2008-08-22T21:27:00.000-04:00

Debbie & Me

2008-08-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

Marisol's Graduation Day

2008-08-22T21:22:00.000-04:00

Lauren & Marisol

2008-08-22T21:21:00.000-04:00

The Canaanite Woma

2008-08-21T22:04:00.001-04:00

This past Sunday's gospel (Mt.15:21-28) found Jesus and his disciples in foreign territory - the Canaanite areas of Tyre and Sidon. Being strangers, they didn't want to call too much attention to themselves. They hoped to just do whatever they needed to do and make their way back to familiar territory. If they had been in a car, they would have rolled up the windows, locked the doors and made their way to the nearest highway exit trying not to make eye contact with anyone. So, you can imagine the stress it caused them when the Canaanite woman recognized them and started calling out for Jesus. They wanted her to go away, and they wanted to get away themselves.

But, she refused to let up. She wouldn't let her one opportunity to meet Jesus slip through her hands. And, she was in desperate need. Her daughter was afflicted by a decision with no hope of cure in site - until Jesus somehow found his way across the border into a foreign village. She had the home field advantage, and she wasn't about to let up.

After talking to the woman, Jesus surprisingly refused to help her because she was not Jewish. But, she would still not give up until Jesus, recognizing her faith, granted her request to relieve her daughter of her affliction. The woman's great persistence was a reflection of the depth of her faith - a depth of faith which Jesus could not ignore.

Now, it may shock us to think that Jesus would be capable of ignoring a woman in such obvious distress. It goes against the compassionate image of him that we so often encounter in the gospels. Could it be that Jesus was really not going to help her? Could it be that Jesus was really willing to allow her daughter to continue suffering just because she belonged to another race and another religion?

On the contrary, I believe that Jesus pretended to ignore the woman to teach a lesson to his disciples who were with him that day and to us who hear this gospel proclaimed today. Jesus must have sensed the woman's distress and seen the faith in her heart. Jesus somehow knew she wouldn't take "no" for an answer and that she wouldn't give up. By forcing the woman to pursue him, he wanted to teach us about the need to persevere in prayer, to not give up even though it seems that our prayers will never be answered and our needs will never be met.

The history of the Church is full of stories of mothers who, like the woman in the gospel, persevered in praying for their children over many years. One of the most moving stories is that of Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine, though a bright young man, lived many years of his life without direction. He was seeking happiness and peace, but didn't know where to find it. His mother, Monica, prayed for him consistently as he looked into different philosophies and different ways of life all looking for the joy and peace his mother knew he would only find through faith in Jesus. Eventually, after many years of intercession, Monica finally saw her prayers answered when Augustine embraced the gift of faith and turned his life over to Jesus. He was ordained a bishop and became known for his powerful sermons and writings, becoming one of the Church's greatest saints.

The prayer of mothers is very powerful indeed, because it is motivated by deep love and faith. Many of us can point to the prayers and examples of our own mothers and grandmothers as reasons why we came to take our faith seriously. And, I can attest that mothers are in church daily on their knees in prayer for their children who may be having difficulties in school, fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan, having difficulties in their marriage or struggling with illness. Thankfully, mothers never give up in their prayers for us and for the world.

Last week, we celebrated the feast of the great Mother of the Church, Mary, the mother of Jesus. Like a good mother, she never ceases to bring our prayers to her son for us. No matter what we may need and no matter how long it may take, a devotion to the Mother of God assures us that Jesus will hear and answer our prayers.

Our families, our Church and our world have many needs. There is much pain and suffering everywhere we look. With the love and faith we find in our mothers, we must never give up in bringing our prayers to Jesus. If Jesus delays in answering us, then we must pray even harder. Jesus hears us and sees the faith in our hearts. Jesus will answer eventually if we do not let up. We can be especially assured that he will answer if we enlist his mother, Mary, as our ally.

The Sign of Jonas

2008-08-17T22:39:00.004-04:00

Over the past 15 years, I have been reading Thomas Merton's book, The Sign of Jonas off and on. It contains excerpts of his journal from his first years in the monastery between 1946 and 1952. Because it reminds me so much of the introspective beatings I used to give myself during my own years of formation at Saint John's Seminary in Brighton, I can only make my way so far into it before having to put it aside. Last week, I pulled it off the shelf to give it another try and have found some gems within. This prayer, in particular, struck me for its candor and truth:

Take my life into Your hands, at last, and do whatever You want with it. I give myself to Your love and mean to keep on giving myself to Your love -- rejecting neither the hard things nor the pleasant things You have arranged for me. It is enough for me that You have glory. Everything You have planned is good. It is all love.

The way You have laid open before me is an easy way, compared with the hard way of my own will which leads back to Egypt, and to bricks without straw.

If you allow people to praise me, I shall not worry. If You let them blame me, I shall worry even less, but be glad. If You send me work I shall embrace it with joy and it will be rest to me because it is Your will. And if You send me rest, I will rest in You. Only save me from myself. Save me from my own, private, poisonous urge to change everything, to act without reason, to move for movement's sake, to unsettle everything You have ordained.

Let me rest in Your will and be silent. Then the light of Your joy will warm my life. Its fire will burn in my heart and shine for Your glory. This is what I live for. Amen, amen.

EUREKA!!

2008-07-29T13:16:00.002-04:00

"Eureka!", Archimedes is said to have shouted as he stepped into his bathtub and realized a way of weighing objects using water. From then on, the term "eureka" (Greek for "I have found it") has come to express the joy of discovery. It was the cry of the '49'ers panhandling gold in the streams of California. It was the cry of untold numbers of scientists who stumbled upon the secrets of the natural world. It was the cry of doctors who, after many years of failure and frustration, finally discovered cures for diseases. "Eureka" expresses the elation we experience when we attain a long-awaited goal or the solution to an elusive problem.

In this weekend's first reading (1 Kgs 3:5-12), King Solomon has a eureka moment. God is offering him whatever he wants - wealth, power and lands. But Solomon realizes that all these things are worthless if he lacks wisdom. He realizes that God has anointed him as king so that he may rule justly over the chosen people. Rather than accumulate riches to impress others and gratify his pride, he chooses wisdom so that he may please God by ruling justly. Wisdom will help him accomplish God's more than wealth and power can. God not only answers his prayer, but also grants him in abundance the wealth and power he did not ask for. With wisdom guiding him, Solomon can now use these riches to a good purpose.

In this year dedicated by the Holy Father to Saint Paul, we also remember the dramatic eureka moment the apostle to the gentiles experienced on the road to Damascus. The Risen Lord appears to him, blinding his eyes with the radiance of his glory but giving vision to his soul so that he might recognize the Light of the World. Paul would come to write that he considers all things as garbage in the light of the knowledge and power which comes from the gospel. In this weekend's second reading (Rom 8: 28-30), Paul reflects on how God makes everything work for the good for those who have been called to discover the plan of God revealed in Jesus.

Finally, Jesus in the gospel (Mt 13:44-46) likens the kingdom of God to a treasure which is happened upon by accident and a pearl which a man finally discovers after much searching. Shouting "eureka", these men sell everything to attain the treasure. The kingdom of God is a joyful discovery, a wonder to the one who stumbles upon it. It makes everything else we may have been searching for or clinging to seem empty and useless. Any follower of Jesus will recognize how this works. Even when we are baptized as infants and raised in the faith, a moment comes when it finally all makes sense. It could be a moment of deep prayer or something we read or hear that gives us insight into what our faith means for our life. It was a moment of joy - a eureka moment - as we discovered the deep, personal love God has for us and his presence and action in our lives. At that moment, we made a more conscious decision to follow Jesus - we attained the treasure at the cost of putting Jesus, rather than ourselves, at the center of our lives.

Of course, that wouldn't be the end of it. That big eureka moment would be filled with other eureka moments in which we are called to recognize the joy of God's presence in our lives and to give more of ourselves in his service. As the men in the parable find, the eureka moment comes at a cost. It requires us to part with something. But, it is done with great joy because we are getting a bargain - giving up something earthly and material for the everlasting life of heaven.

The opening prayer at Mass this Sunday sums it up perfectly:

God, our Father and protector,
without you nothing is holy,
nothing has value.
Guide us to everlasting life
by helping us to use wisely
the blessings you have given to the world.

