Communication out-paces the speed of sound. This is why it is one of the most dreadfully important components of life. This is more of an update on topics painfully dear to my heart, please read on, absorb, and let me know what you think...
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NEWS FROM ROME
Archbishop Celli Named to Media Council
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 27, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli as the new president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
Archbishop Celli, 65, is leaving his current post as the secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See to assume his new position.
Archbishop Celli will be taking over the presidency of the communication council from Archbishop John Foley, who has been named the grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.
Archbishop Celli played a decisive role in launching the Vatican's Web site in 1997.
For his diplomatic efforts to improve dialogue between the Holy See and countries like China and Vietnam, he was awarded the "Freindadametz 2005" prize.
Claudio Celli was born in 1941 in Rimini, Italy. He was ordained a priest in 1965 and a bishop in 1996.
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This is important...Archbishop Celli will play a decisive role in how the Catholic Church utilizes media as an instrument for evangelization. I am very excited at this potential. Searching to see what the Church has recently sanctioned as far as media for social good goes, I found some amazing documentary topics done by an Italian media outlet, sponsored by the Church, one of which actually deals with religion in China...this is super! It is consoling to find things I know in my heart are so important being addressed by the Church in a creative way, and I pray that dear Archbishop Celli can continue to be a leader in utilizing the mass media as a pathway to Christ.
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ABORTION IN KENYA
There is a push among the leadership of 9 African nations to legalize abortion. This is an atrocity. I hope to provide some accurate data to support my religiously affiliated opinion; I also look forward to sharing with you the thoughts of a young woman from Kenya on this topic. Keep the African nations in your prayers, as it is far easier to prevent the legalization of abortion than it will be to reverse such legislation. The time for the international Catholic community to respond is NOW.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Breaking News: TRUST MATTERS
Another long day...if I ever become a saint, I'll be the saint of long days...but that is if I accomplish overcoming long-day-syndrome. The biggest challenge is that I don't make days long, people stressing out and freaking out--and in turn me stressing out--makes days long.
Remember the Trolls?? There was this cartoon when I was a kid that featured the trolls, and they had a music video, and the little troll was sining that popular song, "Don't Worry, be happy!" and encouraging the un-happy troll in a very annoying way to BE HAPPY!! It kind of drove me nuts, but my younger sister loved it...she loved the trolls--she had a little one with pink hair that stuck up, and I remember being jealous of her troll and launching it across the room...but you know what, my sister had got the message, and I didn't. I was a neurotic little kid that worried a lot, and my sis was happy-go-lucky. Our personalities have both changed drastically, but I can say that this was a fair assessment of us when we were in elementary school.
When I got to college I struggled with worrying and overdoing it...I still struggle with over committing myself. But one thing that really has helped me out with the worry issue is surrender...just give it all up! Worrying boils down to control issues, and I will be the first to admit this. What is the opposite of control? SURRENDER...for me, it is lifting up my struggles to God, trusting that in His Divine Providence, He will provide the best solution for the situation.
Another way to convert worry is into care...when I worried about my dad's illness, I was focusing on how sad I was and how it was affecting ME, even though the purpose was to figure out how to help dad, the focus was on ME...but caring is totally the opposite--it is SURRENDER augmented by LOVE for another member of God's creation! Learning to care for a person is perhaps one of the hardest things on earth...
...because ultimately, caring for someone is totally surrendering that person to GOD out of LOVE and for their best interests...and that is love, that is real, selfless love...true care for another is true love for that person, whether it be for a spouse, a sibling or a friend. Worrying makes the worrier entirely responsible for the solution; caring entrusts the other to the beneficence of the Lord.
So next time you find yourself boiling over, frustrated by the worry of a difficult situation, step back a little...look at the bigger picture--what gifts have you brought to the table, what gifts have others involved brought...find joy in that...lift it up entirely...be still...and know that in surrendering, you are entrusting it all to TRUST Personified...AJPM!
Remember the Trolls?? There was this cartoon when I was a kid that featured the trolls, and they had a music video, and the little troll was sining that popular song, "Don't Worry, be happy!" and encouraging the un-happy troll in a very annoying way to BE HAPPY!! It kind of drove me nuts, but my younger sister loved it...she loved the trolls--she had a little one with pink hair that stuck up, and I remember being jealous of her troll and launching it across the room...but you know what, my sister had got the message, and I didn't. I was a neurotic little kid that worried a lot, and my sis was happy-go-lucky. Our personalities have both changed drastically, but I can say that this was a fair assessment of us when we were in elementary school.
When I got to college I struggled with worrying and overdoing it...I still struggle with over committing myself. But one thing that really has helped me out with the worry issue is surrender...just give it all up! Worrying boils down to control issues, and I will be the first to admit this. What is the opposite of control? SURRENDER...for me, it is lifting up my struggles to God, trusting that in His Divine Providence, He will provide the best solution for the situation.
