Friday, March 31, 2006
Benedict XVI on Politics  

In in address to 500 parliamentarians of the European Popular Party, the Holy Father listed three essential principles which are to guide politicians:
-- "protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception to natural death";

-- "recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family -- as a union between a man and a woman based on marriage -- and its defense from attempts to make it juridically equivalent to radically different forms of union which in reality harm it and contribute to its de-stabilization, obscuring its particular character and its irreplaceable social role";

-- and "the protection of the right of parents to educate their children." Source
Interestingly, Benedict XVI pointed out that these truths are not confessional truths. Instead, they are part of the natural law, and as such are "common to all humanity." He added that when the Catholic Church speaks in the public square it is for the purpose of the "protection and promotion of the dignity of the person and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to [these three] principles which are not negotiable."

I am very grateful to the Holy Father for clearly articulating these three important principles for politicians which are indeed applicable for every person of good will. Benedict XVI has now, in the plainest terms, provided all politicians, but specifically Catholic politicians, with a clear mandate for their public service. It is a true gift because the Holy Father has so clearly described the goals of any political work.

Because today these truths are so universally denied and misunderstood, the Church must speak even more boldly in order to correct what amounts to crimes against the dignity of the human person. Every person of good will, regardless of religious affiliation, should be encouraged and enlisted to assist in the promotion of these three non-negotiable principles. I pray to God that He would raise up many men and women who are willing to answer the call to enter politics and to stand up for these truths. May God also grant all of us the courage to live out these ideals in our daily life in the many ordinary ways in which we are asked to be faithful to respecting the dignity of the human person.

Posted by David at 8:26 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Thursday, March 30, 2006
Collateral Damage  

During and after any type of armed conflict, people will flee the area of danger, and the situation in Iraq is no different. However, if the numbers that are being reported for the flight of the Christian community in Iraq are accurate, the exodus out of the country is extremely alarming. As reported by Zenit, the numbers indicate that since the war began, around 250,000 of the 1 million Christians have left Iraq.
Baghdad's Auxiliary Bishop Andraos Abouna gave his bleakest assessment yet of the situation in Iraq, saying that despair is driving more and more Christians to leave the country.

Describing a worsening of the security situation since last December's parliamentary elections, the Chaldean prelate told how Christians were living in fear of their lives.

"In their hearts they do not want to leave the country, but because of the situation, they prefer to be outside Iraq," Bishop Abouna told the charity Aid to the Church in Need.

The 63-year-old prelate explained: "Security is now very bad. There are a lot of police in Iraq, especially around Baghdad -- you can find them everywhere and they are increasing all the time. The problem is that the quality of the policing is indifferent. Sometimes people feel afraid because, more so than before, they do not feel secure."

Stressing that Christians have suffered no worse than others, Bishop Abouna continued: "We still hope that Iraq will rise again, but it is very difficult when we have a government that cannot decide anything. Can you imagine what life is like without any real form of government?"

"Christians are getting less and less," he added. "When you look inside the churches, they are full of Christians. But when you go outside you feel that Christians are finished in Iraq." Source
Of course, the departure of Palestinian Christians from Israel is well-known. Unfortunately, Iraq is experiencing a similar situation. Who can blame them? I would probably take my family away from a war zone without question. The danger is that, although the Christians are small minorities in their respective countries, it is important that their voices be heard. As their numbers shrink, it is becoming less likely that anyone will, in fact, hear the Christians.

Posted by David at 8:05 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Standing with Jesus  

Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven, but he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven. Mt. 10:33
On some calendars, today is the memorial of St. Joseph of Arimathea. In Scripture, we get a brief glimpse of this man who is one of only two men who were there for Jesus after he died. The other man was Nicodemus who had come to Jesus during the night.
Now there was a man named Joseph from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their purpose and deed, and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud, and laid him in a rock-hewn tomb, where no one had ever yet been laid. Luke 23:50-536
It is interesting that all four Gospels recount this event. Each one provides a little more insight into Joseph. In Matthew's Gospel (27:57-60), we learn that Joseph was rich, a disciple of Christ, and he had Jesus' body laid in his own tomb. In Mark's Gospel (15:43-46), Joseph is described as "a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God." St. Mark also adds the details that Joseph took courage before meeting with Pilate. St. John's account (19:38-41), notes that Nicodemus assisted Joseph, and that although Joseph was a disciple of Christ, he was a secret one because of he feared the Jews. In addition, St. John provides information about how Jesus' body was wrapped in the linen shroud. They added spices of myrrh and aloes which was the custom of the Jews at that time.

All of this provides a picture of a man who has a growing faith in Christ. Prior to Christ's Passion, he had been a secret disciple of Christ. However, through the events surrounding, our Lord's Passion, we can see that Joseph's faith is beginning to quickly grow. As a member of the council, he had not consented to the death sentence that had been given to Jesus by the Sanhedrin. This would have branded him as some type of sympathizer with Jesus. Now, after being unable to prevent Jesus' death, he performs an act of mercy by burying Jesus in a tomb. It recalls the life of Tobit who buried his dead brothers, although he did so under the threat of death.
In the days of Shalmaneser I performed many acts of charity to my brethren. I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the naked; and if I saw any one of my people dead and thrown out behind the wall of Nineveh, I would bury him...Then one of the men of Nineveh went and informed the king about me, that I was burying them; so I hid myself. When I learned that I was being searched for, to be put to death, I left home in fear. Tobit (1:16-17,19)
It took courage for Joseph to approach Pilate to ask for Jesus' body. Again, he would now be identified by the Romans as one who was sympathetic to Jesus.

It would seem that Joseph's life would never be the same after Christ's Passion. He had made a break from the consensus of the religious rulers, and he had openly shown mercy for a man many considered to be cursed because he had been crucified. Joseph had now identified himself as a disciple of Christ with both the Jews and the Romans. It seems extremely doubtful that he would be able to resume his life as if nothing had ever occurred. Then, of course, to his surprise, Jesus rises from the dead just days after all had seemed lost, and Joseph had put his life on the line. What joy must have been his to learn that Jesus was alive again. That joy was all the more his because he had been willing to take courage and stick his neck out for Jesus.

The life of this saint is a testimony to what the Lord calls all of us to do which is to stand by Him, even if it is the darkest hour. It would have been easy for Joseph to go with the council's decision. Maybe, later, he would have felt guilty about it, but it is doubtful that he would have then asked for Jesus' body. Instead, in Joseph, I see how faith builds on faith. By standing by Jesus against all opposition, he later had the courage to go to Pilate to ask for the body of Christ. And by performing the merciful act of burying Jesus, he was able to participate in the joy of Christ's resurrection more fully than if he had simply stayed at home and done nothing. If he had sat on his hands, he might have been happy about the resurrection, but he would also know that he had not stood by Christ when few people were wanting to identify themselves with Jesus. Undoubtedly, Joseph went on to do more great things for Christ. However, for Joseph, like all of us, what he did for Christ is founded on how he responded to Christ's Passion.