Look at the man

2008-06-29T20:49:00.003-04:00

The statue of Senhor Santo Christo has a long history in the Azorean island of Saint Michael's. As the story is told, two sisters traveled to Rome to seek permission from the Pope to found a new convent in the town of Caloura. The Pope, impressed by their zeal, not only gave his blessing to their initiative but offered them this statue. Over the past 500 years, it has resided in the church of Our Lady of Hope in the city of Ponta Delgada where it has served as the center of the island's devotional life.

The statue depicts Jesus in Pilate's praetorium just after being scourged and crowned with thorns. Pilate presents Jesus to the crowd, perhaps in hopes of sating their cruelty, and says to them: "Behold the man."

It challenges us to come face to face with the man who died to save us.

Looking on the statue calls to mind these verses from the prophet Isaiah:

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our suffering that he endured....
He was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.

Over the centuries, many suffering people have looked on this statue and found comfort and strength. Many sinners have looked on the bloodied face of their Savior and have been moved to repentance.

No one has ever looked on this statue and has failed to be moved by the love which drove Jesus to accept such a cruel fate.

One cannot help but reflect on the scene at the praetorium that day. What different men are Pilate and Jesus. Pilate is a minor official in the Roman hierarchy, while Jesus is the center of all history. What a farce that this man, Pilate, should stand in judgment of Jesus! And yet, how great is the humility of Jesus to endure Pilate's haughty and contemptuous questions!

Jesus, no doubt, may have felt some pity for Pilate. He was a pagan, unversed in Hebrew Scriptures. He held out no hope for a Messiah. The debauched Caesar was the closest thing to a "god made flesh" that he would ever serve. And yet, Pilate knew enough to see that there was no guilt in Jesus. Though he meant it derisively, he also recognized Jesus to be a king.

In some ways, Pilate is like Herod who felt moved by the words of John the Baptist but allowed palace intrigues to result in the prophet's beheading. Pilate knew of Jesus' innocence and even feared the consequences of putting him to death. Nonetheless, he succumbed to the wishes of the crowd, cowardly washing his hands of the matter as if it would lead history to absolve him of his complicity.

How must Pilate have reacted upon his own death to find the roles reversed? What a shock it must have been for him to look upon the one he had scourged and learn that not only was he King of the Jews but Judge of the Nations! How he must have feared that Jesus would wash his hands of him as he washed his hands of Jesus. As he came face to face with the truth he denied, could he have had any hope for mercy? And yet, we can have no doubt that Jesus showed mercy on one who knew not what he did.

We look today at the same man - the man who for our sins was scourged to the point that he no longer appeared human. We look not at a man who comes to condemn us, but to save and heal us. Looking at the man, we can see why the Azorean people are so devoted to the image of their Savior depicted by Senhor Santo Christo.

Call of Saint Matthew

2008-06-07T08:41:00.000-04:00

It is a common lament which echoes through parish halls all over the nation: "Why is it always the same people who volunteer to help out?" Whether it is teaching catechism or manning the food pantry, parish leaders find themselves calling upon the same pool of faithful parishioners whenever there's work to do. While we value their eager service, we all would agree that they need help and that the mission of the community would be enriched by the talents and insights of a wider circle of volunteers.

Jesus addressed the problem of too few workers for a vast harvest by expanding the labor pool. Instead of calling those known to be religious, he sought out sinners and those who lacked a reputation for piety. To know how true this is we only have to review the resumes of the apostles which included fishermen (Peter and Andrew), political extremists (Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot) and tax collectors such as Matthew who is the object of Jesus' call in this weekend's gospel (Mt.9:9-13). In fact, the group following Jesus looked more like a police line up than a traditional religious gathering which caused the Pharisees to unwittingly ask one of the most provocative questions in the gospels: "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

As it turned out, not only did Jesus welcome sinners to the table, but he called them to follow his example of mercy by themselves reaching out to sinners. Jesus' mercy expressed itself not only in welcoming sinners but in giving them a share in his mission. Not only would they know the joy of being forgiven, but they would share in Jesus' excitement at witnessing God at work in the world by proclaiming the good news.

In the light of Jesus' example, we must ask ourselves whom we are overlooking when we are calling parishioners to service. Who might welcome a warm invitation or benefit from a gentle challenge? Do our personal prejudices or ignorance make us judge certain groups of people as unable or unwilling to contribute? Do we fear that we are imposing on people when we ask them to give of their time rather than see ourselves inviting them to share in the joy of the harvest?

What would it do to our community's sense of God's mercy if the homeless were teaching catechism? What would happen to our parish's prejudices if former prisoners served as Eucharistic ministers? How much more joyful would our celebrations be if those with special needs participated actively in our liturgies? How would our neighborhoods be transformed if teenagers and young adults caught a fever for social justice?

A community which reflects the wideness of God's mercy would be such a place where there would be no lack of those willing to give of themselves to those who are likewise willing to welcome and embrace them.

PRAYER

Lord of the harvest,
your mercy knows no limits
and makes no exceptions.

Give us an open heart like that of your Son;
open our eyes to the gifts of those around us;
and help us to discern rather than to merely delegate.

May your love and mercy shine forth so strongly
in the life of our community that it challenge our prejudices
and overcome our divisions.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Good Friday

2008-03-22T06:47:00.003-04:00

Today, I drove by a hitchhiker in the road. I had a lot of good reasons not to pick him up. First of all, I'd be late for my appointment. Secondly, I feared for my safety. How could I be sure he wouldn't rob, beat or even kill me? I had a lot of good reasons to keep on driving.

Outside the New Bedford City Hall, a street person asked me for change. I had a lot of good reasons to not give him any. How did I know he wouldn't go spend it on booze and drugs? And, wouldn't I be enabling him to stay dependent on charity rather than lift himself out of poverty through hard work? So, I politely claimed to have no change and kept on walking.

Jesus had a lot of good reasons not to die for me. I am selfish, a liar and ungrateful. I've spent most of my life not paying attention to Him. He had a lot of good reasons to let the cup of suffering pass Him by. But, Jesus has never denied me when I needed Him. How can I now drive or walk past my neighbors when they need me?

Blind from Birth

2008-03-08T14:50:00.003-05:00

I watched a Mass telecast from Italy last Sunday (March 2). The lector proclaimed the readings without looking down at the text. His eyes, filled with the light of joy, fixed on the assembly in an unbroken gaze. At first, I thought he had memorized the readings. But, when I noticed his fingers running over the page, I realized he was blind. What a powerful image to invite a blind person to lector on the Sunday we remember Jesus' healing of a blind man!

As I watched him read, I couldn't help but wonder what life must be like for someone born blind. All their life, they have to depend on others to pick their clothes for them and to help them along. Most of all, they have to believe that there is a world out there beyond the midnight of unending darkness that their life is. And so, trust must come naturally to the blind.

When Jesus approaches the blind man in today's gospel, it must have been very easy for the man to trust him. He had relied on other people his whole life. Now, he would put himself in Jesus' hands, allowing Jesus to cake his eyes with mud and obeying Him when He told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. This man had nothing to lose. And because he chose to trust, he gained everything - not only the ability to look out onto the world God created, but to see and believe in God made flesh in the person of Jesus.

In contrast, the religious leaders who see perfectly well and understand their religion perfectly well are the ones whose eyes are now covered over. They are scrambling to fit Jesus' miracle into their narrow categories. Unlike the blind man, they fear they have something to lose. They fear losing their standing with the people and their authority. They fear Rome will be displeased with Jesus' messianic claims and harshly surpress the people. Though they see perfectly well the miracles Jesus performs, their fear drives them into the darkness of denial and ignorance.

We all approach Jesus with a bit of faith and a bit of fear. We often see and believe. But, we just as often fear and flee. There are times when we rejoice in the gifts and insight Jesus so freely bestows on us. At other times, we are scared that by following Jesus we will lose something precious to us. There are times we choose to open our eyes, and there are times we choose to cover them over.

The blind have something to teach us about trust. They can teach us about what it's like to take another person's hand and allow them to lead us. They can teach us about believing that there's something out there beyond what we can see though we only hear whispers of it. They can teach us that we have less to lose than we fear and more to gain than we can ever imagine.