Another way to convert worry is into care...when I worried about my dad's illness, I was focusing on how sad I was and how it was affecting ME, even though the purpose was to figure out how to help dad, the focus was on ME...but caring is totally the opposite--it is SURRENDER augmented by LOVE for another member of God's creation! Learning to care for a person is perhaps one of the hardest things on earth...
...because ultimately, caring for someone is totally surrendering that person to GOD out of LOVE and for their best interests...and that is love, that is real, selfless love...true care for another is true love for that person, whether it be for a spouse, a sibling or a friend. Worrying makes the worrier entirely responsible for the solution; caring entrusts the other to the beneficence of the Lord.
So next time you find yourself boiling over, frustrated by the worry of a difficult situation, step back a little...look at the bigger picture--what gifts have you brought to the table, what gifts have others involved brought...find joy in that...lift it up entirely...be still...and know that in surrendering, you are entrusting it all to TRUST Personified...AJPM!
The Colosseum Part II: TRUTH REVEALED
From June 19th...Carthage...I must go to Carthage! So, my romantic side had taken over the TRUE martyrology of dear Perpetua and her companions for years--but my sentiments stand corrected. Perpetua was of Carthage and martyred in Carthage! This is great, because I had a funny sense that it just wasn’t the Colosseum when I was there...but of course standing in the shadow of that great shrine of martyrdom still merits awe!...Even more amazing, however, is the fact that Perpetua is very well one of the first Christian women to have recorded writings! She herself composed part of her martyrology. Not only was she holy, she was a mother, most likely a widow, and was killed with her companions on March 7, 203, in Carthage, she and Felicitas being battered first by an ox, which ended Felicitas’ life, Perpetua withstanding, suffered the final blow by means of the sword with 2 other male companions. Her personal account is amazing, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/perpetua.html Perpetua was also 22 years old (I find this totally inspiring, because I am 22). She was bold--read the account--she had NO FEAR! She was so courageous...she desired nothing more than to sacrifice her life for the Lord...she anticipated her martyrdom with JOY! She had visions...a mystical martyr!
Interestingly enough, the 20th century saw more actual martyrs than any century prior, even during the various persecutions over the first few centuries. This for sure should keep us on our toes. The Lord requires much of us, and perhaps it won’t be physical martyrdom, but like dear Cardinal Kung of Shanghai, it may be actual torture, it may be cultural martyrdom like so many Christians around the world today, it may be suffering the buffets of the famous, like the attack the priesthood suffered at the hands of the talented but misguided Robin Williams on late night TV yesterday, or the spiritual martyrdom I am convinced that John Paul II suffered, manifest in intense physical sufferin...what about the daily martyrdom mom’s with large family’s face as they are mocked for their generosity, or religious sisters for their virginity? And still, these are all in a sense spiritual martyrdoms, but the 20th century saw the MOST ACTUAL PHYSICAL MARTYRDOMS! This blows my mind...
It struck me today that in seeking the Lord’s will, there are many directives He offers to guide us, and during Adoration today, it seemed these were most clear, “Pray more, fast more, learn more, LOVE more.” The demons of our age are all rooted in pride, and the worst, the most fatal to Eternal Life, are only cast out by prayer and fasting...but I take joy in this: if it was easy, would it really be worth it?? Think of St. Perpetua--she was totally up for the challenge, even when she was repeatedly begged and pleaded by her aged, pagan father to deny her Faith...she loved him, but she would not deny Christ. I’ve recently been reading about the life of St. Maximilian Kolbe, and he too was a firm believer in prayer and fasting, particularly total consecration to Our Blessed Madonna, and fasting most clearly seen through his radical poverty.
I am beginning to see a trend in the saints I am attracted too: they were noted for their courage, their devotion to Mary, their writing...and their RADICAL LOVE! Maybe deep down, if we truly explored the life of each saint, we would find these marks--I am totally convicted that every saint in Heaven has had a true devotion to Our Lady...if not in some way having consecrated him or herself to the Blessed Virgin. It would be a very curious research project...in any event, this is possibly the most and least scattered I’ve been, but I suppose the crux is that martyrdom fascinates me, and perhaps today more than ever we need to consider the marks of a martyr, and learn what traits have allowed these ordinary men and women such an extraordinary privilege...some were offered the crown, others begged for it...but all earned it.
Picture from http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/timmatkin/PerpetuaandFelicitassmall.jpg
The Colosseum Revisted
Saturday June 16th...If there was one thing I desired to see in Rome, it was the Home of the Martyrs: The Colosseum. I remember being fascinated by their stories as a girl. What amazed me was the reality that it didn’t matter if you were a man or woman, young or old--it was equal opportunity martyrdom. There were various persecutions of the Christians within the first 3-4 Centuries, and often there would be lulls, but when the persecution was in full swing, it was bad! Perhaps the most sadistic of the Roman Emperors was Nero, who actually set Rome on fire and blamed the Christians, thus spurring hatred and animosity toward them...