Posted by David at 7:28 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Tuesday, March 28, 2006
The Home Gardener  

As warmer weather returns to my area of the country, people are going outside to plant flowers and begin to spruce up their properties for spring. This past Sunday, I planted a few flowers at the front of the house. I put in some dianthus, which actually is a variety of flower which I had never heard of before I saw them at the hardware store. (The flower's name means "divine flower", and there are over 300 varieties of it which include carnations.) I planted them around the pansies which I had planted a few weeks back when it was a little colder. The combination of the yellow, white, and blue pansies along with the red dianthus makes for a nice spring look in the front.

At the same time I was out planting the dianthus, I trimmed the lirope. At the suggestion of a landscape expert, I put in the lirope to line the walkway up to the house. It is a shady area because it is covered by a couple of Bradford pear trees on one side and several white pines on the other. As I was told, I have found the lirope to be very hardy. They are able to do quite well with the partial sunlight and less water that the trees present.

Around the Bradford pear trees, there is simply bare mulch. I have wanted to put a ground cover there, but given that it is a large area of probably 100 square feet or so, I have opted for English ivy. There is a small portion that has vinca which has begun to bloom and looks quite attractive. It seems it would be too expensive to cover the area with vinca. Beside, it does not propagate as fast as ivy. In addition, I have ivy which I figure that I can transplant from where I do not want it to where I want it. Accordingly, I dug up a few ivy plants and put them in this bare mulch area. If they seem to take, I will move some more. For now it looks a bit strange with a few long ivy plants near the base of one of the Bradford pears.

As you might not have gathered from this, I am actually not much of a gardener. I just do a little bit here and there. Most of the time, my wife, who has the artistic eye, makes a suggestion, and we implement those. However, I have found an interesting phenomena which is that I feel the most like a homeowner when I am doing gardening work. Whether it is trimming something or planting something, I get an intense sense that I am indeed a homeowner, and I take an even greater amount of pride in our home. During the outdoors work, I begin to think of numerous ways to enhance our home through landscaping.

It makes me wonder because when I was growing up, I helped my father do outdoors work. And I really disliked doing it. There are a number of reasons for this. The primary reason is that I was the youngest of four children. The next nearest brother in line is five years older than me. That meant that for five years, I was the one who was supposed to mow the grass and help my father with his outdoor projects. By the time this responsibility fell on my shoulders, my parents had moved to a house that had lots of property on it. This meant there were many outdoor projects which were to be done.

Although some of the work was very cathartic, such as clearing out a grove of elantis, there was quite a bit of it I did not enjoy. One thing my father would do every year is order about a million tiny pine trees through the local forestry service. And then he and I would troop all over, what to me was already a heavily forested area on the property, and plant all of these tiny trees. This meant hauling water because there were no hoses that could reach where we had gone. It might have been good for him, but, at the time, I could not stand it. I remember the countless trips to the water spigot to fill up plastic one gallon milk cartons with water and then loading up the wheel barrow to return to where we were planting these trees.

I think the other reason that I enjoy this outdoor work is that this outdoor work captures a fundamental aspect of being a man. Contrary to popular belief, work is not a result of the Fall. As is recounted in Genesis, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it." (Gen. 2:15) The first work was gardening as Adam was given the responsibility of taking care of paradise. Perhaps when I engage in similar work, I tap into the original plan of God's that we would take great pleasure in our work as we cultivate the paradise given to us by God.

Posted by David at 7:38 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Monday, March 27, 2006
Case Dropped (For Now)  

As even many regular media outlets are noting, the dismissal of the charges against Abdul Rahman is a somewhat hollow victory, even for Rahman. According to news reports, the case was dismissed because of a lack of evidence, questions over whether he is really an Afghan citizen, and the concern that he is not mentally fit. In addition, this particular court has dropped the case, but it is put it back in the hands of the prosecutors.

For the moment, at least, Rahman does not face possible capital punishment for having converted to Christianity from Islam. The problem is that the case was not dropped because the fact that a court should take up an apostasy case is ludicrous, and on its face, the very charge of apostasy is a blatant violation of human rights. No, instead, under the pressure from many international sources, the Afghan court found a way to dismiss the case.

However, it does not mean that the case will not be taken up again once some of these issues are resolved. There seems to be quite a bit of pressure within the country to find Rahman guilty of apostasy and to have him put to death for not renouncing his conversion. In the meantime, although released from prison, he is to be examined at a hospital. There are also reports that he is to be forced to leave the country.

I, of course, have no idea whether Rahman is mentally ill or not. Reports do not seem to indicate that he is. Nonethelss, I am concerned that he may not receive a fair diagnosis. The political pressure to dismiss this case and the fact that many in Afghanistan would presume mental illness, given his conversion, do not bode well for Rahman. If he, indeed is mentally ill, it would be best if he was able to receive treatment somewhere outside of Afghanistan. (It would be good if he could get an open-minded mental health professional because there are many in that field who consider Christians to be de facto mentally ill.) And if he is not mentally ill, he will have been slandered by his own government in order for them to save face with the international community. However, if he had a legitimate grievance regarding custody, which was the event that began this whole affair, he will not be able to seek any recourse.

Naturally this incident has raised a greater debate in the U.S. regarding the military action in Afghanistan. I think that it is quite fair for citizens to question the administration regarding whether, in general, the U.S. military should be engaged in action in countries where basic human rights cannot be guaranteed. It is true, as Secretary Rice, has indicated, Afghanistan has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. And I would also agree with her argument that the changes we would like to see cannot be expected to occur overnight.

The real question is whether the U.S. should ever be involved in such countries with the hope of changing them into democracies. I certainly am not convinced that democracies will be formed after you invade a country and then try to help the people of that country form a democratic government. If the people are not ready for a democratic form of government, it simply cannot be forced upon them. In the case of Afghanistan, the concern is that without the U.S. presence over a long period of time, there is not enough support for a constitutional government that arises directly from the people. From the Afghanistan perspective, the country is just a puppet of yet another foreign power.

There are really no long term winners in this whole affair. I am glad that it looks like Abdul Rahman will not be put to death, much less tried, but his case shined the light a little closer on what is really happening in Afghanistan. The problems that the case exposed may not be so much in Afghanistan, as with a U.S. foreign policy which has unreasonable expectations.

Posted by David at 5:33 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Sunday, March 26, 2006
Being Open  

It is a cliche to say that one must be open. When it comes to "being open", I think that there are two important questions. First, how is one allowing oneself to be open, and second, to what is one being open. It seems that Jesus is very concerned about whether the hearts of His listeners are open to Him. In the Gospel of Mark, St. Mark indicates on one occasion that because the people lacked faith in Jesus, he was constrained from performing miracles. The lack of openness to Jesus resulted in the people receiving less of Jesus.

In the Gospel reading for this Fourth Sunday in Lent, we hear part of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the ruling council who was curious enough about Jesus that he paid Him a visit, albeit at night. Although open to Jesus, he was fearful of associating himself openly with Jesus. However, even this timid curiosity is all the opening which Jesus needed to touch his heart.

Jesus explained to him the importance believing in Him.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
The faith of which Jesus speaks is a gift which we receive from God. As Benedict XVI recently stated
Faith, ultimately, is a gift. Consequently, the first condition is to let ourselves be given something, not to be self-sufficient or do everything by ourselves -- because we cannot -- but to open ourselves in the awareness that the Lord truly gives.

It seems to me that this gesture of openness is also the first gesture of prayer: being open to the Lord's presence and to his gift. This is also the first step in receiving something that we do not have, that we cannot have with the intention of acquiring it all on our own.

