What else can we do??

I will not be posting anymore this year.  As a school principal, I will be on Christmas Break, and since I do not have a computer at home, because I do not want to do any work over Christmas Break, I will not begin posting again until sometime in January.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, especially in this time of sadness.


I am sure you will not be suprised.  I am sure you are expecting my thoughts on the Connecticut School Shooting.  Every blog I read, religious or not, has taken time to share their thoughts on this horrible, despicable, unthinkable tragedy.  As you read this, keep in mind, I am a Catholic School Principal, and like every other school principal, we are feeling the pain and agony of the Sandy Creek Elementary community on a different level.  I have purposefully waited to get other perspectives on this tragedy.  So, I finally think I have heard enough that I will give you my opinion.  Remember, it is my opinion, I am entitled to it, and you do not have to like it.

When a tragedy, such as this, occurs, we often wonder why?  Who could do such an unthinkable thing? What would possess someone to do this?  Of course, from the get go, the media takes hold of the story and off it goes.  We get every point of view, from the first responders, to the victims family and friends, the shooters ex next door neighbor from 10 year ago, and on and on and on...

Let's talk about some of the issues being discussed:

Gun Control
The government wants a tighter ban on gun control.  The opponent says take away guns and only criminals will have guns

Drugs
In the world today, we could talk about controlled substances or illegial substances.  Either way, if we have any issues today, there seems to be a drug to cure it.  Have you seen the television commercials lately?  There is a drug for heartburn, male enhancement, acne, dry mouth, dry eye, restless leg, the list is endless.  Listen to possible side affects of each drug.  Really, may cause thoughts of suicide!!!  Not to worry, because there is a medicine for that as well.  We have our society so drugged up, that I cannot figure out how any doctor or pharmacist can keep up.

Alcohol
How many stories of drunk driving ending in death have we heard in the last couple of weeks, especially in the NFL.

Sex Abuse
Do I even need to explain this?

Violent Video games
Today there are games that teach children to go to war.  They can develop strategies to clear a building or start and finish a war.  How is that a good idea for a 14 year old?

Poor Parenting
We here the stories of abuse and violence in the home every day.  If every parent were adequate, there would not be a need for the Department of Child Services, or Court Appointed Special Advocates.

Mental Illness
On a side note, the shooter was said to be diagnosed with Aspergers, which is classified on the Autism Spectrum.  I feel so bad for the negativeness that will come out towards Autism.  Rest assured, I have dealt with many students with Autism, and I would believe there is not one iota of a connection between students with Autism and violence. 

Bullying
Students come back to school and figure out a way to stop the bullying, or to get back at the bullies at school, by inflicting a violence we cannot even fathom.

Violent Movies and Televsion shows
I cannot tell you how many times I have had to change the channel because whatever was on TV was inappropriate for my children, at least in my opinion.  I am sick and tired of movies and television programs portraying parents as idiots and easy to manipulate, especially dads.

A couple of blog posts ago, I mentioned a qoute from Pope Benedict XVI:

"So many young people, today, have no meaning in their lives."
 

With all that I listed above, and the quote from Pope Benedict, do you all see the common link?  The common link is dignity.  In this particular case, human dignity.  If our children, today, had dignity for the human person, things listed above would not even be mentioned.  Students would not do it to themselves or to others.  People who abuse drugs and alcohol, have no dignity for their life.   People who kill others and then themselves, clearly have no dignity for human life, especially their own.

But in today's world, we do not teach dignity for humans.  I know taking the 10 commandments out of goverment buildings and public squares is a hot-button topic today.  But in reality, what group or organization does not agree with "Thou Shall Not Kill."  If we do not teach them this commandment, then how are they going to have dignity for the life they are taking.  But because God said it, we cannot teach it.  How absurd is that?  I am sure God will be glad to remove his name as author of this commandment, if we it would lead to change in our world. 

How do we do it?  How do we change our world?  As an educator, I would like to have a program that teaches students about human dignity and that their life and others, have worth.  I would love to close all institutions that deal with people because they attempted to commit suicide, because they have human dignity and would never dream of doing this to themselves.  I would love to see a change in television programming and movies, because children have human dignity, that they would not want to watch such hate and violence.  How do we do it?