The story that I loved best was that of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas. A beautiful poem was written about them called “Two Carthaginian Girls.” One was a wealthy woman and the other her servant girl...yet they were both condemned for the Faith they would not deny. In prison below the blood-thirsty masses in the arena above, Felicitas actually gave birth to her child...and handed her over in the care of the others...for it was time for Perpetua and Felicitas, together, to earn the Palm of Martyrdom. The women cared greatly for one another, and even in their final moments, as they were circled by the lions, eager to devour, they did not deny their God, nor did they compromise their modesty, being sure that the rags that had been battered by the beasts at least covered their feminine bodies as best they could. Imagine the heroism!! Even in their final moments, they retained their virtue.
As I walked toward the Colosseum a few weeks ago with my friend, I remembered the story of Perpetua and Felicitas. Just a few days before we had stumbled into St. John the Baptist’s Church in Rome, and to our surprise found an ancient reliquary, the relics of St. Mary Magdalen, St. Iraneus and St. PERPETUA among them...as we walked toward the site of so much blood shed, I couldn’t help but remember wanting to be like those women, and the conviction that Christianity upheld the dignity of women so much--otherwise, why would women be willing to give up their lives rather than deny their faith?? I wanted to be like them, I wanted to be a martyr, too...it is crazy to think that I desired that as a teenager, but it was a genuine desire. I knew that even as I sat in my bedroom in New England, there were men and women fighting and dying for the faith, especially in China...there were men and women fighting for what Jesus promised in John “I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” I wanted to take part in that fight, the fight for life and the fight for the Faith.
Walking around the Colosseum was like stepping back in time...if I closed my eyes I could hear the crowd...through the bars I could see the arena, and I imagined the dust as it rose to the stampede of animals trained to kill, I could just see Perpetua and Felicitas holding one another before they bore the final blow...what a gift, what a grace!
John Paul II battled Communism in a unique and powerful way...and Communism plagues China, perhaps more than anywhere in the world today. Men and women are martyred, either socially or physically, for the Catholic Faith in that country. There is a Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which is not in communion with the Holy See..and there is an underground Roman Catholic Church. This is true, it is documented, and it is an atrocity! Bishops and priests at this moment are in prison, some have been missing for years...faithful Catholics are arrested if they are participating in acts of Faith--a group of seminarians was recently arrested for praying the Divine Office in a park...to know that this is occurring in our modern world should infuriate people--even a moral relativist ought to be up in arms.
There is a hero of China that is often not spoken of, and is name is Ignatius Cardinal Kung. He suffered torture and imprisonment for 30 years under the Communists, often in isolation, with no visitors allowed, and repetitively appeals from Amnesty, the Red Cross and the American government on his behalf were ignored. Cardinal Kung was an avid defender of the faith, a strong devotee of the Blessed Mother--personally leading the Legion of Mary and declaring a Marian Year in Shanghai in 1952, with 24-hour prayer of the Rosary in front of the traveling statue of Our Lady of Fatima around the diocese. He knew the persecution was imminent, and his prayer was, "Holy Mother, we do not ask you for a miracle. We do not beg you to stop the persecutions. But we beg you to support us who are very weak."
Pray and offer up sacrifices for the Church in China....the world needs to know the truth: the 2008 Olympic Games are to be held in China, and yet the country is guilty of atrocious human rights violations: not only is the Church persecuted, but life itself, with the one child policy--millions of unborn children have lost their lives in China!! Check out www.cardinalkungfoundation.org Our Lady of Fatima prophesied that communism would spread it errors, and asked for penance and for devotion to the Holy Rosary to battle Communism: it is a request worth taking seriously.
The story that I loved best was that of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas. A beautiful poem was written about them called “Two Carthaginian Girls.” One was a wealthy woman and the other her servant girl...yet they were both condemned for the Faith they would not deny. In prison below the blood-thirsty masses in the arena above, Felicitas actually gave birth to her child...and handed her over in the care of the others...for it was time for Perpetua and Felicitas, together, to earn the Palm of Martyrdom. The women cared greatly for one another, and even in their final moments, as they were circled by the lions, eager to devour, they did not deny their God, nor did they compromise their modesty, being sure that the rags that had been battered by the beasts at least covered their feminine bodies as best they could. Imagine the heroism!! Even in their final moments, they retained their virtue.
As I walked toward the Colosseum a few weeks ago with my friend, I remembered the story of Perpetua and Felicitas. Just a few days before we had stumbled into St. John the Baptist’s Church in Rome, and to our surprise found an ancient reliquary, the relics of St. Mary Magdalen, St. Iraneus and St. PERPETUA among them...as we walked toward the site of so much blood shed, I couldn’t help but remember wanting to be like those women, and the conviction that Christianity upheld the dignity of women so much--otherwise, why would women be willing to give up their lives rather than deny their faith?? I wanted to be like them, I wanted to be a martyr, too...it is crazy to think that I desired that as a teenager, but it was a genuine desire. I knew that even as I sat in my bedroom in New England, there were men and women fighting and dying for the faith, especially in China...there were men and women fighting for what Jesus promised in John “I came that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.” I wanted to take part in that fight, the fight for life and the fight for the Faith.
