October  30,  2022

Reflections

IT'S  OKAY

Its okay not to like spinach.

Spinach is good - but it's okay if you don't like it.

In my sermon yesterday for the Feast of Christ the King - 2007 - I mentioned  a saying about priests and pastors that I had heard: "1/3 of the people like you; 1/3 don't like you; and 1/3 don't care."

Then I talked about religious art and I mentioned the big cross at St. John Neuman Church.

Well after that Mass, a little old lady stopped to say, "Good bye" to me. Then she added,  "Thank you for saying it's okay not to like the big cross up there in our church."

I didn't exactly say that.  That was not my aim.

Yet she was thanking me for helping her to think about something she didn't like - and it was okay to do that.

The plate is passed around the table and we don't have to take Aunt Martha's leek soup.

Buffet style food gathering places are wonderful for those who like variety - for those with likes and dislikes.

What happens in a family of vegetarians if one kid likes meat?

What happens when "have to's" are forced on those who don't have "want to's"?

I've noticed forced - or attempted have to's - on the part of religious leaders - popes - and church leaders. It's part of wanting uniformity, control, a united front, etc.

Parents must have extra stress when the other parent is too severe or too strict on one of their kids - and it drives the other crazy.

What were the parents like  in the story of priests and nuns who join very uniform driven religious communities?  Were those parents too severe or too lax?

Is it okay to say, "It's okay!"

It's okay.

There I said it.

 October  30,  2022

Thought for Today

"Those who want to write good poems should be reading good poetry, not how to books.  Indeed, every fine poem is a how to manual."

Billy Collins, 

Poets and Writers,

Macrh, April, 1995

 

October 29,  2022

Thought for Today

"There is one important thing to say about poetry: you don't need to know a lot of it for it to have value and meaning in your life or the life of your society.  Two or three poems,  even two or three bits of poems, known by heart and genuinely cherished can stand everybody in good stead."

Seamus Heaney,

Friends of classics online, January 13, 2004

 

October  20,, 2022

Reflection

RIGID

Rigid is good in armaments, fortresses, walls, tanks, shields and shore lines.

Flexibility is better.  At least that's my position.  I better not be too rigid about that - otherwise I'm contradicting myself.

Bendability - that's another word and characteristic to consider.

When talking about seminarians or priests or politicians or journalists who might be conservative,  I found myself searching for language. The word conservative is not the right word.  There must be a better word to use.

I am looking for a word that touches on some of the negatives that I want to avoid. The only word I came up with so far is the word "rigid".

That word doesn't sound right - so I have to keep looking - for the word that describes what I'm looking for.

Rigid, frigid, cold, iron jawed, all mind. steel, immovable, unable to compromise ....

In other words, I like it when there is more allowance for variety,  differing opinions, colors rainbows like creation.

The sky is different every evening.

No two snowflakes are alike.

Imagine if every woman at the wedding had the same dress.

The team all had the same uniform.  So too the army and the altar servers.

The religious order had everyone in the same outfit.

Wat's with this - when everyone has the same face - and it isn't smiling.

Sometimes those in the same group - but with different outfits - wear a pin or an emblem - to show that these folks are all the same group.

Smile.  You're different.

Glory in it.

Okay, the Rockettes are dressed alike - wearing the same outfit - but are dancing in the same pattern and the whole audience is clapping for their uniformity.

 October  28, 2022

Thought to Think About 

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon."

Doug Larson

United Feature Syndicate

 October 28, 2022

Reflections

GREY

Grey or gray is the color of the unnoticed - the hippo half underwater in the river - the elephant in the room.

Grey is a blend - as in "Blend in!"

Grey is being there  but not wanting to be noticed.

Grey is the crayon that lets the red, yellow, black, green, and blue crayon to go ahead of it.

Grey says little - short sentences - waiting for the others to go ahead of it - at the restaurant - and give their order off the menu.

Gray is the anatomy of background - as in walls - as in skies on non-picnic or parade days.

Gray is not called off - but it still is not all there.

Gray is a fading - a blending - a blurring - a sky on most days in February in the northeast.

Gray is not in stained glass windows.  Did you ever notice that?

Gray is the color of ashes after the house or the forest  has been burnt - after the roaring red fire is out - the morning after the disaster.

Gray is the color of granite - oatmeal - seagulls and pigeons.

Gray is the color of skim milk - ugh - the last choice in selecting milk from the fridge - for cereal - hoping there is also some fruit in the fridge.

Gray is the color of God for some - God  the Father - the old guy with the grey hair - who is quiet - moving along alone - like an elephant or a lone wolf.

 October 27, 2022

Reflections

RESENTMENTS

Resentments roam the forest and if we enter the forest, beware they might bite us.

And if they bite us, they can remain as scars and hurts - reminding us of the time we roamed that time in forest.

Paths help.

Compasses help.

GPS helps.

Awareness helps.

Companionship helps.

And we can't go through life, without going through some forests.

That's the reality of life.

We can see the forest - and - or - we can see the trees - and - or - we can see both.

Sometimes we resent - get angry at - complain about realities - especially the people who are part of our reality.  Sometimes it's the whole group; sometimes it's an individual.

Resentments come from anger and vice versa.

Resentments can beget angers.

Resentments come from the reality of comparisons.

Comparisons beget the complaint called, "Unfair."

And unfair is the mother of resentments.

And we can feel great resentments - especially those about ourselves - but many's a time we don't notice or pay attention to their origins or down deeps - or how they seeped into us.

We do something stupid. We waste time - like a whole day - like a whole afternoon - like a whole hour - or a whole year. We blame others - once more the group or once more - an individual - specific person.

Yet it's us.

Resentments can be long lasting.  They crazy glue themselves to our memories - and last till we get dementia.

They leave a residue. They leave an aftertaste - an oooh sound. Bitter. Bitter. Bitter.

Resentments have a memory.  When we walk by certain places, trees, graves - sometimes they itch us with an "Uh oh!,  Oh No!" feeling.

Resentments roam the forest.  They will never be an extinct species.