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St. Elizabeth of Ravenna Catholic Church
A quiet morning, Ogallala, Nebraska.
(*photo credit)
October 1, 2022 Spicing Silent Space/Time with Reflection
Stillness is what creates love. Movement is what creates life. To be still,
yet still moving -- that is everything! Do Hyun Choe, Japanese sage
In this month of October, we will focus several times on Chapter Seven of our Reclaiming the Commons. Today's reflection is from the introduction of the October chapter where we state that our deeds demand careful reflection, especially since we live in a world of ever-more-intrusive noise. We crave silent space/time.
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The value of silent space/time rests with the interplay of harmonious sounds and silent pauses, for both are necessary. The legal expression "You have the right to remain silent" is part of a broader right to silent space. Furthermore, we do not have the abusive privilege to make noise that disturbs another's silent space and time, even though some "noise" is regarded as music to a few. Here competing rights and areas of conflict emerge: to speak, to enjoy the company of others, to celebrate, to remain silent, and to cherish silence for an extended period.
Silent space/time is related to commons involving air, water, land, culture, access to health and education, free communication, commerce, and movement of people. Silence is the pause in the symphony of life, without which sound overwhelms us and distracts us -- and yet total silence deadens us. Silence is the time to rest, and sleep. Silence is intermediate between death and eternal life. Silence is meant for all -- and, while integral to any discussion of the commons, it is the most evasive and often least appreciated by those who confront injustice vocally, or who suffer silently.
Silent space is a sacred place with a special quality. Natural gentle sounds are almost, but not quite, silence; soothing breezes, flowing brooks, and birds chirping in landscape almost devoid of human beings. It is space broken by tornado winds, and raging floods, and rest stops where one cannot hear another speaking due to rushing highway traffic. It is a hospital's quiet space interrupted by vocal calling for a doctor or nurse. Silent space is recognized, craved, defended, and sought diligently, because it is so fragile and easily broken.
Silent time, on the other hand, is overlooked by busy people who champion the right to speak as the "right to make noise." Silent time of deafness is one extreme; the shout of "fire" in a crowded room is another. Quite often, common space is infringed upon by "busy and noisy" cultures. In fact, quietude is an inherent ingredient of the human person and not a spice added to culture as though optional. Is misused time part of a sick culture?
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Saint Therese of the Child Jesus: You have been highly favored by God and are a powerful intercessor for those of us who admire you. Ask the Lord to bestow blessings on all who honor and strive to practice your "Little Way."
Red-bellied woodpecker, Melanerpes carolinus, at Estill Co., KY birdfeeder.
(*Photo by Sally Ramsdell)
October 2, 2022 Cultivating Faithfulness and Godly Service
When you have done all that you have been told to do, say, "We are merely servants; we have done no more than our duty." (Luke 17:10)
Here is a parable of strong faith, a faith that recognizes the God who calls us. In one sense, there is something very humbling about this story: a person inclined to democratic practices believes in doing what one feels free to do, and frankly finds this service to another citizen demeaning. Yes, if the ruler is human that may be the case, but we realize that God is the King, not human beings. We serve God and God alone as absolute ruler. Now for democrats the parable has a new and fulfilling meaning.
God gives us a unique position on this Earth at this time and place. Our forefathers and mothers endured their callings with great and humble hearts. But they did not have our modern and current opportunities. We do not work alone, but in solidarity with others seeking to bring about God's Kingdom. Jesus even speaks of the power of believers who say to the mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea. We must believe in greater feats, namely, saving our troubled and threatened Earth. The uprooted tree is not a dramatic event showing our power, but rather God's power working in us, so that divine glory shines all the brighter.
We must trust the power of faith. Doing our duty seems small at first, but when seen in God's plan it has powerful qualities. Day laborers do what they are called to do, foreshadowing a greater calling to come. We do service out of love of God that gives an everlasting quality to the work performed. God is not the heartless master who expects work for his own honor and glory; rather, God is a lover who will reward what is done for the good of ALL. To serve one who is so great is to feel a pleasure in being faithful, for that means serving everyone else as well. Our work is a loving sacrifice done with Christ and involves our participation in the divine mission. When we make God the center of our deeds, our efforts have lasting power.
Our trust comes through humble work. We have to do our part with enthusiasm, for God is within us. That means we do so with heart and hands and head and thus manifest the Trinity within us. To wait on Earth's table and help supply another's food needs require heart, hands and head. By responding to our vocation, we are empowered to witness to faith miracles, as instruments in the divine plan. We open ourselves to express our faith before others so they, in turn, can grow in Godliness. Then a mysterious and divine power swells up within us, and we are invited to work with the confidence that God is with us in what we do.
Humble Servants: Jesus, you call us to be amiable to our friends and yet, in humility, we are "servants" for others. Many regard the work of serving to be quite lowly and even beneath their dignity. What you seek of us is openness and gratitude to be of service, and to see work as a privilege in your name. We must never regard you as demanding and lording over us, but rather as a person who has served all people through your death and resurrection. In a humble way we find our calling to imitate you and to do so with a generous heart. May this be so!
A sampling of apple pancakes.
(*Photo by Joana Petrova, Creative Commons)
October 3, 2022 Encouraging Outdoor Play in October
Children need to get outdoors more often. As the weather gets cooler, an extra effort must be taken to forsake the indoor games and return to fresh air and full spectrum sunlight for all kids. Encouraging exercise is more and more a challenge, not only for youth, but for adults with the specter of an epidemic of obesity hanging over them. Everyone needs to spend some time outdoors and to enjoy the autumn landscape -- for it will soon be passing. In fact, outdoor play can be intergenerational, only the specific type may differ according to age. Let's consider this in the light of our book: Appalachian Sensations: A Journey through the Seasons.
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October -- Piled Leaves for Romping
The locusts, these have no king, and yet they all
march in good order. (Proverbs 30:27)
Is the wild kingdom so chaotic and disordered? If we would but cease to wander about, we might discover a certain order and method to microcosmic life beneath our feet. We see swarming insects such as yellow jackets, ever so busy just before frost. They have a mission to transmit life to another generation ‑‑ and little time left to do it. The hustle and bustle of these creatures is for an internal and maybe greater purpose.
What applies to the insect world extends to our human portion of Earth's total kingdom. Youth seem to enjoy a certain chaotic bit of fun, but that is part of becoming bonded with others and releasing some of that boundless energy that they possess. They too must hurry, for the span of youth is short. If their activities do not demand so much energy, most adults would follow kids and romp in the leaves with them.
We expend our energy by raking and collecting leaves, and think for a moment that this is the total purpose of our lives. But the deliberate playful nature of youth around us stimulates us to celebrate in our own ways. The autumn-colored falling leaves make us hasten to get in a little more outdoor fun before the weather turns colder and outdoor activity slackens. Let's resolve to stay active at all times.
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Prayer to My Guardian Angel: Angel of God, be ever near, to whom God's love commits me here, be ever this day at my side, to stand guard and be my guide. I need your help so much in the many risky places where I venture.
Sericea Lespedeza, Lespedeza cuneata.
(*photo credit)
October 4, 2022 Espousing a National Carbon Tax
On the Feast of St. Francis, we could consider new ways to protect and preserve our Earth. Often people speak of a carbon tax that may help repair the damage done by the combustion of fossil fuels. However, the ordinary citizen is allergic to new taxes and rightly so. Carbon tax suggestions have almost always been dismissed as dead upon arrival to legislators vowing no new taxes -- even taxes on the super-rich to pay for our needed infrastructure maintenance. Occasionally, leading economists advocate a carbon tax that can even create a win-win situation. How is this possible?
People could be taxed for the amount of carbon dioxide they emit into the atmosphere and this could amount over the years to about a dollar a gallon for fuel. This may result in buyers turning to a fuel-efficient car or even a plug-in EV that is recharged on solar energy. The added costs of the vehicle would be considered when the choice is an internal combustion or an electric vehicle. Should we or should we not? Suddenly choices will be required of those who do so little thinking about their consumption patterns in everyday life.
Economists add that the carbon taxes raised could be plowed back into renewable energy projects that would enhance their further development; furthermore, this could ward off the critical global climate changes that are happening before our eyes. The tax promoters add that these taxes could be used to offset income taxes and yet have a salutary effect with no NET increase in overall taxes -- just a reapportionment. That's good news to all but fossil fuel promoters, who will lose jobs -- much like buggy-makers who lost jobs when autos became popular. Chest la Vie!
Resource conservation through energy efficiency on all areas could be doubled easily, and the number of powerplants reduced from current levels. Wind and solar, along with hydropower and geothermal sources, should be more prominent in the energy mix than even recent advances. Nuclear powerplants must be closed at the end of their useful lives (several this year). The time table calls for reduction and elimination of fossil fuels by 2050, as a condition to curb rising global temperatures. The carbon tax would hasten the demise of not only the dirty coal emissions, but also that of the new-found fracked natural gas and petroleum supplies.
A caution to those who proclaim "no new taxes" from me, a fiscal conservative, who is more inclined to "no net tax increase." A rearrangement of taxes could have a salutary effect and so the reduction and elimination of some unfair burdens and a fairer distribution is certainly preferable. Long-distance commuters will suffer, true -- for change always affects some. Taxes are burdensome, but when fairly administered can be revolutionary.
Saint Francis of Assisi: St. Francis, please ask God for the grace that I might persevere in my environmental work. Through your help, I hope to participate with others in saving our wounded Earth and to bless all creatures encountered during this greening process. May the Earth be reclaimed and thrive again. And may you have many Franciscan followers in the years to come.
Nature's beauty in simplicity.
(*photo credit)
October 5, 2022 Celebrating Simple Lifestyle Day
Celebrations confirm our accumulating stages in life, inspire us to know the shortening of our lifespan, and encourage others to do the same. Simple Lifestyle Day ought to be celebrated, for it is in keeping with our 1975 book: 99 Ways to a Simple Lifestyle. For this special day let's consider four suggestions:
First, review simple living checklist (November 6, 2018) in abbreviated format: 1. Grow one's own food; 2. Drive energy efficient vehicles; 3. Install energy efficient bulbs; 4. Use appliances sparingly; 5. Use solar energy; 6. Heat and cool consistently; 7. Create green living space; 8. Recycle and reuse when possible; 9. Replace lawn with edible landscape/wildscape; and 10. Conserve water. The only modification on this four-year old checklist is to combine items 3 and 4 today into a single measure, and add the need to participate through letters and other communications with policy-makers in the light of looming climate change. Also add energy conserving LEDs for lower priced lighting.
