CONVERSION:

HOW DEEP,

HOW WIDE,

HOW REAL?

Quote for Today  - March 20,  2011



"In 1951 Red Skelton and a party of friends flew to Europe, where Skelton was to appear at the London Palladium. As they were flying over the Swiss Alps, three of the airplane's engines failed. The situation looked very grave and the passengers began to pray. Skelton went into one of his best comic routines to distract them from the emergency as the plane lost height, coming closer and closer to the ominous-looking mountains. At the last moment the pilot spied a large field among the precipitous slopes and made a perfect landing. Skelton broke the relieved silence by saying, 'Now, ladies and gentlemen, you may return to all the evil habits you gave up twenty minutes ago.'"






page 511 in The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, Clifton Fadiman, General Editor.

JOSEPH:
AN IMAGINARY STORY

It wasn’t the way I planned it. For that matter it wasn’t the way Mary planned it either. So we figured it was God’s plan – and we went from there. Not easy – sometimes it’s never easy with God’s plans and God’s ways – that is, when compared to my plans and my ways.

What we planned was marriage – family – the carpenter’s shop – meals together, love together, life together – a life like any other life.

Then I found out Mary was pregnant – and I knew it wasn’t me – and knowing Mary – I couldn’t fathom any one else but me – so I was left in the dark – and I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t dream of what to do next.

In the beginning I knew I wasn’t going to throw her out to the wolves of gossip and to back of the hand whispered conversations. If you knew how small Nazareth was and how big gossip could be there. If you knew how sweet Mary was – you too would divorce her quietly. You couldn't just expose her to shame – and shame is strong stuff in a small village.

Of course I'm biased. We already were engaged. We already went through that ceremony – the first step in a Jewish wedding – and our wedding date was set.Good thing I’m a dreamer. Good thing I was named the same name as Joseph the Great Dreamer in Jewish history. In dreams he figured out his future. In dreams an angel told me what to do.

In a strange way, we got a break. It was a temporary way out. It was the census – the Roman Census – so we had to go to Bethlehem – where my roots extended back to David - way back. It gave us an opportunity to get away for a while. Sometimes the best thing to do is to hide.

It was fascinating the way events unfolded when we got to Bethlehem. We were just in time for Mary to have her baby. However, what happened was not expected. So I was amazed how things worked out. It helps to be a dreamer.

To be born in a stable – was just one more surprise. Shepherds came out of nowhere and Magi came out of somewhere – bringing their presence and their presents.Then came the nightmare and the night dream to get out of there – the warning that Herod didn’t want competition. Those in power usually erase, abort, get rid of all that will get in the way. An angel, a dream, directed us to Egypt. Sometimes the best thing to do is to hide.

Egypt made sense – because that was the same path my patron, Joseph the Dreamer, took.

However, I didn’t realize most of this till afterwards. Isn't that the way it usually happens?

So here I was another Joseph who landed in Egypt. He got there in as strange a way as we did. His brothers wanted to kill him. Sanity and luck prevailed. Joseph - betrayed by his own brothers - was sold for 20 pieces of silver – and his buyers brought him to Egypt. So here we were because of a dream and the message that here was a special baby.

I added, "One dangerous baby as well."

Mary added, "Well, I can't say I wasn't warned that a sword would pierce my heart."

When we heard that this Herod died – there were a few of those rascals - we headed back to Nazareth – our roots – and my carpenter shop. It needed a lot of work.

In the meanwhile Jesus grew in wisdom, age and grace before all.

It slowly became obvious to me that Jesus was going to be more than a carpenter, Would he be like Joseph the Dreamer who saved the world of his day when they were in famine –and he made Egypt the breadbox of the world? Will our Jesus feed the world – with bread and life? Will he become a great rabbi? Will he become a wisdom figure? Will he become a great healer. Time will tell. Time will tell.

In the meanwhile the three of us became fully settled in Nazareth, We were home.

I often wondered what our Jesus was wondering about when he stopped to watch the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. I saw his face wince and twist several times when he saw the worse use of wood that was possible – people hung on crosses - people crucified to crosses all along the roads we walked in Northern Palestine.