A barrier that we face is the lack of patience.  We are a "need it now" society.  Changing the way people think about human dignity is a long term process.  If I started today, teaching about human dignity, I would probably never see the results in my lifetime.  It is something that would take generations to evolve.  We cannot let that stop us.  We hear, over and over, that the children are our most precious resource, let's start nurturing this rescource, giving it wisdom and knowledge that will allow them to see the dignity of every human person, including themselves.


In an effort to keep this blog short, I will end here.  I could write about this for pages and pages and pages, but much like the blogs I read, if they are too long, I cannot keep focused, and I lack the patience, as mentioned above, to finish the entire thing.  Please feel free to comment about anything I said, especially if you have any ideas, how to get the idea across to children, they are worth it.

Recycle



I must be in a mood lately.  If so sorry.  I just could not pass this up.  You may be wondering what is going on in the above picture, sorry I am not a photographer.  The main point of the picture is the black recyclable bag.  Look closely.  I believe we have just defeated the purpose. 

 

Does anybody find it odd that the black recycle bag, has a brown grocery bag in it? 

 

I thought the point was to use the black bag because it is recyclable.  Am I wrong?

 

 



A dog coat. With a pocket???

Anybody see any issues with a dog coat having a pocket?

1.  Does the dog need a place to put its keys, wallet, cell phone...?
2.  How would the dog reach the back pocket?

Some ideas just are not well thought out.

Advent is a time to wait...

I did something on Saturday, that I must be honest, I haven't done in a looooooooong time.  I finished my Christmas shopping.  Now, let me preface this, I have to only purchase for one person, my wife, and since I am a school principal, I usually have a couple of days between the start of Christmas Break and Christmas day to shop.  So it is not unlike me to wait until the very last minute.

 

So anyway, I went with my wife and children, cash in hand, to start the Christmas shopping season.  I am sure you are wondering why would I go with my wife and children, to do the Christmas shopping?  To answer that, my wife gave me a list of things she wanted and I went and purchased them, so she already knows what she is getting.  Plus, my wife is not a huge fan of suprises.

 

I must say I am pretty pleased that I got the shopping done in one day, in a minimum number of stores.  As a matter of fact, I got all she wanted in only three stores, yet another record.  One thing I definitely noticed at any location I went to on Saturday is how rushed people seemed to be. 

 

I truly do not understand the hustle and bustle this season has become.  People get up early on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and heck, now the stores are opening on Thanksgiving day.  And from that point on, all I see is the hustle and bustle of this season.  They gotta hurry and get to one sale or another. 

 

One of the things that have gone by the wayside, in today's modern, secular world  is Advent.  Advent is a time of waiting and reflection.  In the homily this weekend, it was advised, by Fr. Tom, that we wait and anticipate the joyous celebration of Christ birth.  He even suggested that we come to the church or set aside time in the morning to pray for the upcoming celebration. 

 

I like to think that I am a patient man.  I do not deal well with people that turn every decision in to a last second decision, so when Fr. Tom suggested setting time aside for prayer, it reminded me of the following:

 

We have time and prayer backwards.  We think time determines prayer.  When, in reality, prayer determines time.  Anonymous
 

There are many things I wish I could do, but I know there is not enough time in one day to get them done.  I have to make the decision to run my day, based on the amount of things that have to get done and the amount of time to get them done.  Some days are easy and others are difficult.  However, imagine how much time I would have if I invited God into my day, through prayer, and allowed Him to make my schedule.  Starting the day with God and keeping Him with me all day, in everything that I do, imagine how wonderful that would be!

I know this is rather difficult, keeping God with me at all times.  There are many times when my own egocenteredness gets in the way and I push God away.  There are times when I do not invite Him into my life, first thing every morning, or thank Him last thing every day.  Not because of lack of effort, but because I am usually thinking about me and my plans. 

