Daily Reflections
by Al Fritsch, S.J.

December 1, 2004 Ten Ways to Get Ready for Winter

Older folks find winter so troublesome that the ones who can
afford it flee south on I-75 and I-95 like the Canadians and the
geese. Those wise northern dwellers know that warm seasons are
best spent in cooler climes, and winter in warmer ones. In fact,
the fuel to go from one place to the other and back is less than
that required by summer cooling in Florida or winter warming in
Ontario. The great majority of us do not want to tip North America
into the Caribbean, and so we stay put in our homes. Can we still
raise our winter life's quality a little higher? The following are
ten ways we might consider:

1. Insulate the hidden places which were forgotten last year,
for example, the cracks under doors or the outlets for electricity.

2. Wear warmer clothes, maybe some of the newer fabrics which
wick well and still keep the body dry. A new purchase or visit to
a used clothes place may help enhance the wardrobe.

3. Exercise outdoors daily when possible. It is a mistake to
stay completely indoors, and expect that the weather will not
affect us on infrequent ventures outside. Staying indoors on
sleety days is virtually unavoidable, otherwise let's go out.

4. Store food supplies for about two weeks which need only
minimal cooking in case you are stranded by a storm.

5. Automobiles should be well maintained with proper oil, tire
treads, clean air and gas filter. Ensure there are a flashlight,
blanket, and other emergency materials.

6. Stay home and do less travel. If you must travel, avail
yourself of highway conditions, listen or watch the weather
reports, and stay on top of the current weather maps.

7. Reading matter that has been saved up through the more active
months is now perfect for perusing. 

8. Bird feeding is a rare winter pleasure that is good for those
who stay through the colder seasons. Feeding wildlife may make
them dependent on us, but where birds are concerned, we have
already so damaged their normal habitats that feeding is only
partial compensation.

9. Auxiliary utilities need to be checked -- wood stove, bottled
gas for food cookers, stored extra supplies of water, and solar
units for lighting.

10. Snow removal equipment is an area of special attention --
shovels, boots, scrapers, sand, and deicing agents (use salt
sparingly, if at all due to harm to green space). Older people
should be on guard, if not accustomed to sudden physical exercise.

December 2, 2004 Values, Life and Politics

The basis of this reflection is from two talks given in
Pennsylvania in October just prior to the national election. 
Since giving them I have had time to mull over the recent
elections. The number one determinant in that election in the
testimony of exit polls is that of "values voters" gave far more
votes to the President. However, at the risk of being partisan, I
will try to review values which were not regarded by many of that
group of voters. 

Protecting Life and Environment -- the ultimate life question. 
Life is at the heart of all values-oriented parties and
individuals. But the focus or emphasis may be different. How can
we talk about protecting the fetus without protecting the Earth
itself? Without a healthy Earth no one can come to full fruition
whether unborn or those adults around awhile. How can someone say
they are "for life" and fail to promote the Kyoto Treaty to limit
greenhouse gases? It is hardly possible granting the immense
dangers to the fragile environment on which all earthly life
depends.

Respect for life. Together with this primary concern for
life, comes a second that adds respecting all life, including the
plants and animals and those who have no one else to defend them. 
Respect is expressed in how we treat the world around us. To waste
and misuse precious resources is a maximum form of disrespect,
extending throughout the whole web of life from bacteria to wales.

Respect those in charge of life. The human and other forms
of life are so precious that every effort must be undertaken to
teach people to respect what is entrusted to them. And each of us
has an entrustment, a sacred duty to take care of what we have. 
Allowing others to take over that personal entrusting is a form of
disrespect for the values each must hold. I have come to this last
principle through work on the ethics of tobacco use; I have become
aware that we cannot physically force a pregnant smoker who is
deliberately (mitigated by addictive behavior) hurting her fetus to
stop smoking. We must help remove the circumstances that cause her
to smoke, not throw her into a guarded cell so she can't smoke
until after the birth. This openness to change is a correct set of
choices which has ramifications in this whole debate.

Circumstances that enhance life. A guaranteed just minimum
wage, health insurance coverage by all, and a social net that
allows for rearing children with no major economic disadvantage are
all ways to reduce the enticements to abortion and to encourage the
bringing of children into the world. Some like Dean Mark Roche of
Notre Dame quotes the 11 percent reduction in abortion from the
Reagan/Bush years to the Clinton years with observations. Those
statistics might be far better improved by better social conditions
in our nation in the coming years -- but it will take an authentic
pro-life stance to make this possible. 

December 3, 2004 The God Within

When we function as balanced human beings we have within
ourselves three people: a hands persons, a head person and a heart
person. The three "h's" form a harmony when working together and
being of service to others. It is easy to see the hands: they
push brooms and pick up garbage. They build and repair, restore
and preserve. The hands work together with head and heart, but are
most important for humans as most other animals do not have similar
dexterity. The hands symbolize the Creator in all of us -- though
some people with great effort, can even create without hands. In
some ways the hands come first. The head person within us directs
the movement of service, organizes the hands to proper action, and
speaks a word of encouragement to others. The head is involved in
reflection on the works of the hands and proceeds after the hands. 
The heart takes it all in, and with the work of hands and the
reflection of the head, it gives a sense of belonging and love to
the services we perform. Does it come after the hands and head?

Quibbling. Some would contest the sequence, and say the head
comes first. Such people are almost always associated with
academia -- where the head has immense value. Without a good head
one could not think and speak a word to the world -- but, in
reality, head follows the work of the hands and gives it reason for
being. Others would say the heart is first, and in some way they
are right. But in the harmony of service that we perform, it is
the heart that is touched by going out to others and planning to
say good things to them. We find that words cannot express it all,
and so must muster up the resources of the heart to truly respond. 
However, arguments about which come first are basically pointless. 
Quibbling only distracts us from the desired harmony in our work. 

A Harmony in our Service. St. Thomas and St. Augustine argued
from stances which showed the Trinity at work in the philosophical
activity of the human being. In some way, this basic insight taken
from Faith seeking understanding is what is done here but with a
difference. I am not arguing from the same data as they did but
from reflection upon an activist agenda, a position of political
and technological activism, of public participation and interaction
with other citizens, of humans' and other creatures' (plants and
animals) needs in the environmental spheres and the work we have
done to bring for crafts, arts, and reforms. From the stance of
the activist one can certainly find the interface of Earth and
heaven, of God's image within us and our response in humble action. 
It is a participation in the Trinity from within the unity of my
own being. 

My very integrity depends on the harmony I create, I restore,
and I promote to the rest of the world. Where will this lead? Are
there others who see Trinitarian action in their activism? The
inner balance in my own activities, those of mind and heart and
hands, actually shows the presence of God within -- the true source
of my enthusiasm. If balance exists, others will want to imitate
those who genuinely find, cherish and manifest the God within. 

December 4, 2004 Automobile Accidents

None of us want to experience one, but the unwanted and
unexpected could overtake us anytime we are either drivers or
passengers. Here are a set of things to do after an accident which
seem worth copying and putting in the glove compartment. Make sure
you have a flashlight, flares and up-to-date insurance papers in
the car which you are driving. Some people regard a cell phone as
an added piece of driving equipment, but that is disputed.

* Stay calm. Determine if anyone has been injured and requires
immediate medical attention. If necessary, call the emergency
number for an ambulance and police. 

* Reduce the possibility of further damage or injuries. Turn
on the hazard lights and, if possible, move everyone away from
traffic lanes. However, don't move seriously injured persons.

* Move cars, if operational, out of the traffic flow after
marking the road to show the cars' original position. Route
traffic around unmoved vehicles. Use flares or have someone signal
with a flashlight or cloth.

* Exchange basic information with anyone else involved in the
accident, namely, name, address, phone, registration numbers and
license plate numbers, as well as name and address of their
insurance companies or agents.

* Try to get name and phone numbers of witnesses for later
insurance settlement.

* Avoid discussing the accident particulars, or admitting
fault or answering questions about what happened. Save that for
the police and insurance agent. Don't tell the extent of your
insurance coverage, nor admit to being without injury.

* While awaiting the police assist the injured and then take
down accident notes about weather and road conditions, and anything
out of the ordinary about other cars and drivers. Include street
names, mile marker readings, traffic signals and directions of the
cars involved.

* When the police arrive, cooperate fully. Try to obtain a
copy of the official accident report or the file or item number for
your insurance company.

* As soon as possible, contact and report the accident to your
insurance company. The agent will give instructions on filing a
claim. If you later receive calls or letters from others in the
accident, forward them to your agent. Also keep the agent informed
of any new developments, added damage to your car, or new medical
expenses related to the accident.

* Amid it all, stay calm and patient. Accidents happen. 