Second, celebrate and share a simple meal. Simple foods can be wholesome and satisfy; they do not have exotic names or rare spices to be enjoyed. Throughout these years this website has emphasized the use of a single lower-priced food (peanuts, home-grown greens, leftovers for soup, apples in many ways, etc.) as daily meal suggestions. Our emphasis is only to hint at a menu in the hope that readers will create their own. The menu should be as creative as there are readers; simplicity is not to follow recipes, but to create your own and only record it, if you feel it is worth repeating. Granted, some like to use specific recipes by favorite cooks, and let them speak for themselves.
Third, simply spread the word. While we live in a world of constant change and new gimmicks to entice us to spend our limited financial resources, we should speak out for simple ways to live. Our world cries for sharing resources with those lacking essential needs. The major reason why we must live simply is to share with others and most especially those lacking essentials of life. The Internet allows us to discover and connect with the needy.
Fourth, show gratitude for simply seeing. We can give thanks for physical eyesight in viewing an October landscape; we add thanks for seeing simple ways, the insights of which even those optically blind may contemplate. Grace means gift, and to show a graceful life means thanking God for all creation -- and there are more gifts than we can ever count. To dwell on our achievements as though they were completely our own doings, omits that God is author of all good things. Let's celebrate! We examine, share, speak, and see, because we have the gift of spiritual insight.
Prayer of Blessings: May all creation bless you O God: mountains and plains, oceans and lakes, streams and rivers, springs and valleys, trees and flowers, meadows and grainfields, cliffs and boulders, continents and islands, fish and whales, birds and bees, livestock and wildlife, Earth and Heaven, sun and stars, young and aged, healthy and sick, saints and angels. Let us all raise a chorus of blessing in response to what you have done.
Eumeces laticeps, broadhead skink. Woodford Co., KY.
(*photo credit)
October 6, 2022 Respecting Resident Birds and Wildlife
We are all hospitable to visitors, but we often show less concern to permanent residents who really help define us for who we are. Numerous birds bear with us through the fits of upcoming winter's bitterness and deserve our praise and respect. All too often, we take those who are our permanent neighbors for granted -- and that means the non-migratory wildlife that has to endure our strange turns of possessiveness and selfishness.
October is one of the best of times to reflect on and show gratitude for those creatures that help define our region, for we need helpers to complete our tasks. We learn from wildlife, which remains in the region, how to bear down for the harder times ahead and to prepare ourselves properly for wintery weather coming.
This is an excerpt from Appalachian Sensations: A Journey through the Seasons for this month:
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October -- Sounds of Coming and Going
The owl will hoot at the window and the raven
croak at the doorstep. (Zephaniah 2:14b)
Appalachia, as sacred space, is a home to many creatures, each with its own niche established a few millennia ago. We respect and greet wildlife that lives and moves and vocalizes around us both day and night. Appalachia was their home long before human arrival; both permanent and transitory flying birds enliven our region, giving it a certain natural character. Land- and water‑based wildlife have less mobility and are generally localized. The neo‑tropical birds leave for warmer climates at the first sign of frost. These opportunistic inhabitants prefer milder temperatures whereas others such as cardinals and blue jays stay, make do with what is here, brighten the winter scenes, and keep us company throughout the year. We enjoy summer dwellers enlivening our lives by songs and chants, but appreciate hoot owls and other year‑round residents all the more.
Some Appalachian folks exercise the same opportunistic instincts. Some go away for jobs and education; others stay through the harsh winters of life while neighbors flee to Florida. To each group, we show appreciation: for visitors who return to bless us with their temporary presence, for those who save energy when wintering elsewhere, but most sincerely for those who stay put and suffer with us through hard winter months to come.
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Prayer for Peacemakers: O God of true Peace, teach us to be less bellicose, to grow into more tranquil souls, and to love our neighbor through deed as well as word. Wean us away from loving combat games. May we see the limits and strengths of true patriotism and refrain from the so‑called love of battle glory. Transform us into peacemakers and citizens of one world.
Dealing with Autumn Weather
Probably the most frequent conversation piece is the current weather, something we experience but do little or nothing about, except to avoid the outdoors when unpleasant. The topic is not the most urgent, but it has its hidden value. Autumn is generally cooler than the heat and humidity of summer and warmer than winter snow and sleet. Though unpredicted, normal autumns offer greater possibility of pleasant days. Why speak of weather except that our manner of accepting what comes can add to our peace of mind and productivity in work and service?
If our focus is on some lack of comfort due to a rain storm or extra heavy wind, then we overlook that calming period, which may fill the majority of time in this season. A deliberate effort to concentrate our thoughts on the nicer weather has a way of reducing stress and anticipating better results in the works we are undertaking. Endure the harsher weather with humor and determination; praise God for the wonderful sunlight and cooling breezes when these are foremost in this season.
Actually, we are starting to experience the brilliant fall colors that give a sense of Indian summer joy before the long bare season of winter. The short span of colored leaf time is worth thanksgiving, for mortal life is not permanent and invites us to make the best of what is so obviously transitory. If fall colors lasted the entire year, what would it all mean? Make the best of what we have when the weather is fair and the landscape pleasing.
There is that added element to autumn weather that makes it different from other seasons. We realize that in the experienced change we can reflect on the reality of our own lives and the ever-reducing span of our Earthly existence. The autumn lasts a short time and then moves on; we accept each season for what it brings and then await the next one. We follow the lead of flocking birds and busy spiders and prepare for what is to come; these creatures intuit the unwelcome rawness of wintery weather and yet go their merry way. Those of us with spiritual aspirations await an eternity of what the autumn is but a brief prelude, and a welcome one at that.
Yes, weather is a limited topic, but one that offers an opportunity to assist those we meet to reflect on what lies ahead – and we all need that moment occasionally. When good sensations occur, thank God together with those we meet today; when bad weather cuts the conversation short, admit that matters could be worse and what we experience is a prelude to better things to come. Weather conditions can try our patience, awaken our smile, give a moment for pause, and allow a chance to say a prayer of gratitude for the entire beauty of this season. Let’s uphold the autumn!
Mary in the garden. Historic Cane Ridge Meeting House. Paris, KY.
(*photo credit)
October 7, 2022 Reflecting on the Rosary
Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. For the unfamiliar, this is a period of pious devotion, when words used are the memorized traditional prayers "Our Father," "Hail Mary" and "Glory Be;" they are a fivefold sequence of ten Hail Marys after an introductory three. We begin with a Sign of the Cross and the "Apostles Creed." At each of the sequences or "decades" we announce the subject of meditative reflection on the life of Christ and our Lady -- Glorious (Sunday and Wednesday), Sorrowful (Tuesday and Friday), Joyful (Monday and Saturday), and Luminous (Thursday) Mysteries. The ending is the also traditional "Hail Holy Queen."
Historically, on October 7, 1571 the allied Christian forces conquered the Turks at the sea battle of Lepanto in the Gulf of Corinth (the greatest battle of the century), and this was attributed to the intercession of Our Lady. That victory was so notable that only a few years later that date became the designated feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. At this and succeeding centuries individuals and families in Catholic countries regarded saying the rosary as a premier devotion. My mother never missed her daily Rosary until the very end of her life -- no matter how tired or how late it was that she got around to that period of prayer. Her fidelity to this devotion and to Our Lord and Our Lady made an indelible mark upon all who knew her. During Lent our entire family got down on our knees and said the Rosary together. My knees still ache.
This is the twelfth anniversary of our Earthhealing editor Kristen Johannsen's death. I believe that she heightened my respect for this devotion of the Rosary, for her aunt and grandmother reminded me that she died on October 7th, the feast of the Rosary. At the end of her life, she returned to that devotion when on vacation with her family and friends. A circle of loved ones said the Rosary together when she was dying, and she joined in as best she could. In honesty, this was a most meaningful Rosary I ever participated in.
The time taken in reflecting on each mystery, while in the process of praying the rote prayers, is of special importance. The three repeated traditional prayers mentioned were prayed by the new Pope Francis when he came out to the public immediately after his election. As the new Bishop of Rome, he said these prayers in Italian, most likely learned from his parents who prayed the Rosary in that tongue. We ought to know these prayers by heart in our own native languages as well, and allow them to become more meaningful by saying them with mysteries of Our Lord and Our Lady in mind.
Rosary Prayer: Our Lady of the Rosary, move us to pray your rosary when times are difficult, for this is a powerful practice: Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To you do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O Clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, holy Mother of God, that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
Rose petals in a child's hands.
October 8, 2022 Viewing Kids as Rebels or Revolutionaries
Today is National Children's Day, a day that we give for our collective aspirations for a future generation where hopes and dreams can be realized. The future is before them and that draws youth together from all parts of the world as, for example, many of them gather every two years on World Youth Days.
The standard argument is that children ought to be more like their parents, and the world would be better. Truly? The ability of parents to move still further up the economic ladder has been somewhat restricted in the last three decades as better paying jobs dried up and new ones never materialized. Rapidly rising costs of education blocks some of the former easy routes to financial success. Many parents have great anxiety as to how their children will turn out in life and thus strive to implant their work ethic and traditions in hopes of raising their offspring's success possibilities. Are there some fallacies attached here -- and do the kids sense them faster than adults? Do we want tomorrow's citizens to be carbon copies of today's? Hardly. Our wounded Earth deserves far more, if it is to have future viability.
If we are called to be revolutionaries in the Pope Francis way of seeing our spiritual future, then we expect our children to be called as well. How soon should they start preparing themselves? Or have they already started, and we must open our eyes to see revolt in its most current manifestations in efforts to save our planet from climate change extremes. It is something impossible to stop when fueled by 300 million unemployed in this world. The genie cannot be put back into the bottle. Discontent with the present situation is pronounced in the younger generation, and this is highly likely to grow during the coming years.
The American dream for upward mobility to wealthier possibilities fades before our eyes. Perhaps it was too immature a dream to start with. To be materially better than a highly wasteful generation would only spoil our fragile planet -- and that is not a good legacy. To revolt is to question the current motivation toward materialistic goals. One positive aspect of efforts to save our planet is the willingness to work together and bring about change at a global level. Our youth will help replace the consumer culture of high resource use and selfish demands on Mother Earth; they will hopefully promote a life of greater quality for all through mutual sharing.
Many young folks ascribe to a Green New Deal; they seriously question a crass materialism with its wasteful consumption patterns. Will they go farther and seek solidarity with the world's poor. Revolution means change needed to save our wounded Earth, and we count on the young to join the cause.
Autumn Hiking Prayer: Lord God, you paint the landscape in colors for each due season. You invite us to spend some time in the grand outdoors taking in the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of each season. Summer is behind us and we can relax before the weather gets too cool, for this is an ideal time to praise you for what you have wrought. Glory be your shining face among us!
The miracle of a sunset.