So, much like Lent(I do not give up things, I try to do things that make me a better Christian), I am going to make an effort to start every day of Advent, inviting God into my day, and every evening of Advent thanking Him for a wonderful day.  I am going to push away the hustle and bustle of every day life, and spend some time quietly with God. 

Now, I just hope I do not wait until the very last second to wrap the presents....

 



 

Sound Familiar

Wednesday's gospel reading was from the book of Luke.  Luke 21:12-19 starts out by saying:

Jesus said to the crowd: "They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have led you before kings and governors because of my name."
 

Sound familiar?  Where do I start?

They will seize and persecute you...  Today, many Christians are afraid to proclaim their beliefs for fear of persecution. What I find frustrating is those who persecute us do so for the wrong reasons.

They will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons...  If I do not support a health care plan, because of religious beliefs, I will get a I government imposed tax.  While it is not prison, it is the next closest thing.

Today, more than ever, in my 41 years of life, I feel persecuted for my Christian beliefs.  I am sure that the persecution has always been there, but I notice it more now than ever.  I see the ten commandments being removed from government buildings, Rhode Island's governor has now claimed that it has a Holiday Tree and not a Christmas Tree.  When my wife went to an establishment to have our family Christmas card made, they did not have any that said Merry Christmas.(Needless to say, our Christmas cards did not come from that particular establishment)  Discrimination is the thought that comes to my mind...

I think many people think Christianity should be flowers and candy.  Christianity is supposed to be all loving and wonderful.  Many people read the stories of Jesus feeding 5,000 and they get that warm, fuzzy feeling.  They like the good samaritian story, again it gives the warm fuzzies.  They are wonderful stories of the goodness of God, and there are many more. 

One thing many do not understand is that being a Christian is hard, especially in today's world.  Now, don't get me wrong, we do not get nailed to a cross, or stoned, as they did in the past, but the persecution today is not real easy for many to understand.

However, there is good news!!  There is a great ending...

"You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.  By your perseverance you will secure your lives.
 

 I think today, more than ever, we need to be given the warning signs/consequences of being a Christian.  Knowing that we are going to be persecuted, might just help us prepare for those conversations in which we get confronted about our beliefs.  Remember, God want's your obedience not your sacrifice.  Knowing the consequences of being persecuted comes with the safety and protection of God, just excites me even more.

 

I am concerned

First, I would like to apologize for the length of time between blogs.  I am sure many of you are getting frustrated checking my site, and finding no change.  I know what it is like to check over and over to no avail.  I have been overwhelmed, lately, and I have had no real time to share my thoughts.

Second, I would like to wish all of you a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving holiday.  I hope you get to spend quality time with family and friends, and watch some good football games as well.  And now the topic of the week(should probably say month).

Today, I was reading one of my many blogs.  This one, titled the Deacon's Bench, has a copy of the message from Pope Benedict XVI that he shared with the youth in preparation for the upcoming World Youth Day, in Brazil, in July 2013.  The very beginning of the letter brings me great pause.

"Dear friends, open your eyes and look around you. So many young people no longer see any meaning in their lives."
 

Now I am not sure if I am in a funk, or just need a break from work, but I have had my eyes opened, recently, and I could not agree more with the above statement.  Many of our young people are looking for meaning in their lives.  More and more we hear of the drama and pressure teenagers go through and we look upon them in awe(and not the good kind).

Teenagers are violently beating up each other on camera, and posting the videos to YouTube.  We hear of the many teenagers that are overdosing on drugs and alcohol.  We have heard the horror stories of kids trying to commit suicide.  Or what about the children that are looking for someone to listen to them and they go to chat rooms on the Internet, instead.

What do you suppose is the reason for this violence?  Many would blame the parents, some the schools, some the television shows, some the video games, the list could go on and on.  I have a different approach I would like you to think about.  I wonder if it is because we have pushed Christ out of our culture.

There it is, Christ.  Ever since I was a child, it has been pounded into our heads that Christ is for church only, and today it is more prevent than ever.  With the separation of Church and State movement, Christ is shoved more and more out of our lives.  Schools cannot talk about it, unless it is a World Religions class, stores are being ostracized for playing religious Christmas Carols, our government is continually trying to infringe our right to practice and even our Church got a large amount of criticism for putting 3,315 crosses on our front lawn, for the number of abortions that take place, daily.  I truly believe that we have been misinformed as a society.  We have let those that scream the loudest change our thoughts and ideas.

