July 7, 2022

Reflection

TURNING ON THE LIGHTS

One of the interesting moments in life is sitting in a room with soft lighting or just enough lighting. Then someone walks in and puts on the lights full blast.

Larry Murphy did that every morning. Six or seven of us would be at breakfast in our dining room and he would walk in - and loud the lights - saying, "Let's put some light on the subject?"

And all 7 of us would chant, "No! Oh no!"

Some people's eyes are comfortable with natural light.

Shouldn't we have the right to have natural light some. Let those who don't like soft light - those who don't like "darkness" - grin and bear it at least 25% of the time,

Ugh! It seems that those who like full blast light all the time - always think they are in the right with the lights.

I guess this is the way life works.

I guess I would feel a bit better about all this, if the person who is going to put the on the lights would ask once in a while, "Is it all right if I could put some more light on?"

And we moles and mice in the dark got our way once in a while.

 July 7, 2022

Thought for the Day 

"Beware of the man whose God is in the skies."

George Bernhard Shaw

Man and Superman (1903)

'Maxims: Religion

 July 6, 2022

TWO SCENES

As priest, I look out at a church full of children. They are at a kids' Mass here.

I see possibilities. I see futures. I see dreams. I see the love of parents. I see an investment. I see specialness - uniqueness - and even more: now that people are having less children - kids are being held as more more special.

Then I hear or see in the news a story about the slaughter of 120 people: men, women, children- in some village in East Timor or in Kosovo - or Bosnia - somewhere - and I cry. Kids killed before their dreams can be realized.

The specialness of life - the value of life in one place - and the apparent cheapness - in some other place.

Then I remember scenes - a third scene - the kid who never dreams - but who lives till 85 or 90.

What about me?  What were my childhood dreams? What did I want to be? What did I want to do? Are they still energizing me?

I had two dreams as a kid: to be a priest   in Brazil  and to write. 

I never got to Brazil.  My classmates yes . Me no.

My destiny as priest has been here in the United States.

I also dreamed of writing. It has been  realized.

However the dream of making it as a writer - better than I have - is still there - is still here.

More.  

I need to do more writing.

Sentence by sentence the book is written.

Step by step the dream is realized.

 July 6, 2022

Thought for Today

                "The trouble

with being best man is, 

you don't get a chance 

to prove it."

Les A. Murray - Australian Poet

 July 5, 2022

Reflection

TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE

There are two types of people: those who like lists of types of people and those who don't.

Down through the years I've been collecting different statements of types of people. So I have a decent collection.

Here is a new one: there are two types of people - those who think their salvation is outside themselves and those who think their salvation is within.

Of course things are never apples or oranges. The juice from the trees of life is always a mixture.

Some people think there is a diet out there that is going to solve their weight problem.

So they go on this diet - or that diet - try this - try that - in hopes of taking off all that weight.

So we wonder about types of clothes, cars, others. If I get a new suit or car, will others see me as better than I am? If I make a new move, will I look smarter? Is there another person out there who will save me and clear up my life issues?

So should I buy planning books on how to pack lightly, or how to be slim and trim, so I'll be the perfect him or her to others?

Then there are those who know the solution is within.  They grab Jesus' words - like "The kingdom of heaven is within." or "Why do you see the speck in another's eye and you don't  see the plank in your eye?"

Or they realize they have the Pharisee's problem. It's causing havoc in me. I have a stink within. I'm decaying as a person.

Obviously, Jesus came from the outside, yet maybe Bethlehem is within - in the stinking stable of my soul.

Come Lord Jesus! Come Shepherd! Come King.

Help me keep typing - especially myself.

Ooops. Hello Lord Jesus. I'm finally home.

 July 5, 2022

Thought for Today

"Between my finger and my thumb

The squat pen rests,

I'll dig with it."

Seamus Heany

 July 4, 2022

Reflection

COMMUNICATION

What is communication?

It's listening - watching - coming up with questions - scenarios - figuring.

What is communication?

It's realizing I'm only 1 person with my figurings - if I even do that - and another is another person with their experiences and figurings.

It's time - taking time - not jumping to conclusions. 

It's walking in my own shoes and then another's shoes for the same mile and then many more,

It's finally actually listening to another - to find out if they know and can spell out where they are coming from.

What is communication?

It's entering into the mystery of God - God's creation purposes - God's likeness - in reaching out to the second person - and in the process discovering a spirit of love can exist between people.

What is communication?

It's receiving another person in Holy Communion - especially after they have suffered and died - and their body has been broken by people who have betrayed them for 30 pieces of  silver - more or less.

What is communication?

It's being silent - in the darkness of a long weekend - or a long year - or a long life - and then still reaching out to the other person - and discovering the stone has been rolled away - and the other person starts rising before us and we want to hold onto them.

Communication is resurrection and new life.