(*photo credit)
October 9, 2022 Thanking God for Everyday Miracles
There are two ways of living your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle. (Albert Einstein)
Haydn's 96, the "Miracle Symphony," was really not the one being played when at the intermission the audience crowded to the stage to hear the composer; at that moment the giant chandelier fell from the ceiling to where many were seated minutes before -- but no one was hurt. The audience regarded this as a miracle. We are all on one or other occasion at an event where a miracle occurs, but how do we react and attribute the phenomenon? Is it luck or the work of God or something else?
We read again the miraculous healing of the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19), for it involves a gift from God that only one of the healed lepers acknowledges as a miraculous event, and returns to give thanks. If we suffer in any way and recognize the significance of our improvement, we enter more deeply into the miracle of life; we come to appreciate wellness all the more. Having a close connection with someone who suffers opens us to their world; they invite us to share through compassion. We discover a privilege in joining them and their co-suffering; we have an opportunity to encourage them through solidarity.
Sharing and appreciating little gifts is the stepping stone to an atmosphere of gratitude, a ministry open to everyone who lives. In the story of the ten lepers, at least one person knows where the gift of healing comes from, and this foreigner takes time to return and show a sense of gratitude to Christ. For him, the duty is first to the giver of good gifts; only then is that a ritual cleansing that made lepers free to travel within the culture that requires active lepers to live separately. Praise God, for the one who sees it properly. Giving thanks is our greatest act of freedom, and for this we are created human beings with free will. To say unsolicited thanks is to praise God profoundly.
Another way of interpreting the reading is one of enthusiastic participation in the glory of creation and re-creation. In this view there is light-heartedness, much as at the Easter episodes. Joy gives rise to being grateful for what has occurred -- and true gratitude is to be expected. "I thought there were ten and only one returned -- and the foreigner." Disappointment comes when a miracle is not recognized for what it truly is -- a Godly act. We are called to appreciate the small and great things of life, for miracles and faith exist side by side. Good deeds in this distraught world are miracles, and worthy of our expressed gratitude. God invites us to be participants involving our free response to a grand moment of creation; we are called to say "Thank you" for allowing us to live and serve in this troubled world.
Giving Thanks: Lord Jesus, you show sensitivity that in healing ten lepers, only the Samaritan returned to give you thanks. All too often we forget the gifts just given, and thoughtlessly we neglect to show gratitude. Help us to always have a word of thanks for good deeds on our lips, both for those who seek to help us and to you for the many graces given. May our gratitude surpass that of the unthankful healed lepers. May we encourage others to be always thankful.
Autmn migration of monarch, Danaus plexippus, in Kentucky.
(*photo credit)
October 10, 2022 Pressing for National Gun Licensing
On World Mental Health Day let's consider ways of reducing stress and improving the mental health of our country. One way is to begin a process of gun control that will reduce the Environmental Gun Threat (EGT) that plagues many in this country.
To assume that all who own guns will use them properly is a false assumption; and others of the community of nations seem more aware of this than American citizens. An individualized interpretation of a properly regulated militia's right to bear arms (2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) does not mean allowing uncontrolled crazies to acquire and use arsenals. Many, especially in urban areas, accept that gun control is necessary for a healthy society as much as we want only licensed and mentally capable auto drivers to use our highways. Acquiring driver licenses is bothersome until we remember that this helps all of us move more safely from one place to another.
Certainly, bureaucracy and increased insurance bills come into this discussion, but still reasonable control procedures are not extremes. Removing barriers improves traffic flow and forbidding certain practices (e.g., no driver texting) ensures safer conditions and prevents additional traffic accidents. Controls keep our society safe and healthy.
Good order makes control on guns imperative. Unfortunately, such gun regulations have been loosened in some states in recent years with the heavy stress from red states to abide by demands for less government. The bogus argument of the "slippery slope of more regulation" hardly stands before the counter argument of greater safety for all. Why not a national license on guns? Actually, lack of citizen control is NOT a true conservative issue; permissiveness of individuals is a false liberality that allows individuals to bear assault weapons and abandon single-shot, muzzle-loading guns. Assault weapons with immense firepower were not traditional individualized fire arms at the time of the Revolution, nor ought they to be now. Users of guns for entertainment or so-called "security" ought to be licensed after the owner takes a basic training course.
Mentally incompetent James Holmes reportedly used an AK-15 in his rampage in July, 2012 at Aurora Colorado. In reality, only police and institutional and utility guards in a given locality ought to be so designated to carry military-style weapons. Why the "right" of hunters to automatic weapons? Are they actually that poor a shot? Currently gun loopholes allow for trafficking in weapons with gangs and drug operators. Some call for more efficient gun law enforcement, but what about reviewing "Stand Your Ground" laws now on the books in two dozen states. Granted, no licensing system could screen out all misfits. Licensing could go a long way to exclude the crazies and mentally sick. And why not strict controls on ammo rather than only on guns?
Prayer for Wisdom: Divine Wisdom, you give us an understanding of the shortness of our lives and that we are called to perform services of love during this ever-shortening span. Alert us to thrive with a sense of rapidly ongoing time. May we look back and recall things that seem and were so short-lived; may we thus realize that this mortal life is fleeting. Help us look ahead in gratitude for the mortal time that still remains. And may our past, with its imperfections, teach us to be wise.
Pinson mounds (Middle Woodland Period). Pinson, TN.
(*photo credit)
October 11, 2022 Sharing Economy: Collaborative Consumption Model
Today, a new model in the field of consumption is emerging, and this is based on a desire not to own but to rent things that we use only occasionally. In a broad range of everyday items, it would be better to pay for use of another's item or to share expenses. Actually, the process is not new in our modern society; we rent cars when traveling locally at distant places, and we rent motels for short periods when we lodge elsewhere overnight. The practice is extending to utilize un- or underused private vehicles and residences, and extends to a host of other goods and services.
Farmers and certain businesses and industries rent heavy equipment and implements that would be too expensive to maintain on one's own (e.g., threshers, combines, seed cleaning equipment, spraying gear, etc.). The same applies to construction companies and to industry and includes earth-moving equipment, concrete mixers, and cranes. Homemakers know this is the informal manner with Dagwood Bumstead's friend, who always borrows tools.
Green business confronts a consumption economy, and here is where environmentalists take notice. In fact, sharing infrequently used materials requires far less resources than all having these at a multitude of locations. However, the idea is opposed by consumer culture businesses that want all to sell more ladders, spraying lawn mowers, sawmills, chainsaws, etc. But in a world of far too many consumer products with the heavy cost of resources to process and deliver these, along with resultant pollution and end use disposal, let's cut consumption at the source -- the "Collaborative Consumption Model" (CCM) is a beginning.
Growth potential for CCM is sizeable, even in billions of dollars on a national or global level; it offers a livelihood for business-minded people who can connect through the Internet. Why buy and store what is needed only once a year and can be obtained for a brief period at low cost? Safeguards can be spelled out before use. Bringing together suppliers and consumers makes for a bright business future even on an international level. Nightly, one company now rents out 40,000 unused rooms throughout the world. Now hotel managers may not like this and may even require local regulations as to insurance, taxes, safeguards, and care that would help ensure the health of their own current businesses.
New ways of thinking mean new challenges. The listing of CCM items is endless -- cars, bikes, furnishings, electronic devices, bedrooms, tools, storage space, printers, yards, lawns, and on and on. Certainly, items wear and are damaged in use. The key is who needs something and who has something that others may want for a short period, that is, hosts supplying short-term customers. Information on supply and need is now easily available through the Internet to a global set of interested parties.
Serenity Prayer: God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen. Reinhold Niebuhr
Emergence from forest floor after October rain.
(*photo credit)
October 12, 2022 Recycling Naturally All Around Us
Nature has a way of reusing materials efficiently and is worthy of imitation. In fact, through observation we gain insight into what natural processes are at work all around us that bring about the changes that keeps everything in natural balance. Through our senses of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling we learn about how the falling leaves are being converted through natural processes into next year's raw materials -- natural renewal. This phenomenon is celebrated in our book Appalachian Sensations: A Journey through the Seasons:
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October -- Sensing the Presence of Wet Autumn Leaves
I will fall like dew on Israel.
They shall bloom like the lily,
and thrust out roots like the poplar,
their shoots will spread far;
they will have the beauty of the olive
and the fragrance of Lebanon. (Hosea 14:5‑7)
The warmer daylight span is shortening and night's coolness is
increasing. Breezes creep up from the valleys to the higher reaches of the hills; the fog clings to us more closely; the frost
scampers rapidly across the landscape. Autumn leaves flutter to the ground with a rustling sound when they land. With global warming, the foliage that once fell by the end of October continues well into November. These falling leaves return to humus and emit a characteristic autumn scent telling us that nature is going to sleep for a while.
Lessons are learned through sight and sound, but are never as pronounced as those learned through the sense of smell. Nature beckons us gently through its teaching mode to accept the seasons, and to recycle cast-off portions of life for a new beginning. If we see that our "wastes," our unwanted leftovers, are of great worth, we will take pains to recycle all consumer products. We will not store these up as junk, nor burn them as trash, or despair and send them to landfills. The leaf cycle teaches us to call nothing waste, but recycle all for future utility.
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Prayer of Discovery: Lord, keep our minds sharp and vigilant for new discoveries. Like Columbus, we are on a venture, a journey of faith. Many new things come before us, but being limited in insight we often let them pass unnoticed. I know you have more in store for us, and so with freshness of vision we await your calling. An eternity lies beyond the horizons; give us the grace to anticipate it and welcome it when it comes.
Pinesap, Monotropa hypopithys.
(*photo credit)
October 13, 2022 Compromising Domestic Sound and Silence
The great art and challenge of compromise is first experienced within the home, where some noises are natural (a crying baby) and some can merely require the turning down of volume from an electronic device. The art is not to allow chaos or to rule through absolute silence, but to give way to time and space for both environmental components of life -- sound and silence, a major issue worth pondering in Reclaiming the Commons (Chapter Seven):
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We need silent space; we need quiet time to meditate and reflect. Both time and space constitute a "sacred silence" that allows us to turn our hearts to God. Just as music needs stops and rests, so does life. Leisure advocates say: take rest breaks during the work day to gain strength and energy to keep on top of assignments; make the day of rest truly restful; create both sacred space and sacred time in your life, where and when different senses can harmonize sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings; find retreat time and use it.
Homemakers can establish quiet places and times for internal peace, reduced stress, and improved wellbeing by several steps:
* turn down volume or use headphones;
* dampen or replace noisy appliances and other devices;
* establish TV-cut-offs (mute button) for commercials;
* abandon cell phones (or turn off the ringer) during meals;
* erect privacy and sound barriers using various types of material (stone, wood, metal, or vegetative), thickness and height, and manner of construction;
* mow lawns with a muscle-powered mower or turn space into edible landscape or wildscape;
* enhance soundproofing in parts of the home or create a quiet nook for reading and listening to music. Egg cartons tastefully dyed and arranged can be low-cost materials for quieting the special room or nook. One commercial acoustical product for ceiling and walls is a fused vinyl material called Audioseal, a very dense material costing several dollars per square foot as non-reinforced rolls, and double cast for reinforced rolls that can be available for retrofitting structures with noise problems; and
* add insulated enclosures to dampen noisy devices that can even cause structural vibration -- air conditioners, water pumps and purifying equipment, outdoor by-pass pumps, natural gas compressors, and heating and ventilation equipment.