The perfect quote to bring this home is as follows:

 "Isn't it ironic, that we give our prisoners a Bible, and not our children." anonymous

 

Is that the chicken egg scenario?

Pope Benedict continues his letter to our youth by saying:

"Go forth! Christ needs you too. Let yourselves be caught up and drawn along by His love. Be at the service of this immense love, so it can reach out to everyone, especially to those “far away”."
 

I think this statement says a lot.  Go forth young people and be allowed to draw God into your every day life.  Allow every second of your life be of service to God.  Reach out to those that are struggling and let them know your love and appreciation of God.  Stand up and be proud to know that God is in your life the moment you wake up, at meals, at work, in your dreams, every second.  Do it in a loving and kind way.  As my mother always said, "hate the sin, not the sinner."

I can speak from experience, that once I realized that God is willing to work in my life, if I let Him, He will do wondrous things.  Let's not be afraid to share God and all the wonders of His love with our children, even when it is difficult.  Let's give our children a chance to get to know God, for He is waiting for them.  

My Duty, My Salvation

I subscribe to many blogs.  Mostly priest, bishops, or religious, but I do have a few that are of non-secular kind, that make me laugh(my sister's).  I would imagine that most people that follow my blog realize it is more towards the spiritual, because that is what I mostly write about. And today is no different.

I am going to step out on a HUGE limb here and discuss religion and politics.  My goal is not to offend or anger, which seems to be the way it has gone, so close to the presidential election.  It is simply to explain my personal conversion/change of thinking.  It might seem that I am wandering, or skipping around, so I apologize if I confuse you.

Recently, I heard a speech from a friend of mine.  Fr. John Hollowell spoke at a Catholic Men's Conference titled, Lion's Breathing Fire.  Please go to his blog, www.on-this-rock.blogspot.com, and look for the the blog titled, It's Our Duty and Salvation.  It has totally changed my thinking, both in Mass participation, and my voting(bet he never thought of that).

Briefly, though, Fr. Hollowell, spoke of our duty and our salvation.  Maybe you have heard that line in Mass.  He does a great job explaining how something can be both a duty and salvation.  The one thing I took out of this is, as a father, it is my duty and salvation to get my children to Mass.  I will not lie, I go to Mass, every weekend, yet, I go on my schedule, so sometimes, I go alone.  NOT ANYMORE!!  It is my duty to get my children and wife to Mass so they can be saved. 

Fr. John also talks about the common excuses of not attending Mass.  In my instance, I was thinking about me and my schedule.  If my family schedule did not match, I went alone.  Some other excuses used were: I did not like the music, I do not like the priest, Mass is boring, I let my children decide(he went to town on this excuse).  Fr. John did not disagree with any of those things, with exception of the "children decide" excuse.  But the one thing he brought home to me is, "IT IS MY DUTY AND MY SALVATION!!!"  There are many duties in my job, that I do not like, but yet I still do them.  So the excuses given as to why we do not attend Mass cannot be argued with, but we cannot skip Mass because of it.

Now the political part.  I am sure we have all been taught the basic workings of Goverment.  For example, if I am going to run for political office, I share my thoughts and view points with my constituency, and if I am lucky to get elected, I now represent those that vote for me.  Pretty simple concept, but not sure it is an easy one, especially if my constituency and I have a different disblief. 

Let me give you an example.  One hot button topic in this political election is HHS.  This mandate goes against my beliefs.  However, what if it does not go against my constituency's beliefs.  What do I do now?  Well, before a lengthy conversation with my pastor, I would have voted along the lines of my constituency.  But now, after the aforementioned long talk, and listening to Fr. Hollowell discuss my Duty and Salvation, my thought process has changed.