December 5, 2004 Preparing the Way

A herald's voice in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord.
(Matthew 3:3)

Second Sunday of Advent. We speak of a longer-term spiritual
preparation for Christmas as it comes closer and closer. We strive
today to bring ourselves and others a sense of peace in a war-torn
world. We have relatives overseas in harms way; we know there is
no easy solution to Middle East conflicts. We hear the words of
Isaiah the prophet with ever greater clarity -- the coming messiah
would judge the poor with justice and decide aright for the land's
afflicted (Isaiah 11: 1-10). The peacemaking journey ahead may be
difficult, but we have a companion. We have one who shows us the
way, a way through justice to ultimate peace. 

John the Baptist. The last of the Old Testament prophets came
to preach reform which was needed in preparation for the advent of
the Messiah and to be the near or proximate preparation for
Christ's coming. John was dressed in camel's hair and ate wild
honey and grasshoppers, went into a wild area which could hardly
support anyone, and he spoke plainly and in getting people ready
for the coming of his cousin. He harkened back to Elijah the
prophet, a simple person with a mission and with evangelistic
fervor. And John prepared people for their journeys of faith. 

Called to be prophets. Through our baptism we are called to
bring the Good News or Gospel to others. We find in Scripture what
constitutes a true prophet:

* anointed or chosen by God for renewal of a people; 
* chosen from the ranks of ordinary people; 
* called to bear witness according to one's unique personality;
* directed to perform a public act and many times alone; 
* recruited to elicit a profound renewal from the audience; 
* willing to encounter difficulties in being heard; and
* not entirely successful and often persecuted. 

Simple evangelism. As Paul says (Romans 15) we are to search
for justice in what has been written for our instruction. All our
being is to focus on peacemaking activities and we are to use all
resources at hand. We have an urgent mission, saving our fellow
human beings and the Earth itself. For such focus we need to drive
energy efficient vehicles, eat wholesome food, and tone down home
heating in a healthy manner and thus through example show we are as
prophetic people. We need t speak out and show that religion is
not a private matter. Peacemaking is a public social enterprise
involving our whole being.

Justice. We often talk about justice but we are overly
tolerant of injustice in all its forms: in respect to prisoners,
those with no health insurance, the elderly, the persons in the
womb, the sick and forgotten both in America and the world. If we
desire peace we must help establish justice through prophetic
witnessing.. 

December 6, 2004 Hobbies, Crafts and Arts

Each year around the feast of St. Nicholas we are reminded
that craft products made by the giver are ideal Christmas gifts. 
However, this may not be reason enough for engaging in a hobby,
craft, or art. Productive leisure occupations should spring more
from the deeper reaches of the psyche and our creative urges. My
father carved extensively in his retirement years everything from
statues to bookends. Maybe doing things for a living -- being
professional artists and crafters -- is more serious business than
engaging in them as retirees, but both professionals and amateurs
can harbor immense pride and enjoyment in their work. 

Making the Right Choices. I regard gardening as a "hobby"
which yields much excess produce which become ideal gifts at
certain times of the year. But budding gardeners need at last a
minimal garden space, and basic requirements extend to all crafts
and hobbies. However, gardening has no permanent artifacts as
such, except perhaps the garden itself. All who are artists and
crafters foresee certain products, whether a collection or an
artifact. They need a certain determination, a skill at assembling
the right materials, an ability to express themselves well in the
art, and some skill at tooting their own horn at fairs, with the
media or through other publicity outlets. Artistic expression is
regarded as paramount for good art, and even for ordinary folks a
valid "primitive art" is sufficient and highly satisfying. 

Start Small. People may not persist who start a hobby on a
whim after reading a book and making major purchases at an art
materials shop. The selection is not a commercial process
acquired impulsively, but something that is within our bones and
requires a determination to endure. A friend and well recognized
professional artist, John Freda, started as an expatriate in Italy
with very simple art materials because he could not afford
expensive ones. He advises that, if you are creative, then make a
small investment in basic materials and produce something. If
encouraged to continue, then invest more. Excelling may require
academic or artistic courses and more advanced books as well.

Use Local Products. Consider selecting a hobby or craft which
makes use of locally available material whether products from
native trees, local pottery clay, or wool from one's sheep. For
making pine cone wreaths, one needs essential products such as
heavy cardboard, adhesive, shellac, tools (shears, pruners, pliers)
and heavy string. Select evergreen boughs, cones, nuts or seed
heads such as okra or thistle or other local materials. Sister
Helene Mertes, a fine crafter, suggests magnolia leaves (first
soaked in glycerin to soften), osage orange and milkweed pods. 
Materials are as varied as the imagination. Consider vines from
fox grape or kudzu. All the materials and design are made by good
crafters before fixing to the cardboard base. You have a product
which can hang as a Christmas decoration or be a gift. 
Congratulations, and it's fun.

December 7, 2004 Remembering

I remember the words of a World War II song "Remember Pearl
Harbor when the soldier went to fight." I stood on the church
steps on December 8th, 1941 and wondered with my classmates whether
the Germans would bomb New York or points closer. The war was to
become part of our lives for four years, even when actual warfare
was far away. To remember is often difficult and we are burdened
with allowing memory to slip with time, or to be edited and
softened. But those with good memories like to remember older
times and hold those memories sacred. To hold them is to grasp
past, to own it, to control it, and to use it as experience for
some future power base. To forget the past condemns us to
returning to similar conditions and opportunities with no regard to
experience learned. 

Collective Memory. We can have slippage of collective memory
as well as individual ones. We sympathize with those who endured
the Holocaust ordeal of the Second World War, and who now are
confronted with writers who say it did not exist. The great fear
is that people will not believe that it an awful experience
actually occurred. Yes, we can have such a fixation for the new
and the present moment and an aversion for the precious past. 
History becomes cobwebbed space that we flee from and tend to
forget. 

Recalling. Sometimes we regard the remembering process as
difficult, because it means recreating events in our lives as
though from scratch. Actually, memory is stored in the complex
webbing of our brain, and needs to be excited. Then memories can
flood back upon us. Our journey in life necessitates our storage
of these memories and then drawing them back for our direction,
comfort and pleasure. Perhaps we are slower to resuscitating them
because they do not come back as purely good memories, but are
mixed with those that we would like to forget. Overly selective
recall is not fully trusted, but it may be the best that we can
arrange at this stage in life. 

The Season to Remember. Certainly, smells of fried chicken or
new mown hay, and also sounds of a threshing machine, or lowing
cows bring back memories more than mere sights. Family events can
be part of our sacred memory. In order to recall the events of the
past, we make use of a variety of triggers. Histories of a
community, whether written or as oral history or as videotape
interviews with older persons, will all add to the reality of
living memory. People (especially old soldiers) seem to fade, as
do their memories. Growing older makes us conscious that our
physical appearance lacks the attractiveness of former times, and
yet we reverently hold past memories as sacred and thus deserving
of preservation. We encourage the younger generation to value its
elders, and to preserve the story of the past in an accessible
manner easily transmitted to future generations who have fresh but
limited memories. It's part of carrying on sacred traditions, and
the thought of Pearl Harbor or 9-11 triggers such recall.

December 8, 2004 Eve and Mary: The No and Yes

He went in and said to her, "Rejoice, so highly favored!
The Lord is with you." (Luke 1:28)

Honors and respect. The drama of salvation included two women
who appear in prominent places in our Sacred Tradition and
Scriptures -- the faith journey of our Church. One is Eve, the
mother of the living, and Mary, the mother of God. This week we
celebrate two events in honor of Mary. Today we celebrate the gift
of God to her at her first moment -- a gift that makes the first
moment of life so precious to us as Christians. The second, is
even a bigger feast of the Western Hemisphere, on Friday Our Lady
of Guadalupe. Juan Diego, the poor Mexican who, in 1531 received
the apparition of Mary, and was commissioned to pass it on to the
entire Church. At this time we honor all women able to do
something that the other half of our humankind cannot do, and that
is to exercise the gift of motherhood. However, all of us in the
gift of Baptism are able to share in being immaculately conceived
into the Church itself. Though remaining in that state is another
matter. 

Distant past. St. Paul tell us that in the wee first moments
of time we were all conceived in God's plan, a plan we must all
respect. The choice of freely acting human beings was in the mind
of God as were the many billions of people to be born and live and
die. But God's great gift of life is given in different ways to
all, for God's gift is freely given. We recognize the freedom of
divine giving and that we each have so much to be thankful for. 
The drama of the Eden event is retold today with the garden of
abundance, a tree of good and evil (much like our nuclear power),
and still our first parents said a definitive "no" to God's wishes.
We inherit that tendency. 

