On my last post I commented about how in America you really can't speak politics without the conversation degenerating into arguments. Oh how close the arrow strikes!
I was in New York last week and one of my colleagues commented that his wife and best friend of over 30 years parted ways... over the presidential election.
Now I will grant that I'm not an Obama fan for many reasons.
- his support of abortion
- government funding of abortion, aborifacients (medicine that causes abortion, including birth control meds)
- his belief that government creates jobs (yes government can create jobs, but private sector creates wealth)
- this notion that all our problems will be fixed if we tax the wealthy (It doesn't work except to create animosity and jealousy between the have nots and the have's)
- a health care reform that includes contraceptive drugs mandated to be covered by institutions that have a religious or moral opposition to it (Contraception drugs are also one class of drugs that doesn't treat an illness. It treats a normally functional organ to act abnormally which violates the purpose of medicine - to heal.) A vasectomy is a form of mutilation but is a covered procedure. A vasectomy reversal on the other hand, restores the organs to their normal functional state and is the healing procedure which is the procedure not covered. Does that make sense to anyone?
- his epic fail to reach across a divide because he's full of pride and if you don't agree with him, he gets angry
That being said, he was elected by the majority of the country, by a small fraction but nevertheless by the country. The failure belongs to the country. If we are to change course, it will be through hearts and minds. It will be one person at a time. Do you know why 40 Days for Life has been so successful? Do you know what it is?
40 Days for Life is an organization of people who peaceably pray, fast and give alms twice a year. Well they do this all year but it's organized twice a year. They target abortion facilities. The key is they do something nonsensical by normal standards. They pray, one person at a time outside of an abortion facility. The prayer "warriors" many times don't even know each other but they show up for 40 days to quietly pray and be a presence for the unborn child. They are changing hearts and minds with this nonsensical power of prayer. They are doing this and changing hearts, one heart at a time and not through political muscle.
So for my friends out there disappointed with the presidential election, I say this:
Reconcile with your brothers and sisters, your friends and neighbors. We will get through this because this too shall pass and let this be a reminder not to put your faith in things that pass. Have faith, trust and hope in God. He is good. All the time.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
My daily med: You dirty rotten scoundrel
I write about anger quite a bit because I suppose that's what I struggle with the most. I have plenty of other things to work on but anger is a recurring theme in my posts so I was particularly struck by today's reading from Lk 17:11-19, about the ten lepers. It says:
They stood some way off and called to him, "Jeusus! Master! Take pity on us" When he saw them he said, "Go and show your selves to the priests".
As they were going away one of them noticed he was cleansed so he returned, praising God and Jesus comments:
"Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems none has come back to give praise to God but this foreigner."
First thing is if you don't know, the foreigner was a samaritan, the enemy of the Jews. They avoided each other typically. Imagine one was a republican and the other a democrat. The one thing you don't ever want to discuss with an American is politics. If you are from the other party, forget it, there is no discussion. The talk will denegrate to heated arguments if you are of the opposite thinking. There is no persuasion. There is no understanding. There is bigotry. There is hatred. There are preconceived notions of the other. The one side screams of tolerance, yet they are intolerant of those who disagree with them resorting ultimately to prejudice. The other side is no better, presuming the heart and mind of the other, discounting their beliefs and resorting also to prejudice. Yet, when they are threatened, when they are both equally affected, they come together to seek help.They rebuild for example, just like they are doing in New York city.
The other thing about the lepers is that they were required to announce their presence to give others the opportunity to flee ahead of them because their disease was seen as contagious and no one wanted it. This is why they stand far off from Jesus. Even today leprosy is incurable. It can be controlled now with hygiene but there is no cure. Jesus frees them but only the foreigner returns to praise God. Was Jesus angry that only one returned? If he was, his anger turned towards disappointment.
In those who can't control their anger, it's usually the other way around. See how when God is not the center of your universe, you get all turned around? Those who can't seem to manage their anger will find that their disappointment turns to anger. Jesus on the other hand can't resist a cry for pity. The soul in need is an obligation on his part to help. He doesn't need to be convinced. His heart is moved by people's need. Love can't hold back when it sees people in need.
The leper's cry for help is in stark contrast to the Pharisees who stubbornly refuse to call Jesus master. Who refuse his help because they were strong, healthy, talented and self-sufficient. The lepers had no other alternative but to acknowledge their utter helplessness. As a result they received the transforming grace of God. The Pharisees in fact, don't even see their error and on the contrary, consider themselves in communion with God. This alone should make us stop and consider our own relationship with the Lord.
I wonder at it all with simple gratitude.
They stood some way off and called to him, "Jeusus! Master! Take pity on us" When he saw them he said, "Go and show your selves to the priests".
As they were going away one of them noticed he was cleansed so he returned, praising God and Jesus comments:
"Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems none has come back to give praise to God but this foreigner."