My thought process has changed because now I am going to focus on my Duty and Salvation, which is what I should have done in the first place.  Everything seems easier now that I am focused on my Duty and my Salvation.  And I must say, what a huge relief.  There is a sort of calmness being obedient to God.  It certainly can take some of the "hard" out of a hard decision.  Now don't get me wrong, it is not all mums and roses.  Being obedient to God as my duty and salvation will mean coming across some struggles with the world beliefs, whatever those may be.  But putting complete and total faith in God, no matter how hard the struggle, He will get me through it.

I have been through a struggle, the last couple of weeks, because I was doing my duty.  The issue that has created this struggle comes up about every other week.  Just about the time I think I am through it, the struggle rises back to the surface.  It has gotten to the point that I have even thought, "God, why are you putting this on me, again?"  It has not been easy to overcome this struggle, but knowing it is my duty and salvation, has certainly made it easier to handle.

So I encourage you all, as you wake up in the morning and go throughout the day, to focus on your duty to God.  No matter the circumstances, the politico, the world we live in, focus on your duty to God.  For it is only God that can give you salvation.

Hurumphing

Let me begin this post by saying how humbled I am.  When I first started this blog, I thought no body would read it.  I truly believed that I really had nothing profound to say.  But today as I prepare to blog, I see that I have reach a small milestone in the blogging world.  In the 10 post I have added to this blog, I have reached 1000 viewers.  I never dreamed anybody would even read my blog, and now my blog has over 1000 hits.  I am very humbled.  I am thrilled that people are reading it.  I hope you get out of my posts, what I believe I put into my posts.  Please know that I always appreciate your comments.  Thank you all very much.

I know that I have a very unique title for this post, but I believe after you read it, it will all make sense.

Just last Sunday, our youth minister(best one in the world, just so you know), invited the Catholic Rock Band, The Thirsting(www.thethirstingcatholic.com), for a concert.  Now, much like previous post, coming to work on a Sunday is not one of my favorite things to do.  I am especially not thrilled with the idea of listening to a rock band(ohhhh my!!!!  I just sounded like my dad).  So, with much encouragement from the youth minister, and hurumphing the entire 40 minutes drive, I decided to attend the concert.

I am jumping to a side bar, do not worry, I will bring you back.  I attend a weekly Bible study.  The study is about an hour drive from my house, but since I usually leave from work, the drive is about an hour and a half.  To top things off, Bible study takes place on Monday night.  Being a football fan, and not getting home until 10PM from Bible study, my long drive to Bible study usually entails hurumphing for an hour and a half.  I might say things like, "I cannot believe I keep doing this to myself!" or "I don't want to go, I am too tired."  Now I hate using phrases like "all the time," or "everybody agrees," but I am truly confident that no matter how much hurumphing I have done on the way, I ALWAYS leave, glad that I attended.  Gee, I wonder if that is the Holy Spirit tugging on my heart.  Anyway, back to last Sunday.

After much hurumphing, I finally arrived at the concert.  I got to the gym and my attitude hadn't changed, so I decided to stand in the dark corner, and hope nobody would notice.  When I saw the opening act, I must say, I stereotyped(sorry God!!).  The opening act was the guitar player from The Thirsting.  He had an almost mohawk(an almost mohawk is where the middle is tall and spikey, but he could not commit to shaving the sides bald).  My hurumphing continued.  "I cannot believe I am here!!" I said to myself.  But trying to be the supportive friend of the youth minister, I put on my happy face and acted like I was enjoying myself, however, I do not think she bought it.

Well get ready, because what happened next I thought I was going to hurumph myself back in the car and go home.  The Thirsting came on stage and started with a song so loud and upbeat, I could not even understand the words(OHHHHHH MYYYYYYYY!!  I sounded like my dad again!!!).  The band was jumping all over the place.  I thought the drummer was going to hit the ceiling his arms were moving in such a crazy motion.  I am waaaaaaaay to old for this!!(I said to myself, and yes, I reminded myself that my dad said this.)