Mary is conceived immaculately and has God's full favor from
the beginning of time. Her soul is transparent, something a person
can look into and find the crystal of God's light shining out. We
too must try in our spiritual journey to see that our souls need
the transparency to allow God to be seen within us. This young
maiden of her culture and moment in history bore the longing of the
Chosen People for the coming of the Messiah. And God gave her a
special favor so she could answer "yes" to counter the definitive
"no" of our first parents. Mary was not trouble free. She would
be destined to be the mother of sorrows, in which a sword would
pierce. She allowed her son to follow his calling, leave home,
open his life of mission, and she stood beneath Calvary's cross.

Our application. We are called to see the fullness of our
Baptism, to regard it as a gift from God, to imitate the purity of
Mary. Just as Mary makes haste to assist her cousin Elizabeth, so
we rediscover how to say "yes" to God in our own lives here and
now. Just as Mary was totally open and committed through her
"yes", so we ask the grace of God to carry on in the eternal "yes"
of God's people.

December 9, 2004 Winter Nature Walk

Winter is a difficult time for those who like to hike in shorts
and tee-shirt, but winter hiking with a few extra layers and
comfortable shoes can be fun. Once motivated, we are almost always
happy we made the decision. Winter has no worrisome insects, the
air is crisp, the sights are more visible, the rugged terrain
easier to traverse, and the snake haters are relieved for a time. 

Exercise and nature learning. Nature walks have certain
general advantages during any season. One gets a chance for
excellent exercise which is not too hard on the body or on certain
joints or muscles. The chance to get some full-spectrum sunlight
plus fresh air is always good. We are able to break out of
ourselves, and to see a little of the rest of the world. 
Each nature walk is the time to activate our senses. We become
more alert to smells, sights, tastes, sounds, and feelings. We get
closer to nature and reacquaint ourselves with the community of all
beings. We feel the leaves, taste the slippery elm, observe the
rocks or topography in greater detail. We hear the crows,
scampering squirrels, geese, and wild turkeys. Stop by a running
stream and try to transcribe the sound of a gurgling stream.

Be prepared. Some like to think ahead before the walk, and
maybe winter is a better time for that. In whatever season, people
bring nature books (trees, birds, insects, mammals, rock, etc.)
though some books lend themselves better to a particular season. 
Without overburdening ourselves, let's remember to take what is
needed, whether an extra windbreaker or socks, water or juice, a
few snacks to tide us through, and other items depending on our
personal needs. Some like to carry a knapsack. A fanny pack is
for me a better option. I always dream of taking a longer trip
equipped only with such a bag, and to glory in traveling light. 

Be open to new possibilities. Don't limit your space and time
too much. My best memories as a kid are of hikes across the
countryside we took off on Sunday with extra hours to spare. Some
like to follow the same routes, but for the majority, hiking a
little off the beaten path makes for a chance to see the
unexpected. Record those unexpected events and sights in writing.

Walking companions. Other persons may be invited depending on
whether you like to take your trips alone with your own
reflections, or with some companion. Some find it especially
enjoyable to add grandkids or neighbors or even a person who seldom
gets out of doors. The added company may help determine the
distance, time, or route of the trip. Such a walk may require
going by car or public transportation to a park or choice nature
area. 

Final Hint. Walk gently through the woods, for that expresses
our respect for nature. Leave no scars, litter, deep footprints,
graffiti, or campsite residue. Let's always assist and improve
nature by our presence.

December 10, 2004 Tobacco Road

I grew up raising tobacco. It was in the field and the barn,
in our stripping room, and in our very way of thinking about life. 
If my parents disliked smoking, it was not because of moral or
health reasons, but because a lit cast-off butt might cause a major
fire. I gave up smoking in 1983 and thus any hazards to my
personal health recede with the passage of time. But there are
still unresolved questions. Should we not make at least spiritual
reparations for the persons injured or killed by the tobacco we
grew and sent to market? Should I not radically rethink my
lifetime association with tobacco -- a crop I genuinely enjoyed
growing? Must we do something to present viable alternatives to
tobacco growers today? 

Immediate Response. We make reparations through our deeds as
well as our words. My past association with tobacco and the
experience gained may help in being concerned about a new non-
smoking future for tobacco. My enjoyment of growing tobacco can be
translated to growing more healthy plants such as virtually wild
ginseng (mentioned earlier in the year) as well as growing
alternative crops such as organic produce. This is now far more
possible through the recently passed Federal Tobacco Quota Buyout
Program that will soon be initiated. 

Reflection on tobacco. While I have a cherished memory of
tobacco growing, that memory is becoming tarnished by the health
reality which we did not consider in my younger years. Now the
immediate crushing weight of deaths from heart disease and cancers
overwhelms us and makes us see that the "weed" was misused, and
that we were part of the entire operation. It was not totally our
fault as growers, for we thought it was our patriotic duty to
furnish smoking materials for the soldier overseas in the Second
World War. And we were told over and over by the tobacco industry
that the tobacco products were not just a neutral enjoyment and
entertainment but something healthy. And thousands of doctors were
enlisted to confirm these "research findings." So we growers were
taken in as allies in the hooking of entire generations on the
addictive cigarettes. 

Insight. With time we came to understand that it was not the
healthy product that was touted by industry's deliberate enticement
program, first directed to soldiers and then to even younger
generations of kids too young to know the difference. This
enticement to addiction caught so many of us into tobacco use. And
we found that it was very difficult to break this highly profitable
(for the industry) practice. However, it could be done if enough
resources such as the now present Tobacco Settlement funds were
directed to the targeted youth. Tobacco can be redeemed. This
fast growing crop with its desirable protein production capability
has a future in medicines and possible foods. It is a hearty crop; 
a large number of people are willing and experienced in raising it;
and new discoveries are being made each year. Reparation leads to
redemption and that to a new future for tobacco. 

December 11, 2004 Windbreaks

When traveling in South Dakota in 1955 we observed groves or
lines of trees standing near the farm buildings. The trees were
part of the conservation wind barrier work of the 1930s, planted to
allay dust storm damage that had wrought such destruction about the
time of my birth during the Great Depression. The Scotch pines my
dad planted in our old orchard to the northwest of our house served
well, as did the mulberry, locusts and hackberry that voluntarily
grew among the pines began to die.

December is a good month to think of designing and
establishing windbreaks starting next spring. Consider it either
at your house, or that of a relative or friend who is saddled with
high winter fuel bills and could use some extra trees on the
side(s) of the prevailing wind. In our part of the country, this
is generally the north or west side, but may not always be the
case. It may be best to either talk with local energy people or
the county extension agent or to audit your own wind conditions by
getting an anemometer for wind speed and recording prevailing wind
direction.

Windbreaks are useful because they reduce winter heating
bills. Dense windbreaks provide the greatest protection when they
are two to five times broader than the height of the trees used for
the break. The drawback of such a dense break is that negative
pressure builds downwind and can draw the air diverted by the
barrier back toward the ground. A permeable windbreak allows wind
to flow through. Another helpful and energy-saving idea is to
place low-growing evergreens close to the foundation of the
building. By preventing wind from whipping around the foundation,
evergreen shields can create an air pocket close to the base of the
structure. In the winter time, these air pockets can sometimes be
as much as 10 degrees warmer than the ambient outdoor temperature. 
For decades, windbreaks have been popular among rural homesteads on
the Great Plains to help lessen soil erosion and protect wind-
sensitive plants. Their time has come elsewhere. We can promote
vegetative barriers to buildings for giving a cozy and relatively
warm environment at very little cost. 

The ideal barrier is planted perpendicular to the prevailing
winds and is composed of concentric rows of evergreens (such as
Canadian hemlock, spruce or white pines) with shorter trees at the
outer perimeter, and taller trees nearest the buildings. We prefer
cedar in areas where it grows. However, white pines grow very well
in our temperate climate and could be used for windbreaks as well
as spruce and other evergreen species. The final barrier should be
40-50 feet upwind from a single-story building and include a layer
of dense trees with low growth along each edge of the break. 
Suggest windbreaks when touring a new home or someone's recently
acquired property. Starting early in planting the trees is the key
to accruing considerable savings in fuel and money over a lifetime. 
The windbreak takes time to mature and yet may prove to be one of
the best investments for new or older property holders.