We must make this gesture of openness, of prayer -- give me faith, Lord! -- with our whole being. We must enter into this willingness to accept the gift and let ourselves, our thoughts, our affections and our will, be completely immersed in this gift.

Here, I think it is very important to stress one essential point: No one believes purely on his own. We always believe in and with the Church. The Creed is always a shared act, it means letting ourselves be incorporated into a communion of progress, life, words and thought.

We do not "have" faith, in the sense that it is primarily God who gives it to us. Nor do we "have" it either, in the sense that it must not be invented by us. We must let ourselves fall, so to speak, into the communion of faith, of the Church. Believing is in itself a Catholic act. It is participation in this great certainty, which is present in the Church as a living subject. Source
Nicodemus demonstrated his willingness to be open to Jesus by meeting with Him. We can only surmise that he was also open to the message which Jesus presented. Indeed, it seems that he was open to Jesus Himself because the Gospel of John makes it clear that Nicodemus did not join in the council's condemnation of Jesus. In addition, the man who previously was afraid to openly identify himself with Jesus later is willing to publicly connect himself with Jesus by assisting Joseph of Arimathea in burying Jesus. It would have been a scandal for a member of the council to be involved in the burial of someone who was crucified. Yet when all of the disciples have fled, Nicodemus along with Joseph of Arimathea is there to perform this work of mercy. Finally, because this was a private audience with Jesus, we can surmise that Nicodemus must have later shared with the early Christians the details of what Jesus shared with him that night.

All of these factors seem to indicate that Nicodemus took to heart what our Lord told him that night. He let his heart be open to Jesus by coming to Him to listen to what Jesus had to say. Then he was open to the Gospel by accepting the gift that Jesus gave him. He received the Good News and let it transform him into a believer in the Son of God who came to give eternal life to all who will believe in Him.

Posted by David at 5:56 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Saturday, March 25, 2006
Humility and Obedience  

May it be done to me according to your word.
Humility and obedience are two words that are not celebrated in today's culture. In fact, it is rare that the words are found in a positive light. If humility is attributed to someone, it is often couched in terms that it is a virtue only for the very holy person. Or more often the word is used in the context of describing the hypocrisy of some individual, "N's sense of humility is in sharp contrast to his lavish lifestyle." Obedience is seen as the characteristic of the mindless person who is simply following orders without question. Perhaps even more fundamentally, there is a deep misunderstanding of what these two words mean. From my own experience of how people understand these words, I found that humility is often confused with humiliation and obedience is construed to be in complete opposition to freedom.

In the Annunciation, we find a beautiful example of both humility and obedience because the Blessed Virgin Mary's response to the angel Gabriel demonstrates the profound humility and obedience that she possessed. She was able to grasp the awesome mystery of Gabriel's announcement to her and remain grounded in who she is. And despite the fact that the angel's announcement might have caused some to doubt God, she trusted the Lord and submitted her will to His.

For centuries, the Hebrew children had awaited the coming of the Messiah. Every Jewish girl would have thought what it would be like to be the mother of God's Anointed One. Now in an instance, Mary learns that she is to be the one. God has chosen her to give birth to His Messiah
Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
The Messiah is the one who will reign on David's throne, and his kingdom will have no end. Mary's son will be the very one that has been the desire and hope for centuries.

Even this is given to her as a question. An angel of God representing God Himself has come to ask Mary if she will accept. How does she respond? In humility, she requests that it happen exactly as the angel has stated it would. She responds with an affirmation filled with a deep understanding of Who God is and who she is. She is the handmaid of the Lord. This is not a put down, but a grasp of the truth. All of us our servants of the Lord Who is our creator and sustainer. Because she had internalized this truth, Mary considered herself the one who is at the service of the Lord. Also, she has a beautiful sense of trust in God. In her mind, if it is God's will, it must be the very best thing. Because of Who God is, it only makes sense to recognize that you are at His service.

Mary's initial response to the angel demonstrates this sense of obedience. Prior to the angel Gabriel's visit, Mary had consecrated herself as a virgin. In her heart, she knew that she had made a solemn vow to God in obedience to His will. Now the angel is telling her that she will conceive a son. Trusting in God completely, she asks how will this take place. This is not a question of doubt, but simply a question of understanding. Given that she is a virgin, how will God do this. And the angel replies that
he holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
Perhaps another with less faith or a weaker sense of obedience might have thought that something was wrong. Was God changing His mind about her call to virginity? Instead, the Blessed Virgin Mary maintained complete trust that God was leading her in the Annunciation just as He had led her to take a vow of virginity.

In her humility, Mary maintained her perspective of God and herself when she received the angel Gabriel's message. Her perspective enabled her to understand the angel's words and to receive them with joy. Her joy flowed over into love, as she went to Elizabeth to share in her joy of also being a new mother. In her obedience, Mary found freedom. If she had not obeyed God's call to consecrate herself as a virgin, she would not have had the freedom to say yes to being the Mother of God. If she had not trusted that God's ways are the best, she would not have been able to offer a freely given yes to His revelation of His plans for her. By her obedience to God, she was available for a beautiful freedom that enabled in her to share in this profound mystery of the Word becoming flesh.


Posted by David at 7:10 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Bloglet Service Resumed  

I apologize to those of you who read this blog via emails sent through Bloglet. (For those who do not know what that means, Bloglet is a service that allows one to subscribe to a blog and receive emails with content of the posts that are put on the blog. To subscribe to this blog, scroll down to the "Subscribe" heading on the right panel, type in your email address, and click the "Subscribe" button.) For some reason, the service was reset several days ago, and when the service was reset, it stopped sending out emails to those who are subscribed. It has been corrected, and the emails should resume. However, I do not know of any way to send the emails that were not sent. The last email which was sent was sent out for the post on March 14. Also, in the future, I will be sure to check if the emails are being sent.

Posted by David at 3:30 AM  |  Comments (1)  | 

Friday, March 24, 2006
Taking a Walk through Jerusalem  

It is a traditional devotional practice to pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent. For instance, in my parish every Friday during Lent people gather to pray the Stations of the Cross, and then they stay to eat a meatless soup dinner. However, the Stations of the Cross can be prayed anywhere and at any time. In Archbishop Raymond L. Burke's weekly column, he comments on this beautiful devotion. He notes that this prayer began as a way of pilgrimage for those who could not travel to Jerusalem. Instead of actually traveling to Jerusalem to go to the sites of Christ's Passion, we accompany Christ in His Passion with our prayers and meditation on the events surrounding His steps to Calvary and His crucifixion.
The Stations or Way of the Cross is a fundamental Lenten prayer. Through the praying of the Stations, we accompany our Lord along the way of His cruel Passion and Death. As we meditate briefly at each of the stops or stations along the way to Calvary, we ponder what it meant for our Lord Jesus to take our human flesh, to suffer and to die for love of us. The Stations of the Cross open up for us, in a most concrete manner, the immensity of God's love for us. It is helpful to recall that this venerable Lenten prayer has its origin in the pilgrimage of Christians to Jerusalem, in order to walk, in prayer, the very way by which our Lord won our salvation. Since many Christians are unable to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Church developed the Way of the Cross over the centuries so that all Christians can mystically make pilgrimage to the places of our Lord's suffering and dying.