Yet, being the trooper that I am, I put on my smiley face and continued to gut it out.  Maybe even saying to myself, "God you owe me for this one."  Well in true fashion, God payed the debt I believe He owed me.  About four or five songs into the show, the band left, leaving the lead singer.  He played a few slower songs, and then stopped.  He asked everybody to sit down and told the most amazing story of his life of prayer, especially the Rosary.  I will try my best to explain it, and I wish I had a recording of it, because I am very positive, I will not do it justice. 

In the section below is his story, I am going to write as if it were the lead singer talking, so when you see the word "I" think of him:

I like to spend time in prayer, especially the Rosary.  For example, today is the sorrowful mysteries.  In those mysteries, I try to picture what really happened to Jesus during each decade.   

Decade one: The Agony of Jesus in the Garden.  Jesus knows that He is going to be crucified.  The soliders come for Him, and when the disciples try to put up a fight, Jesus stops them for He knows the will of His Father.  Jesus allows the soliders to take Him, knowing His fate.  Is ten Hail Marys enough?

Decade two: The scourging of Jesus at the Pillar.  Jesus let himself be scourged, because He knew He was taking all our our sins with Him.  He was beaten, and bloodied to the point that his clothing stuck to Him.  And before they nailed Him to the cross, they ripped off those bloody clothes, causing more pain.  Is ten Hail Marys enough?

 Decade three: The Crowning of Thorns.  They put a crown of thorns on His head.  It caused so much bleeding that it looked like he was crying and sweating blood.  Is ten Hail Marys enough? 

Decade four:  The Carrying of the Cross.  Jesus had to carry His own Cross.  That cross was not only heavy because of its shear size and the wood.  It was heavy for He was carrying all of our sins.  Is ten Hail Marys enough?

Decade five:  The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.  It is over.  God's only Son has died on the cross.  He has completed God's plan of salvation for us all.  Is ten Hail Marys enough?
 

Suddenly, I find myself inspired and I am not gonna lie, I shed a tear.  The hurumphing went away.  I was so moved by this lead singer in a Catholic Rock Band.  He has taken the rote prayer of the Rosary, and changed my entire thinking.  I am now inspired.  I am now SOOOOOOOOOOO glad I went to the concert, that I am ashamed that I humrumphed, at all, and I started to feel bad for those that missed it.  Just like Bible study, I might not be glad to get there, but I am always glad that I went. 

Thank you Ashley(youth minister), for encouraging me to come to the event. And by encouraging, I mean, not giving up on me or letting me off the hook.

Thank you The Thirsting, for reminding me I am taking the Rosary for granted.  You have taken a beautiful set of prayers and put it in a perspective I could not imagine.  You have inspired me to pray the Rosary again.

But most importantly, thank you God for reminding me, that even though I Hurumph, You will always be there for me.  You will always lead me in the right direction.

 

 

 

 

Pray together

Wednesday, our church had a visiting priest, Fr. Cashen, from St. Paul's Newman Center.  Fr. Cashen took the place of our regular priest, Fr. Tom, for he was on a week long spiritual retreat.  The Gospel of the day was Luke 11:1-4.  In this Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus how to pray, and from this we get the Our Father, a prayer we have been saying for many, many years.

I share this because Fr. Cashen's homliy was absolutely terrific.  He really hit close to home with me, and I will do my best to share it with you. 

At the time, in the Bible, the disciples ask Jesus how to pray.  They wanted this information so they could have a closer relationship with God.    Jesus said:

"When you pray, say, Father, hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come.  Give us each our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not be subject to the final test."

I must say, this is a Gospel that we hear of quite often.  We pray this prayer at every Mass, five times if you say a Rosary, my Bible study group prays it at the end of each meeting, and countless other times.  It was probably the easiest of prayers I taught my children.  This is such an important prayer, that most homilies will talk about the orgin of the prayer, but not Fr. Cashen.

Fr. Cashen talked of his life as a child.  In his house, they went to church, but never prayed as a family.  It wasn't until he returned home from high school(I am guessing, in his country of origin, they go away to high school, like many of us go away to college), that all of the sudden his family was praying together.  Fr. Cashen then explained how his family dynamics changed, once they started praying together. 