December 12, 2004 Rejoice Always: Enthusiasm

The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will
rejoice and bloom. (Isaiah 35:1)

Gaudete Sunday means rejoice and that can be done through
exercising patience as suggested in the letter of James (5:7-10). 
See how the farmer awaits the precious yield of the soil. We look
out and see the good effects of the establishment of justice in the
world around us (Matthew 11: 2-11). Rejoicing while working for
justice contains two aspects -- the Christian working for justice
sees a hope in the future; the one who bears the injustice sees
the dignity of being a human person closely united to Christ who is
justice. Seeing this hope in our calling and this justice of God
in our whole being is reason to rejoice, not to be dispirited and
not to lose heart. We rejoice because we have been liberated, we
have interior peace from God, and because we can go forth with
enthusiasm and help establish peace in a war-torn world. 

Liberation, Inner Peace and Justice. With Advent joyfully we
proclaim a time of jubilation which is for all oppressed --
prisoners, those in hospices, the elderly, the overlooked in any
way. Jesus, the liberator, has and is coming again. The first and
most basic liberation involves a critical acknowledgment of unjust
conditions without hating either the perpetrators or the victims. 
Interior peace comes in liberation. On this feast of Our Lady of
Guadalupe we seek through the freedom of establishing justice to
bring peace to our world. All in North and South America cherish
that inner peace of waiting for the Lord to come in our midst. The
underdeveloped areas of our Hemisphere and the rest of the world
must bloom again, and we are called to help bring this about.

Gratitude is the principle key to a happy disposition. When a
person harbors a need to have more, a forgetfulness of gifts given,
or a demand that someone who cheated them must now repay, there is
little happiness. No litany of demands can be fully satisfied, and
so the unhappiness continues. On the other hand, the person who
sees all of life as a gift, is not jealous of others who have more
because of all the great things we are given. This satisfaction
with our present condition of having many good things is the
beginning of an interior happiness. It comes through and is
expressed in our hearts through sharing, our head through speaking,
and our hands through tokens of appreciation.

Enthusiasm. Teachers, homemakers, service personnel and social
and health care workers show genuine enthusiasm for their work --
and this is a good thing. There is a contagion in being happy with
your work and wanting to communicate it to others. Enthusiasm
means the God within; it is God's present with us. It involves
total hands and heart and head working together to obtain a given
goal. The result is an enthusiasm giving new life, allowing the
person to bubble over with exuberance or, for a calmer soul, have
a twinkle in their eyes and an exact excellence in their product.
It all adds up to the joy we are expected to display today.

December 13, 2004 Garden Economics 

The clarity and freshness of the landscape and winter season
helps us make our peace with all creation. Growing one's produce
throughout the year adds up in monetary terms (about 20% of a
lower-income annual budget, or 10% of middle-income budget). 
Certainly this last gardening benefit, economics, is more mundane
than others, but it is a real benefit nonetheless. Homegrown fruit
and berries is fresh, can be chemical-free and is gathered with
little effort; dried mint can be used as a beverage to replace
expensive coffee (5-10% of average food purchases. Various
European and Asian greens, fresh herbs such as basil and parsley,
and fresh tomatoes and cucumbers can be grown throughout the
season. Furthermore, savings accrue when the quality of the
homegrown produce is considered, for comparable commercial organic
vegetables cost very much more than what grows in backyards.

Added Benefits. Beyond cutting food expenditures, good garden
economics brings other salutary effects: time saved (fewer grocery
trips); less need for stressful work; seasonal surpluses that can
be preserved; provisions for local needy folks; enhanced value to
the land with a productive garden; reduced need for vacations and
special recreation because the garden calls; and the potential for
income from selling surplus produce at a farmer's market.

Gardens and Punch Clocks. Spending time tending the domestic
garden may not pay well, if one were to calculate a salary based on
produce grown and sales of surplus. Small-scale gardeners soon
realize that they need to work many hours to make what others
regard as an average income. They know that many commercial
gardens operate by piecework, and small-scale farming is sometimes
subsidized by volunteer labor. Because so much time is required
for quality gardening, we soon account it as a true labor of love. 
We consider the recreation of gardening as part of the value. 
Economic savings become the dessert, not the substance of the
gardening banquet. A good rule of thumb is to consider half of
gardening as work and half as pleasure; the work includes the bonus
of economic savings and the recreation gives non-monetary pleasure
-- or recreation time that could be spent in expensive pursuits
such as the casino or movies.

Knowing Garden Costs. Gardeners quickly learn that non-basic
paraphernalia such as small carts and compost tumblers cost money
but do not add to quality gardening in any marked degree. Money
can be wasted on expensive seedlings that can be home grown.
Savings in gardening involve: using older and heavy-duty
implements that can be acquired at yard sales or be handed down;
obtaining nitrogen from legume cover and urine; using flowers in
place of biocides and other pest controls; growing one's seedlings
and saving non-hybrid seed from year to year; keeping economic as
well as garden-produce records for the whole year; knowing the
amount of time spent in the gardening operation; and adding up all
the results at the end of the year for the sake of personal
awareness. 

December 14, 2004 Backyard Self-Sustainability and Global Village 

An ideal situation is where we meet the basic needs of life
either within our own backyard, or at least in the local community
in which we reside. This is not merely the wishful thinking of a
few hearty survivalists, but considers the health of a world which
has many villages all integrated into a larger and larger
aggregates of interlocking groups. The dream is for a "global
village" or the interconnecting of viable small communities. 

Begin in the Backyard. Yes, let it begin in my backyard, the
template of the healthier world. It should be a beautiful sight to
behold, not a forgotten place to store junk. Each of us should
take a serious look at what we can do to enhance our dwelling
space: organic gardens; composting bins for domestic waste
materials; properly-labeled recycling containers, fruit trees as
part of edible landscape; a solar or wind unit to help generate
energy; and a water cistern.

Extend to the Local Community. The term domestic covers a
broader area than the immediate individual backyard, and could
embrace the front yard, the neighborhood across the street, and
immediately adjacent farm or neighborhood property. While it is
estimated that over half of Americans have yard space, others need
to share or extend their definition of backyard to neighboring
lands -- a nearby vacant lot, a neighbor's yard, a churchyard,
unused portions of a cemetery or farmland, land set aside for
future development, or institutional land that could be rented or
leased or donated for gardening, composting, recycling, energy
generation, and water storage. While rural areas are blessed with
excess land, urban ones are often blessed with alert activists and
advocates willing to extend the concept of backyard.

Sustainable Community or Global Village. Whatever the
designated term, the viable small community means a locality where
people are committed to helping each other acquire a higher quality
of life by providing access to the basics of life. Not every
single person can participate in providing for a sustainable living
in the same way. Consider infants, seniors, the mentally and
physically sick and others with pressing responsibilities. 
Individuals often belong to a viable community of blood,
neighborhood or committed relationships and the actual productivity
with respect to gardening may vary according to the members. 
Ideally, all should at least give moral and spiritual support to a
community. In rare cases, an individual survivalist may create a
separate viable existence and go it alone. However, that world of
survivalists is difficult and few individual road warriors serve as
good models; however, even survivalists and isolated individuals
must be protected by a broader community.

Authentic community self-sustainability goes beyond individual
wants and desires, and includes provision for the needs of a larger
group of people living in mutual support. Ultimately, an emerging
global village accepts responsibility for all its residents.

December 15, 2004 Lighten up: It's Divine Humor 

In Advent we are aware that joy and happiness are always just
around the corner of a world filled with crises, terrorism, and
many individual concerns and troubles. Something better is beyond
the horizon, if we but lighten up and become more light-hearted. 
This is the message of the season. And yet in preparing this essay
the lights went out and I lost the first draft. Such is life.

Humor could be the subject matter of a homily, but you have to
be a good humorist to pull it off, and most of us aren't. Now, God
has a sense of humor, or at least it appears that way in the course
of the events of creation. When the barns are full and all seems
perfect, then something else happens. If humor is a good, and all
good comes from an all-good God, then we expect that God has a
sense of humor, right? 

Example. I expect that if any of us would write a script for
the coming of the Messiah, we would have a lot of changes from what
actually occurred. It seems good in timing that when the whole
world was at peace and the Roman empire had a transportation system
that would not be equaled again for 1,800 years, the Messiah would
come. Okay, so far. But what about the place? Not Rome, the seat
of power, or one of the major cities, but the back country in a
remote rebellious province of Galilee. Now that is something. But
what about the promotion personnel and "advance person?" How about
a fancy dresser and good talker who could get along with all kinds
of people? No, the role of messenger fell to someone in camel's
hair, who lived in a forbidding place, was uncertain of his place
in the scheme of things, ate grasshoppers dipped in wild honey, and
spoke of people of influence as "brood of vipers." Anyone who
would prepare for the Messiah's coming in such a setting must have
a rare sense of divine humor.