Designer Christmas Tree

2008-01-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

The Holy Family

2007-12-31T10:54:00.000-05:00

The Holy Family came into being because of God and for God. Though Mary and Joseph were already betrothed, Mary would not have conceived Jesus without the Holy Spirit. Joseph was ready to divorce Mary if not for the angel's intervention in a dream. While the Holy Family is a traditional family as we understand it, it is not a conventional family.

Despite popular, traditional images of them, neither did they lead a tranquil life. Jesus is born homeless and into poverty. They must flee their country under the threat of execution to live as refugees in Egypt. It is a family born into tremendous exterior pressures.

Families today know pressures as well. For economic reasons, both parents frequently have to work outside of the home making meals together on a regular basis difficult. The price of real estate makes longer commutes necessary further limiting time with the family. And those are just some of the pressures on traditional, two parent families. We haven't mentioned single family homes where these pressures are doubled. And then there are "blended" families where step-parents and step-children are constantly testing the boundaries of their relationship adding to the tension within the home.

The status of the family today causes a lot of hand wringing, especially in the Church. There are fewer and fewer traditional families. More young Catholics are opting to live together before marriage and are often choosing to be married outside the Church. But, things are not going to change any time soon. We can't turn the calendar back to 1955.

We are right as Christians and as good citizens to promote the welfare of the traditional, two parent family. Children born in such families are no doubt better off economically and psychologically. But, at the same time, we must recognize that in today's society when bodies mature more rapidly and adolescence lasts well into the 20's, people are going to make mistakes resulting in out-of-wedlock births and divorce.

A spiritual director once told me that God is not in the "ideal", but in the "real". The traditional family is an important ideal. But, God is not found in ideal families or in ideal people, but in real families and in real people. As painful as our past may have been and as much as we wish we could go back and fix our mistakes, God doesn't give us the option of going back in time. God is spending His grace on us in our real lives and in our real families as we find ourselves today. God's grace happens in families that are "blended" and those that need to be mended.

Families are never perfect, even when they are the ideal, traditional family. They are all marked by joy and pain, mistakes and good choices. The Holy Family - Jesus, Mary and Joseph - knew the pressures of family life. The difference was that they experienced God's presence even in those difficulties. Even with all the pressures of daily life in today's society, we can experience God's presence with us and teach our children to recognize Him as well. Then we have fulfilled our mission as a family, no matter what our family looks like.

Pope Benedict XVI speaks about the mission of the family beautifully in his message for the World Day of Peace:

Indeed, in a healthy family life, we experience some of the fundamental elements of peace....the family is the foundation of society for this reason too: because it enables its members in decisive ways to experience peace. It follows that the human community cannot do without the service provided by the family. Where can young people gradually learn to savour the genuine "taste" of peace better than in the original "nest" which nature prepares for them?

If we are experiencing God's peace in our families and schooling our children in the ways of peace, then we are the type of family that God expects.

Blue Sun - Yellow Sun

2007-12-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

Jesus - The Divine Physician

2007-12-13T20:40:00.000-05:00

When a doctor diagnoses cancer, she must act decisively and immediately. Every cancer cell must be either removed through surgery, burned away through radiation or poisoned through chemotherapy. If we didn't know what the doctor was doing, we might think her cruel for cutting the patient open or for pumping chemicals into him. It's only when we realize how dangerous the situation is that we can accept how drastic and radical the cure must likewise be.

John the Baptist, when addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees in this Sunday's gospel (Mt.3:1-12) calls them a "brood of vipers" as they approach him for baptism. But, he wanted to be clear with them just what they were committing to by being baptized. "Give some evidence that you mean to reform!"

We cannot accommodate any evil in our lives, any more than the body can accommodate a little cancer. Evil destroys whomever welcomes it. So, radical surgery is indicated. "The ax is laid to the root of the tree. Every tree that is not fruitful will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

God sounds cruel here. But, like the doctor, God knows that the evil we accommodate will eventually strangle us and prevent us from bearing fruit.

Now, the doctor can only extract the malignancy. She cannot put health back into our bodies. God, on the other hand, not only roots out the evil in our heart, but replaces it with gifts for living a good and holy life. These gifts are the "gifts of the Holy Spirit" which Isaiah lists in the first reading as the mark of the Messiah (Is.11:2-3):

"a spirit of wisdom and of understanding;
a spirit of counsel and of strength;
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord;
and his delight will be the fear of the Lord."

We receive these gifts through our baptism and confirmation which are the "baptism with fire" which John the Baptist foretold that the Messiah would grant to all those who believed in him. When we make use of those gifts in our lives, then we bear the "fruit of the Spirit" which Paul describes in Galatians 5:22:

"the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

These are the fruits which God looks for in those who follow Jesus. These are the fruits which will spring up in us once sin is uprooted from our hearts, and Jesus replaces them with His gifts.

Jesus is often called the Divine Physician because of His power to heal and to free us from our sins. Saint Augustine in his Confessions puts it in a beautiful way:

"My weaknesses are many and grave, many and grave
indeed, but more abundant still is your medicine."

These weeks leading up to Christmas are a time to uproot whatever is not of God and to recognize that no good can come from allowing sin and evil a place in our lives. It is a time to turn to our Divine Physician, Jesus, for the radical surgery only He can perform. And so, the coming of Jesus will be not a historical fact of the past or a long off, future anticipation, but an everyday event bearing fruit in our lives.

The Immaculate Conception

2007-12-08T09:52:00.000-05:00

With Mary, God begins His work of restoring nature to the purity He intended - the beauty which is a reflection of Himself.

Many have compared God's work of grace in our lives to snowfall which cloaks the barren tree, giving beauty to otherwise fruitless branches. Iced over with freshly fallen snow, the tree glimmers in the sunlight with a brilliance that its brown bark could not allow. The glaze replaces the natural beauty of the leaves and fruit which the winter has stolen.

But, that image of grace presupposes that we are too corrupt to be restored. It presupposes a winter that will never end. Grace, in this image, cannot bring us back to our original lustre, but can only cover us over so we don't look so bad.

As Catholics understand it, grace is more like the sun whose rays warm the barren tree stimulating the bud, the leaf and, finally, the fruit. Grace restores the original beauty marred by the winter of sin.

If grace were like snow, our branches would never bear fruit. They would remain iced over, unable to thrive. But, God wants us to grow and to reflect the beauty He intended for His creation.

The Marian feasts - the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, the Annunciation - all celebrate not what Mary accomplished, but what God accomplished through Jesus. Mary, as the first disciple of Jesus, is the first to receive the benefits of Jesus' saving work. She is the first to taste the victory over sin by being herself exempted from it's stain at her conception. She is the first to celebrate the resurrection of the body through her assumption into heaven.

What she has received is also what God holds in store for us. Like Mary, He wants to restore us to the sinless, pure creatures He intended us to be. We, like Mary, will one day know victory over sin when all the scars of sinfulness will be healed. And, like Mary, we will know God's victory over death when our bodies are raised on the last day.

So, today's feast of the Immaculate Conception is not for Mary to celebrate alone. It's not like a birthday party in which only one person is honored. Today's feast is about the power and purpose of God's grace which restores the original beauty sin has deformed - not to cover over our shame, but to render us truly good and truly beautiful as God intended.

God achieved it in Mary so that she could be equipped with everything she needed to serve as Jesus' mother. God will achieve it in us when His work of restoration is consummated at our individual deaths and at the end of the world.

It's Later than You Think

2007-12-07T19:36:00.000-05:00

This summer, my family spent a day at Storyland in New Hampshire. Above one of the ornate clocks I read: "It's later than you think!" It puzzled me that a place dedicated to amusement would greet its customers with such a grim warning. Nonetheless, I took it to mean that I shouldn't waste the time I had with my family, because one never knows what tomorrow will bring.

At this time of year, what do we hear more often than not? "I can't believe that Thanksgiving is over!" "I can't believe it's almost Christmas!" No matter how old we get, we never cease being surprised by the quickening pace of time. There's no doubt that it's later than we think.

In last Sunday's readings, both Paul and Jesus remind us that the end is near. It's nearer today than it was yesterday. There's no telling when it will happen. We won't get a two weeks' notice. We have to be always at the ready.