Praying the Stations means identifying ourselves with Christ in His suffering and dying. As we stop to pray at each station, we see the reflection of our own life in Christ. The Way of the Cross is our way of life, our way to eternal life. In a particular way, this most venerated prayer of the Church helps us to understand and embrace the mystery of suffering in our lives, as our Lord Jesus embraced the mystery of His Passion and Death. Meditating on the individual station, we pray that we may follow Christ by pouring out our lives in selfless love of God and of our neighbor.
I would heartily agree with Archbishop Burke's point regarding suffering and the Stations of the Cross. In my own experience, I am best able to accept suffering when I link it to Christ's willingness to suffer for sinners. The mystery of suffering becomes more bearable when I consider how He, Who truly was innocent, was treated so contemptuously. Yet He bore it all for the sake of others. It was not that He needed to suffer. Not even for Himself. He chose to accept suffering for the sake of others, even others who He knew would reject Him and His love. After a consideration of such love, I am better able to accept the small acts of suffering that I encounter. And even in the case where the suffering is much greater, I am comforted by knowing that He shares this burden with me.

Posted by David at 7:13 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Thursday, March 23, 2006
Freedom of Religion?  

By now you have probably heard of the case of the Afghan man, Abdul Rahman, who is facing a possible death penalty because he is a convert to Christianity. If you have not heard, the basic facts of the case, as I understand them, are that Rahman became a Christian some years ago when he lived outside Afghanistan. In recent years, he returned to the country and became involved in a custody dispute regarding his children. His family turned him over to the authorities for the crime of having converted to Christianity from Islam. Under the current legal system in Afghanistan, one of the punishments for apostasy is capital punishment. Although the courts can pass a death sentence, it is the president of the country who must sign the order.

As international pressure mounts, albeit apparently very weak public pressure from the United States government, it appears that the Afghan government is scrambling to find a way out of this mess. The current tact seems to be to conclude that Rahman is not mentally stable. Thus, he is not fit to be subject to a trial regarding apostasy.

Of course, this is all very troubling to people of Western nations who value freedom, including the freedom of worship and the free exercise of religion. It is also very troubling because to date the President of the United States has not been questioned about this with any amount of energy. I am not certain why this is not more of an issue for the press corps to pursue.

In this country that we invaded and liberated in order to make the world more free from terrorism, we have a clear sign that laws and behaviors have a long way to go before Afghanistan could be considered any type of democracy. After the right to life, the right to freedom of conscience and the free exercise of religion is the most basic of human rights. It is grounded, as John Paul the Great articulated, in the fundamental dignity that each person has as a human being.
The same declaration of the Second Vatican Council was then taken up again in various documents of Pope Paul VI, in the 1974 Synod of Bishops' message, and more recently in the message to the United Nations Organization during the papal visit on October 2, 1979, which repeats it essentially: "In accordance with their dignity, all human beings, because they are persons, that is, beings endowed with reason and free will and, therefore, bearing a personal responsibility, are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth once they come to know it and to direct their whole lives in accordance with its demands" (Dignitatis humanae, no. 2). "The practice of religion by its very nature consists primarily of those voluntary and free internal acts by which a human being directly sets his course towards God. No merely human power can either command or prohibit acts of this kind. But man's social nature itself requires that he give external expression to his internal acts of religion, that he communicate with others in religious matters and that he profess his religion in community" ((Dignitatis humanae, no. 3). Source
Hopefully, Afghanistan will reverse its current position and not execute a man simply for his religious convictions. Similarly, I hope the United States is the leader in pushing for the release of Abdul Rahman. This would be a true demonstration of concern for spreading freedom throughout the world.

Posted by David at 7:45 AM  |  Comments (2)  | 

Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Remembering Terri Schiavo  

Over on Blogs for Terri, you can see a number of articles regarding the one year anniversary of the death of Terri Schiavo.

Beginning on March 18, 2004, Terri Schiavo was denied the basic necessities of food and water in order to put her to death. She was not terminally ill. Neither was she on any type of life support or in a coma. Instead, like every other person, she required food and water to survive. The food and water she needed was denied her when her feeding tube was removed. Over the next thirteen days, she was dehydrated to death, and on March 31, 2004, Terri Schiavo died.

One of the most frightening memories I have from the media's coverage of Terri Schiavo's death was the constant parade of people who somewhere in their interview on television would say something to the effect of, "Well, I know what the families are going through because just this past year we had to make the same decision regarding our Aunt Susie." Then they would continue to describe how they had essentially taken the life of Aunt Susie. Naturally, these folks were supporting the death of Terri Schiavo. Their own conscience had already been overridden in this area because of what they had done, and they were probably no longer able to discern that denying someone food and water was akin to murdering the person. The scary part was that so many people were telling of similar experiences. It is no wonder that there is widespread support for euthanasia, even among religiously active people.

A year later, many have forgotten what happened. They have moved on to other things. Or perhaps, they simply shake their heads in wonder at what all of the fuss was about regarding Terri Schiavo. However, there are many others who are supporters of life, and they have not moved on to other things. Neither will they forget what happened to Terri Schiavo. They are cognizant that what happened in Florida last year is happening throughout the country on a regular basis. Men and women are having their lives taken from them by family members who find it more convenient to terminate a life rather than support it.

In order to help, over the past year, Terri's parents, brother, and sister have been working on behalf of Terri's Foundation. On March 30 of this year, they are formally launching the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation. Through the foundation they hope to honor her memory
by offering assistance and support to individuals in need, establish a network of professionals and organizations that are dedicated to advocate, protect, and provide care for people with disabilities and their families, and by educating society about the crucial issues of protecting life. Ultimately, the Schindlers have a vision of instituting Terri Schindler Schiavo centers worldwide to provide care for brain injury victims and support for their families. Source
May God richly bless them in their efforts to honor Terri Schiavo by helping others who find themselves in a similarly vulnerable situation.

Posted by David at 6:15 AM  |  Comments (1)  | Link

Tuesday, March 21, 2006
As we forgive those who trespassed against us  

One of the challenges to today's Gospel is understand what the keys to forgiveness are. According to our Lord, there are several keys. First, we must forgive, if we want to be forgiven. There is no way around this. The servant who owed the huge sum of money was forgiven. But in a foolish act, he failed to forgive the poor servant who owed him a small amount of money. His foolish behavior was punished.

The second key seems to be that we quickly forgive. We must be prepared to forgive in the heat of a moment. The second servant begged for mercy, but the first servant forgot how he had just recently done the same. The first servant did not catch himself and change his attitude. Instead of recognizing that this was his opportunity to be merciful, he had the servant thrown in jail. Ironically, that was where he himself would wind up because he failed to forgive.

Perhaps the first servant will later regret his decision to demand payment from the second servant. However, at that point it might be too late. How often do I give myself the satisfaction of not forgiving someone quickly with the presumption that I will be able to forgive them later? Before forgiving, I would like to hold a grudge for a least a little while. No, our Lord is clear that I must quickly forgive.

Another key to forgiveness is gratitude. If the servant had been grateful for what he had been forgiven, he would not have sought out a fellow servant who owed him money. Instead, he would have been ready to show his gratefulness to the king by emulating his behavior and forgiving the debt of the second servant.