[Painting on top, "The Dream of St. Joseph," [1640] by Georges de La Tour [1593-1652]

This is a first draft of a possible story for a future book I'm working on from time to time on Biblical Characters.

JOHN  XX111

Quote for Today - Feast of St. Joseph - March 19,  2011


"The representative of the highest spiritual authority of the earth is glad, indeed boasts, of being the son of a humble but robust and honest laborer."


Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli [1881-1963], Pope John XXIII. This is a remark he made to the mayor of Fleury-sur-Loire - town in Central France - population 240 in the year 2007. This comment can be found in Wit and Wisdom of Good Pope John, collected by Henri Fesquet [ 1963]

DO IT YOURSELF
STATIONS
OF THE CROSS

[Here are 15 spiritual exercises. You can do them one at a time this Lent or at any time. See where these exercises take you. You can do this with another – or by yourself. Your move!]

1) Walk into any Catholic Church and walk around looking at all 14 Stations of the Cross. Then walk around again and pick one station – just one station – that is you – where you were or where you’re at in your life right now. Then sit in a church bench under that station or where you can see that station and be there with Christ in prayer for 15 minutes.

2) Take a blank piece of paper and write down the year of your birth on the left hand side of the page. Then write down on the far right side of the paper – just opposite the date on the far right – the year of your death. Give it an outside year – make it 2075 if you wish. Then draw a straight line across the page from your birthday to your death year. That’s the proverbial “dash” of life – the line ____________ in between your two key numbers. Next jot down along that time line key moments in your life. After doing that, re-write that straight line between your two numbers, this time with twists and turns, ups and downs, but get across the page to your death day.

3) Name a moment in your life – with details when you were condemned falsely.

4) What was the biggest cross your mom and/or dad had to carry?

5) Get a clean piece of paper or use your computer to jot down three falls you had so far in your life.

6) Picture your mom’s face the first time she saw your face.

7) Who has been the person who has helped you most in this life?

8) Name a moment in your life – tell of an experience – when and where a complete stranger has reached out and did something for you.

9) Name a moment in your life – tell of an experience – when and where you just stood there – as you saw a person in deep hurt – and you cried.

10) Name a moment in your life – when you felt totally stripped of everything – embarrassed – ridiculed – rejected - completely de-personalized.

11) Name a moment in your life – when you felt nailed down – and you were just stuck there – unable to get off your cross?

12) Draw the scene at Calvary when Jesus died. Put in figures of different people in your life standing there that Good Friday. Do a series of pictures – putting yourself or others on the cross – or under the cross. Use stick figures if you can’t draw. One picture can have people saying things – use those cartoon bubbles for words one sees in newspaper cartoons. When you place yourself on the cross, what will be your dying words?

13) Picture yourself in a casket – at a funeral home – and you see different people coming in – standing there looking at you in your casket. What are they saying?

14) Where will your remains or cremains be buried? If you have a saying or a scripture text on your tombstone or marker, what will it be? Sketch the scene of your burial place.

15) What will it be like on the other side of your death? Picture the scene. Picture the people waiting for you? Use your imagination. Remember the words of Saint Paul, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the human heart ever figured out, what God has prepared for those who love Him” [1 Corinthians 2: 9]


[I also have a series of Stations of the Cross I wrote years ago. You can also say and pray them while on your computer. They can be found on this blog – from way back in March 6, 2009. It’s entitled, “Sitting Under the Stations of the Cross.”]

PRAYER - 

PLUS WORK,

PLUS ACTION.

Quote for the Day -- March 18,  2011


"God gives every bird its food but doesn't throw it into its nest."


Danish Proverb

HUNGER:

WHAT DO YOU DESIRE?

Quote for Today - March 17, 2011


"As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again."


Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind

POWER OF LOVE 

OR LOVE OF POWER?

Quote for Today - March 16, 2011


"We look forward to the time when the power of Love will replace the love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of Peace."

William Ewart Gladstone