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Homemakers may encourage children's playful squeals and shouts in the great outdoors during daylight and within limited hours, so neighbors can rest quietly at other times (night and rare daylight times as well). Fireworks are limited to major holidays and within acceptable bounds. Children ought to be encouraged to let off steam and get sunlight and fresh air within specific time periods.
Cleansing Prayer: Have mercy on me, God in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin.
Indeed you love truth in the heart, then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51)
ttitudes about the Ukrainian War
As a Priest I am expected to be a peaceful person and yet with this unjust war now waging in the Ukraine it is natural to take sides. One cannot agree with genocide and yet at times it seems the official Russian position. But what does taking sides mean, since no one likes to see the killing and wounding of military personnel as well as innocent citizens (including children)? There is ambivalence in our attitudes when we cheer on the Ukrainian counter-offensive and yet the operation involves killing people. It takes an extra effort not to feel satisfied when another town falls from Russian control back to the somewhat smaller numbers of highly motivated Ukrainian fighters. Is it right to wish them the best? Can we easily slip into a belligerent mindset – and find it hard to break?
This nearly eight-month-old war seems to have little chance of a quick end, for both parties are set on goals that simply do not match and are not easily attainable. Putin’s Russia wants conquest and seems to have the majority of its propagandized citizens supporting such a position. On the other hand, Volodymyr Zelensky, the bold Ukrainian President, insists that every inch of the original nation must be removed from Russian control and returned to Ukrainian control. This brings us to a possible compromise, for small portions of Eastern Ukraine have had resident populations that were Russian in language and culture for decades. Can these Russian areas be clearly carved off and incorporated into nearby Russia? Certainly, the process would demand a third party to help with the compromise, but it could be resolved if properly executed. One of the problems is that there has been considerable mobility of people, even in the highly Russian Donbas region. And what about the Crimea, with its majority of Tartars? To which country do the majority of Crimeans want to associate?
To be for the Ukraine and expect total liberation of all land is unrealistic and only results in continued conflict -- to no one’s advantage. Russia would never give up territory without some sort of victory for its own people. It is imperative that some form of compromise be reached, for without it the necessity of global collaboration in halting climate change effects cannot be achieved. Global peace must be workable and in a moving stage of completion. We must have peace and Ukrainian allies have a part to play in insisting that Russian people can be returned to Russia, even when the total integrity of the Ukraine nation is at risk. Some readers may object and say that Mr. Zelensky has made a practical choice that demands continue fighting for total liberation. However, some willingness to forfeit complete control may be a workable solution to halt the fighting.
Yes, seeking a compromise may be regarded as weakness, but not necessarily. ‘Giving in’ shows a willingness to work out a solution for bringing about a peace that could benefit all parties. Will both Russia and the Ukraine agree? Without some form of willingness to compromise, bystanders may harbor doubt that either party is acting in good faith. Ending the conflict is a necessity, but can Putin be trusted to fully take part? Let’s hope and pray that a workable solution can be reached. Our planet desperately needs it.
Purple passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, Anderson Co., KY.
(*photo credit)
October 14, 2022 Rediscovering America through Respect for All
On traditional Columbus Day we ought to do some further reflection on the "discovery of America" -- or the Native Americans "discovery of European invaders." When Columbus completed a highly risky Atlantic crossing, gratitude was certainly in order and was expressed. Good enough! Or was it good enough? We are quick to give thanks in public ways upon completing a portion of life's journey, but is that sufficient? What about our broader existence and those who made our journey possible? What about the ones who support us on our way in life in hidden ways? What about gratitude to the God who gives us breath and invites us to proceed properly?
Limitations abound in every journey and the Columbus trip certainly had them. In fact, as a Knight of Columbus, I am always intrigued about the good man's life, but always find it baffling. The drive to gain material success (due to financial obligations and personal motivation) always seems something that Christopher sought and never fully found. The gratitude of that first leg of the journey melted when the goals of sought gold and riches evaded the discoverer. A lack of success on life's journey can tempt one to forget the atmosphere of gratitude that should permeate all that we do. And America's discovery included thanks and exploitation.
Exploitation meant the hidden agenda of the new discovery became public through treatment of places and ones "discovered." The agenda included failure to show respect for inhabitants they met in the New World, and so enslavement and harsh treatment soon ensued. People driven by the quest for material things turned the discovery into a series of conquests that were harsh to say the least. Ingratitude soon replaced the first signs of thanks with a yearning to get discovered wealth for gain, whether that be gold, furs, codfish, timber, or tobacco. European exploitation tarnished that gratitude for God' gifts and human respect for a native culture with its own cultural gifts. All this was amplified by the arrogance of those with firearms against bows and arrows. And what about diseases brought to which native had no immunity?
Rediscovery involves our reading the history of that period of coming together of a world not known to Europeans before 1492. We can discover more about ourselves and find the shortcomings of materialistic motivations of early explorers. Disrespect for those enslaved by colonists becomes a lesson for us all, as does hidden disease, extended warfare, and other ills. Ungratefulness and exploitation run hand-in-hand. That extended down through an industrial revolution and modern consumer culture to include misuse of world resources. A challenge is to rediscover those first moments of coming together. We need to be authentically thankful that two worlds finally connected and joined forces. Let's rediscover a sense of respect for the Native Americans who suffered much due to exploitation and show gratitude for all their gifts.
First Frost Prayer: Lord Creator of all the living, you give us time to plant, grow and harvest -- and then comes the non-growing portion of the year. Help us recognize the limits on what we can do, to prepare for gardening even after frost, and to see all times as opportunities to live well with nature. May we learn that there is a time for everything under Heaven; give us foresight and patience, care and creativity. Yes, it takes choice and ingenuity to garden after frost, but it is worth it.
Autumn harvest in Kentucky.
(*photo credit)
October 15, 2022 Providing Nutrition for Poor Folks
Today, look into your own backyard to provide local food needs. While we focus on food essentials, we recall that tomorrow is World Food Day. Here at the foothills of the vast Midwest the harvest season is in full swing with corn and soybeans going by the truckloads to barns and grain elevators. Pause and thank God for the bounty of adequate moisture in America's food-growing belt. The production is generous; what about the ultimate distribution?
Here in Appalachia, we realize that sufficient food does not mean the right type of food distribution, preparation, and use. Take a trip to the local commercial food market and compare price tags for bulk food (grain, fruit, nuts, berries, and vegetables) with easily accessible and readily edible junk food -- sugar products and those with excessive fat and salt. In realizing what people will pick up and choose to eat with their food stamps is part of the cause of an emerging obesity epidemic. The nutritionally aware forget that the poor have less time and skill to prepare foods from scratch and so their choices of candy bars, soft drinks, and chips have an associated logic. With compassion, one can understand how people acquire poor eating habits.
Restrict food stamp content. Is there any need that food stamp holders purchase soft drinks by the cart load at the start of the month and then convert some of this into cash for other habits -- at public expense? In some states this is a forbidden practice. Drinks are not foods, and anyone thirsting for potable water ought to get it free of charge -- just don't call the sugar-laden soft drinks "food" under any stretch of imagination. Interestingly, this is the largest food item in the purchases of the poor folks in this part of Appalachia -- in a region with the highest soft drink consumption. Petition drives to remove soft drinks are sponsored by major beverage producers.
Teach good nutrition. Our own parish "Moms in the Morning" is the contribution of Our Lady of the Mountains at Stanton for providing good nutrition over time. Local balanced school nutrition programs seek to tackle obesity rates among youth, and some improvements are forthcoming in various places. Too much of a good thing can be bad, if any population indulges in junk food.
Institute basic food distribution programs. On a regular weekly basis nutritious food commodities are released -- and this is welcome by those of low income. A number of basic items (cheese, peanut butter, canned foods) are distributed to the needy on a regular basis as a food stamp supplement. Low-income families (especially those with numerous dependents) find staples such as low-priced milk helpful. More plentiful staples become the opportunity for creative cooks to shine in their glory.
Prayer for Good Stewardship: O God, teach us to be of service, to love "our land" as holy land and to treat it with respect; grant that we keep it sustainably productive and well protected as a liveable habitat. May we fashion our actions into springboards for broad-based global collaboration. Show us how to wash the feet of others and to welcome the lowly tasks before us. Stir us to confront unsustainable practices, and to never regard resources as personal commodities for selfish benefit. Teach us to use material resources properly for embellishing our surroundings, to celebrate our blessings, and to assist others to become good stewards as well.
An assemblage of wild mushrooms.
(*photo credit)
October 16, 2022 Struggling to Remain Faithful Today
When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Luke 18: 1-8)
The issue raised in today's Gospel reading is worth special reflection during this troubled year. The parable is about the persistent widow who seeks a decision from a distracted judge. Perhaps our position is closer to the judge than the persistent person, for we so often assent to a bureaucrat's caution.
Persistence has a quality of continuity in requesting; that is not to be overlooked in our busy world of distractions. We are too often unwilling to focus on a single issue -- the issue of our fidelity to God. This makes us fail to see the value of faithful dependence on God; we can sink into becoming fair weather folks, failing to seek spiritual direction until a storm threatens. God always is open and listening, but we choose times of immediate fright, and then lapse into forgetfulness right after the storm passes. On the other hand, the persistent person does not forget, but is ever faithful in prayer and mental attitudes.
Gratitude reinforces fidelity. We seek to be always thankful for the multitude of God-given gifts. Lacking that sense of thankfulness is lack of faith that God will provide for our needs -- it is lack of trust. Furthermore, fidelity to God as author of good gifts shows that we understand the full nature of these gifts and are willing to constantly acknowledge God's generosity and mercy in our public lives.
Ingratitude accompanies busyness. When we strive to gain material things in this world's ongoing rat race, we turn from a sense of God-given gift to a selfishness and false pride that I deserve the essentials of life due to my luck, hard work, or native intelligence. Thinking that these successes are solely the result of my efforts turns me away from God; in such circumstances self-centered attention takes hold, and the strength to resist evil erodes as material allurements loom before us; this material success becomes a goal and devours our precious time. We become socially addicted to such material things and lack the ability to discern clearly right from wrong. Is this the lack of faith that Jesus is talking about?