Finally, we need to understand the depth of our sin. The first servant clearly did not realize how much debt he had been forgiven. If he had, he would not have wasted his time trying to recoup a small amount of money from a fellow servant. Instead, he would have been in awe of the mercy shown him, and he would have been moved to show mercy.

Lent is a wonderful time to reflect on forgiveness. It is the essence of the Faith. If we are united with God, it is because He has forgiven us. He expects no less from me. When I am wronged, I must forgive no matter how difficult it may be. It moves me closer to God and those around me.

Posted by David at 1:16 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Monday, March 20, 2006
St. Joseph: Dreamer and Guardian  

Although not much is known explicitly about St. Joseph from Scripture's accounts of the spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we can know something of him based on the fact that his life has parallels with Joseph the Patriarch. Both spent time in Egypt, and both Joseph of the Old Testament and Joseph of the New Testament were led by dreams.

Joseph the Patriarch had dreams at an early age that indicated he would rule over his brothers. He also interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker when all three were in prison. It was the interpretation of the butler's dream which led to his rise to power. Pharaoh had two dreams which could not be understood by any of his wise men. The butler, who had been released from prison and restored to his position, remembered that Joseph had correctly interpreted his dream that indicated the butler's restoration. When summoned by Pharaoh, Joseph was able to interpret the Pharaoh's dreams which predicted that in Egypt there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. The Pharaoh was impressed enough to make Joseph the prime minister and put him in charge of dealing with the coming agricultural crisis. When the years of famine did come, Joseph's brothers had to come to Egypt and pay homage to their brother, whom they did not recognize, in order to obtain food because of the famine. Through Joseph, his brothers and father received needed food, and eventually after revealing himself to them, Joseph helped his family come to Egypt in order to provide for them during the famine.

Joseph was led by dreams to proceed to take the Blessed Virgin Mary as his spouse. He was also given dreams which instructed him to make haste and take his wife and the child Jesus to Egypt. By fleeing to Egypt, Joseph protected Jesus from Herod's attempt to kill the new king by slaughtering all of the boys two years and younger. After some time in Egypt, Joseph received a dream which instructed him to take his family back to Israel and to settle in Nazareth.

The parallels point to our Lord's identification with His people and the role of protector and provider that St. Joseph fulfilled. Joseph the Patriarch provided for Israel represented by the sons of Jacob. And Joseph the spouse of the Virgin Mary provided for our Lord by protecting Jesus and serving Him as His legal father. It is no wonder then, that the Church has made St. Joseph the patron of the Universal Church. He was the guardian of the redeemer as John Paul the Great called him in his encyclical on St. Joseph. Now with his prayers, he is the guardian of the Church with whom are Lord has so closely identified Himself.

Posted by David at 8:14 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Sunday, March 19, 2006
No Story Time, But a Book Sale  

Yesterday, I had hoped to take my eighteen-month old daughter to the local library for story time. Unfortunately, when we arrived a little after 11 AM at the library, we learned that there was no story time that day. And contrary to what is posted on the library Web site, I learned that she would need to be signed up to be able to participate. However, there is an open story time at another branch on Mondays at 11 AM. Given that the only time is on a weekday, I was a little disappointed that we would not be able to share a little father-daughter time on Saturday mornings at story time.

However, all was not a loss. I realized, as I pulled up at the library, that the annual book sale was taking place. The book sale is put on by a volunteer association to raise money for the library which consists of several branches spread out over the county. I cannot speak to other book sales, but this one is rather a serious event. Where I live, prides itself as being quite a learned place, and it once was ranked as the top-ranked U.S. city for reading. Not long from now there will be the annual book festival. All this adds up to the great anticipation and action which takes place at the book sale.

The basement of the library, which is not a large space to begin with, is filled with closely packed metal shelves that are groaning under the weight of all of the used books. It is difficult to navigate your way around because people are filling in every possible area that has been left free by the bookshelves. Some are standing. Others are kneeling. Some sitting. Then there are those who are collapsed on the floor in exhaustion with their carton, which is filled with their treasures, sitting close by for fear of losing one or two items.

The sale actually takes place over three weekends, and there are literally thousands and thousands of books. At times it gets a bit ridiculous as people become rude and even cutthroat in trying to get books off the shelves. It is good that I had forgotten about that. Otherwise, I might simply have turned away.

Throughout any given day, the volunteers are constantly adding new books. For some this might be a point of frustration, but I have learned simply not to worry too much about it. I figure that if there is a book that I need to find, I will find it.

My wife is never very thrilled to hear about this book sale because she reasons that I am simply adding more dusty or dirty books to our collection of books. She has a point. One of the books I did purchase seems that it spent some time in the home of a smoker because it smells of cigarette smoke. Nonetheless, my wife tolerates my occasional purchase of several used books. From my perspective, I have become much more disciplined, and I try to think whether any given book I am considering to purchase is really something I want or would ever read. This year I left with about seven books. The books I purchased were several books on the saints for my daughter, one book on the rosary, a book by Father Groeschel, and a book with the documents of Vatican II.

My daughter thought it was quite amusing to see all of these people packed into this small area. She was also thrilled to see bookshelves lined with books because this is a game with which she is very familiar. We have a book shelf in the basement which she likes to empty and then stack the books in various places around the room. I think that because we were not a home she did not decide to empty the shelves, and I only had to keep her from pulling off a few books.

When I gave her one book to hold she proceeded to do her imitation of reading which is to turn the pages and make what to her are sounds of reading. She also chewed on another one which guaranteed that I would be leaving with it. Finally, we stood in line to buy the books. Compared to to everyone else, what we had was quite a modest purchase. One man in front of us had several moving boxes full of books. Others were clearly only on round one, and who knows how many rounds there would be.

I was wondering how long the line would take, and I thought that there should be an express line for folks like me who did not come with a large plastic bin to be filled. My daughter was content to stand next to me with one hand in mine and the other clutching the copy of the Vatican II documents. This was amusing to some who saw her. I was, of course, thrilled that she had chosen that book as the one she wanted to carry while waiting in line. It shows that she is already very serious about her faith.

Posted by David at 6:21 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Saturday, March 18, 2006
A Tragic One Year Anniversary  

A year ago today, the feeding tube from Terri Schiavo was removed. Over the next thirteen days, in order to put her to death, she was denied the basic necessities of food and water. Her death was the result of many factors. However, one of the most tragic causes was that although her case was widely known, there was not sufficient will to prevent her death. Some might argue that all the powers that could have stopped her being put to death did not have the ability to intervene. After all, it might be noted, every avenue of government was pursued, and none of them were able to save her life.

The problem, however, was not the lack of effort to try to save the life of Terri Schiavo. There were many who worked very hard to stop those who were determined to murder Terri Schiavo. No, the problem was a lack of will on the part of those who were being asked to intervene. There was not enough will to do what was necessary to save the life of a woman who did not need to die. Certainly, there were many in positions of power who tried to change the outcome of the situation. Nonetheless, there was not a sufficient collective will to push back the culture of death by preventing the deliberate killing of an innocent woman.

As many will note in various ways, the lack of a collective will to prevent this tragedy is one of the terrible realizations that came out of Terri Schiavo's death. For perhaps the first time, some of us understood that, yes, it is possible for such an event to occur. It is possible for an innocent, disabled woman to be put to death, not in the shadows, but in the light of public scrutiny. Up until that time, many Americans might have thought that the hue and cry raised against such an action would be sufficient to prevent her tragic death. The reality that splashed us in the face, is that public scrutiny was not sufficient to stop her death.