What to learn. We should not take our role in life as
something which is beyond us. We think, I can't do the task
because I do not have a million dollars, or a golden voice, or an
"in" with the right government leader. Maybe God continues to work
wonders in the most unusual ways. Those of us who exert power will
be put down, and those in low places raised up, as Mary says in her
Magnificat. That is part of the humor of God. The empowering of
little people is a sign that unexpected things are happening and
will soon happen again. It is not necessary that we expect the
incompetent and the drifters to have the last word, but we must
expect the unexpected, if that mysterious will of God is to
continue operating in our world -- and surely as we have that
virtue of hope it will continue. 

A Laugh is Good for the Soul. I doubt if I can make my readers
laugh right now. Or at least learn to find that the serious things
in life are worth a second look. Today, there is too much gray
areas in religion and even among my fellow Catholics with all of
the religion's color, flowers, candles and song. It's time to
lighten up amid hard times. They could be worse.

December 16, 2004 Materialism and Christmas

Challenges. I remember one of my very early Christmases as a
newly ordained priest when stationed in the Northeast. After the
Midnight Mass I was invited by a family for their gift opening
event which was a traditional night affair. In the course of the
evening I got a distinct feeling that this family was pretending to
enjoy opening the many expensive materials things given -- but
something was lacking. These gifts did not seem to be deeply
appreciated even though they appeared to be way beyond the price
range I would pay for gifts. Something was lacking in that family,
and I was unable to reach down and touch their hearts. I came away
with a bit of sadness even though they gave me a nice gift as well. 
It was the same feeling that I would have in taking down the
Christmas tree in early January when a youth. Material things do
not completely satisfy us in the season and that came home when it
was all over.

Commercial patriotism. Christmas is meant to celebrate the
most spiritual act of self-giving the world has ever known. It is
now substituted by the largest show of materialism ever witnessed -
- the utter defiance of God's gift by the almost worship of
material things. And that is in the form of the "Christmas gift." 
Are we caught in the web of this gift-giving to a point where, if
we strive to break out, we will be ostracized by society? Is this
such a part of the culture that it is regarded as the height of
charity, and yet it is an exercise of material progress in our
nation?

Ways of the contrasumer. Limit giving to more meaningful
things as will be mentioned in "alternative gifts" on December 22nd
for last minute gift-makers. But you still have time to do some
other things such as agree to exchange smaller gifts or pool the
names and give to just one within a given group. 

Youth and gifts. One group that we must all be concerned
about are the youth of our nation. On the whole, they get so much
and yet we are willing to give them more and more. Even Christmas
gift trees in parishes are arranged as a location for expensive
purchased gifts being distributed to those who have less. Still
the goal should be to give less of the material things and more of
spiritual gifts such as visits or prayers. We might be regarded as
tight or stingy or uncooperative, but that is the risk we take. 
The escalation of gift value is immense from about $2 or $3 when I
was a youth to one hundred times that amount today -- and even
more. And adult gifts may even cost more if the credit card allows
for extravagances. 

Break away. Sated with material things, the giver is diverted
from the true meaning of Christmas. Attempt to give a non-material
gift and to do so with the love of the poor Christ child in the
heart. Be the first to start to break the cycle of materialism
that holds us Americans by the jugular vein. This season is a good
one to start.

December 17, 2004 Enlightened Self-Interest

Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me -- it is the Lord
Yahweh who speaks -- to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of
the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke, to
share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to
clothe the one you see to be naked and not to turn from your own
kin? Then will your light shine like the dawn and your wound be
quickly healed over. Isaiah 58:6-8) 

About a quarter of a century ago a fellow public-interest
worker informed me one day that he was really a believer in
enlightened self-interest, a term which is as near an oxymoron as
any I knew then or now. I was speechless, because I never expected
the comment and only have found a few words to express my
opposition to this during the decades since. 

To be enlightened is to be aware of something through insight,
but to say "enlightened self-interest" really infers that there is
another set of unenlightened self-interest that is destructive and
negative. Our problem is not with enlightenment, but with turning
self-interest into a virtue through enlightenment. We find many
tooting their own horn that may emphasize the message or the
messenger; too many independent horns may be too much. Self-
interest in this fashion can bankrupt social capital and weaken our
democratic process. But others would argue that all activities are
self-interested and the enlightenment is simply a stab at being
honest about the actual human condition.

To be unenlightened is to choose self-interest over the public
interest. For those seeking to affect the public good, the
pressure of self-interest closes in around the neck like a noose
which will strangle the fledgling public spirit -- which generally
has a hard time getting to the forefront of most people's minds. 
The struggles of life make getting our daily bread the greatest
need. It means stashing away the nest egg for one's self and
immediate family. A complete focus on self-interest betrays a
social dysfunction of the body politic which abandons any real
attempt to find ourselves in serving others. The self-interested
person surrenders to the temptation to serve self as a god, to cut
out the needs of others, and ultimately to hurt himself or herself
by breaking down the social connections which hold us together.

Enlightening is a growth. Enlightened self interest is a
refutation of the public interest and public-spirited service to
which we are all called through our witnessing to Christ -- who
came out of love for us. We start in the selfish world of infant
self-interest, but that must change with time if we are to go out
to others in a more public manner. Some never abandon the self-
interest of the infant, but rather harden in such attributes for
the rest of life. Other make an ever-expanding vision of their own
definition in helping their fellow human beings. Good parents and
teachers take the interest of others at heart. Shouldn't our
collective goals be the enlightened public interest?

December 18, 2004 Good Grief

The Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year "holiday season" should be
the happiest time of the year -- at least that is the commonly held
perception. For youth with no memories of major departures from
the family or deaths of close family members, this is perhaps true. 
However, the holiday season can be a time of sadness for those who
are broken from loved ones, by either being separated by distance
or by the closure of one's loved one passing on from this life. 
Some people need to be away from home through demands of military
service, marital status, religious commitments, imprisonment, or
other reasons; they will not be home for the holidays. At times of
traditional family feast days, these memories of times past can be
quite vivid for those away from home. And it is a time of special
sensitivity for those who enjoy the warmth of home life.

Many churches, hospices and other groups have developed
grieving committees which are active and which give special
attention to the members of the community who have just lost or are
separated from loved ones -- especially in December. Since the
reasons for separation are complex it is difficult to give overly
practical suggestions. Here are suggestions that may be helpful to
many people, especially those who sorely miss a loved one at this
time: 

* Try to remember the loved one. Don't try to forget.

* Give yourself the gift of healing tears.

* Ask others for their help in time of need.

* Keep traditions that bring you comfort.

* Visit special places which you remember.

* Listen to your body; take time to rest, refresh and renew.

* Don't wait for others to bring you happiness.

* Light a special candle in celebration of the love you still
share.

Final note: Some call the explanation "good grief" as an
oxymoron, i.e., a figure of speech in which the opposite or
contradictory ideas or terms are combined (e.g., thunderous
silence). But is it? There is a time for laughter and a time to
cry, and thus allowing that time of grief and filling it well can
something good. To part company, and do so with love and longing
for reunion, is in keeping with the season, and at the same time
has a goodness about it which challenges misconceptions about
grieving. Far better is the time to grieve than to suppress the
grieving process; and this season so often proves to be such a
time. What is hoped for is that others have compassion and enter
into the grieving process right now.

December 19, 2004 Mary and Joseph

Ask for a sign from the Lord your God; let it be deep as the
nether world, or high as the sky! (Isaiah 7:10)

Anxieties. Christmas is meant to be a season to relax, but
often there are stresses present -- some because of the
circumstances we are in, and some of our making here and now. Our
faith and prayer have much to do to allay the stresses we help
impose, but even more important, our prayer life can help us cope
with these concerns. Prayerful coping with stress may be all the
Lord asks. Even that first Christmas was not concern-free.

Mary's Concerns. Something is happening with her body,
something never imagined by men who can't experience it, or women
who haven't experienced new life within. The youthful virgin Mary
is with child and her spouse doesn't understand, the family won't
understand, and there is virtually no one to talk to about it. To
obey God in this most holy way is beyond anything tried before by
anyone, and it floods Mary's mind with the inner turmoil that comes
with the reality of living one's daily life. But the one within is
only part of it. How will the birth occur? Who will help? Where
will money be found to supply the needed things of life? What will
the future bring? 

Joseph's Concerns. We find Joseph, the just one, in great
turmoil as well. He is unable to comprehend one so beautiful and
so pure as Mary, his one love, to be with child by another. How
could it be? What is the explanation? To put her away quietly is
out of the question, though it is the temptation. To expose her is
unthinkable. To explain this mystery by human reasoning is beyond
human power, especially for a simple carpenter. Only God knows! 
And in the depth of turmoil that makes Joseph a just person, God
speaks, for the word has now become flesh for him. Emmanuel is
here. Mary will not be forsaken or desolate but she will become
his delight as she is also God's delight. But that mystery is only
part of it. Joseph has three hurdles at this time: understanding
the condition of Mary who is with child; getting to the census, as
required by law with a pregnant wife; and finding a place suitable
for the birth of a child. Joseph is a symbol for us all in the
justice needed today, in doing our duties when it comes to justice,
and in resolving what seems to be life's insoluble problems.