While the reminder is grim, our reaction to it can be joyful. For, what we expect is our salvation! Isaiah describes it to us in the first reading as a time of peace and prosperity when we will finally be liberated from fear and conflict. Paul describes it as living in the light. And Jesus describes it as being taken up to live with God. The end of time has been revealed to us not so that we will live in fear, but so that we'll cherish what we have in this life and come to clarity about what is really important.

I once spoke to a man who had lost his daughter when she was around eight years old. Understandably, the loss embittered him. With time, he grew to accept it by thanking God for the joy his daughter had brought into his life for those seven years. While he still mourned the years he didn't get to share with her, he could comfort himself with the memory of fun and laughter they enjoyed when she was alive.

Everything and everyone around us will be coming to an end. It is later than we think. We "cast off the deeds of darkness" not to live these last days in sorrow and mourning, but to embrace God's generosity and to relish all that is really good and worthwhile while it's still here and while it's still today.

Christ the King

2007-12-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

None of us asked to be born. By creating us without our permission, God shows His absolute sovereignty over our lives. Furthermore, though He offers us the freedom to accept His gift of eternal life or not, He doesn't give us an alternative. Most of the time, we try to work out a compromise between God and the world. But, we have no real choice other than to accept God and His claims on us or reject Him; and, along with that, to accept Jesus' claim that He is the Son of God or reject it.

Jesus is King! This Sunday's second reading (Col.1: 12-20) tells us that Jesus is the pattern of creation. "All things were made through Him." Jesus is also the finish line of creation, the culmination of evolution. "All things are for Him." Jesus is the reason we continue to exist. "In Him, everything continues in being."

Jesus is like our lungs and our heart. Our lungs continue to take in life-giving oxygen even when we are not paying attention to them. Our heart circulates blood through our body, although we are not conscious of it. So, Jesus sustains our life, sustains our very being, even though we often fail to realize it or acknowledge it. Jesus is the reason for everything, whether we know it or not.

And now that we know it, now that it has been revealed to us, we have a decision to make. It is a decision we cannot avoid. Just as we could not decide whether or not to be born, we cannot decide not to decide about Jesus' sovereignty over our lives. To "not decide" or to "put off deciding" is already to decide, and to decide wrongly.

In Crossing the Threshhold of Hope, Pope John Paul II calls the crucifixion the judgment of man on God. God is judged to be impotent and indifferent before the reality of suffering and evil. Jesus on the cross is derided by the soldiers: "If you are the king of the Jews, then save yourself." The crowd said: "He saved others, why can't he save himself?" Even the thief crucified beside him taunted Him, "Why don't you save yourself; and while you're at it, save us too!" Man has always judged God to be silent before evil and the suffering it causes. Man has always interpreted that silence to mean that God is indifferent in the face of our suffering.

The present Pope would revisit this theme in his book, Jesus of Nazareth. The world asks, "What difference did Jesus make?" Two thousand years after Jesus there is still poverty, conflict and death. What exactly did Jesus bring? Pope Benedict answers, "He brought God." Jesus ended God's seeming silence, indifference and impotence before the reality of evil, suffering and death. In Jesus, we can no longer say that God doesn't know what death is and, more importantly, that He doesn't care.

The world continues to look at Jesus and require from Him a salvation that can be measured in economic or political terms - a salvation that can be put to some use. But, to those for whom God is enough, Jesus speaks clearly and forcefully from the throne of His cross.

Like the soldiers, the crowd and the thieves, we have a decision to make as we look up at Jesus on the cross. Is that our God and King twisted in pain on two planks of wood, or an imposter? Is the salvation He offers good enough, or should it come from politicians, scientists or corporations?

Whom will we make our King?

I mean to stay at your house today

2007-11-03T09:34:00.001-04:00

No less a figure than O.J.Simpson said, "When we stop making excuses, then we rise to the top."

Zacchaeus had plenty of excuses to not try to get a glimpse of Jesus.

First of all, Zacchaeus was short. The crowd was so tightly packed that he couldn't hope to see Jesus over their shoulders and heads. The children had the benefit of sitting on their fathers' shoulders to get a look at Jesus. But, no one was about to help Zacchaeus.

Secondly, Zacchaeus was a small man spiritually. Though his name means "righteous one", he was far from being a just man. He had accumulated his riches by extorting from the locals more taxes than the empire required. And the taxes he gathered helped ensure that the Roman Empire could exercise its grip on the Jewish people. Zacchaeus must have feared that a sinner such as himself would be brushed aside by the Righteous One, Jesus.

Thirdly, because of his position in the empire, Zacchaeus was small in the eyes of the crowd. They weren't about to help him. Even if Jesus were to acknowledge him, the crowd would certainly denounce him for his crimes against them.

Instead of hanging his head and going home, Zacchaeus knew he'd have to take an extreme measure to get a look at Jesus. He took the risk of climbing the sycamore tree. The crowd would surely ridicule him. He may have fallen and hurt himself, or at the very least, torn his fine tunic. But, it got Jesus' attention.

Jesus called Zacchaeus by name, because it was Jesus' grace that stirred in Zacchaeus' heart compelling him to do whatever it took to overcome his size, his shame and his fear of the crowd.

Faith requires overcoming obstacles and facing challenges to bring our values into reality. For every shameful experience, for every crowd that denounces us, for anything standing in our way, there is a grace compelling us to do whatever it takes to overcome it. Once we brush our excuses aside, we can grasp what Jesus is offering.

Unfortunately, we tend to associate religion with guilt and shame. However, guilt and shame do not help us in our relationship with God. They make us shrink away and hide. They close us off in fear, rather than opening us up in love. They may motivate us to drop harmful habits, but they can't inspire us to do good. Zacchaeus' spontaneous pledge to payback fourfold the money he extorted came not from any shame he felt before the crowd, but because of his joy that Jesus recognized him and desired to stay with him.

Guilt and shame create excuses for us. But grace overcomes our limitations, compelling us to reach out to Jesus for friendship.

A Blooming Artist

2007-10-24T20:09:00.000-04:00

The Slow March to Justice

2007-10-22T08:57:00.000-04:00

I spent the summer of 1988 in the Portuguese city of Evora, polishing up on the language. My first day, as I was settling into my quarters, I thought about the novena to Saint Theresa. It is said that, if at the end of the nine days of prayer your request is to be granted, someone will give you a rose. I thought to myself that Portugal would be a good place to test this since, alone in a foreign country, I didn't know anyone who would give me a rose.

That evening, one of the priests at the residence invited me to a prayer group in the city. At the end of the service, an older lady walked up to a statue of Our Lady. At the foot of the statue was a vase of roses which she picked up and started to hand out. The last rose went to me. I hadn't even prayed the novena! It was a gentle reminder of God's presence and action in my life.

For every twenty stories I have like that, I have another twenty about prayers which weren't answered. Looking back, though, I'm glad that most of those prayers went unanswered. With time, better things came along or my perspective changed so that I no longer wanted what I had previously begged God for.

Saint Augustine calls prayer an "exercise in desire". Prayer trains our heart to desire what God desires. The power of prayer is not in getting God to give us what we want, but in transforming our heart to love and desire what God loves and desires.

Jesus' parable teaches us that prayers must be just if they are to be answered. The widow is a symbol of those who are easily victimized and often overlooked in the pursuit of justice. Justice is done for her on a human level because of her persistence. God answers her prayer because it is just.

It is true that, no matter how seemingly ridiculous or daunting our challenges are, God cares about them even more than we do. But, it is also true that God has a greater plan unfolding through history which we are just a part of. It is by locating our place in that unfolding plan and committing ourselves to participating in it, that our prayers make any sense. I imagine that many good and pious people in Jesus' day prayed that Jesus be shown to be an imposter, or that they could come up with answers to the challenges he posed. Jesus himself prayed that the cup of suffering pass him by - but only if it be according to God's will. Just like the millions of other unanswered prayers, aren't we glad those weren't answered!

Persistance in prayer is necessary because God's plan takes time to unfold and our hearts and minds are slow to grasp God's work in our lives. God is more like a crockpot than a microwave. And like Moses who grew weary holding his arms up during the battle, we need each others help to persist in prayer both for our personal needs and in our struggle to make God's justice and peace real in our world.