Many of us did not grow up thinking that the culture of death had such deep roots in American culture. Nor is this a reality which many of think should continue to represent the culture of the United States. Consequently, as we note this tragic anniversary, we are faced with a fresh reminder that Terri Schiavo's fight continues. Against difficult odds and constant opposition, she fought for her life for so many years. She continued to fight even when her feeding tube was removed. We must honor her and all those who like her are in a vulnerable position between life and death.

The best way that I can think to honor her memory is for us to be strong proponents of a culture of life in every aspect of our lives. Through conscience acts of the will to act in a way that promotes life, even in the smallest details of our lives, we can make a tremendous difference. All of our choices to choose life over death will add up and begin to make a difference. This difference will lead to a greater collective will to promote a culture of life. And through such a collective will, we may be able to reverse the trend toward acceptance of deaths like Terri Schiavo's and instead be a people that embraces all life, even the life of a disabled woman who wills to live.

For more information vist Blogs for Terri.

Posted by David at 8:19 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Friday, March 17, 2006
St. Patrick and a Dispensation  

Today, of course, is the feast day of St. Patrick of Ireland. It is sometimes forgotten that this well-know saint was also a bishop. As a bishop, he enjoys the designation of a successor to the apostles. Through the laying on of hands upon him, he received the authority which Christ had given to His apostles.

In recent years, it is might have become easy to ignore that bishops have been granted authority. The scandals that are due to the sins of priests and bishops have tainted many opinions against authority within the Church. However, as many have pointed out, no matter how unworthy is the man who holds the office, if he has validly received the office of bishop, he carries the authority granted to him by Christ as a successor to the apostles.

For bishops, he is a model because he was a priest and bishop committed to sharing the Gospel. His zeal for the souls of Ireland moved him in faith to serve with fervor those to whom Christ had entrusted him. He writes in his confession:
"I am greatly God's debtor, because he granted me so much grace, that through me many people would be reborn in God, and soon after confirmed, and that clergy would be ordained everywhere for them, the masses lately come to belief, whom the Lord drew from the ends of the earth, just as he once promised through his prophets: "To you shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Our fathers have inherited naught but lies, worthless things in which there is no profit." And again: "I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the uttermost ends of the earth."


In a somewhat lighthearted example, we can see the authority of the bishop. Today, being a Friday in Lent, would normally be a day of abstinence from meat for Latin rite Catholics. However, in honor of St. Patrick, my bishop has granted all in the diocese a dispensation. This means that we can enjoy some corned beef, stew, and Shepherd's pie to go along with our cabbage, soda bread, and beer.

Posted by David at 8:03 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Thursday, March 16, 2006
Reality Check  

The Church is very interested in providing us with what today might be termed a reality check. Indeed, the Gospel is a call to the truth about God and ourselves. The truth is that although God created us and loves us, we have turned from Him. We have rejected the very One we need. That does not stop God from continuing to offer Himself to us. Consequently, we need to repent or turn back to God and away from our path which leads us away from Him.

One of the most powerful ways that the Church has provided us with a reminder of what is real is the liturgical season of Lent. It begins on Ash Wednesday with a reminder to us that our life is very fragile. We have come from dust and to dust we shall return. The reality of death cannot be ignored. However, the end is not like the beginning. The end of Lent is the death of Christ. God who has become man takes our place on the cross as the perfect lamb slain for our sins. Faced with the prospect that our rebellion against God will lead to certain death, God intervenes and offers His Son to take death in our place.

Even in grasping that reality, we recognize that sin has caused death. God did not create man and woman to die, but through sin, man and woman chose other than God. At that time, death became part of the fallen human experience. If man is able to choose to be apart from God who is Life, there must be a reality which is separation from God. Such spiritual death is the final end for those who set their will against God.

Today's Gospel reading underscores that reality. Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and Lazarus the beggar. The rich man chose his comfortable life rather than God's Life which would have moved him to help Lazarus. Lazarus, on the other hand, suffered greatly during his life and was reward with comfort after he died.

The will of the rich man became set through his preoccupation with things rather than God. His will had become so hardened in its opposition to God that even after death he does not understand what has happened. He wants Lazarus to comfort him in his torment. His will had become so far removed from God that he did not understand the reality that not only could Lazarus not comfort him, but he was foolish to even be asking for comfort from the one he had failed to comfort.

The parable ends with Abraham explaining to the rich man that each person is given by God all that he needs to turn to God. The rich man's brothers have Moses and the Prophets (shorthand for the Old Testament) to warn them to return to God. If they do not believe in God through God's prophets, neither will a man raised from the dead convince them.

This last comment is a powerful reality check. Jesus spoke this parable to the religious leaders of His time who knew Scripture. He was to be raised from the dead. However, He is making the point that those who hear Him could believe in Him based on Moses and the Prophets. If God's prophets do not convince them, neither will His resurrection convince them that God is with them. Jesus seems to be indicating that each of us is given by God all the opportunities needed to return to Him. It is not a matter of waiting for that powerful sign or proof to convince us. We already have enough to persuade us. It is our will that is keeping us from coming back to him. Like the rich man, we are too preoccupied with this world and failing to focus on the next.

Posted by David at 6:13 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Morning Offerings  

I recently heard that one way to help you to have success in your day is to, before you even arise from your bed, envision yourself successfully completing the most difficult task of the day. For example, if you have some type of presentation to give to your colleagues and boss, you would go through a scenario in your mind of how you will present the material flawlessly and then answer any follow-up questions with well-informed answers.

This idea of "visioning" is not anything new. Sports psychologists have been working with athletes for years utilizing the same idea. A footballer might be asked to see himself marking the opposing team's star striker such that he is not able to even get a decent shot off all game. Or perhaps the striker who has not had a goal in several games is encouraged to see himself hitting the back of the net with a brilliant shot taken after he has freed himself from his defender.

The Church knows something about this idea of preparing yourself for the rest of your day. It is called the morning offering. It has been part of her spiritual wisdom for centuries. The idea is very simple, but like many things that are simple, it is quite beautiful. The goal is, with the first action or your day, to put yourself in the hands of God. The key is to do it as soon as possible at the beginning of the day. It is a way of acknowledging that you belong to God, and you want to give Him yourself and your day's activities. Also, through doing this as the first action of your day, you are humbling yourself by recognizing that you need Him to assist you from the very beginning to the end of you day. Another way of looking at it is to see this morning prayer as a greeting to God, just like you would greet someone else in the morning.

Perhaps the best known morning offering is from the Apostolate of Prayer:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.
I offer them for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart:
the salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians.
I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all Apostles of Prayer,
and in particular for those recommended by our Holy Father this month.


This is the morning offering which I like to pray. I would like to say that I pray it every morning, but I do not. However, when I do remember to pray it, and especially when I quiet myself long enough to pray it with some recollection, it does change my mindset. I realize that what I do and say throughout the day is being offered to God. I certainly need His help to make anything I do worthy of being offered to Him. I also realize that all can be offered to God, even, and perhaps more so, the sufferings and disappointments of my day. He knows about the ups and downs of my day, and He wants me to know He is there to receive whatever I am able to offer to Him.

