July 4, 2022
Thought for Today
"Westerners have aggressive problem-solving minds; Africans experience people."
Kevin Kaunda [1924-2021]
Monday, July 4, 2022
Sunday, July 3, 2022
July 3, 2022
Reflection
FEW BASIC IDEAS
There is a saying I read or heard a long time ago, "There are only a few basic ideas, but think of the metaphors.'
For starters, that's a basic idea. And I guess the metaphors would be, "History repeats itself." "Deja vu all over again." "Wait a minute, I've been here before."
But what hits me is the making of a list of the basic ideas,
Mortimer Adler's group at the University of Chicago came up with the Basic Books Program - if that's what it's called. They came up with a 2 or 3 volume set of books with the name, "Syntopicon" - or something like that.
They give topics like Marriage, War, Peace. Next come the subdivisions.
Zane Grey said all his books have one topic: "The good guys get bad - and the bad guys get good." [Did he really say that?]
Let me see if I can come up with 10 basic ideas.
1) The Golden Rule. Put it positive: Do to others what you would want to happen to you. Put it in the negative: don't do to others what you wouldn't want to happen to you.
2) Youth: what a waste to waste.
3) In our old age, we see where are parents were right - or what they were tying to do.
4) There are 7 Capital Sins - and we have to deal with all 7 more or less.
5) Sex is around 24/7 more or less - and if you don't see it coming - boom.
6) Land! Buy land!
7) At the end of our life - looking back - we won't regret if we didn't spend enough time at work - but we will regret if we missed making time for our family.
8) Listening - we don't do enough of that one.
9) Do it right - not because someone might be watching - but because it is right.
10) Death is always sitting there waiting.
July 3, 2022
Thought for Today
"The voice of the people is the voice of God."
Early 15th century saying. Cf. Alcuin [735-804] who said, "Nec audiendi qui solent dicere, Vox populi, vox Dei, quum tumultuositas vulgi semper insaniae proxima sit." "And those people should not be listened to who keep saying the voice of the people is the voice of God, since the rightousness of the crowd is always very close to madness."
Alexander Pope wrote, "The people's voice is odd, / It is, and it is not, the voice of God."
Saturday, July 2, 2022
July 2, 2022
Reflection
JAMES CARROLL
James Carroll was on Book TV program last night. I missed a speech he gave - but I saw some of the show. The theme of the book being presented was on the Persecution of the Jews.
Cynthia Ozick - the writer - was speaking - as a Jewish woman.
She was followed by Mary Catherine Gordon - the novelist and a Catholic.
I came in at 9 P.M. The program went till 10 P.M.
What I caught was excellent.
Both Jim Carroll and Mary Gordon announced they were Catholics.
The show took place at The Interfaith Center - some name like that - in New York City.
Cynthia Ozick brought out that the gospels were Anti-Semitic.
Nobody brought out that Christians were also persecuted at times. Two wrongs don't make a right - but that could have been brought up.
Cynthia Ozick also brought up that the Vatican did have official statements against the Jews.
Mary Gordon went after Pope John Paul II as an actor - a master of the media. She described him as an old shuffling man going up to put a piece of paper in the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Then she said that in the meanwhile he beatified Pope Pius IX who had a Jewish person baptized - after being snatched by some Catholics.
Mary Gordon also didn't like Edith Stein's beatification. If Edith was beatified and canonized, so too should 6 million Jews - because Edith Stein was killed primarily because she was a Jew.
Edith Stein wrote a letter to the pope asking him to speak out about the murder of the Jews. He didn't.
Mary Gordon went after Pius XII as well.
The speakers got into the issue of the Cross at Auschwitz.
Another speaker - a woman film maker - said she was not a Catholic - she was an agnostic. She said some good things about Pope John Paul II. He had a sermon read at all the masses in some place about genocide of the Jews. This woman film maker said some priests came forwards - confessing that they persecuted and killed some Jews.
James Carroll said that Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla, stood up at Vatican II and helped change the council's declaration on the Jews. He mentioned that a priest at the council taking notes wondering who this bishop speaking in Latin - with a heavy accent - was.
James Carroll saw Vatican II as a revelation moment - when significant historical things happened
James Carroll called for Vatican III.
Significant changes took place at Vatican I. Infalliability was declared. Some said there is no more need for councils. Then John XXIII called for Vatican II, A Jewish man named Issac talked to John XXIII and said that the Jewish question needed to be addressed.
Mary Gordon returned to the Auschwitz question. She said if the pope could stop the Liberation Theologians with a snap of his finger, he could stop these fellows in Poland who wanted crosses at Auschwitz - because Catholics also died there.
Some lady talked about the Anti-Semitism on Radio Maria - a Polish radio program and if you understand Polish - you can get that program in the United States.
[I wrote these notes way back when - but I didn't have a date on my notes.]
Friday, July 1, 2022
July 1, 2022
MET EXPECTATIONS
Better pray once and a while that your hopes and expectations are not met.
I'm sure someone said something like that somewhere along the line.
But I never explored the reasons, the why's, behind that comment on prayer and hopes.
Maybe, and I've heard this in this context, you will be ruined if you get what you want in life.
In explaining that, you can hear God saying, "Okay, I'll give you what you want and show you how dangerous that can be."
A movie or a play could be based on that theme - sort of like, "It's A Wonderful Life."
Another scenario could be a person laughing at herself or himself after not getting what they hoped and expected. Instead they got something far better. And they are laughing at themselves and with God - with deep prayers of gratitude.
Now, God doesn't work this way.
Life doesn't work this way, of course.
The beauty of life, the mystery of life, is the surprises.
Of course, CEO's, Presidents, and Bishops, are known for their regular command, "No surprises."
But surprise, life is the surprises.
Life is having dreams and hopes and expectations. Life is working hard to achieve those dreams, hopes and expectations. Life is then laughing at oneself - and at one's dreams - when life doesn't work the way we expected.
And also when I am completely changed - when I see this happening not just to me - but to everyone.
So Lord, maybe I'll end up on Calvary with you - and we'll have a good laugh or cry - or maybe we'll be next to each other on the road to Jericho - or in a boat in a storm on the Lake of Tiberius. Who knows? Maybe you don't know either. Maybe you are a God who is a God of Surprises and a God who loves surprises - and is the Surprise.
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