Our Concerns. Our unique situations are also potentially
stressful. We need to place these situations before the heavenly
family. Some regard these stresses as relieved by the total taking
charge, of doing things ourselves and by ourselves. However, there
is a spiritual aspect to stress relief. At Christmas we can place
our worries and concerns at the feet of God. We are at God's mercy
in every way and that is truly a relief. Mary and Joseph are
totally open to God's will, and that relieves their stresses in 
profound ways, with an inner peace which all of us crave. We too
must be present and be open to help prepare the way of the Lord,
and we should place our concerns before God. 

December 20, 2004 Safe Decorations

The holidays are for celebration. While celebration is our
collective goal, still every year we read in the newspapers or
watch on the evening news some pathetic case of a home burning or
persons hurt; this may be because of faulty decorations or some
tragic circumstance in which ornamentals have a prominent role. To
be honest, while we have more toxic substances around than people
had in previous times, the number of domestic disasters has
remained steady or declined. This is mainly because in earlier
times and well into the 20th century, the Christmas tree
decorations included lighted candles -- something our safety
conscious age would cringe at considering today. The dry tinder of
the evergreen used for the center or fringe of the decoration
easily becomes a torch with a misplaced candle. 

Beware of fire hazards. While far safer electric lights have
long since replaced lit candles, still some are tempted to put
candles on tables or at the center of a wreath, and then forget to
watch them. Danger still lurks and that leads to some tragic
reports. Fires do happen and are always sad but never more so than
during the holidays. The mellow effect of candle light as well as
the aroma of scented candles may be keystones of a holiday
celebration. If so, do take extra precautions.

Christmas is for kids. We all enjoy Christmas but more so we
enjoy watching others who enjoy it all the more. But the same
infants who are cute and entertaining can get into trouble
exploring the decorations. Remember that the holly berries are
poisonous and could cause discomfort if eaten in small quantities
and could even be life-threatening for infants who take too many. 
The red enticements are there. The same caution applies for
mistletoe, which is often used as a decoration and the opportunity
to kiss someone special. Remember, white berries are a no,--no. 
The attractive red-leafed poinsettia is not near so dangerous. So
often, children are less supervised at Christmas and so get into
trouble more quickly that at other times.

Special tips. Paper or plastic streamers and flimsy hangings
become part of the seasonal decor, which could be the cause of a
fire when one least expects. The best safety measure is to declare
the interior as a no smoking zone. Those lit candles should be
omitted when all of this combustible paper is hanging about. Know
the age profile of your guests, though even older persons could act
like fools and kids at times. The decorations may fit the season
without threatening the fun and gaiety. A little forethought goes
a long way during the holidays -- and this is needed especially by
the decorating crew. We can even have a yule log, but keep it a
safe distance from toddlers and even place a screen in front of the
fireplace that unfortunately blocks off the direct radiation of the
fire. A special fireplace precaution when the Yule fire is left
unscreened is to select wood that is dry enough not to pop and
crackle when burnt. 

December 21, 2004 The Winter Solstice & Light

The Lord shall be a light to you forever. (Isaiah 60:20)

The days are shortest now; Light is all the more precious. 
Ancient observers noted the longest and shortest days with great
accuracy. Stonehenge and many other places contain rocks or other
objects aligned to indicate the sun's position at the summer or
winter solstice. We marvel how ancient people had a deep awareness
of seasonal changes. I never celebrate the nature-based feast of
the beginning of new light, a feast replaced by Christmas and the
true "Light of the World." Actually, we celebrate a few days
later, when we notice the days growing longer for the first time. 
Day will survive and lengthen; darkness will not conquer. 

Darkness invites the goblins and spooky phantasms of youth. 
But there are also some redeeming elements to darkness: it is a
time to concentrate and focus with far fewer distractions; a time
to pray and turn one's mind to God. It is ordinarily the time we
sleep, though certain natural functions and nocturnal animals are
more active in the dark. We need to value both light and darkness.

Celebration. In contrast to this darkness, the winter solstice
has been marked throughout the world in primitive religions by fire
rituals. Light overcomes darkness. Light is associated in the
biblical tradition with joy, goodness and peace. The feasts of
Hanukkah and Christmas enhanced these nature festivals with new and
deeper meaning, thus the fire rituals and the seven candles of
Hanukkah in the Jewish tradition. The twelve days of Christmas are
the time of the new light; in many cultures candles and colored
lights have rich symbolic meaning. The more recent celebration of
Kwanzaa by African-Americans during December adds to the festive
occasions which involve all sorts of lights.

Symbols and Reality of Light. Light guides us, produces heat
to warm us, triggers photosynthesis, and helps us be enlightened.

Guidance -- Light divides day and night acts as a beacon. 
Without light, whether natural or artificial, we stumble, for
eyesight requires the gift of light. The blind can compensate, but
they are unable to view stars, road conditions, sunrise or smiles. 

Warmth -- Light enters a greenhouse on a sunny winter day and
the rays become trapped and produce heated space -- a greenhouse
effect. Warmed storage materials release energy at night. 

Photosynthesis -- Light catalyzes plant growth and
ultimately produces food needed by animals. Also, our physical and
mental health require full spectrum sunlight, though too much
sunshine can be is dangerous.

Knowledge -- Light mean insight, new knowledge,
enlightenment, and intellectual growth. We become beacons to
others drowning in the sea of the darkness of ignorance. 

December 22, 2004 Alternative Gifts

The holiday season is fast closing and we still have not gotten
all the gifts. The rush to the store and look for gifts is
exercising our consumer "duties" especially at this late date. The
reason for the season is put on second level right now. Lets get
those final gifts in order as we are expected to do. The following
may be ways that will appeal to you as a late gift bearer:

* Give to a non-profit group in the name of someone else, and
have the group send a card to the person designated showing how
much it means.

* Enlist your church in fighting materialism by speaking about
alternative gifts during Yuletide. It may require gently telling
the pastor or program chair the quite obvious fact that giving
alternative gifts is a perfect counter measure to our overly
materialistic culture.

* Consider homemade ornaments as a family gift-giving practice.

* Give gifts which are quite creative from heart, hands and
head such as a poem, a piece of art, a homemade card or a hand
carving.

* Make the holiday season a special service time, with some
extra work of mercy for others in need such as the elderly,
hospitalized, imprisoned, homeless, or outcast.

* Encourage children who can sometimes be selfish in matters
of gifts, to give another a favorite toy -- especially recycle toys
for children in hospitals or other institutions.

* When material gifts are given, wrap them in newspaper or
recycled wrapping paper.

* Our most popular Christmas gift is a greeting card sent by
the dozens to people we know. They often only hear from us once a
year, and appreciate the occasional remembrance. And we like to
hear from them also. Some are bold enough to recycle last year's
cards and make their art work seen and appreciated for another
season? 

* Consider the ASPI Simple Lifestyle Calendar -- the many
suggestions may lead to alternative Christmas giving.

* Give a social change periodical such as Public Citizen for a
year to a friend -- something that will make a difference
throughout the year and beyond.

* Give some of your special expertise to another who is
disadvantaged -- home repair, cooking, remedial education,
decorating, landscaping, gardening, or a crafts or art product. 

December 23, 2004 Pray Always

As we approach Christmas and New Year's, we need to quiet down
for a little bit, wrap our prayer life in a little wrapping of
returned love to God, and present it at the altar of sacrifice. 
But in this prayerful spirit, do we hear the call and urging to
pray always. Can this be easily done in our super-active world?

Time to private prayer. We can pray only if we are willing to
do so. It does not have to be a long prayer, for some of the most
profound prayers are really quite short. But the Almighty does not
need to tune in and catch our prayer. We need time to tune out the
noise around us, and tune in again in a more spiritual way. Our
journey of faith requires us to set time aside for the purpose of
praying along with the time out for a sabbath's rest and worship. 
We like communal prayers because we are so vocal only view prayer
as affirmed, strengthened, transmitted, and encouraged through
praying with others. Certainly a prayer within a community is a
prayer of togetherness and is most salutary. But the rhythm of
life makes the private and personal moments precious as well, when
we get away and by ourselves and only with One listening -- and
communicating.