Here are some others:

Lord, one more day to love you!
Blessed Charles de Foucauld

Lord, today is the day I begin!
St. Philip Neri

Jesus, shine through me and be so in me that every person I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul.
John Henry Cardinal Newman

My God, send me thy Holy Spirit to teach me what I am and what thou art!
St. John Vianney

Grant me the grace to spend this day without offending You and without failing my neighbor.
St. Louise de Marillac

I like this last morning offering because it is prayer to be able to fulfill the two greatest commandments to love God with all your heart and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. It sums up all that we are to be about in all that we do throughout the day.

There is of course no need to use a particular prayer or to even make it formal prayer. The important thing is at the start of the day to make a habit of putting God first and "seeing yourself" with Him, supported by Him, and giving all to Him.

Posted by David at 6:59 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Set Things Right  

From Today's Readings:
Hear the word of the LORD, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah!
Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil;
learn to do good. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan's plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right, says the LORD: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; Though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool.
If you are willing, and obey, you shall eat the good things of the land;
But if you refuse and resist, the sword shall consume you: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken! Isaiah 1:10,16-20
How many of us see the mercy of God in these words to us? He is merciful to tell us that we are doing evil, we have wronged others, we have ignored the orphan's cry, and we have neglected widows. If we understand the depth of our sin, which is simply the truth about ourselves, we are open to having our sins cleansed. We often want to think that we are pretty good people, but the reality is that we have done many things that are offensive to God. We have hurt Him by our lack of love for Him and His creatures.

Instead, we must have a perspective that we are sinners who have access to mercy of God at any moment. He invites us to set things right with a wonderful promise. By setting things right with Him, we will enjoy His favor otherwise we can only expect suffering because of our refusal to address our sins.

St. Francis of Assisi was a great saint because he understood the mercy of God. He loved God for His having given him mercy although he had sinned against God. The closer he drew to God, the more he understood that he was a sinner and the more he was amazed at God's mercy which covered his sins. One way that he demonstrated this was by always trying to bear insults with patience. He was able to do this because he thought that he deserved even worse than the insults which he was given. Any insults were light in comparison.

I can only understand this intellectually. I am not wont to accept insults with much patience. Perhaps the solution to this lies exactly where St. Francis found it--developing a deeper relationship with God through prayer and devotion. It sounds so easy, but I do not pursue it the way I pursue so many other things. Perhaps the problem is that I know that if a draw closer to God, my sins will be clearer. What I am failing to realize is that I will also have a greater grasp of God's infinite mercy.

Posted by David at 5:00 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Monday, March 13, 2006
Freecycle  

A few months ago, I was musing to a colleague of mine that there were things that I did not want to throw out, but I really wanted to get rid of them because they were simply cluttering up my house. She responded by telling me about Freecycle. Freecycle is a grassroots effort to limit the amount of junk that is put in our landfills. The method is very simple and brilliant. Through online resources people offer things that they no longer want and other folks pick up the items. The key is that it all must be free. No monetary offers are allowed.

The way that it works is that people post items to a local freecycle group. Others read the list of items and offer to take the items off of the hands of the ones making the offer. As of now, there are close to 3,500 local groups established for localities in the U.S. and in several other countries.

I went ahead a signed up for an email distribution which allows me to see the items that are being offered and to post items which I would like to offer. Of course, personally, I have no interest in getting any more items. Instead, I am interested in posting items to clear out the unwanted items which are taking up space. And I have enjoyed some success in getting rid of an old photocopier which worked, but needed a new, expensive toner cartridge and two printers, one which might work with some repair work and another which works quite well. I might have been able to sell the one printer which worked, but, in terms of time to sell it, I probably would have broken even, at best, when I finally sold it. Of course, the other two items would probably never have sold. Who wants to buy something that "might work"?

The effort due to Freecycle is minimal. After someone agrees to take the item, typically an arrangement is made for the item to be picked up by the person who wants it. The most work that the person who offered the item has to do is often select among the several people who want to take the item.

It is, however, interesting to take a look at the list to see what items people are offering and accepting. I have been amazed at what people will give and take. As I look at recent items which have been taken, I see pressure treated lumber, children's soccer boots, a tricycle, and rug shampoo. There have also been offers of washers and dryers, aquariums, and some expensive baby items which were in full working condition. In addition, I have also seen plenty of broken items and other items that would be destined for the landfill simply because no one would ever be able to figure out how to find someone who would want the item. Many times someone wants those items, as well. As the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

As trite as this might sound, I have to say that it is nice to see a community-based effort like this work well. It gives me hope that people are able to work together for good.

Posted by David at 5:54 AM  |  Comments (1)  | Link

Sunday, March 12, 2006
Transfigured into Faith  

The Gospel reading for the second Sunday in Lent is the account of Jesus' transfiguration. It is an interesting passage because it marks the transition point in our Lord's ministry after which He has set His face toward Jerusalem in order to undergo His Passion.

Jesus picks three disciples to accompany Him on a retreat on the mountain. The three disciples are Peter, James, and John. These are the same three who are given exclusive access to the raising of Jairus' daughter and Jesus' agony in the Garden of Gethsemene. It seems that our Lord wanted to help them understand that He is able to overcome death despite the appearance that He is very human as He showed in the garden. In the transfiguration, Jesus shows His glorified humanity as a foretaste of how these three disciples will encounter Him after the resurrection.

Peter, of course, is the clear leader of the disciples, but he has also shown that he does not understand our Lord's Passion. Although He correctly answered the question which Jesus posed to the disciples as to who He is, Peter followed up his right answer with a rebuke to our Lord that it is unnecessary for Him to suffer and die. Jesus is giving Peter private instruction in order that he will be able to strengthen his brothers after he repents of his denial of Jesus. After the transfiguration, it would seem more difficult for Peter to question our Lord's words. Instead, he should pay even more attention to what Jesus says.

James and John are the sons of thunder. They were ready for our Lord to call down fire upon the Samaritans who would not let Jesus pass through their towns. They may have held the same idea as others that Jesus was preparing to overturn all of the wrongs in the world with great violence. Instead Jesus is helping them to understand that all of the violence is going to be focused on Him. Jerusalem is the place where the king will be crowned with thorns, and He will be rejected by His own and thrown out of the city to be violently removed.

The disciples learn this through what must have been an absolutely terrifying experience. The master is transformed into the brilliance of glorified humanity. It is as if, part of the curtain is pulled back for the three disciples to see how man is meant to appear. Then the three are given a hint of the fact that God is Triune. The Holy Spirit overshadows them all in a cloud, and the Father speaks to them to let them know that Jesus is His beloved Son. The Father follows this with an exhortation for the disciples to listen to Jesus. After this experience, I would think that this would be easier to do.

In addition, Elijah and Moses appear to speak with our Lord about His Passion. Again, the disciples are privy to the discussion of Jesus' Passion to help them grasp that this is what is going to happen--Jesus will suffer and die. Even Moses and Elijah, who stand for the Law and the Prophets, know about this. Peter, James, and John should remember this when later they struggle to grasp what has happened with all of their expectations for the Messiah.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the transfiguration is over. Peter, James, and John are there with Jesus in complete shock over what they have just experienced. I wonder how long was the pause before anyone said anything. Then as they come back down the mountain, Jesus commands them to not tell anyone else about what happened. In His mercy He had picked three witnesses in order that they could discuss it among themselves. One would have not been able to not tell someone else. Two might not be certain what they saw happened. But with three, each can be sure it has happened, and for each, there are two persons' perspectives from which to draw.