Curing and Healing

2007-10-14T12:34:00.000-04:00

When I walked into the waiting room of the hospital lab, I noticed a mentally challenged man whom no one would sit next to. With all the writing I've done lately about recognizing Jesus in the poor, I decided to at least sit next to him. As it became clear to him that I would take the seat next to his, he jumped up and shot his arms up as if signaling a touchdown. He never said anything to me. He just wanted to express his joy at my affirmation of his equal worth as a human being.

Such people - the handicapped, the deformed, the sick - suffer insults to their dignity on a daily basis. They are stared at in public. Their caregivers and family members often talk about them as if they are not there. They are subjected to the messages of society that their lives are meaningless because they are not "productive". Most of the time, they are just ignored or pitied. When they are acknowledged and treated with respect, it draws a response of joy from them that most "productive" people lack.

Jesus' miracles are more than displays of power. They serve to announce the Kingdom of God by restoring communion and drawing forth a response of faith. Lepers were seen as sinners, as being punished by God. As such, they were shunned and barred from worship. Jesus' curing of them signifies that he has come to reunite all those who have been lost to sin and its destructive power. Once the priest has certified that they are clean, they can be restored to the worshipping community.

There's a difference between curing and healing. Jesus did indeed cure. He did remove illness, deformity and leprosy. But, more importantly, he healed. His touch was more than skin deep. It reached into the souls of those he encountered and drew forth a response of faith, gratitude and joy. It took faith for the lepers to approach Jesus not only to believe he had the power to heal them, but to trust that he would not reject them as "unclean". Jesus spoke to the deepest desire of the human person to be recognized as being of equal dignity and to be welcomed into the worshipping community.

But Jesus' healing also works its wonders among those who are "normal". Their hearts are opened to the joy of welcoming the stranger, the sick and the needy. Their eyes are opened to the true beauty and dignity of each person. We all long to see and know Jesus. To be able to recognize and love Jesus in the stranger and in the needy is among the greatest blessings we could hope for.

Shifting Sands and Firm Foundations

2007-10-10T20:05:00.000-04:00

Before erecting a skyscraper, the builders need to make sure the ground is firm enough to support the foundation and the structure. If the ground isn't firm enough, it will shift under the weight of the structure and the foundation will crack. One method is to pile tons of gravel on the site and leave it there to press down on the soil below. After a few months, the gravel is removed to reveal firmly compacted ground suitable for building.

The Hebrew word for faith means "foundation". So, it's natural for the Bible to speak of God's Word as a "rock" or "cornerstone". God's Word is the firm ground on which we can build our lives. But we also must be firm if we are to be suitable for God's dwelling. God tests our firmness by putting us under pressure.

In Sunday's first reading (Hb.1), Habakkuk laments the destruction he witnesses in the city and God's silence. When God finally does speak His message is that the rash man has no integrity, but the just man lives by faith. The rash man is the one who panics when difficulty arises. He changes his game plan. He doesn't have a firm foundation because he's not in one place long enough to build one. The just man, on the other hand, trusts in God no matter what is going on around him. He responds to pressure with calm because he knows the ground he stands on won't shift beneath him. And, he trusts that his foundation will be made firmer through difficulty.

So, when the apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith (Lk 17:5-10), he responds that faith is not a matter of size but of strength. The smallest of faiths can uproot the sycamore. In another place, Jesus says it can move mountains. The apostles were correct, nonetheless, in desiring more faith and in recognizing Jesus as the source of that faith.

Our faith increases in strength when we are patient and trusting under the pressures of life. That pressure makes us firmer and a more fitting site for God's dwelling. We can take comfort that, for the building to eventually be erected, the gravel that's causing the pressure has to be cleared away. Any difficulty we are facing is temporary. But the firm foundation is permanent.

The following poem by Saint Teresa of Avila sums it up perfectly:

Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.

All things are passing.
God does not change.

Patient endurance attains all things.
Whoever has God, lacks nothing.

God alone suffices.

The mighty Taunton River

2007-10-08T18:00:00.000-04:00

Stopped at the Berkley Bridge

2007-10-05T07:21:00.000-04:00

Okay! Okay! I get it already!

2007-10-04T14:03:00.000-04:00

A priest was assigned to a new parish. At his first Mass, he preached a homily that moved the congregation to tears. It was the talk of the neighborhood throughout the week; so much so that, the next Sunday, the church was packed. The congregation stilled to a hush as the priest approached the pulpit. To their surprise, he preached the same homily from the Sunday before. They assumed that he repeated the homily for the benefit of those who hadn't been there the week before. But, the next Sunday, with the church packed again and full of anticipation, the priest gave the same sermon again for the third time now.

In the sacristy, after Mass, one of the altar boys approached the priest saying, "You preach well, Father. When will we get to hear a new sermon?"

The priest responded, "I'll preach a new sermon when I see the people acting on the old one."

The past few Sundays, Jesus has repeated pretty much the same message of love for the poor and sacrifice on their behalf. This Sunday is no different, and as we continue to read from the Gospel of Luke, we can expect more. It's enough to make us say, "Okay! Okay! We get it already!" But, I guess Jesus doesn't think we have.

At the end of Sunday's reading, the rich man calls out to Abraham to have Lazarus warn his brothers about the dangers of their luxurious lifestyle. Abraham refuses. They have already been sufficiently warned. In telling the story, Jesus intends the irony that they wouldn't believe even if someone were to rise from the dead. Jesus knows that he will rise from the dead and that still some will not believe. We've been warned, but we obviously haven't listened.

In the Eucharist, Jesus feeds us, not scraps from the table, but his very self. Just as the dog's lined up to lick Lazarus' wounds, we are fed by Jesus' wounds. We needn't fear the fate of the rich man because Jesus has bridged the chasm between heaven and hell for us so that we may rest in Abraham's bosom. But, we must listen. We must heed the warning. We dare not turn our backs on any poor person we encounter for our failure to console them now may mean future torment for us.

The Cry of the Poor

2007-09-28T18:49:00.001-04:00

About two weeks ago, I listened to a priest discussing the injustice of the American immigration system. I have to admit that I listened with some skepticism. But, his remarks at the end gave me pause:

"We have to remember that many of these immigrants seek the
intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe. You don't want to be
on the wrong end of an argument with her!"

Though I wasn't convinced by the rationality of his argument, I am convinced that God does indeed hear the cry of the poor, and that I may have to re-evaluate my position on this issue if I am to find myself on the righteous side of it.

Preaching on last Sunday's gospel (Lk.16:1-13), the Holy Father said:

"It is Christ who teaches us the right use of money and worldly
riches, and that is to share them with the poor, thus obtaining
their friendship, in sight of the Kingdom of Heaven."

I run into beggars often enough to unsettle me. Up till now, I had decided that it was better not to give them money, since they may spend it on alchohol or drugs. I have also worried that any quarters I throw in their cup may be enabling their homeless lifestyle.

But, reflecting on the Holy Father's words in light of the gospel, I have decided to take a different approach. I will give whatever little I have on hand, but I'll ask the beggar to pray for me. I will use my wealth to make a friend of the poor confident that God hears their prayer. Now, I become the beggar because my need for salvation and for the intercession of the poor on my behalf is greater than their need for whatever coin I can scratch up for them.

In the Eucharist, we meet Jesus who makes himself poor so that we may receive Him. In receiving Him, we become rich. Just as surely, we meet Him in those who require our help. We have been blessed with such an abundance not to enrich ourselves, but to be instruments of God's generosity and providence in the world, and to befriend the needy, for God surely hears their cry.

More thoughts on the Prodigal Son

2007-09-23T21:21:00.001-04:00

This past summer marked the tenth anniversary of the deaths of Mother Theresa and Princess Diana. I remember ten years ago watching the Today Show and being shocked that they spent the segment on Mother Theresa discussing those who criticized her work in India, while they spent the segment on Princess Diana praising her charitable work and her campaign against landmines. It highlighted to me in stark terms where our culture's values lie.

Ten years later, we are still talking about them. About Mother Theresa, we learned that she continued to serve the poor faithfully even though her spiritual life was often lacking in consolation. As regards Diana, we continue to speculate about the details of her tragic death.

Now, if we have really listened to and taken to heart Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son, we should ask ourselves this question: If Princess Diana did follow Mother Theresa into heaven, for which was there more rejoicing?