First thing is if you don't know, the foreigner was a samaritan, the enemy of the Jews. They avoided each other typically. Imagine one was a republican and the other a democrat. The one thing you don't ever want to discuss with an American is politics. If you are from the other party, forget it, there is no discussion. The talk will denegrate to heated arguments if you are of the opposite thinking. There is no persuasion. There is no understanding. There is bigotry. There is hatred. There are preconceived notions of the other. The one side screams of tolerance, yet they are intolerant of those who disagree with them resorting ultimately to prejudice. The other side is no better, presuming the heart and mind of the other, discounting their beliefs and resorting also to prejudice. Yet, when they are threatened, when they are both equally affected, they come together to seek help.They rebuild for example, just like they are doing in New York city.
The other thing about the lepers is that they were required to announce their presence to give others the opportunity to flee ahead of them because their disease was seen as contagious and no one wanted it. This is why they stand far off from Jesus. Even today leprosy is incurable. It can be controlled now with hygiene but there is no cure. Jesus frees them but only the foreigner returns to praise God. Was Jesus angry that only one returned? If he was, his anger turned towards disappointment.
In those who can't control their anger, it's usually the other way around. See how when God is not the center of your universe, you get all turned around? Those who can't seem to manage their anger will find that their disappointment turns to anger. Jesus on the other hand can't resist a cry for pity. The soul in need is an obligation on his part to help. He doesn't need to be convinced. His heart is moved by people's need. Love can't hold back when it sees people in need.
The leper's cry for help is in stark contrast to the Pharisees who stubbornly refuse to call Jesus master. Who refuse his help because they were strong, healthy, talented and self-sufficient. The lepers had no other alternative but to acknowledge their utter helplessness. As a result they received the transforming grace of God. The Pharisees in fact, don't even see their error and on the contrary, consider themselves in communion with God. This alone should make us stop and consider our own relationship with the Lord.
I wonder at it all with simple gratitude.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
In your will is my peace
Your will. Not mine. My will makes me angry when things don't turn out the way I want them.
I tried to go to mass this morning. I'm traveling, out of the country again and found a beautiful cathedral with 7am mass. After finding the place and parking I made my way to the chapel. The doors were locked.
I walked around the cathedral thinking perhaps I had the wrong door. After I walked around the entire blocks surrounding the cathedral (it was a large cathedral) I ended up back where I started and knocked on the parish office doors. Apparently the doors I tried were the right ones and he told me to try again but by this point it was 7:15 and mass was well underway.
I tried again, locked again and I just walked away. I was pretty hot when I left. Here I am trying my best to make it to mass. Why? Honestly, because I need Jesus every day and when I don't have an opportunity to see him, to have him: body, blood, soul and divinity into my person then it's just a pitiful day. He orients me in the right direction every single time. So I was more than disappointed that I had to walk away without the eucharist.
Then I thought, "in your will is my peace". Sometimes things don't turn out the way we plan or the way we would like. The morning prayer was from Job:
"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb,
and naked I shall go back again.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord!
We accept good things from God;
and should we not accept evil?"
That is today's prayer. You can't make this up folks! Today when the election results showed that the headlines are that Abortion, Gay Marriage and Marijuana won in the election, (I'm out of the country and this is what made the headlines! And people here are rejoicing.) this was the morning prayer. I smiled. Our God is good. All the time.
Yes, we do accept good things from God and we should also accept the evil things. We don't have to like them and we don't have to approve them but we do accept them as much as He permits them.
One thing to bear in mind is that while Job accepted the evil, he never, ever, ever gave up. In the end he was vindicated. Perhaps we too need to be reminded to never give up when faced with evils.
I tried to go to mass this morning. I'm traveling, out of the country again and found a beautiful cathedral with 7am mass. After finding the place and parking I made my way to the chapel. The doors were locked.
I walked around the cathedral thinking perhaps I had the wrong door. After I walked around the entire blocks surrounding the cathedral (it was a large cathedral) I ended up back where I started and knocked on the parish office doors. Apparently the doors I tried were the right ones and he told me to try again but by this point it was 7:15 and mass was well underway.
I tried again, locked again and I just walked away. I was pretty hot when I left. Here I am trying my best to make it to mass. Why? Honestly, because I need Jesus every day and when I don't have an opportunity to see him, to have him: body, blood, soul and divinity into my person then it's just a pitiful day. He orients me in the right direction every single time. So I was more than disappointed that I had to walk away without the eucharist.
Then I thought, "in your will is my peace". Sometimes things don't turn out the way we plan or the way we would like. The morning prayer was from Job:
"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb,
and naked I shall go back again.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
blessed be the name of the Lord!
We accept good things from God;
and should we not accept evil?"
That is today's prayer. You can't make this up folks! Today when the election results showed that the headlines are that Abortion, Gay Marriage and Marijuana won in the election, (I'm out of the country and this is what made the headlines! And people here are rejoicing.) this was the morning prayer. I smiled. Our God is good. All the time.
Yes, we do accept good things from God and we should also accept the evil things. We don't have to like them and we don't have to approve them but we do accept them as much as He permits them.
One thing to bear in mind is that while Job accepted the evil, he never, ever, ever gave up. In the end he was vindicated. Perhaps we too need to be reminded to never give up when faced with evils.
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