Walking around the Colosseum was like stepping back in time...if I closed my eyes I could hear the crowd...through the bars I could see the arena, and I imagined the dust as it rose to the stampede of animals trained to kill, I could just see Perpetua and Felicitas holding one another before they bore the final blow...what a gift, what a grace!
John Paul II battled Communism in a unique and powerful way...and Communism plagues China, perhaps more than anywhere in the world today. Men and women are martyred, either socially or physically, for the Catholic Faith in that country. There is a Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which is not in communion with the Holy See..and there is an underground Roman Catholic Church. This is true, it is documented, and it is an atrocity! Bishops and priests at this moment are in prison, some have been missing for years...faithful Catholics are arrested if they are participating in acts of Faith--a group of seminarians was recently arrested for praying the Divine Office in a park...to know that this is occurring in our modern world should infuriate people--even a moral relativist ought to be up in arms.
There is a hero of China that is often not spoken of, and is name is Ignatius Cardinal Kung. He suffered torture and imprisonment for 30 years under the Communists, often in isolation, with no visitors allowed, and repetitively appeals from Amnesty, the Red Cross and the American government on his behalf were ignored. Cardinal Kung was an avid defender of the faith, a strong devotee of the Blessed Mother--personally leading the Legion of Mary and declaring a Marian Year in Shanghai in 1952, with 24-hour prayer of the Rosary in front of the traveling statue of Our Lady of Fatima around the diocese. He knew the persecution was imminent, and his prayer was, "Holy Mother, we do not ask you for a miracle. We do not beg you to stop the persecutions. But we beg you to support us who are very weak."
Pray and offer up sacrifices for the Church in China....the world needs to know the truth: the 2008 Olympic Games are to be held in China, and yet the country is guilty of atrocious human rights violations: not only is the Church persecuted, but life itself, with the one child policy--millions of unborn children have lost their lives in China!! Check out www.cardinalkungfoundation.org Our Lady of Fatima prophesied that communism would spread it errors, and asked for penance and for devotion to the Holy Rosary to battle Communism: it is a request worth taking seriously.
Sacred Mercy, Baby!
From Friday June 15th...A little French Nun...St. Margaret Mary Alacoque...she’s responsible for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus...and He left a laundry list of promises for devotees to His Sacred Heart. He asked for St. Margaret to establish the devotion of the Holy Hour, sharing in Christ’s sufferings, and attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion on the First Friday of the month.Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
Of the many promises Our Lord Jesus Christ did reveal to Saint Margaret Mary in favor of souls devoted to His Sacred Heart the principal ones are as follows:
1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of
My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall
have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the First Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.
Today, Francis Cardinal George preached at the noon-hour Mass at Holy Name Cathedral. To my surprise, the theme he chose to highlight was forgiveness. He recounted how American culture is not one of forgiveness, but of justice often void of mercy...how many law suites are there in the U.S. at any given time? The Cardinal said that we as Christians need to believe in the grace of forgiveness, the Mercy of Christ, and ultimately His limitless love for each of us.
I think pride blocks forgiveness. I know in my own life I’ve made mistakes...and usually my response is to beat myself up over what I’ve done poorly--essentially prescribing a penance for myself over and above the Heavenly Father’s--talk about out of line! I ask God for forgiveness, but look beyond the reality of His mercy and love, and do not forgive myself.
Perhaps there is a special struggle with this when for young adults. Often we are out in the world on our own for the first time, and when we screw up, we have to deal...and if you are faithful, there is a temptation to deal yourself some real rough cards. It is easy to forget that God is the Ultimate Dealer, and I think trying to take over only complicates life. There is Mercy and Love--an intimate love that forgives all injury. It is easy to punish ourselves for past deeds, but sometimes we may miss out on present blessings if we are so focused on our own guilt.
The best part about sacrifice is that in its pure form it is done out of love, seeking, striving for that pure form of love which we can learn from Christ and the saints. They all had to have believed strongly in Mercy. Christ sent us so many missionaries of mercy: St. Faustina (who left us the Divine Mercy Chaplet and a Diary full of spiritual wisdom), John Paul II, dear Cardinal Kung (who was torched for decades in Communist China)...I can even name people I know walking the earth at this moment who are witness to the loving mercy of the Lord. The challenge is not to let human intellect get the better of Divine Mercy...Christ desires nothing more than to delight us, all we have to do is open our hearts to His forgiveness, mercy and love!