Prayer is the answer. Christ teaches us to pray always for what it takes to succeed. God promises answering our prayers in ways we cannot fathom. Are we willing to continue to pray, trusting that God is attending to our petitions now or very soon? Shouldn't we pray that we hear and understand God's answers? In God's good time prayers will be answered -- and thus we gain a childlike trust in the good hand of God in our lives. We can await with trusting hearts even amid the busy world all around us.
Grace to Pray Always: Lord, we know our prayers need to be of various types, with gratitude and praise being always on our lips. In your teaching you use the example of the woman who bothered the corrupt judge to such a degree that he answered her request. In so doing, you show us a willingness to hear our prayers of petition – for some, the only kind of prayer. Yes, we need much; we are confident that through asking, our prayers are answered. Let this requesting be only part of the totality of our prayer life, even when we know you are not bothered by our persistence. Still, may we continue to praise and thank you and beg pardon for our offences.
Autumn view at water's edge.
(*photo credit)
October 17, 2022 Protesting Triggered at a Global Level
You are the ones who destroy the vineyard and conceal what you have stolen from the poor. By what right do you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor? (Isaiah 14b-15a)
Today is the UN designated the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This is a fitting time to reflect on what is causing this to be a year somewhat like 1848, 1968, and 1989; those were years when change was in the air and people were drawn to the streets to protest a host of popular issues. However, catalytic issues seem to be different in the Middle East than in South America. On virtually every continent surging masses incited by social media rise, even though the immediate cause of anger may appear to be different. Emotion and reason do not simultaneously mix for inevitably successful revolutions -- but there is a global undercurrent calling for renewal of some fashion.
In this time of radical social change and fiscal difficulties one must recognize that three hundred million unemployed are not going to sit back; the call by the super-rich and status-quo-seekers for more caution is met by less and less patience on the part of those who can and will protest -- though not necessarily by the one billion who are still in extreme poverty. Those who have received a fair education and cannot find meaningful work are tinder for an explosive condition. Patience is wearing thin. Change is in the air and leaders of governments are starting to take notice. The poor are like the tinder, and those who cannot find work are like the hot coals of discord. Hope springs in the hearts of those who sense through an implicit solidarity that a better world is possible. There are not enough police to counter the flames of social media.
Here we hear the words of Pope Francis: A Christian who is not a revolutionary today isn't a Christian. This is worth reflection leading to action -- and "social patience," or paralyzed acceptance of what can be changed is not Christian. The principle is that if injustice is directed against me as a person, the Spirit may direct me to patient acceptance; if against another, we must protest in every way we can with holy impatience. Even Mary, other holy women, and John protested by standing beneath the cross while the rest of the apostles went and hid. With the oils of Confirmation on our forehead we must respond to social injustice. This is why protest within hearts of many must be channeled, not suppressed.
Extreme wealth and extreme poverty cannot co-exist side by side. Friction develops naturally, and this expresses itself in numerous ways, when human brotherhood is threatened. Inequalities become a charged situation demanding attention. The conditions are ripe for revolution unless those who have much are willing to surrender the surplus of what they have for those who lack. We cannot allow injustice to our human family go unchallenged.
Grace to Greet Opportunities: Lord, we do not know what today or tomorrow will bring, and yet we should open our minds for coming challenges. May I be indifferent to what you have in store. Thanks for the unforeseen happenings, which were sometimes crucial in my life. I see that you give us precious time to grow in wisdom and strength -- and autumn, in all its beauty, is such a time. You own our time and seasons, and we are grateful as we move to the day of eternal rest.
Pumpkins galore!
(*Photo by Richard Bowen, Creative Commons)
October 18, 2022 Celebrating Pumpkins: A Truly American Delight
Pumpkin, that beautiful orange fruit of the autumn field, is really more American than apple pie -- for it is a native plant. This pronounced gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita is often associated with Squash and gourds and other members in growing and food-preparing practices. But there is more to pumpkins.
Decorating with pumpkins is an American art form. This is the ideal season for using colorful pumpkins for decorating motifs at homes and offices. The pumpkin resembles a human head, thus opening it to a variety of artistic expressions; the creativity includes carving into Jack-o-lanterns with a candle in the middle.
Growing pumpkins are usually in the 20- to 40-pound variety, though I have a distant cousin in Ohio (Martin Schumacher) who has been known to grow some of the nation's largest; these required a mechanical lift to put them on a truck to county fair, and getting them highlighted in seed catalogs. Pumpkins take space to grow since the vine moves about at will and is certainly not the produce of choice for small space gardeners. We at ASPI had a relatively large garden space three decades ago in a river bottom, and we devoted it for one season to pumpkins. It yielded a truck load of moderate- to large-sized ones. The problem was that many had small smooth indentations in the side and, though some had been busted open, these were not broken. The mystery was that deer bucks with large antlers would charge and attempt to break open the pumpkin to get at the delightful seeds; and pumpkin survivors, except for small indentures that did not break the skin, were suitable for culinary and decorating purposes. A wildlife imprint!
Storing pumpkins is relatively easy and well known by early Native American growers, who specialized in gathering and using various members of the squash family for dippers, food containers, and for food. Pumpkins are a food that can withstand temperature changes and still be fresh during the winter well beyond the growing season. They can be put in a root cellar; the pulp portion can be canned or frozen and the seeds dried and stored.
Preparing pumpkins for culinary dishes can prove quite creative, since the size of pumpkins indicates plentitude. The taste is not as pronounced as other fruits and so spices assist in pie preparation, especially those prepared for American Christmas and Thanksgiving feasts according to favorite recipes; these pies are often served with whipped cream or ice cream. Pumpkin is also incorporated into breads, muffins, candies, cakes, cookies, and stews as a meat substitute. A happy discovery in the year of soup variety was the good taste of pumpkin soup (with spices). We once prepared a pumpkin Thanksgiving "turkey," but the creation was not equal to the real thing. The seeds (the goal of the charging deer) can be roasted and used as a good snack or part of trail mix.
Saint Luke Evangelist: I have admired your writings and prized them so very much. You teach us to also journey on the way, to see the greatness of Mary, to reflect on the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan, to seek healing at all times, to find joy in the work we do, to spread Good News far and wide, to journey in faith with a purpose, to work at salvation within a community, and to find the Messiah in our midst. Help keep our minds alert to Jesus and become faithful disciples in the pattern of your life.
Sandhill cranes, Grus canadensis.
(*photo credit)
October 19, 2022 Bullying: A Local and National Phenomenon
During this initial writing on bullying, NPR reported on Chicago school closings being ordered by the mayor. One protestor said the mayor ought to get "the bullet" and not the vote. The remark was casual and went without reporters' comments; it sounded as though to shoot an opponent was standard practice. Was this a threat on a mayor's life? NPR was not apparently disturbed, nor the audience in our gun-filled society. We either allow threats as though an everyday occurrence, or we are too bullied to break silence. Let us reflect on attitudes related to this practice.
Bullying comes in many ways and is a weapon of power. When accompanied by guns the power is magnified. Even the possibility that a bully will resort to arms intensifies the practice. Author Lisa Alther quotes in her book Blood Feud a reporter during the quite infamous nineteenth century Appalachian Hatfield and McCoy feud: "The majority of the people here are peaceably inclined, but are overawed and domineered by the bullying element." One feud leader, Devil Anse Hatfield, appeared a master at the art of bullying and this included West Virginia's governor.
During times of feuding and quarrels a person may initially refuse to fight back, and this encourages use of weapons by either the bully or the one who is the brunt of the actions. Reactions can be as drastic as the original action. Bullying is competition gone awry. Bullies try to impose their will over others through forceful action or hostile language communicated in order to get results contrary to the victim's will. In this age of easy social contacts (Facebook or Twitter), bullying becomes a challenging problem. It's easy to threaten another by revealing a real or hypothetical story that imputes another's character. How about smearing the disliked by publicizing through powerful social media?
This act of bullying can affect legislators in the same way as does personal and local conflicts. The wealthy can become bullies in a permissive society that allows them to retain their wealth and use it as legislative power. Those with powerful lethal weapons or financial resources are easily tempted to exert power over another. Guns speak when holders exercise a rather silent bully pulpit, for weapons have a certain advantage when exercising abusive power over others; this is true in unsafe neighborhoods or legislators paralyzed by difficult global climate change issues.
Recall how many American massacres involve newly minted bullies with older assault weapons. Internet, as well as person-to-person bullying, should never be tolerated and every effort taken to see that such practices cease. This is more easily said than done, especially in a society that has faced bullying in a massive degree. Yes, it is still "legal" to bully through bribes and contributions, since bullies helped influence the legislation.
North American Martyrs Prayer: Lord God, you give us martyrs in the early Christianizing of our North American continent. In some cases, these missionaries saw little progress in conversion; yet they remained steadfast to their calling and their witnessing to the cross. The French Jesuit martyrs showed love for Huron victims of the bloody conflicts of that time. For standing with the oppressed they give the example of their lives for the cause of peace and social justice. May we do the same in a world of current conflicts.
Thin-leaved coneflower, Rudbeckia triloba.
(*photo credit)
October 20, 2022 Focusing on World Food Needs
Each year on or immediately after World Food Day we assemble the food and nutritional concerns of our world and try to address them. In the process we leave some out, due in part to our difficulty in distinguishing those with real or phony needs. Unfortunately, in my two parish boundaries we have both types of people, and these make further demands on our spiritual development along with our donor supplies. Since our world is our enlarged neighborhood, needs at the local level are multiplied manyfold when viewing a world with one billion extremely poor folk.
Transparency in exports is a necessity, especially since many do not want foods that have certain pesticide residues or are the result of GMO-grown materials. Citizens will come to their own conclusions as to the degree of safety of some of these materials, for it is important that consumers can make wise choices.
Global lunch programs are an ideal that was promised at the start of this century. We hear that 23 kids in Bihar, India's poor state, were killed from poisoning by pesticides in the school nutrition program, but recall that India feeds 125 million students with a generally good record. Beyond India, we hope the many millions of youths outside of formal education will have safe nutrition programs along with accessible school facilities.
World storage centers need to be expanded, even while existing ones are already integral to a global food-feeding program; this is especially true when shortages occur through drought. Even when famine is not prominent, still hunger is, and worse conditions arise quickly and need rapid response. Today, over 25 million refugees including four million in or from the middle East need supplies; this situation stretches UN food programs to the limit.
Protect against agribusiness programs. This is often overlooked amidst promises of mass production of food or industrial commodities (such as palm oil or beef) for wealthier lands. Such situations hurt local environment and subsistence farmers.
Support small farmers throughout the world and especially in Africa where challenges in meeting local food needs exist. This calls for more than "charity;" in recent years the emphasis is on programs to offer infrastructure (roads, markets, etc.) assistance to small farmers for them to get their homegrown produce to market.