We should expect that Mother Theresa, who lived her life in a selfless way, would be happy to join in the celebration, because she took more delight in God's mercy than her own accomplishments. Her joy was to serve faithfully in God's house rather than accumulate honors and recognition for herself.

Considering Mother Theresa and Princess Diana may give us some idea of the shock the older brother felt at his brother's return and the complaint of the Pharisees at Jesus' companionship with sinners. God's mercy is deeper than we can ever imagine. It can both delight us and stun us. So if we are quick to claim God's mercy we must be just as quick to extend it to others. If we desire to claim a room in God's house, we must also share our bunk with the least of our sisters and brothers.

If you're like me, you may have sat in your pew during communion and watched people lining up to receive. Sometimes we may judge them because of the way they are dressed or because of their demeanor. We may have thought that they do not understand what they are doing and are not worthy to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. In the light of Jesus' parable and the mercy he has shown us, it is clear how ridiculous such an attitude is. The Eucharist is the celebration here on earth of that gathering of sinners first begun with Jesus' cross and resurrection which will be fulfilled in heaven. The invitation is extended to us if we can focus on God's mercy and love rather than our own accomplishments and what we think we've earned or deserve.

At the end of the day, it will be God's mercy which will be praised. For who could ever accomplish so much as to eclipse the wonder, power and love of God? Who could ever be so great as to enter heaven and command more praise than God himself?

Beyond the hedges

2007-09-18T12:27:00.000-04:00

Two sons. Their father is a landowner wealthy with cattle and teaming with servants. The sons labor on their father's property hoping that one day it will be theirs. But they both keep an eye over the hedges surrounding the property wondering whether something better awaits them beyond it. Nonetheless, they are loyal to their father and faithful to his wishes.

Then the day comes when one of them can stand it no longer. Tired of working and tired of waiting, he demands his inheritance in full and storms off to that far away land and the pleasures it promises. The other son, perhaps shocked at his brother's boldness, stays behind to help his father. Maybe he feels stuck as though there are no other options for him now that he is the only one left to help the old man. Or maybe he rubs his hands together knowing that now all the property will be his without having to split it with his prodigal brother.

Then, his brother returns. The older son is scandalized and offended by his father's forgiveness and mercy. We realize that, though the brother never physically left his father's house, in his heart he was long gone. He lived and worked in his father's house, but didn't really know his father. Maybe he thought that all his work and sacrifice would earn him his father's love. He couldn't understand that he had that love already, and that his work and sacrifice should be a generous and joyful response to that love and generosity. Now the son finds himself on the outside when the celebration takes place. Now he becomes the son who left.

The older brother embodies what happens to us when religion becomes a matter of following rules instead of loving our Father. It becomes perfect Mass attendance without perfect conversion. Our body is in the pew, but are heart is looking over the hedge at the world and its empty promises. Sacrifice embitters us rather than freeing us for service. It becomes about what we are doing for God rather than what God is doing for us. And we begin to feel entitled to honors and recognition rather than surprised by grace.

Wonderfully, whether we packed our bags and took off or whether we have become blind to the riches of life in our Father's house, we can always return. That house is always there for us and a room is always prepared for us. We just have to expect that the same mercy which our Father lavishes on us so undeservedly will be lavished on our brother and sister as well. If we are so ready and eager to accept it for ourselves, we must be just as ready to extend it to our neighbor. Otherwise, we may find ourselves on the outside when the celebration takes place.

The Road to Jerusalem

2007-09-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

If Jesus has seemed more pointed, more demanding or even more somber over the past few Sundays, we must remember that we have reached the section of Luke's gospel in which Jesus has "set his face toward Jerusalem." Jerusalem and Jesus' imminent death there cast a shadow over all Jesus' words and deeds. He is well aware of what will happen at the end of this road, and he wants his disciples to be aware of it as well. Like the man building the tower or the king who set out to face his enemy, they must be aware of and prepared for the cost of following him.

Jesus understood - and we must understand - that even though his cross was something he would have to shoulder alone, even to the point of feeling abandoned by God, his disciples, if they were to grab hold of the salvation it offered, would have to themselves have some share in that suffering. And the first step on that journey is dropping everything else and everyone else.

Jesus' words in this weekend's gospel (Lk 14: 25-33) are so strong that they often bounce off us without much of a reaction. There seems to be no practical way of applying them to our life. Jesus cannot mean that we must turn our back on our father and mother whom we are commanded by God to honor. Even worse, it would be a scandal to abandon our spouses and our children!

But, if we were to look honestly at our lives in the light of Jesus' words, there is a truth we must recognize.

Our family may not always be around. Our parents will eventually die. We had a life before knowing our spouse, and it may happen that we will eventually lose our spouse. And our children will eventually grow up and move away.

No matter how many people we live with and no matter how many people are around us, we are ultimately alone.

The only relationship we can never lose is the one we have with Jesus. Though it seems the least tangible of our relationships, it is the most real. Any other relationship only has meaning if it deepens our relationship to him.

Jesus is challenging his listeners - us - to understand the cost of following him. We were created by God to follow Jesus to Jerusalem, to take up our Cross and join our suffering to Jesus' suffering so we can also rejoice in his victory over sin and death. That is the meaning of our lives. And everything else and everyone else in our lives has value in as much as they help us on that journey.

Once we grasp this, we don't become less attentive fathers, less loving mothers, dead beat husbands or distracted wives. When we order our relationships along the lines of Jesus' call to follow him, those relationships actually take on deeper meaning. When I see my marriage as a gift, I no longer take my spouse for granted. When I see my children as a mission, I no longer try to live vicariously through them. And instead of blaming my parents for all the dysfunction in my life, I am grateful that they did their best to give me all I have.

There is no getting around it. If Jesus is our Creator made flesh and our Redeemer perfected in suffering, then we must follow him despite the cost. Each of us will live Jesus' words in a different way. But the road will lead to the same place -- to Jerusalem, the city of God and the place of our salvation.

Falling Down

2007-09-03T19:48:00.000-04:00

Life is good at humbling us.

Just when we think we are the best, someone better comes along. Just when we think we know our jobs better than anyone else, an issue comes up that makes us look incompetent. Just when we think we are mature in our faith, we cave into a temptation which leaves us empty and bewildered.

Many times, we replace that wounded pride with bitterness. Many times, envy of others fills the space left behind by our deflated egos.

During this past week in response to this Sunday's readings, I have been trying to look at my past and present failures in a different way. Rather than let them be causes for shame and embarrassment, I am thankful for them. Because of my mistakes, I could abandon the pretense of being perfect. I have learned that the people who love me are willing to forgive me and to continue to love me despite my imperfections. Most especially, my failures have taught me to be patient with and compassionate toward those who are struggling.

We have to be careful when reading this Sunday's gospel (Lk 14: 1, 7-14) not to interpret it as an etiquette lesson. Luke calls Jesus' words a "parable" because they are telling us something about how God acts. God lifts up those who are lowly. It is when we are at our lowest that God can finally meet us.

Most importantly, it is when we are at our lowest that we see how quickly we can lose the esteem of others. At that point, we see how irreplaceable is the love of God which we can never lose.

So, at those times when we look like idiots in front of others or something happens to make us the subject of gossip, we have to first thank God for the opportunity to know what it is like to be humbled. We have to remember those who are humbled every day by their poverty or sickness. And we have to beg God that peace, joy and forgiveness may flood in where pride, self-assurance and contempt once held their ground in our hearts.

In that way, we can take our place at the wedding banquet which is the Eucharist. This Sunday's second reading (Heb.12: 18-19, 22-24) calls Jesus' blood more eloquent than the blood of Abel. Abel's blood called out to God for justice, and so Cain was cursed and ostracized. Jesus' blood calls out to God for mercy so we may be forgiven and restored to intimacy. However, we cannot reach out for mercy if we think we have the power to be good on our own or if we have failed to be merciful with others.

Getting knocked down is just the opportunity we need to finally give up on thinking we have it all figured out and to reach out for God's hand which has been there all along.

Litany of Humility by Cardinal Merry del Val

2007-09-02T20:34:00.001-04:00

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
hear me!

From the desire of being esteemed,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen, and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised, and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Amen.