A Lifelong Choice
From June 14th...“Your job does not define who you are,” my boss told me today. We were having a conversation about life and identity of sorts, and I thought her statement was well said, because it seems like so often we define ourselves by what we do. I have thought a bit about who I am, and I came up with a short list, and none of it is really because of what I do: I do what I do because of who I am. A lady who really inspires me in this regard is St. Gianna Beretta Molla. She lived in Italy during the mid 20th Century, and pursued a career in medicine when high education was uncommon for women. She discerned well, thinking she was called to religious life, but finally accepted the call to married life. She was known for her great love of her family, for the Faith, her devotion to Mary, her commitment to her profession as a doctor, all the while loving Jesus above all, and because of this being such a great lover of all who the Lord placed in her path. She loved so much that she chose life for her unborn child, which meant that she put her own life in grave danger...St. Gianna died from complications of a difficult pregnancy, sacrificing herself for her child.
She reminds me of that quote from St. Max about suffering and love: she lived it out in her life in a profound way! And we can almost touch St. Gianna. Her husband and children were present for her canonization by John Paul II only a few years ago...could you imagine being the spouse of a saint? She didn’t do anything extraordinary, she just lived her vocation faithfully, which is what we are all called to do.
Sometimes it is easy to live Faith ‘in your head.’ I get so caught up in thinking about what I believe and overanalyzing that I sometimes miss the point that Faith is FAITH--often a mystery I don’t understand, but that I have to learn to trust. What is fresh on my mind is the topic of discernment. For so long it was all about what “God wanted me to do...” and it didn’t really cross my mind that my own desires played a part, it wasn’t all about me figuring out the mind of God!
In an article on discernment at www.nextwavefaithful.com, Chris Cuddy shares a quote from our dear JPII, “In one of his encyclicals, JPII referred to discernment and vocation as the "dialogue of love" between God and His creatures.” Amazing...a dialogue of love. If that is what discernment is, that is what I want! I imagine that this is what St. Gianna experienced with the Lord every day, because in all honesty, our entire lives are discernment towards Heaven...every day we have to make a choice to live our vocation or not, wether it be single life, the priesthood or married life: and we have to live it faithfully. St. Gianna had a profound devotion to Mary, and she asked her every day to keep her close to Jesus. Once, St. Gianna said that if we have Jesus in our hearts, we bear JOY! As a woman, this is such a beautiful thought for me: we are called to be fruitful, what better gift to carry inside than Joy? What better thing to deliver into the world than Joy? It might be a child, a talent...but each and every thing that comes from us, if Christ is at the center, can be joy...we are not only called to share in the suffering (although that is crucial), but ultimately that joy that points toward Eternity.
On Being a Lover
From June 13th...I found this picture today as I was building an image library for a website I am designing. I knew I wanted a picture of John Paul II and one of Mother Therese, but I didn’t expect to find one with BOTH of them...Score! I wonder what she was saying, for it looks as though she is mid-sentence. And, of course, there is John Paul, with a look of pure joy as he supports the feeble woman. Yet on that day the pope mobile held two of the biggest hearts of the 21st Century...a man and a woman who truly knew what it means to love.I found consolation today in a beautiful quote from St. Maximillian Kolbe, “ ...in the spiritual battle we ought to set fire to our faults with the fire of divine love. Then everything will be consumed with fire. As to the fire of divine love, it is stoked by sacrifice. Only sacrifice is that tree which is to be turned into a holocaust on the altar of God’s love. Yes, sacrifice is a necessary condition of love. Without sacrifice there is no progress in the divine life. Without sacrifice love dies out...” How perfect! When I saw the picture, I thought of what St. Maximillian said. Didn’t John Paul and Mother Therese sacrifice profoundly for love? She suffered from depression and doubts, John Paul experience profound physical suffering because of his Parkinson's Disease, not to mention the spiritual pains each saint humbly an silently endured for the sake of humanity. Yet, despite these intense obstacles, this pair is known throughout the world by christians and non, because of their gift of self, the sincere and ceaseless love they bequeathed humanity, which was surely girded by profound sacrifice.
Cardinal Dwitz told us that John Paul did not keep friendship to himself...he lead people to God: every human relationship he had, he offered to God. Mother Therese was viewed as crazy for the work she did with the destitute, yet in caring for the poor, I think she shared in John Paul’s ethos of offering all those whom she encountered to the Lord. This, I think, is the secret to love. Love means sacrifice, holocaust, offering up as a burnt offering all that is true and good, to ascend as a dancing shadow to the Creator, who purifies and perfects even the most humble offering. Wasn’t the redemptive act of Christ the ultimate human sacrifice? At the very moment of His death, Christ christened love through a baptism of sacrificial blood.
Love is real, it tears at the human heart and leaves wounds that only Christ can fill, but at the same time love is real and amazing and worth every ounce of sacrifice, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. I read today that only when we are satisfied with the Lord, only when we fall in love with the Lord, will we be truly able to love another person, whether that person be a friend or future spouse. John Paul had it right when he offered all those drawn to him to God, because the Lord alone completes what is incomplete. When that is realized, than the beauty of human love can be actualized, challenging the beloved to seek the Kingdom of God, and complimenting the completeness that the Lord offers through His saving grace. Ad Jesum Per Mariam!