Biofuels from food stock (corn and sugar) must be discouraged because shortages by diversion to fuel affect food prices in distant lands as well as locally. One effort that has not been accelerating as originally planned in 2000 is converting cellulosic fibers from farm and other product wastes to biofuels. This program offers immense promise without curbing traditional agricultural production for human food and animal feed.
Charity Song:
Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found;
Brought here together in Christ’s love, by love are we thus bound.
With grateful joy and holy fear, his charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul, now love him in return.
Forgive us now each other’s faults, as we our faults confess;
And let us love each other well, in Christian holiness.
Searching for a Legacy'
Many of us prefer to think we have done something beneficial while on our Earth sojourn and that we leave a gift or present that shows we did something good during our mortal span. Some leave material funds or buildings or memorials of some sort; others regard their children as their pride and joy -- and a little bit of themselves when they are gone. In a more spiritual sense, many would say that the good we elicit for and with others is reckoning by God, the ultimate accountant.
The third wave of Jesuits in Kentucky is about to end, or at least take a furlough. The first wave involved Jesuits from France from 1832-46 and resulted in a move to Fordham, New York. The second wave began in 1848 and continued to 1870 with its St. Joseph College being used as a hospital during the Civil War. During that period Jesuits built a three-story glass-faced office/study hall for an extravagant $5,000, which is still used by the Louisville Archdiocese. What a bargain! The third wave was started and completed by Walt Bado, SJ and me; in 1980 there were upwards to three dozen Jesuits in pastoral and other works for long or short periods of time. In one sense, their legacy is the immense good shown to those of the diocese of Lexington. Note that a material legacy includes the cordwood house on the ASPI property, to which I laid every log. So much for legacies! Will there be a future fourth wave? God only knows.
Some regard what they hand on as somewhat nebulous and something they find remiss to give or take credit for, and rightly so. All too often, the legacy comes in terms of what an individual, with all his or her imperfections, give some degree of judgment to. A far better Christian legacy is what we as community in worship and service do as a group, of which each contributes a portion. In this regard, the advancement of the Kingdom of God occurs gradually and without fanfare; it proceeds as something over time, and involves a sense of justice and collaboration among peoples and nations. All too often the contributions of some are overlooked and those of others over-rated.
Should we strive to produce a legacy, or is this a trace of materialism that goes beyond a mere gravestone or hollow memorial? The legitimate desire to be of service and leave that good as part of an accumulating treasure is worthwhile, if not the grandest. May our good live after us. To become overly mesmerized in leaving something permanent is really too materialistic, but nothing is lasting in that sense. Really, our love for others is the closest thing to being permanent and follows us on our eternal journey; that love involves service for others of which the Lord will judge our actions. In our bittersweet message of closure and goodbye we find hope that our acts of love will persist and that both individuals and communities will be remembered for their simple compassion for those in need. May this be our true legacy for whatever it is worth.
Bear Glacier panorama. Near Stewart, British Columbia.
(*photo credit)
October 21, 2022 Acknowledging a Troubled Earth
October is a fitting time for looking about and seeing the beauty of a colorful forest and sparkling streams and lakes. This is a time of untold beauty as the surrounding forests prepare for their annual sleep, and autumn veggies need frost cover. However, amid this beauty we know that troubles beset this and every part of our fragile Earth. We touch Calvary's rock and hear the Lord's words, "Look what they have done to our Earth!"
a) We are immersed in Creation. Earth before us is both beautiful and fragile. No doubt, each of us has been elevated to sheer beauty during this season -- hills and lakes, trees and late flowers, flocking birds and busy ground squirrels. We are overwhelmed by God's Creation when we immerse ourselves in nature, but mere observation does not suffice. If we only focus on the untouched, we avoid a portion of our planet that has been exploited and plagued by marred beauty. Sensitivity means simultaneously seeing both beauty and ugliness, to hearing the sounds of harmony and the cry of the poor.
b) Humbly, we come and see. Our own personal salvation rests on what we must do to see what has to be done. If we fail to see through our insensitivity, we are condemned by the sin of omission involving ignoring the needs of others. Simply knowing the condition that has occurred is a preliminary step of which others must necessarily follow. The call is for us to open our eyes and ears and, like the Good Samaritan, to not let this pass unattended through denial, excuse, or escape from an observer's sight.
c) Damage to a fragile Earth confronts us. We cannot remain in silence and acquiescence (agreement and consent without protest) to this condition. We must do something, and thus we confront powerful forces tempting us to deny or flee from the situation. We look about and see that people, even legislators, are being bullied by the status-quo-seekers and big fossil-fuel-producers. To beg for their help is to postpone confrontation and expect successful results which is too often colored by greed.
d) Salvation calls us to act. Earth is not meant to be wasted, for all of God's creation is good. We Christians believe that the Savior has come, but we hear in Paul's words that we are to fill up what is wanting in this salvation event -- a suffering Earth. We are part of the saving act and, as the hands and feet of Jesus, we must get involved in what is happening in our midst. We have a personal responsibility; we must answer in some fashion and not expect a divine intervention to come forth and save what we have messed up so royally. We must respond and correct our faults.
Colorful Foliage: O Creator and painter of the landscape, you give us a brilliant forest cover at this season. This only lasts a short time, and that's what makes it all the more precious. Just before the leaves fall, they show forth the splendor of their moment of glory; they yield yellows and scarlets and golds, though words cannot fully describe the scene. We may photograph them, paint them, or simply gaze on their fleeting presence. Lord, this is our consolation before the dying and falling of foliage; help us to see that life flowers and withers in its due time.
Misty morning, Kentucky in October.
(*photo credit)
October 22, 2022 Opting Fundamentally with the Poor
In urgent times, we seek to focus on what is essential for those in need. Excuse is insufficient; we come forward and show a willingness to take part and not expect others to handle the situation. Here poor Earth and poor people are the primary focus, and we look about to see how we can enter the struggle, not accepting that our personal salvation is divorced from that of others. Suffering people and Earth are a single community.
a) Urgency confronts us. We cannot back away and refuse to enter the fray, lest this lead to ruin for this planetary community. Our wounded Earth must be saved at this time from the hands of a consumer economy, bent on continued pollution and waste of resources along with the risk of catastrophic climate change. We have a shrinking time to act before disaster occurs; yes, there is no time to waste.
b) Initial actions are imperfect. To strike out violently in our holy anger is not sufficient, for violence only leads to more suffering. We cannot panic, but we know that individual agents of change are limited by lack of adequate resources. We cannot excuse ourselves, and so we start to act even with limited resources and with faith in God to provide our needs. We confront poverty and suffering and strive to bring about healing by addressing pollution and injustices through remedial action. However, our limitations confront us: lack of expertise, self-control, purity of intention. What we strive to do for the poor (people and Earth) has limited effectiveness, if we take a secular view of things.
c) The manner in which we act is critical. We cannot waste time and energy. Choices include inviting the wealthy to freely give up what they cling to or to faintly praise their power trip of dispensing "charity." Some few of the rich will give freely and entirely, but most will not. Continued disparity of wealth causes discontent, and so nonviolent methods must be used to reclaim the commons, to loosen the hold by wealthy nobles on resources needed to change our world. A democratic people must retake what belongs to the commons, so that an authentic healing might start to occur.
d) The poor hold a key. While poor people lack material resources, this should not discourage action by all. Looking more deeply, we discover that the poor have richness in their utter trust in God -- and this involves spiritual empowerment -- a resource that is enriching in itself, for God is with the poor. The key is Mary's words: "God will pull down princes from their thrones and exalt the lowly" (Luke 1:52). It is the rising of the poor in God's grace that will bring about a profound change. But this rising requires the cooperative action of many, a solidarity with the poor even by those who are somewhat distant in temperament.
Prayer to the God of All Understanding: O Wisdom Divine, you fill the universe with order and plentitude. Teach us to be open to learning while teaching others, and to see the need for growth in our own understanding. May we be willing to collaborate in solving the pressing problems of our fragile world. Awaken us to listen to experienced and prophetic experts, who strive to make us see reality in all its rawness. Extend our understanding to the global village so we all might grow together in hope.
Glimpse into a field of asters.
(*photo credit)
October 23, 2022 Seeking a Prayerful Attitude
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does
Not rest till it reaches its goal. (Sirach 35:17)
We have to constantly review our position before our merciful and loving God. This takes prayer on the part of all of us. Infrequently, I have to answer the request of a hungry person at our parish and furnish them several sacks of food; as they part, I ask them to say a prayer for me. Most are astounded that I beg something from the one who begs from me -- and I often doubt whether anyone had ever asked them for prayers before. Shouldn't we listen to Scripture and discover that the prayer of a hungry person goes straight to the heavenly court.
Do I stand before God as a Pharisee or as a Publican? This is a day to consider our stance -- if we call it that. Jesus tells us that the bragging of the Pharisee did not bring justification. Do my prayers have a touch of righteousness, that is, with knowing I am praying and wondering about those who are forgetful about such spiritual duties and are busy with secular pursuits? We acknowledge that the poor are heard in their stance, but do we understand our own stance before the Almighty?
Do we seek to come as "poor" before the Lord, in solidarity with those who are lacking essential means of life? If our culture is addicted to material things, it is either because we truly are, or we do not have the courage to challenge those who are; either way we are impoverished. This lack of courage is a spiritual absence, a poverty of spirit of which Mother Teresa spoke when in America. We are all poor folks, but some of us do not recognize it. The harsh answer is to become poor with others, provided we find our hidden spiritual strength empowering.
Knowing our true naked condition allows us to distance ourselves from the Pharisee, for he did not know his own inherent spiritual poverty; in a sense of righteousness, he showed himself off before God, which is an utter lack of authentic spirituality -- for God looks into the heart. However, do we really stand together with the publican, for that is an uncomfortable position -- asking God's forgiveness and acknowledging that we are sinners?
Reformation Sunday is more than a Protestant event; all Christians must consider the duty of constant reform in our lives. Just as individuals must review their prayerful position, so do societies, church groups, and nations, for we have social stances as well as individual ones. The review is the actual ongoing reform that is emphasized at this time. Perhaps no parable tells us of that need more than today's, so that humbled we can prepare for the coming of the Lord. Through renewal we can experience our poverty of spirit, our posture before God.
Prayer of a Sinner: O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. We are fully aware that you do not want us to pray like the righteous Pharisee, but rather like that of the tax collector. In fact, we are all nearer the latter since we are sinners and must acknowledge this both during the Liturgy and when we come before you in informal prayer as well. Lord, we know our sinfulness and unworthiness, and yet we do not let the weight of this knowledge keep us from pressing forward in your service. We are confident of your forgiveness. May we know our imperfections through experience and move beyond guilt to being of service to others.
"Jewels" on an autumn web.