Acquarello di Marisol

2007-08-29T19:13:00.000-04:00

Feeling Left Out

2007-08-26T13:18:00.001-04:00

Feeling left out is one of the most painful of human experiences. We are social beings and long to belong and feel accepted. When we are rejected, ridiculed or ignored because of the color of our skin, because of the way we look, because of the way we talk or because of our economic status, it is among the most humiliating of our memories.

To fit in, I have sometimes compromised myself and my beliefs. I have acted in ways that are contrary to my conscience so others would accept me. I have so feared the rejection and ridicule that society threatens to those who won't conform that I have not always been true to myself.

But there is a new society breaking into human history. There is a new community being gathered by the Word of God. Jesus' death and resurrection has made it possible that those whom the world rejects can find a new home. In Jesus' day it was the leper, the tax collector and the adulterer. In today's world, it's the homosexual who seeks to live a chaste life, it's the person who earns less but gives more, it's the divorced person who longs for communion with God and it's the victim who chooses forgiveness over revenge. God is gathering such people in his quest to renew the earth.

Now, I have a decision to make. Whose friendship do I desire? In whose company do I wish to be found when the doors are closed for the night? I can't be in both places at the same time. What do I desire more? Are the pleasures offered by the beautiful people so valuable that I am willing to exchange my ideals, my principles and beliefs -- essentially, my soul -- for them? Or am I to prefer the society of those who are saved by the One Who created me with those ideals, principles and beliefs?

The gate is narrow. There are some who will not be strong enough to enter. There will be some on the outside because the master does not know where they are from.

Why wouldn't the master know where they are from? Because he doesn't recognize their ideals, principles and beliefs.

Why might we not be strong enough to enter? Because we have never strengthened our muscles by defending and fighting for our ideals, principles and beliefs?

And, why might the gate be too narrow for us? Because we are too bloated from feasting on the world's riches, pleasures and vanities at the expense of our soul.

God is offering me eternal friendship with Him through Jesus. To be sure, it is in exchange for my ideals, principles and values. Not that I abandon them, for he created me with them. He requires that I grow in them and develop them along the lines of His will.

To be on the inside with God, I have to be on the outside with the world. I have to be cast out by the world to be cast into the net of the fishers of men.

Jesus humbled himself to the point of death among thieves so that he could gather what was lost. If I do not humble myself and join the lost, I cannot be found.

The Eucharist is the feast of poor souls. Its dry bread cannot compare to the juicy steaks we'd expect at the Capital Grill or the creamy pastas we'd enjoy at Capriccio's. The sips of wine we wash it down with are closer to the homeless person's ripply than the rich man's bourdeau. But, for those of us on the outside, we see our opportunity to both be poor like Jesus by sharing His meal with sinners and to be rich like Jesus in His intimacy with God. We get a taste of where we are from and where we belong, and we are ushered in by Jesus to the Master's house before the door is bolted fast behind us.

Marisol's Pre-School Graduation

2007-05-16T20:44:00.000-04:00

Classroom Doodle

2007-05-05T16:03:00.000-04:00

Have we learned nothing?

2007-04-28T10:15:00.000-04:00

The recent discussion - or lack thereof - regarding Darfur is eerily reminiscent of the run-up to the Iraq war. Lest we forget, let's review why the invasion of Iraq was a mistake, and why sending troops to Darfur would also be a mistake.

1) Sudan did not attack us on 9/11.

Our country has a history of using an attack by one nation to justify an attack on another. Unfortunately, Iraq isn't the only example. We declared war on Germany even though they didn't attack us at Pearl Harbor. And, if we don't smarten up, it looks as though Sudan is next in line.

2) Give sanctions time to work.

We only gave sanctions against Iraq twelve years to work before our rush to war. And we haven't even tried sanctions against Sudan. Before even considering intervening in Darfur, the United Nations should draw up a regimen of sanctions which should be given at least twelve years to work.

3) Question the intelligence.

Why is no one questioning whether genocide really is taking place in Darfur? Are we willing to send our young men and women to die because George Clooney took pictures of some poor people in the desert? The presence of weapons of mass destruction was no "slam dunk" in Iraq, and genocide in Darfur, I dare say, may not be a "slam dunk" until more evidence is forthcoming. The United Nations should be allowed to send inspectors who are given time to investigate the evidence.

4) Follow the money.

"Beware the military-industrial complex." A lot of money was made in the invasion of Iraq. Who stands to benefit if we invade Sudan? What economic interest does the Hollywood crowd have in pushing this "intervention"? Before committing troops, let's make sure we are clear on who stands to gain monetarily.

If we fail to stand up now and vocally oppose the invasion of Darfur, then we will have learned nothing.

Doodle from old high school notebook

2007-04-24T20:39:00.000-04:00

Latest crayon masterpiece

2007-04-21T09:22:00.000-04:00

This Year's Christmas Tree

2006-12-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

Froggy went a courtin', and he did ride..uh huh

2006-10-08T11:08:00.000-04:00

Sunset on The Weweantic River

2006-10-04T21:19:00.000-04:00

Yo! Elvira!

2006-08-24T18:59:00.000-04:00

Spooky

2006-08-21T21:09:00.000-04:00

Baby Powder Ghost

2006-08-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

The Forgotten Menace

2006-08-16T19:36:00.000-04:00

In today's world, there's much to be afraid of. With terrorism and global warming threatening our existence, it's natural to push other concerns out of our mind, even if they are more looming and immediate.

Nonetheless, we have to ask ourselves, whatever became of talk about the killer bees?

Several decades ago, an African bee was let loose in the rain forests of Brazil. It made the queen bees swoon with its African mojo. And now, hordes of these Africanized killer bees are poised to invade the United States.

Of course, Big Honey would have you think that there's nothing to worry about. They tell us that most of the United States is protected by the winter freeze.

But, have you ever thought that global warming will eventually strip us of that seasonal barrier exposing us to an onslaught of invaders from the South?

Have you ever thought that while we are so busy worrying about global warming and illegal immigrants, these African bees are slowly infiltrating our environment to increasingly devastating effect?

All the while, Big Honey is raking in record breaking profits.

When will our political leaders and scientists stop distracting us with talk about global warming, the new ice age or whatever and begin facing the forgotten menace -- killer bees?

My girls on the deck

2006-08-13T09:09:00.000-04:00

Couldn't wait to use the bathroom....sorry

2006-08-12T08:39:00.000-04:00

At our favorite restaurant

2006-07-25T21:50:00.000-04:00

Christmas in July

2006-07-16T12:12:00.000-04:00

The journey inward

2006-07-13T22:00:00.000-04:00

In days of old, when people lived simpler lives, Church architecture reflected the grandeur and triumph of heaven.

Church spires were unrivaled in their height. The ceilings drew one's eyes to heaven and inspired awe.

Nowadays, when "awesome" means "above average", it is simplicity in design which draws a spiritual response.

To a generation over-stimulated, the invitation must be to quiet and solitude.

Today's spiritual person seeks the journey inward, not the journey upward.

Marisol's First Day of School

2006-07-10T18:33:00.000-04:00

...the champagne of beers

2006-07-07T17:13:00.000-04:00

One of our favorite local restaurants is the Back Eddy on the banks of the Westport River.

Obviously, the riverfront ambience provides the main draw.

As a mostly summer seafood establishment, the feel is casual and vacation-like.

I always order the shore dinner -- a quart of steamed clams with a small lobster.

Their clam chowder, in a light broth, makes a good appetizer.

And to wash it all down with? Narragansett Beer.

I had thought this beer to be extinct -- gone the way of Colt 45 and Pabst Blue Ribbon. But it has maintained a habitat at the Back Eddy in king size cans.

Once the proud sponsor of Wide World of Sports and Saturday morning wrestling, it has retired in obscurity to the banks of the Westport River.

My next album

2006-07-04T08:39:00.000-04:00

Unlike naming a band, arriving at titles for songs is the easy part.

If I were to put out a jazz album, these would be the titles of the songs:

- Abhortion
- Second Hand Flatulence
- Chordzilla
- 6-10 Connector
- White Man's Pork
- Nectar of the Frauds
- Phlegmengo
- Psycho de Mayo
- Weir Grammar
- Slab Ranch Heaven
- Odd Bodkins
- Phi Beta Puta

Maybe someday I'll actually get around to writing the songs.