On Not Being Stable
From June 11th...I have a dear friend who doesn’t like stability, and it has always shocked me...she would shy away from jobs that would offer security. Why would a person turn down a good salary and dependable employer? I have a tendency to over think too many things, so if this goes off the deep end...
I guess the most horrid feeling of instability I’ve ever had occurred just a few days ago...I woke up for the first time in three weeks in my own bedroom in my little apartment in the Windy City. There was a hiker’s pack on the floor, papers stacked a mile high on a desk dotted with graduation cards, and walls covered with more religious art than a post modern church...yes, this was my room, I was in Chicago...but something was missing. I went to wash my face, looked in the mirror and had a profound sense of meaninglessness...my life meant nothing! I had just been in Europe for three weeks, had seen life through a different lens, and it was crazy and beautiful--I knew that leg of the journey had to end, being in Europe couldn’t last forever, but what did it mean?! Clearly, if it meant something, I couldn’t mean anything...
Then I shook myself up a little...and remembered why I went on the journey in the first place--it was because of Faith. And if I didn’t have Faith, of course life would be meaningless.
Fast forward to today...I realized after three years of perplexity why my friend disdains stability. It is because she is a young adult...and has gift, a passion for life that isn’t ready to be settled. I think the word stability in and of itself is relative, and the way one defines it determines its authenticity. If stability means “to be settled with a 9-5 job, a 2 bedroom house in the suburbs and 1.5 acres” then I don’t want that right now...but if stability can translate into something Eternal, if it is the goal...I am not sure if I am ready for it...but I am sure as hell excited for the opportunity to do all I can to get ready, and not just do, but be amazing!
Maybe that is something I learned in Europe...people are much more serene there...they don’t even know what the weather will be like tomorrow--it just doesn’t matter. They take life day by day. Could you imagine what the United States would be like if life each and every savory moment of life were enjoyed to the fullest? Guys and gals wouldn’t hook up and break up like the spin cycle of a defunct European washing machine--they’d learn to be friends and enjoy the gift of one another, not the ‘get’ from the other. Employers would actually let folks go home before sunset so they could eat supper with their families...if your kid was sick it wouldn’t mean compromising your salary or position. Priests wouldn’t be exhausted because of their workload, and children would actually experience what used to be common--childhood.
So, if stability is the question, the kind of stability I am looking for is Eternal, and the way I would most enjoy getting there is crazy and beautiful...delightful. I don’t know what any of that means, but remember Robin Williams’ (Peter Pan’s) line in Hook, “To die would be a great adventure”?...one of the great saints wrote a book with the subtitle A Preparation for Death. My mother was reading it when I was a young child...it freaked me out, I thought she had cancer or something. She looked at me and said no, life is a preparation for death, for Heaven...this book is a guide to living a good life. So, if you hook (ha ha) that up with what Peter Pan’s wisdom...life is a great ADVENTURE towards death, which, through the lens of faith, is eternal life! I want to live that kind of adventure, really. Heck, you only have one life...why do it the ordinary way? I am sure being ordinary wouldn’t hurt, but I guess what I am advocating for is letting life go a little...tossing your sails into an unfamiliar wind, but always keeping your eye on the North Star.
I guess the most horrid feeling of instability I’ve ever had occurred just a few days ago...I woke up for the first time in three weeks in my own bedroom in my little apartment in the Windy City. There was a hiker’s pack on the floor, papers stacked a mile high on a desk dotted with graduation cards, and walls covered with more religious art than a post modern church...yes, this was my room, I was in Chicago...but something was missing. I went to wash my face, looked in the mirror and had a profound sense of meaninglessness...my life meant nothing! I had just been in Europe for three weeks, had seen life through a different lens, and it was crazy and beautiful--I knew that leg of the journey had to end, being in Europe couldn’t last forever, but what did it mean?! Clearly, if it meant something, I couldn’t mean anything...
Then I shook myself up a little...and remembered why I went on the journey in the first place--it was because of Faith. And if I didn’t have Faith, of course life would be meaningless.
Fast forward to today...I realized after three years of perplexity why my friend disdains stability. It is because she is a young adult...and has gift, a passion for life that isn’t ready to be settled. I think the word stability in and of itself is relative, and the way one defines it determines its authenticity. If stability means “to be settled with a 9-5 job, a 2 bedroom house in the suburbs and 1.5 acres” then I don’t want that right now...but if stability can translate into something Eternal, if it is the goal...I am not sure if I am ready for it...but I am sure as hell excited for the opportunity to do all I can to get ready, and not just do, but be amazing!
Maybe that is something I learned in Europe...people are much more serene there...they don’t even know what the weather will be like tomorrow--it just doesn’t matter. They take life day by day. Could you imagine what the United States would be like if life each and every savory moment of life were enjoyed to the fullest? Guys and gals wouldn’t hook up and break up like the spin cycle of a defunct European washing machine--they’d learn to be friends and enjoy the gift of one another, not the ‘get’ from the other. Employers would actually let folks go home before sunset so they could eat supper with their families...if your kid was sick it wouldn’t mean compromising your salary or position. Priests wouldn’t be exhausted because of their workload, and children would actually experience what used to be common--childhood.