The transfiguration is a mysterious event that transformed the disciples. After the resurrection, they could point to this event as a powerful revelation of who Jesus is. Such a man is not overcome by evil because He is too weak. Instead, He clearly laid down His life as the strong man submitting to the weak. He was in complete control of all that happened to Him because no one who was transfigured like that is going to be caught unaware or surprised. Instead, He died for a reason because He meant to die. That He rose from the dead should also not be a surprise. He had raised others from the dead. He communicates with Moses and Elijah. And the Heavenly Father calls Him His Son.

The transfiguration would strengthen the faith of Peter, James, and John because it would help them piece together all that Jesus had said and done. His mission culminated in His Passion, and it was completed in His resurrection. They had heard about His Passion on the mountain of transfiguration, and on the same mountain, they had seen Him as He would be appear after His resurrection.

Posted by David at 1:03 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Saturday, March 11, 2006
When Right makes Wrong  

I found the following challenging mediation on the Catholic Culture site:
In disagreements between you and your neighbor, you must always remember that to be in the right is the consideration that influences a Christian the least. The philosopher may indulge such a satisfaction. But to be in the right and to act as if one were not, to allow one's opponent to triumph on the side of injustice,-this means to overcome evil by good, and to secure peace for one's soul. No more convincing argument for your own vindication is required than the silent exterior acknowledgment that you are in the wrong. He who edifies does more for the truth than he who is zealous for the combat. Instead of trying to refute those that are in the wrong, it is better to pray for them. A stream flows much more rapidly when nothing is done to hold it back. Pray for those who are prejudiced against you, never become embittered against them, pity them, await their return to better feelings, and help to free them from their prejudices. One would not be human if he does not feel how easy it is to stray, and how much it costs to acknowledge this. The spirit of meekness, of indulgence, of patience and humility in examining the behavior of others toward us, secures us that peace of mind which is not compatible with the jealous, suspicious sensibilities of self-love. - Fenelon
My own experience has shown the absolute truth of the statements which I have emphasized in bold print. Every time that I have been concerned about being "right" has almost always been disastrous in my relationship with the other person. Only alienation and deepened bitterness has resulted from maintaining such a stance. On the other hand, when I have focused on prayer even in the moment such as asking God for the grace to be loving toward the person with whom I am speaking, I have seen walls be brought down instead of be built.

When I have been the one who was in the wrong, it was prayer, more often than not, which had the greatest impact upon me. Arguments for and against some point or other might have a minimal impact, but prayer to God will always have an immediate impact. It begins the transformation of our souls which always begins with humility and results in peace of mind.

Posted by David at 3:50 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Friday, March 10, 2006
Booked  

The other day my wife surprised me by giving me the book Four Witnesses by Rod Bennett. The essential goal of the book is to examine Church writings from the second century to understand the shape of the early Church. In order to do this, Bennett uses excerpts from the writings of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyons. I have added this title to my list of current books being read on the right panel of this page.

This is a great book for me because I always enjoy reading the early Church Fathers. Having been drawn to their writings a number of years ago, I was opened up to truth of what Bennett is seeking to illustrate, namely, that the early Church was the beginning of the Catholic Church. The practices of the early Church are the same practices which are found in the Catholic Church throughout history until this very day.

I am also looking forward to reading this because I have a very special place in my heart for Ignatius of Antioch. In particular, his letters to the various churches as a bishop who is preparing for his martyrdom have been powerful witnesses to me of the authority of the Church which Christ founded on His apostles. In his person, Ignatius combines the tremendous virtues of obedience and service. He is obedient to God to the point of giving up his own life. And he lives a life of service to those to whom have been entrusted to his care. Ignatius also has a way of calling things as they are without mincing words. This is refreshing to read from a shepherd of the people. In addition, I am connected to Ignatius of Antioch because my birthday is on his feast day (October 17). This fact only solidified my choice to select him as one of my two confirmation names which I took when I entered into the Church.

In other book news, I just recently finished reading a tremendous book on parenting. I now have the task of writing a review of the book. The reason that I am writing a review is because when I first discovered this book I so enthusiastic about the book that I wrote the publisher to ask for a free copy of the book on the promise of my writing a review of it. To my surprise, the publisher agreed, and I was sent a copy.

For some time now, I have been reading a chapter a night. It really is difficult to go beyond that because, although each chapter is only a few pages, the material is very challenging. The author calls each parent to take seriously the responsibility to be a good parent by being a good person. His advice is imminently practical, and it is clear that his counsel is based on the wisdom he has gained through his work in education and his being a parent himself.

I am looking forward to writing the review because I want to tell more people about the book. Already, a colleague of mine has begun reading the book, and she is telling friends of hers about it. It has fostered some good discussions with my colleague and I have enjoyed sharing with my wife some of what I have learned. My hope is to write the review in the next several weeks

Posted by David at 4:41 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link

Thursday, March 09, 2006
Cold Front  

Yesterday our daughter turned eighteen months old. To mark the occasion she has had a cold. Unbelievably, this is really the first cold she has ever had. There have been a few days when she has had a low grade fever, but those might simply have been because she was teething. This cold, however is a full-on cold with a runny nose, sneezing, slight fever, and a little coughing. All of this is brand new to our daughter.

It really is quite sad to see because she has no idea what this is all about, and it has thrown her off of her regular pattern. However, like she does with most new things, she is adapting fairly well. In fact, other than the congestion, it would be difficult to tell she is ill. She runs around like she always does. Then she will sneeze, and she is perplexed and annoyed by the results of that action. Unfortunately, she does not like to have her nose wiped despite my having specially purchased the softest tissues I could find. This makes for quite the comical scene of one of us trying to wipe her nose while she protests.

We know exactly where she caught the cold. On Sunday, we visited some friends of ours who have two boys. The younger one who is only a few months older than our daughter had a cold. We were warned by our friends, but we went over to their house hoping our run of avoiding illness would continue. Instead, at eighteen months, our daughter is learning what it is like to feel miserable because of cold. She just went back to bed after getting up in the middle of the night to have something to eat and to get a dose of children's Tylenol. Some of the Tylenol I gave to her directly. Some came hidden in some mushed-up fruit she ate. Then, not long after she ate, she wonderfully fell asleep on the carpet. This tremendous turn of events allowed me to carry her off to her crib for what I hope will be several more hours of sleep.

Posted by David at 5:37 AM  |  Comments (0)  | 

Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Five Little Things  

David offered this as an open invitation for others to be tagged. I liked the meme enough to share these responses.

Five Little Things that Bring You Satisfaction or Pleasure

1. Giving my wife a compliment.

2. Taking my eighteen-month old daughter to the playground.

3. Laughing about something and having others join in the laughter.

4. Thanking someone for something he has done.

5. Completing some small manual labor task.

As I received this, I will pass it on. Anyone who is so inclined should post his own list of five little things which bring satisfaction or pleasure.

Posted by David at 12:54 AM  |  Comments (0)  | Link