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.]

 July 2, 2022

Thought for Today

"I sometimes find it difficult to distinguish praise from blame."

Mary Catherine Gordon

 July 1, 2022

Thought for Today

"He that sups with the Devil should have a long spoon,"

Late 14th century proverb

 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.

 June 30, 2022

Reflection

UNMET  EXPECTATIONS

What happens to us when our expectations are not met?

Do we become better?

I am tempted to make the question a bit different: Do we become bitter or better?

But I better not make the challenge of unmet expectations too big.

Just avoiding bitterness is enough for starters - and in time hopefully we can become better.

One of the first learnings I've had about expectations  is to make distinctions.

Are the unmet expectations I have - of myself or of others?

Are there unmet expectations about me from others?

For example, I would like sermons to be shorter.

For example, I would like so and so to pause after each line when we pray the Biblical psalms out loud and with each other.

For example, I'd would like so and so to be ready to leave when we go out to dinner on Saturday  evening. We said we'd leave at 7 P.M. didn't we?

Unmet expectations can impact us. They  can make us bitter, cynical, pessimistic.

They can also make us better - when we are stretched and we grow in patience and in the understanding of others.

But they can also - especially when that to deal with ourselves - lower our expectations - and we begin to settle for less, Our potential fades. Our gifts  remain in a bottom drawer. We are headed for an earlier grave.

Unmet expectations?

As is said of a lot of people, "She [or he] had a lot of potential."

 June 30, 2022

Thought for Today

"It was in 1915 the old world ended."

D.H. Lawrence Kangaroo (1923)

 June 29, 2022

Reflection