So, if stability is the question, the kind of stability I am looking for is Eternal, and the way I would most enjoy getting there is crazy and beautiful...delightful. I don’t know what any of that means, but remember Robin Williams’ (Peter Pan’s) line in Hook, “To die would be a great adventure”?...one of the great saints wrote a book with the subtitle A Preparation for Death. My mother was reading it when I was a young child...it freaked me out, I thought she had cancer or something. She looked at me and said no, life is a preparation for death, for Heaven...this book is a guide to living a good life. So, if you hook (ha ha) that up with what Peter Pan’s wisdom...life is a great ADVENTURE towards death, which, through the lens of faith, is eternal life! I want to live that kind of adventure, really. Heck, you only have one life...why do it the ordinary way? I am sure being ordinary wouldn’t hurt, but I guess what I am advocating for is letting life go a little...tossing your sails into an unfamiliar wind, but always keeping your eye on the North Star.
The Journey is always Just Begun!
From June 8th... I don’t quite know where to begin, I’ve always been a little awkward with something new. Just a few days ago I returned from the most amazing adventure of my life--three weeks of journeying through Europe with my friend T.J., exploring the legacy of our beloved John Paul II. It is impossible to experience such a journey and not have a new perspective on life.
I suppose I’d like to share my thoughts and ideas, and surly the adventures of my life, but I want to keep it real and hope to relate it back to something that is tangible for all of us...
One of the most profound moments over the last several weeks was going on a Scavi Tour at St. Peter’s in Rome. All I knew was we were visiting the crypts below St. Peter’s, but as we were guided by Vladimir, a seminarian from Lithuania, I began to realize that we were surrounded by millennia of history and witness to faith. When we reached the resting sight of what are believed the bones of St. Peter himself, Vladimir gave us a few minutes to pray...it was a very powerful moment and everything just seemed to connect: I was standing before the relics of St. Peter, me, little me, who had traveled to Europe hoping to bring back things to teach others--yet the saints were truly teaching me!
We are all just little people, really! There is nothing we can do that can’t be done by someone else--unless we believe in mission. Christ told the apostles during the last supper discourse to be not afraid, John Paul II told the world be not afraid! When we visited him at his residence in Krakow, Cardinal Dzwitz, the personal secretary of John Paul II for decades, told us “Be not afraid...to be saints!” Saints have a mission: accepting the call to holiness, the call to love radically. The saints were only little people, but they had enormous faith...they said yes to God, yes to holiness, yes to love. That is all. That is everything. That is the hardest challenge, and the highest hope! AJPM
I suppose I’d like to share my thoughts and ideas, and surly the adventures of my life, but I want to keep it real and hope to relate it back to something that is tangible for all of us...
One of the most profound moments over the last several weeks was going on a Scavi Tour at St. Peter’s in Rome. All I knew was we were visiting the crypts below St. Peter’s, but as we were guided by Vladimir, a seminarian from Lithuania, I began to realize that we were surrounded by millennia of history and witness to faith. When we reached the resting sight of what are believed the bones of St. Peter himself, Vladimir gave us a few minutes to pray...it was a very powerful moment and everything just seemed to connect: I was standing before the relics of St. Peter, me, little me, who had traveled to Europe hoping to bring back things to teach others--yet the saints were truly teaching me!
We are all just little people, really! There is nothing we can do that can’t be done by someone else--unless we believe in mission. Christ told the apostles during the last supper discourse to be not afraid, John Paul II told the world be not afraid! When we visited him at his residence in Krakow, Cardinal Dzwitz, the personal secretary of John Paul II for decades, told us “Be not afraid...to be saints!” Saints have a mission: accepting the call to holiness, the call to love radically. The saints were only little people, but they had enormous faith...they said yes to God, yes to holiness, yes to love. That is all. That is everything. That is the hardest challenge, and the highest hope! AJPM
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
A New Spot: On Fundraising
Despite the lack of Garamond, I have determined a new place for words! I think I'll try to upload the posts from my trial blog, and then proceed from there.
For some reason (probably because I just completed my first hack at writing a grant) I feel moved to discuss fundraising. I actually depend upon fundraising to subside: my entire salary is raised independently each year...so this is a topic dear to my heart. No, not so much so because if it didn't happen I'd be sleeping in Grant Park, but more so because the most meaningful things I have done in my life have involved finding donors and generosity to sustain. I am not expert, but I definitely have the basics down. I can proudly say that my friend and I successfully raised several thousand dollars for a pilgrimage we recently took to Europe, the purpose of which was to learn more about Pope John Paul II's legacy, and produce a documentary that would make the Catholic Faith real for young adults. The keys to this fund raising was persistence, humility, relationships and faith.