Pray for needs. We prefer to dictate the topic of our prayer
for we are unique individuals with particular needs for health,
courage, endurance, peace of soul, and forgiveness. We find
ourselves so faulty, so much in need of grace, so burdened that we
can sometimes only move away and ask God for help. Prayers of
praise and thanksgiving are most worthy both of our community and
our own individual life. But the most perfect prayer, the Our
Father, does include the request "give us this day our daily
bread." The prayer of petition has a special place, especially at
this time when we seem overwhelmed by the materialism all around
us. We are often confronted with a host of needs -- our own and
those of our friends and relatives. These prayers of petition may
be communal or private petitions which carry us through to deeper
levels of spiritual growth. 

Pray in our Own Way. Some say a particular prayer, say it
over and over, and continue to say it for years. Certainly there
is something to be said for this, because it can be our entry into
deeper mysteries of the spiritual life. Others prefer a variety of
prayers, thus by talking to and with the All Gracious One in our
own words we change with the seasons or personal moods. 

Pray always. Formal prayer time may be specified (worship
time, morning prayer, etc.) and yet we are called to pray at all
times through a prevailing atmosphere of prayer. The place may be
a particular private room, chapel, sacred shrine, or outdoor garden
spot. God provides for what we lack, and so the lack of special
place is okay. Maybe all we can afford is a busy intersection,
prison cell, hospital ward, or noisy home. Our prayer is our most
precious gift of the season, and our prayer life extends this
sacred season throughout the year.

December 24, 2004 Seek Out the Really Needy

At Christmas we start asking, "Who is really hurting? Who is
forgotten? No matter how careful a caring community is, some souls
fall in the cracks. In fact, being affluent easily desensitizes us
to who is really in need. In a mobile society with smaller family
units, lone dwellers or the friendless are often overlooked. They
come in many guises, some in institutions, some in homeless
shelters, some on the streets, some just wandering around with no
one thinking of their needs. Let's try to acquire the fullness of
the Christmas spirit amid our failures in the past and beg God to
show us those in need so that we can help them, and then we both
can be saved. Let's not fail to look in the following places for
the lost and forsaken:

* In apartments of the elderly and senior citizens' homes as
well as hospitals.

* Under bridges and in the haunts of the two million street
people and in the abandoned cars that they call home.

* In the soup kitchens where we may help out on this holiday,
or in the places where some would like an added kind gesture or
word.

* In boarding schools, reform institutions and foster homes. 
While many make an effort to see that youth get some special
holiday care, some of them may be forgotten and it is up to us to
find them.

* Among immigrants and new arrivals in this country, especially
those who have no church or community support system, and perhaps
do not understand the community fellowship of Christmas.

* With jobless and the poor who have had no celebrations
because of lack of money this Christmas. They may need far more
than a single day handout.

* In the ranks of the sick and handicapped who may be treated
in a negligent manner by the overtired or stressed caregiver. They
may need a visit, a smile, a trip to church or the store.

* To those bereaving the death of a loved one or who have
experienced a fire which destroyed their dwelling, or have had a
young -- or old -- family member disappear.

* and among the distressed and mentally disturbed who are
unable to show gratitude or say "thank you" for the visit, but deep
inside appreciate the act of kindness.

The overlooked are out there, but it takes sensitivity and
willingness to search and find them. It is a challenge to remove
them from the ranks of the overlooked. Let's pray that we find
them, greet them, help them, and become their friend.

December 25, 2004 The Word Breathes

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who
bring glad tidings. (Isaiah 52:7)

The Christmas Story is ever new and yet ever old. It's hard to
find new gimmicks to enliven Christmas? The call for peace is as
old as the oft-told story. When tempted to reinvent the story, we
are challenged to tell it again with freshness. It's a story of an
innocent and pure virgin who is surprised to find God asking
something very special of her -- to bear a child who is the Savior. 
She consents; her husband-to-be is in consternation until God
gives him a way out. God asks him to take Mary for his wife. Then
the Census demands traveling with a near-term wife over rocky roads
to Bethlehem, a primitive place with little housing and mere caves
which served as stables. It's angels and poor shepherds as the
only witnesses. It's God's way of entering the human scene with
its uncertainty, bewilderment, turmoil and chaotic circumstances. 

Incarnation. The Word comes in perfect harmony in this
imperfect world and seeks to establish that harmony among us. Our
internally held "Good News" is now revealed to all the world
through the works of our hands. Incarnation is the act of putting
flesh on internal thoughts and the outflowing of love for others. 

------------------------
Bethlehem means to beckon for peace
I saw it once from afar, this peaceable place; 
from within a barbed wire enclosure,
a camp used by English/Jordanian/ Israeli troops
and now we visitors at a camp called SPNI,
and here was the city of peace in a military outpost.
It made me wonder how war and peace so mix
and find their meaning in the world called home.
Are we to act as savior to this wretched land? 
-------------------------

Spiritual understanding: We initiate the season of lights
which will continue through Candlemas Day to the Easter Saturday
Night New Fire. We view Christmas as a non-spiritual or a spiritual
person, as a youth or adult, as one from one culture or another. 
The non-spiritual person thinks of toys, holly, jingle bells, and
Santa Clauses. The spiritual one yearns for Christmas even though
it's a long time coming for the yearning kid, for between events it
a sizeable portion of a life. Cedar gives the Christmas smell for
that was our tree of choice, when Depression limited choices.

Adulthood. As we grow up, we need to refocus for enticements
have detoured us from the love of God is foremost in our spiritual
journey. We strive to rededicate ourselves, to grow in fidelity,
to find God's love in the deepening mystery of maturing life. We
come closer to Christ when God becomes one of us. What a
privilege! The Christmas lights fade but take on a purer glow. 
This is now a Holy Land, a Holy Place, a Holy Earth. 

December 26, 2004 The Holy Family

The History. And who is this Jesus? The early church asked
this question and so do people in every age. Part of the Luke and
Matthew infancy narratives seek an answer this. Joseph Fitzmyer
says that there is a historic nucleus to those parallel stories:
the reign of Herod, the virgin Mary, Joseph being of the House of
David, angelic announcements, Jesus as Son of David, the Holy
Spirit, Joseph not being involved, the name "Jesus," Savior, born
after Mary and Joseph came together, the birth place of Jesus in
Bethlehem, and the childhood in Nazareth. 

Flight into Egypt. Abraham Lincoln summed up his youth's
history as "I was a poor boy" and much of his hidden life was
turned into a myth with a historic nucleus. Matthew's Gospel of
the flight is the struggle of a poor refugee family, not unlike the
journey of millions this year alone. During the Christmas season
we travel with the infant in the womb as we prepare ourselves to be
a new light to the world. We travel with Joseph, Mary and with the
child Jesus. Here a journey or a toil for accommodations are
rudimentary and the destination uncertain. We too are itinerant
people heading to a destiny we cannot fully visualize.

The HERE and NOW. We are descendants of people of faith. 
They believed in the future to such a degree that they bore and
nurtured children and yet for 99% of us, our ancestry is only a few
generations of names and dates. We honor their graves; we
remember them in our celebrations; we hold their photos in revered
places. To look back occasionally, though not walk backward lest
we stumble, is a way to get our perspective on life's journey. The
story will end in a cave in Bethlehem, or the flight into Egypt. 
We are meant to be going to the light -- the distant place where
things will be better. Our journey of faith started with our
ancestors who nurtured us in faith and love. Similarly, we look
ahead and hope that things will endure. God is faithful and loves
us as we are here and now. To begin to achieve HERE within
ourselves is a more perfect harmony; NOW we are capable of
extending our love out in space and time to those in need. We
remember our past and those deceased loved ones; and we await the
future in hope. The ever present is built on love, and this virtue
alone will last when faith and hope fade away.

Reflection. People move in flux throughout the world. Those
in Sudan or Iraq attract our attention. These are difficult times
for migrants, refugees or those from broken homes. Modern
communication helps us keep in touch, but it takes an effort o hold
things together. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were refugees from a
tyranny and our patrons as we strive to reinforce family values in
togetherness, mutual celebration, care and abiding love within
family members. Let's make 2005 a family-centered one through more
celebration, family gatherings, and sharing of our lives with those
nearer and dearer to us. We could call on Joseph and Mary, those
first Christian refugees, to assist us in bringing stability to our
mobile home life and to work for a world that is one holy family. 

December 27, 2004 Keep a Quieter House 

At times of celebration we find it relaxing to retreat back
into a quiet space at home for we are overcome by noise. The
following hints may help create a quieter home environment:

* Turn the volume down on stereos, television and radio. 
Segregate people who are playing or listening to music in a portion
of the house which has been fitted with acoustical materials.

* Use foam pads under blenders, mixers, typewriters (if you
still have one), and all forms of vibrating appliances and
instruments. Remember this insulating material works well under
dishwashers and clothes washers and dryers as well as around
banging pipes.