(*photo credit)
October 24, 2022 Empowering Us to Act Spiritually
We are immersed in a consumer culture and suffer from its addictive nature. Continuing in this insatiable journey from one material product to another is not a viable option -- for Earth can be seriously damaged through greedy or thoughtless exploitation. A moment of grace is to see our own limitations to reverse a bad process. In this moment of grace, we call on a Higher Power, for our emotional stability is not sufficient, nor are there hidden human gimmicks to bring about complete success. The shocking reality strikes us: social addiction is globalized -- and solidarity immersed in addiction is a fiction. We cry out for assistance to a Higher Power.
a) A resurrection-centered spirituality appears. Believers' last recourse is to turn in prayer to the Almighty, to Lord and companion in love and mercy. We call for help and yet underneath it all the inspired call itself is the first glimmer of a new dawn. Believers reach beyond the allurement of affluence and turn to a Higher Power for assistance. Only in trust in Another will renewal occur. For the Christian community, God is our recourse and Christ is our companion in a new empowerment.
b) God invites us to a moment of Grace. A willing response on our part is that moment needed to overcome the forces of evil that enslave this world in a materialistic consumer economy. Human efforts alone are not sufficient in themselves -- and this we acknowledge as believers. Fidelity is not sitting back and expecting God as rich daddy to clean up the human mess after us. We as sinners take responsibility for our collective misdeeds and hear God calling.
c) Believers act through trust. The degree of our authentic cooperative efforts depends on our nearness to the Author of all spiritual empowerment. Christ is near in the Eucharist, our spiritual food. Our role is to be healers, and this takes spiritual nourishment so that we will not lose heart. Our inability to act alone without God only defines our inherent poverty and dependence. However, our determination to act through a divinely-given power of the Resurrected Christ is a reality; this is combined with a willingness to imitate ex-addicts and call on God for assistance.
d) Believers' trust radiates out to a world. We speak for those who in their immersed poverty find it difficult to voice their deep trust in the Lord. Believers reaffirm resurrection, the new life needed to rise above the paralyzing secularity all around us. We are in solidarity with the poor and are poor beggars for divine assistance. The common resources must benefit everyone.
Prayer for Collaboration: Lord Jesus, it takes many experiences to shape a proclaimer of the Word to the world. No one experience adds everything. May we be aware of the surrounding secular world, be present yet removed from its allurements, and be willing to speak wisely to those who are wandering aimlessly. Give us grace to listen to those who are considered lowly, and to be aware that wisdom comes in many shades; this includes knowing the shortness of our life. In this sense of humility may we resonate with the many who are working for global renewal.
The Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura).
(*photo by Sally Ramsdell)
October 25, 2022 Proclaiming a Christian Revolutionary Manifesto
Can believers from all parts of the planet speak with one single accord? These four elements should be in such a statement:
1. Our beautiful Earth is threatened. Splendid Earth, product of four billion years of evolution, is endangered in this last moment of geological time by actions of the greedy and privileged few; these are currently permitted to indulge their extravagances by reckless policies; resource depletion, waste, and pollution cries to heaven to be exposed and halted by all legitimate means. Through a down-to-Earth approach, we stewards of all creation must see clearly and do more than observe. At this most basic level, we accept our collective faults of commission and omission and resolve to take necessary action.
2. Change is urgently necessary. Time is of the essence, for the window of opportunity for meaningful actions to save our wounded Earth shortens by the day. Catastrophic events loom; these are caused by continued increased greenhouse gas emissions, which are difficult to curb due to rapidly increasing global energy expenditure. Individuals and small groups must do their part; they must realize that an unchallenged consumer economy is a root cause of the crisis. Merchants of doubt are determined to prolong use of fossil fuels but they must be confronted and, in place of fossil fuels, a non-carbon economy must be promoted and hastened.
3. Actions undertaken must be non-violent. The needs are so great that participants are tempted to move with violence and strive to overthrow the Capitalistic system that surrounds us. Such a temptation must be addressed, for violence leads to more violence. Legitimate ways are a major option and involve the process of instituting fair taxes, so that the vast surpluses can be transformed into the projects needed to bring about a reneweable energy economy. On the other hand, it would be wrong to postpone action until the rich are willing to surrender surpluses, for that is wishful thinking; greed is too pervasive and encouraged by rampant secularity. Rather in a non-violent manner, the goods of the commons must be taken and redistributed.
4. We cannot do it all ourselves. Collaboration is called for in a unique manner never before considered by the human family. To work together is an immense undertaking, and one that includes all levels of human endeavor. Yes, we can simplify our individual and local lifestyles; we can muster local renewable energy resources. We must be willing to contribute to changes apportioned to the damage that has been caused; traditional polluting groups must take added responsibility to assist those in need. A secular attitude of doing it all through human effort must be countered by the need to call upon divine assistance to succeed in what needs to be done.
Recycling Prayer: Lord, as nature moves to annual rest and to prepare for another cycle, we need to remember that the things we use are not to be wantonly discarded; rather, they are not waste but deserve to be reused for the benefit of everyone. Make us mindful of responsibility to care for all resources and to reuse them whenever possible, or not to use them in the first place, if unable to find a further use. May we show ever greater care for the limited resources at hand.
The wolf spider.
(*photo credit)
October 26, 2022 Reviewing Eco-Conservative Stages of Life
My views are fashioned by the nine decades of my life:
1. Life of a Christian is to be directed to knowing, loving and serving God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
2. We build our service on what we are and our traditions, and that includes a rural background. This background made for me an impression that cannot be taken away; early work on the farm imprints itself throughout life.
3. God's beauty shines around us, if we but look and see. Conservative thinking requires constant attempts at prayer and seeing God in all things. Faith is seeing the brilliant countenance of Christ looking up at us from every creature. -- Ordination Card, June 1967
4. The First Earth Day is a refined call to discover the examples of massive pollution of air, water, and land. A first level of eco-humility is awareness that we consume too much and waste more than we are willing to admit.
5. The mountains call and addressing the poor is more than seeing damage: it involves correcting it. However, it soon becomes evident that reclamation is a gray area of imperfect human activity -- a level of humility. Being with the poor means that the poor brings about the healing process and not count on outside experts. In 1981, Reagan's transition team dismissed me after one sentence in a Science for Citizens Program presentation.
6. We cannot expect a resurrection-centered spirituality to be quickly accepted, for it requires human conversion and rejection of elitism. We are called to reclaim our hearts. In listening, we hear Jesus' lamentation: "Look what they have done to my Earth." On touching Calvary's rock. -- A Holy Land visit, April 1992.
7. Another level of eco-humility is to try to repair the damages done to Earth through appropriate technology practices. However, these prove to be controversial; some of what we do has effects and some seems to take unnecessary time, energy, and resources. Healing is an imperfect and longtime proposition, a work in progress. I ended 25 years of service at ASPI in 2002.
8. Earth is in far worse shape than anticipated and the vision of an impending catastrophe arises beyond my lifetime. This is exacerbated by the Capitalist consumer economy that is the prime cause of the crisis. We are impoverished by commission, silence and omission, and fail to face our collective or social addictions.
9. Pastoral work keeps us grounded in reality and the ongoing needs of ordinary folks to bring about profound change.
Wildlife Prayer: O God, you created an abundance of wildlife of many kinds. These give you glory by their very existence. We are expected to respect them, enhance their habitats where possible, and give them room to move about. Since nothing is perfect in our performance, we can always resolve to do better. We must also be aware that many disregard the beauty and fragile nature of your wild ones and poach or harm them through ignorance.
Nor do many appreciate that these creatures praise you in their special habitat. May we be servants to the wild kingdom and work to make it thrive.
Redbud leaf, Cercis canadensis.
(*photo credit)
October 27, 2022 Being a Socially Addicted People
The solemn words of the prophet Nathan to the sinful and blinded back-sliding King David is that "You are the one" (II Samuel 12:7). The dramatic words were a lightning bolt. Many of us have had moments of self-revelation when someone points out our imperfections. At times of waywardness, communities also hear words of accusation, and prophets such as Pope Francis indicate that modern consumer practices lead to wastefulness and self-indulgence. Our wealthy and culturally-advanced people find it difficult to acknowledge that we face a moment of truth as did David -- but now on a national and global level.
a) WE must be prophetic in the manner in which we act. We are called to be "priest, prophet, and king" through our holy anointing at Baptism and Confirmation. The role of the prophetic is the hardest to fulfill, even though the other two are hard enough. The prophetic bears special risks; the prophet is disowned and open to severe criticism, for some do not want to hear the message and even seek to belittle the speaker's words. Working together and seeing our limitations we begin to sense that individual prophets can be vulnerable to a multitude of critics.
b) Social addiction infests a consumer-oriented culture. It is the insatiable demand for more and more material goods that infests us all as consumers. In a democratic society that allows the wealthy to get away with excessive consumption, social addiction intermingles with individual addictions, for modern Western society tolerates an addiction of the culture. Perversity results, because resources meant for essential needs of the billion extremely poor are diverted to luxuries of a privileged few. In a class society this becomes a major problem and exacerbates the environmental and social crisis. Efforts to curb damage are hindered by the growing acute problem of legislation protecting the actions of the super-rich; profound change must occur.
c) This message is not fully understood. Mother Teresa spoke about how the West is spiritually poor, but those inclined materially are slow to see it. Unfortunately, hundreds of millions strive for material improvement to higher levels of wealth. In this striving rests a tolerance for an existing massive and unaddressed disparity of wealth. Materialism that remains unaddressed pervades and tempts those with little who hope to win a lottery and possibly get rich quickly. Addicts are all types; they suffer, but do not recognize their condition through spiritual insight. Here the road to Calvary confronts us all. We are party to the social addiction either by commission or omission. When seen in full reality this becomes all the more burdensome, for now we bear a global cross of suffering on our collective backs. Even in solidarity we are slow to address the reality of the situation.
Grace for Childlike Trust: O Lord, my heart is not proud nor haughty my eyes. I have not gone after things too great nor marvels beyond me. Truly I have set my soul in silence and peace. As a child has rest in its mother's arms, even so my soul. O Israel, hope in the Lord both now and for ever. (Psalm 131)
Recalling the Glory of Gardening
For those of us who consider gardening as part of ordinary life, the limits of mobility take a terrible toll; we are no longer able to rise early and go out and sow, till or harvest on our own. It is necessary that someone else is present, lest we fall and have no one around to help us regain our balance. Suddenly the joy of the garden becomes a memory – a happy one at that. Precious moments are a thing of the past, but still worthy of gratitude.
For readers who still can garden, take advantage of your freedom and spend time outdoors in the fresh air and full-spectrum sunlight. Touch the cool rich microworld of humus and feel the vibrations of earth herself. It is now autumn and the valuable time for late planting and preparation for winter when, with good protection, the ground can still produce its bounty. One of the rare pluses of climate change is the extended fall garden and its growing span, provided you choose hearty greens that can withstand a frost and still thrive on warmer days. I only wish I had the ability to follow my own suggestions, for growing things gives each of us a sense of creativity and participating in establishing God’s Kingdom here on Earth.