Faith: If we didn't believe in our project, we wouldn't have spent countless hours brainstorming, planning, sending emails and writing letters (sometimes to people we hadn't even met). Yet, more importantly, this project was a matter of Faith for us: we both were convicted that traveling abroad and shooting footage for a documentary, meeting folks from around the world would open doors to sharing our Faith in a unique way with our peers. There was a profound trust that God would provide. We also prayed specifically for the intentions of the pilgrimage daily, offering up masses and novenas, both that this was in line with God's plan, as well as an ability to share the fruits with others.
Humility: WOW did this factor in. There were so many times we were questioned by friends and family about our intentions...and each of us had to learn new ways of articulating what we were doing and why it was important. We were also asking for substantial financial support: this is huge! It helped that we were both students; yet, ironically enough, for me it was more humbling to receive the material and spiritual support than it was to ask for it...
Persistence: It is so darn true...try, TRY again! There was one individual I just wasn't hearing back from, and T.J. was like, just email him again...so I kept it up, and lo and behold, he ended up finding $200 for us! It took hand written letters, phone calls, meetings, emails...but in the end, it all (literally) paid off!
Relationship: HOLY holy holy...if it weren't for relationships, none of this would have happened. I think both T.J. and I went into this project not really 'caring' in a sense about the money (sure, we need to buy plane tickets and mini DV tapes), but more about building upon relationships. The sponsorship we received was more like a tool to maintain relationships. Our hope is to reciprocate the generosity shown to us by offering to share our experiences in many different ways, all for the sake of Evangelization. Each of us had opportunities to get to know folks we didn't know so well much better, and in forming these relationships, learned about how what we would learn could meet so many of the concerns that were held by our donors.
For what it is worth, this is my personal experience with fund raising, and this is only one project: I have been blessed to do fund raising for many projects--many of which I am still involved in. It is a joyful experience to meet individuals who care about issues, and want to support the efforts of the New Evangelization, as Pope John Paul II called the movement to awaken the faith of Catholics world wide.
Yet, I think these four points: faith, humility, persistence and relationship, are essential to any fund raising effort...for me, it is all about the Kingdom--I want toward a day when there is nothing pointless, but everything that points to Eternity...
For some reason (probably because I just completed my first hack at writing a grant) I feel moved to discuss fundraising. I actually depend upon fundraising to subside: my entire salary is raised independently each year...so this is a topic dear to my heart. No, not so much so because if it didn't happen I'd be sleeping in Grant Park, but more so because the most meaningful things I have done in my life have involved finding donors and generosity to sustain. I am not expert, but I definitely have the basics down. I can proudly say that my friend and I successfully raised several thousand dollars for a pilgrimage we recently took to Europe, the purpose of which was to learn more about Pope John Paul II's legacy, and produce a documentary that would make the Catholic Faith real for young adults. The keys to this fund raising was persistence, humility, relationships and faith.
Faith: If we didn't believe in our project, we wouldn't have spent countless hours brainstorming, planning, sending emails and writing letters (sometimes to people we hadn't even met). Yet, more importantly, this project was a matter of Faith for us: we both were convicted that traveling abroad and shooting footage for a documentary, meeting folks from around the world would open doors to sharing our Faith in a unique way with our peers. There was a profound trust that God would provide. We also prayed specifically for the intentions of the pilgrimage daily, offering up masses and novenas, both that this was in line with God's plan, as well as an ability to share the fruits with others.
Humility: WOW did this factor in. There were so many times we were questioned by friends and family about our intentions...and each of us had to learn new ways of articulating what we were doing and why it was important. We were also asking for substantial financial support: this is huge! It helped that we were both students; yet, ironically enough, for me it was more humbling to receive the material and spiritual support than it was to ask for it...
Persistence: It is so darn true...try, TRY again! There was one individual I just wasn't hearing back from, and T.J. was like, just email him again...so I kept it up, and lo and behold, he ended up finding $200 for us! It took hand written letters, phone calls, meetings, emails...but in the end, it all (literally) paid off!
Relationship: HOLY holy holy...if it weren't for relationships, none of this would have happened. I think both T.J. and I went into this project not really 'caring' in a sense about the money (sure, we need to buy plane tickets and mini DV tapes), but more about building upon relationships. The sponsorship we received was more like a tool to maintain relationships. Our hope is to reciprocate the generosity shown to us by offering to share our experiences in many different ways, all for the sake of Evangelization. Each of us had opportunities to get to know folks we didn't know so well much better, and in forming these relationships, learned about how what we would learn could meet so many of the concerns that were held by our donors.
For what it is worth, this is my personal experience with fund raising, and this is only one project: I have been blessed to do fund raising for many projects--many of which I am still involved in. It is a joyful experience to meet individuals who care about issues, and want to support the efforts of the New Evangelization, as Pope John Paul II called the movement to awaken the faith of Catholics world wide.
Yet, I think these four points: faith, humility, persistence and relationship, are essential to any fund raising effort...for me, it is all about the Kingdom--I want toward a day when there is nothing pointless, but everything that points to Eternity...
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