* Put rubber or other treads on stairs (they are also safer).

* Oil squeaky doors and hinges.

* Lay down carpeting to absorb noise especially in second
floors of structures that are not solidly built. Hang drapes,
heavy curtains, or cloth wall hangings when neighboring buildings
or rooms are noisy. Upholstery and furniture covers add to the
quieting effect.

* Install sound-absorbing ceiling tile in kitchen and
recreation areas as well as rooms where people are disturbed from
noise. Sound-proofing material is reasonably priced, but you may
discover empty paper egg cartons to do an excellent job. 

* Lower the volume on phones, door bells and other alerting
devices.

* Refrain from purchasing or acquiring noise-making toys for
kids, for these can really disturb a household -- especially the
home where the child resides. Some noisemakers cause permanent ear
injury. If the noise is quite loud, register a complaint to the toy
maker and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

* Obtain a noise meter and go from room to room in bedrooms and
living areas. Find out the decibel readings which should be within
the human safety range. Mere noise tolerance does not tell the
whole story, for residents can be seriously affected without
wanting to or willing to complain.

* Learn to speak more softly. Often one or another person is
hard of hearing, and so it is a good practice to have ears checked
for deafness. A hearing aid helps all, not just the wearer.

Operate power equipment only during waking hours, and slow down
engine settings.

* And don't forget to remove your shoes when coming in late.

December 28, 2004 Choose Life

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today: I set
before you death or life, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so
that you and your descendants may live in the love of Yahweh your
God. (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Gulag America. The traditional feast of the Holy Innocents is
celebrated on December 28th. It commemorates the infants killed by
Herod in an effort to cut short the life of Jesus. These innocents
had no opportunity to choose life, and neither do many in our
society today. Let's focus here on one group: the two million
American prisoners who at the moment of this writing inhabit our
rapidly-growing prison system. By the year 2000 there were fifty
million people with active criminal records, growing at a rate of
4.5 to 5 million "new" adults every year. In two decades, the
number of Federal prison inmates went from 20,000 to 135,000;
inmates in state prisons from 268,000 to 1.3 million; and inmates
in local jails another 700,000. At the time of writing an
astounding 6.5 million Americans are under some form of
correctional supervision. Is it cheap labor that drives turning
our country into a Gulag as some claim? 

Demanding Death. As disconcerting as these statistics are, the
fact that ours is the only so-called civilized nation which still
retains the "death penalty." Sister Helen Prejean was drawn into
the anti-death penalty crusade when she got involved with prison
work, and accompanied Patrick Sonnier to his execution. That
episode in her life and her prison ministry has inspired her book,
Dead Man Walking, which has done more than almost any other to
make us take a fresh look at the choice of death over life within
the American criminal justice system. 

Affirm Life. Prisons confines people in life-denying
institutions which cost about $30,000 apiece to incarcerate a
person for a one year period. Primitive peoples had far better and
less expensive ways to exact retribution for misdeeds committed,
including working in society. However, some life-giving efforts
are being made even within the American prison system. Catherine
Sneed, a volunteer, tells of improving her own prison work by
developing a Horticulture Program at the San Francisco County Jail. 
She said that by taking care of plants the prisoners began to
understand the true nature of this life: growth, renewal and
perseverance. The prisoners learned to choose life over the
deadening experience of incarceration, and attempted to make a new
life without major help. 

Reforming the System. Our American corrective justice system
is in need of reform. We cannot continue to imprison drug
offenders, who were not criminals in this country a century ago,
nor are regarded as such in most other nations now. Felons are
marked for life, lose voting privileges, and find it hard to get
employment. Through reform, they could more easily reenter society.

Reference: Yes! A Journal of Positive Futures, Fall, 2000. 

December 29, 2004 Rails-to-Trails

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a highly successful
conservationist organization which is finding ways to convert
abandoned or unused railroad right-of-ways into hiking or biking
trails. The idea started small but now embraces over a thousand
trails in the United States with a total trail mileage of over
11,000 miles. It is reported that another 18,000 miles in 1,200
projects are under consideration. That is less than one-fifth of
the abandoned railroad mileage in this country alone.

Hard times. The heyday of railroads is over. Even though my
mother could go to visit distant relatives in remote locations by
rail in the early part of the twentieth century, that same feat is
impossible today. The passenger and freight trains have given way
to autos and trucks. Since 1916, the 300,000 miles of railroad
track have been reduced by half and the total mileage is now
shrinking at a rate of 2,000 miles per year. Even with some rapid
rail projects and other efforts, the rate of shrinkage is not
likely to slow in the coming years.

Good conservation. The rails-to-trails concept does not
necessarily convert the track permanently to other uses, since a
trail keeps the bridge, road cuts, etc. in place. In fact, the
conversion to trails is a way of preserving the corridors from
other forms of development (buildings, fields, green space,
streets, etc.) which would make it virtually impossible to
reestablish a rail right-of-way without spending loads of money. 
A trail could revert to a railroad in response to some future rapid
transit demand, but it get excellent use because the lanes are
surprisingly secluded, scenic and refreshing.

Rails-to-trails goals include initiating as many projects as
possible, and even railroad lovers see this as something
advantageous in the longer run. The goal of more physical exercise
routes also includes a network of trails which would span the
United States from coast to coast. The Conservancy says that one-
third of the system already exists, while another one-third is
under public ownership and the remainder under private control. No
one doubts but that the project is massive and will require
considerable work. A third goal is creation of a "railbank" which
preserves the corridors intact for possible future uses. Actually,
no railroad has returned a trail to its former use, but it could be
done and is therefore a component of any future regional land
planning.

Trail Growth. Billions of dollars have been spent on the
Interstate System and other roadways that do not allow hikers or
bikers to use them. It is time that the country spends some
portion of its transportation money for serving people who do not
want to drive and yet wish to travel from point A to point B. The
day of a trail system has arrived, and a key to this is the
abandoned rail corridors which crisscross the land. A determined
nation needs to make this happen all the more quickly. 

December 30, 2004 End-of-Year Reminders

* Why go to a party, when you can watch (or listen) to the
launching of the New Year in the comfort of home?

* Make a list of the things worth celebrating in the past year,
and cast it all in a positive light.

* Balance the checkbooks and pay all the bills before December
is over and 2005 has begun.

* Acquire a daybook for the coming year and put your address
in
bold letters with a promise to compensate anyone who finds 
it, should it get lost.

* Send and end-of-year donation to two of your favorite
charities.

* Whittle resolutions down to one or two good ones which are
also doable. 

* At least resolve to keep exercising during the cold weather
and during the weekends in which you must travel.

* List all the books you have read this year -- and how much 
television you have skipped through reading.

* Don't get caught next year without toilet paper. Store two
extra rolls in a place you won't forget. Now do the same with the
house and car keys.

* Meat substitutes have become so tasty that some find it hard
to tell veggie hamburgers and hot dogs from the real stuff. Maybe
this is a day to get some at the grocery store and test them out on
the family.

* Assemble the catalogs for ordering garden seed and fruit
trees for the coming year. Just be prepared for this January
exercise.

* Okay, send a New Year's greeting to those Christmas card
senders you forgot, and wish them the best for the coming year.

* Take an inventory of all the mail that was not answered, and
at least shuffle the pile a little more. Just open a few now, 
but it is good to start cleaning the desk as the year ends.

* Make an end-of-year phone call to someone who lost a near
and dear loved one during the past twelve months. Or try to make 
amends" to someone was hurt or slighted; there is always a 
creative way that won't be so difficult on either.

* Finally, stay sober this weekend.

December 31, 2004 An Ancient Gaelic Blessing for the New Year

May the blessing of light be on you,
light without and light within,
May the blessed sunlight shine on you 
and warm you heart till it glows
like a great peat fire
so that the stranger may come 
and warm himself by it, 
and also a friend.

And may the light shine 
out of the two eyes of you,
like a candle 
set in two windows of a house
bidding the wanderer 
to come in out of the storm.

And may the blessing of the rain be upon you,
the soft sweet rain.
May it fall on your spirit 
so that all the little flowers
may spring up 
and shed their sweetness on the air.

And may the blessing of the great rains 
be on you.
May they beat upon you spirit
and wash it fair and clean
and leave there many a shining pool
where the blue of heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.

And may the blessing of the earth 
be upon you,
the great round earth,
May you ever have a kindly greeting
for those you pass 
as they are going on the roads.

May the earth be soft under you
when you rest upon it,
tired at the end of the day,
And may it rest easy over you 
when at last you lie out under it.
May it rest so light over you
that your soul may be off from under it
quickly and up and off on its way to God.