Gardening harks back to Eden and then to the Resurrection scene, for the act of stirring the soil is quite prayerful and full of mystery. When we travel somewhere, we like to taste produce so as to become more a part of where we visit. When we garden in one location, we become that place by eating produce off of the land; we are in communion with our land and feel the connection. As we become more productive, we enter all the more into the movements of our planet and stay close to where we, as dust, are from.
Gardening is a cooperative venture; we collaborate with the earthworms and the multitude of creatures who give fertility and life to the soil; we cooperate with the seed and its potential for new life; we join with the source of moisture and the sunlight; and, finally, we participate in the establishing of the Kingdom of God in an incremental manner. We are part of a grand teamwork, even though gardening the same and seemingly insignificant plot. Over the years, that interdependence took on a comforting feeling as we see the broadening aspects of a simple garden become part of a global adventure.
When seeing our gardening as a past enterprise, we could easily overlook the place of support which can be given to the inexperienced and the youth who seek some fulfillment in raising plants and bringing them to maturity. To say amen to the prayerful work of others is to enter into their activity in some way; our support is with them and our gratitude for years spent in the enterprise seem more fulfilled when we thank God for the opportunity to spend precious and fleeting time tilling the soil.
Finding beauty in simplicity.
(*photo credit)
October 28, 2022 Promoting Prayerfulness within the Church
May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us. (John 17:21)
On the Feast of Sts. Simon & Jude let's consider Church in its global ministry. There are times to speak and proclaim the message of Good News; there must be times when all people engage in reflection during moments of prayerfulness.
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The Church is committed to the lifetime quest for holiness. This can be achieved by affording sacred times and sacred places for music and formal public worship; likewise, sacred time and space is to be encouraged for sacred silence and prayer.
Action 1 -- Promote quiet time and space.
The Church enhances a prayerful spirit by providing and maintaining chapels, shrines, and meditation gardens of sacred space, where people are invited to come and pray. Retreat centers should be areas where people can come and find God, apart from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. During periods of public worship, the Church encourages moments of silent reflection, for all to learn to contemplate the sacred Mysteries of our Faith. Private prayer is part of our life as believers, and each needs to devote time to such practices. A busy world with all its allurements must not consume our entire day; we need times of silence and rest so that we can have a conversation with the Lord.
Action 2 -- Sponsor public formal prayer events.
The heart of religious growth comes through gathering of members on a periodic basis to praise God in prayer, exhortation, song, and other exercises. The Liturgy, the work of the people, is such a sacred time. Where possible, the Church builds and maintains centers of sacred space for such worship, and embellishes these places with art works of all kinds and with permanent and floral decorations and other embellishments reflecting the culture and devotional needs of worshippers. Public prayer is worthy of places of beauty. Music, dance, and dramatic arts are part of formal worship, as are public processions, devotions, and pilgrimages.
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The public nature of Church as instrument of service for others to see and engage is part of Christ being with us to the end of time. We can be better instruments of service when we establish a spiritual balance in our ordinary life; we strive to find rest and quiet at special times and places; we likewise need the social life of coming together to encourage others with whom we are in solidarity. During this pandemic, when not able to have full social life, these facts became more evident to us.
Saints Simon & Jude, Apostles: Please intercede for us as we attempt to spread the Good News to the people around us and throughout the world. St. Jude, your name really is the same as Judas, who betrayed the Lord; you were long neglected by so many and yet when approached through intercession you came through for us all. In fact, you are known as the Saint of the Impossible; so many of our petitions seem to be beyond ordinary means; make us aware once more that nothing is impossible with God -- and you are near to him.
Overlook along the Natchez Trace, near Tishomingo, MS.
(*photo credit)
October 29, 2022 Presenting Forty-Four Titles for Trees
In the month of October when leaves are changing color and in the midst of Cleaner Air Week, it is fitting to talk about our natural focus of this month, God's gift of trees by many names:
Air cleanser
Provider of fruit and nuts
Blessing of God's Hand
Autumn's paintbrushes
World's majestic beauties
Enhancer of property values
Carbon sink of the planet
Nature's air conditioner
Faithful forest member
Moisture absorber
Teacher of human mortality
Outdoor air purifier
Habitat for varmints
Lungs of the Earth
Source of building materials
Controller of Erosion
Playground of the adventuresome
Parent of fossil fuels
Clothing of the hills
Tamer of floods
Healer of the damaged land
Breaker of winter's breezes
Winter insulator
Nesting place for wildlife
Silencer from noisy disturbances
Naturalists' delight
Escape for the frightened
Rest for migrating birds
Shade cooler for the overheated
Signpost for travelers
Nature's lightning rods
Restorer of aquifers
Gentle community organizer
Calmer of residents
Utility workers nightmare
Recorder of wet and dry years
Seasonal marker
Wildlife sanctuary
Tourists’ destination
Inspiration for poets and musicians
Greeter of travelers from deserts
Mood changer for residents
Reducer of mental fatigue
Proof of God's creative hand
But only God can make a tree -- Joyce Kilmer
Grace for Responsibility: Lord, you give us a relatively short span of time, which we recognize as fleeting as we age; you give us a special calling, the grace to share and assist others, and a time to act according to your prompting. We do not do this perfectly, but always can regard this moment as a time to enhance our sense of responsiveness to your grace. May we be vigilant in seeing what is expected, and may we be ever more dutiful to what you desire us to do.
A small grove of Autumn colors.
(*photo credit)
October 30, 2022 Desiring Salvation for All
The Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost. (Luke 19:10)
The story of Zacchaeus reveals a theme that runs through the Gospels from Luke's Infancy Narrative to the Ascension, namely, all are meant to be saved. Today we hear that Jesus invites Zacchaeus who willingly accepts the invitation; he is regarded as a lost sinner by his overly righteous neighborhood; he is disliked as a hated tax collector and overlooked due to his small physical stature. However, he seeks to compensate by climbing a tree to see the passing Jesus; he responds to the Lord's invitation and accepts the opportunity to show hospitality and promises extended charity.
Like Zacchaeus we need God's saving grace to help heal us and our wounded Earth.Today, the poor and destitute are all too often overlooked and regarded as outside of the participatory process of renewing our wounded Earth. God's plan means ALL and that includes all the people of God. We are all to be hands and feet of the mystical Lord, acting as a team of servants working together. It takes more than money and physical resources to bring about profound change and renewal, though that is not recognized by a secular materialism. Those who donate money are regarded as having more spiritual power, but do they? A lending hand depends on a degree of love, not a dollar amount.
The sufferings and efforts of the poor become an integral part of the ongoing Calvary event. Through willingness to enter this community of suffering, we the poor become more like Jesus in his suffering and death -- an act that is part of the divine invitation to us who either are suffering passively, or making an active effort at renewal. The Good News is that all can participate in their own way, that it does not take special gifts or material possessions to exert the power coming through faithful activity. Oneness with the Lord is solidified through love and devotion.
Participation covers a wide range of human conditions: it includes those who take an active part in remedial work, publicize needed activities, engage in political action to change the structures, and halt the culprits who inflict damage on our neighbor; it also includes the dying, ill, imprisoned, and shut-ins, those unable to do active work and yet willing to offer their sufferings up for others as an act of love.
Earth herself suffers and undergoes her own travail; she is our suffering companion to which we enter into the expanding community of the suffering. Recognizing this is part of a grander participation. We are other christs acknowledging Earth's state of impoverishment and recognizing a potential for resilience through our giving new life. In joyful union, we suffer together.
Zacchaeus Prayer: Lord Jesus, each time we hear the story of Zacchaeus climbing the sycamore tree to see you when you pass, we realize that taking the extra step of coming to you has its rewards. You noticed him and invited yourself to his home, even while he was regarded by his neighbors as a sinful tax collector. In a similar way you invite yourself into our hearts and want to accompany us on the way. Give us the generosity of doing some of the things that Zacchaeus did in welcoming you and opening to your merciful blessings. May we imitate his generosity.
Kentucky first frost, October.
(*photo credit)
October 31, 2022 Loving through Deeds and Sainthood
We prepare for All Saints Day tomorrow. On this Halloween or "holy evening" we recall those who are the forgotten but holy ones. Tomorrow we celebrate the overlooked saints; granted, some have received public recognition due to lives well spent or due to their martyrdom. It is certainly not money that makes them popular, for many were or became poor. It is not even fame at the time, for few locals recognized Roman martyrs or even Joan of Arc. Still, whatever it is, a few for a brief time regard the person as beloved and worthy of being called near to God and having a certain sanctity. Rather, we celebrate the saints virtually no one remembers today, for their loving champions were few and have passed on and are buried in overgrown graves. "Known but to God."
Fidelity is often regarded as a starter for holiness, and so it is. However, those who came to the harvest at the last moment (like Dismas on the cross) became saints in a short time even though much of life had involved some wrongdoing. Hope is an essential ingredient as well, and certainly is central right before death, but some did not have extraordinary hope until the very end. But we look a little farther and find that all saints have a quality of love, that virtue carried beyond the grave, when we can no longer speak, but only show love in our eternal journey.
Not all people have the gift to phrase words of love or craft a flowing statement worth noting. Some noted saints were tongue-tied when it came to such outward expressions. However, they learned to express their love through deeds done for others, and this was imprinted on their hearts. Mere words have a place, for we must voice in some way the fact that we love God with our whole heart and soul, mind and strength -- and our neighbor as ourselves. Often loving deeds gets hidden in the messiness of life and especially in those final moments. Then to mouth words of extraordinary love can be somewhat artificial, and we are left feeling totally inadequate -- and at that moment of utter humility we make our ultimate and most saintly sacrifice by passing on.
If love is not measured in word, then there must be more. Popular saints are people of action, in lowly deeds of any size, even when they lacked skills to gain fame or fortune. The greater the love, the greater the deed in God's eyes. Such people combine their fidelity to God and to neighbor with a hope that amid it all, new and better things will happen. Thus, those with living faith and hope have the energy it takes to carry on with a loving heart, which is at the core of sanctity. A loving deed contains faith and hope within, even though in an everlasting time both will give way to an eternal love, a sharing in the divine family. Tomorrow's saints performed many loving and often unrecognized deeds.
Prayer to All Saints: On this day of Halloween, when the pagan vestiges of the past conjure up evil spirits and ghosts, help us, O Lord, to feel confident in your presence and power over all evil ones. Purify our dwellings and surroundings so that we enjoy a sense of goodness and not evil in all creation around us. Be near to us and give us the courage and strength of all the company of saints, whose feast we celebrate tomorrow. May that vast company intercede for us. |