Rosie working on her social skills

2006-06-20T09:25:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day

2006-06-18T09:10:00.000-04:00

The Human Fly

2006-06-16T22:40:00.000-04:00

Marisol's poncho

2006-06-15T19:14:00.000-04:00

Dough Boy

2006-06-14T22:09:00.000-04:00

Feliz Cumpleanos, Boots!

2006-06-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

Today was Boots' birthday.

Dora was there along with Tico the squirrel, Bennie the bull and Isa the salamander.

They celebrated with a pinata and a cake sporting a banana shaped candle (delicioso!).

But, one character was conspicuous in his absence -- Swiper the Fox.

Every neighborhood has a character like Swiper. He's the kid who spray paints an obscenity on your house after you've finished painting it or takes a crap in your pool. He's miserable, and he wants everyone else to be miserable too.

So, I don't blame Dora for not inviting Swiper.With a killjoy like that around, the banana candle and the pinata just wouldn't be safe.

But, I can't help thinking that, if just once, someone invited him to join the fun, he wouldn't feel as if he had to ruin it. Maybe if someone gave him a toy or a gift, he wouldn't think he had to swipe it.

So, feliz cumpleanos, Boots! But, this time, save a piece of banana cake for Swiper the fox.

Poor Rosie

2006-06-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

Sung to the tune of: "Nestor, the Long Eared Christmas Donkey"

Rosie is a doggie

Who never laughs or plays;

'cause all day long she finds herself

locked inside a cage.

Rosie's heart is broken

and she doesn't know the answer.

if only her first owner

didn't go and die of cancer

Marisol -- a budding artist

2006-06-11T09:19:00.000-04:00

Lauren & Rosie

2006-06-10T11:21:00.000-04:00

I was in a band once....

2006-06-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

You would think that the hardest thing about being in a band would be learning the songs and setting up the equipment.

Well, it isn't.

The hardest thing about being in a band is choosing a name.

My band finally settled on "Romper Room".

In our defense, every band name sounds queer until the band is famous. It is well known that Eric Clapton told Jimmy Page that he thought the name "Led Zeppelin" was "gay" (his words).

Of course, there was nothing gay about the name "Cream".

Anyway, if you think "Romper Room" is lame, check out our rejects:

- The Bone Blankets
- Brown Trout
- Pink Taco City
- The Hi Men
- Tastes Like Chicken
- The Balls
- Pap Smear
- Witch's Tit
- Funk Bomb
- Disco Inferno
- Closed for the Season
- Tallywacker
- Angel of Torture
- Blica

As Tres Marias

2006-06-08T19:22:00.000-04:00

"Sir, we want to see Jesus"

2006-06-07T17:38:00.000-04:00

A committed Christian, sometime in his or her life, must wonder what it would be like to live in Jesus' time and meet Jesus face to face.

Of course, that's because we expect that meeting Jesus would be a deeply moving experience. We would be like little Zacarias whom Jesus calls down from the tree to have supper with or like the blind man whom Jesus cures. At the very least, we'd expect to witness a miracle.

But, not everyone who met Jesus had a deeply moving experience. Just ask the guy whose pigs Jesus sent flying off the cliff or the money lenders at the temple what their experience of Jesus was like.

I wonder alot about those money lenders. One of them had probably just gotten laid off at the matza factory and landed this gig in the temple. And along comes Jesus who knocks over the tables and sends him packing. When he explains all this to his boss, not only does he get fired, but he has to pay for the damages. Then, back at the temple, the worshippers have no one to borrow money or get pidgeons from, so they have to go to the money lenders outside the temple who are charging more now that Jesus waylaid their competition.

Anyway, with my luck, if I were to meet Jesus he'd probably call me a "viper" or a "hypocrite". Or, my experience of Jesus might be very ordinary, and I'd be stuck having to spend the rest of my life in first century Palestine.

I got a chance to meet Mother Theresa once, and I expected it to be very moving. But, she just looked at me and moved on to the next person. Don't get me wrong -- she was polite, but not moving. I imagine it must be hard when everyone expects you to give them a moving experience.

So, I think Jesus made a great point to Thomas when he said, "You believe because you see me. Blessed are those who do not see and yet believe." Two thousand years after the historical Jesus I can know Him through the Bible, through the teaching of the Church and through the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, I have the benefit of two thousand years of interpretation of the Scripture both by those who have taught it and by those who have lived it. And I don't have to wear a toga or eat camel meat.

That's good enough for me.

Let's Play "Puta"...it's easy and it's fun

2006-06-06T19:11:00.000-04:00

Here's a fun variation on traditional 7 card stud.

Deal out the 7 cards to each player in the traditional way (2 down, 4 up, 1 down).

When the Queen of Spades (the puta) is dealt down ("in the hole") to any player, it becomes a wild card. Only the Queen of Spades is wild in this case.

When the Queen of Spades is dealt up to any player, that player must fold.

To build up the pot, have everyone fold when the puta shows up. Re-ante and start all over.

Also, to build up the drama of 7 card no-peek, try playing it puta-style.

So...when the dealer button comes your way, show some balls and call out, "Puta!"

http://www.pagat.com/vying/poker.html

Do you think the Rolling Stones Suck??

2006-06-05T18:28:00.000-04:00

Do you think the Rolling Stones suck because they haven't put out a good album in over 30 years?

Or....are you tired of hearing "Satisfaction", "Start Me Up", and "Jumping Jack Flash"?

Well...here's a list of the best Rolling Stones songs you have never heard or haven't heard in a long time.

1) "Little T & A": I don't even know which album this is from. I think it was the B side on the "Start Me Up" 45'. Anyway, it's their last good song.

2) "100 Years Ago": This is from the Goat's Head Soup album in the early '70's. The hard driving guitar licks throughout this song make it worth getting the whole album just to hear it. While you're at it, take a listen to "Why do you hide your love?".

3) "You've Got the Silver": While not as good as "Gimme Shelter" which gets alot of airplay and while definitely not as good as "Monkey Man" which at least gets some airplay, this song is among their best. Though I'm not a fan of their country style songs, this is still among their best obscure songs. When you listen to Let it Bleed make sure not to miss "Live With Me".

4) "Hand of Fate": Like "100 Years Ago", "Hand of Fate" is a great song on a shitty album (Black & Blue). But, it is still worth getting the album for the song. And, like "100 Years Ago", the guitar solo makes the song. Check out, "Memory Motel" since you shelled out $17.

5) "Stray Cat Blues": I am tempted to say that this is the Rolling Stones best song. It has a driving riff, a pounding piano, heavy percussion and great guitar work. You cannot play this song enough. You'll recognize "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man" when you listen to Beggar's Banquet, but be sure not to miss "Prodigal Son".

6) "Loving Cup": For some reason, critics rave about Exile on Main Street. In my opinion, it is one of their most average albums. It would have been their worst album up to that point if it hadn't been for Her Satanic Majesty's Request. Since most people cannot name two songs on the album, I'm probably right. "Torn and Frayed" and "Ventilator Blues" are other good cuts on this album.

7) "Sway": It's easy to overlook "Sway" with so many great songs on Sticky Fingers like "Can't You Hear Me Knocking", "Bitch" and "Sister Morphine". But it's among their best songs, nonetheless.

8) "Respectable" Some Girls was the first Rolling Stones album I ever bought. And I thought it was great until I heard the others. "Respectable" is good, but it's not worth buying the album for.

I suppose I could come up with a couple more songs to make this a list of ten songs, but why? We've already mentioned all the great ones. There are a couple of older songs which may be worth mentioning like "Stoned" and "Sad Day".

Nonetheless, I can promise you this. No one would be able to put together a list of eight good Rolling Stones songs from the last twenty-five years.

Tryclops

2006-06-04T20:29:00.000-04:00

2006-06-04T17:21:00.000-04:00

This looks great! I love you and your new blogger!

Jack Russell Terror

2006-06-04T16:58:00.000-04:00

Rosie on a rampage!!!

My daughter & Me -- July 4, 2005

2006-06-04T07:45:00.000-04:00

NOTHING LIKE LOBSTER & CLAMS IN THE GARAGE!

My family at Downtown Disney, August 2005

2006-06-03T20:02:00.000-04:00