Before going off to school, his family fought about trivial things.  He said his family was very distant from each other.  Now his mother and father required the family to pray at meals and say a Rosary every evening.  And since that point, he was amazed how the power of prayer joined his normally separated family. 

My favorite part of the homily, though, was the fact that he encouraged the children to go home and ask their family to pray together.  He all but said, "A family that prays together, stays together."  I really liked that he challenged our students to encourage prayer.  He made them the promise that if they invite Jesus into their family, via prayer, then Jesus will guide that family on the path to God's Kingdom, and how can anybody be upset with that path?

Fr. Cashen did something I have never heard of before, instead of discussing the origin of the prayer, he challenged us to use the prayer in our everyday life, especially at home.  One of my favorite things I do with my children each night is say prayers.  I love the fact that my children invite God to every meal we eat, and thank Him for a beautiful day at night. 

I get many compliments about my children's behavior, and before, being the gleaming and gloating dad that I am, I have always beamed with joy, and have been thrilled to hear the compliment.  One thing I never took into consideration is that my children might just be happy becasue they invite God into their lives, every day, in prayer.  I truly see the success of Fr. Cashen's words.  Well never again, will I take the credit for my children and their behavior, I give all the glory to God. 

So my challenge to you, is that of Fr. Cashen's, pray at home, with your family.  Use time in prayer to join closer together, albeit, closer to children, closer to parents, closer to siblings, whatever!!!  Use this time to invite God into your everyday things.  Invite God to be part of everything you do.  Pray together and join together, in Him.  You might just be suprised how God will touch your life and heart.



Today I am sad

As posted before, I attended a program called Christ Renews His Parish(CRHP).  This is a short weekend retreat for men, put on by men, that renews one's spirit and faith.  It is because of this program, I am back in my faith, deeper than ever before. 

Whenever one attends a retreat, like this, one often leaves feeling renewed and rejuvenated, and strong for the faith.  However, it is commonly known, that after about a week or two, we are back to the habits of old.  Well, me personally, I did not want to become that part of the statistic.  I did not want to be the person that goes back to my old ways of life.  I want this renewal feeling to last for ever.

To keep this feeling, I decided to become more active in my church.  I was already part of the Men's club, but I needed to be involved more.  I became part of the new CRHP formation team(the team that meets with the directors of each group to make sure every thing is going smoothly).  I became a Eucharist Minister.  I even decided, with the help of some of my CRHP brothers, that we would start a Bible Study.  I am trying to think, but I believe we have been studying for going on 12 years.  Twelve Years!!!!!  I have to admit, up until now, I have never done anything for 12 years.  Believe it or not, I have only been married for ten.

Over the 12 years, there have been men that have come and gone to this Bible Study.  Some have come after their CRHP weekend, some have come because they were looking for more.  Some have left Bible Study because they have moved out of state, and some have left for reasons not known to us.  And this is what I believe to be typical of any group.  Over time, change in their life brought the men to our group, and over time, change in their life led them away.  But, today, I want to talk about someone special.

I never met Ted before his participation in Bible Study.  As a matter of fact, I have changed parishes since attending CRHP, but still keep meeting for Bible Study, and one day, Ted was invited and showed up.  Ted was this big guy, driving a big truck.  He was always dressed like he just came out of the forest.  It was easy to imagine Ted hunting the big game, having a deer drapped over his shoulders getting ready to clean it for the evening meal.  Ted also liked boating and some day dreamed of building his own boat.

Ted was a wonderful father.  His son has Downs Syndrome and Ted started a program called DADS, Dads Against Downs Syndrome.  In this program, and on their website, dads would meet and discuss the trials, tribulations, joys, fears of having a child with Downs.  Ted was the leader of this volunteer organization, that started in Indiana.  As many good ideas do, this organization spread across the United States like wild fire and it is now an international organization.  All because of Ted.

Ted came to our Bible study looking, searching, maybe feeling empty.  I must say he was an inspiration to those of us that had been in this study for years.  He rejuvinated us, challenged us and basically fit right in to the group.

Ted, although looking for God, decided to take his own life, last summer.  He came to Bible Study on Monday, looking for God, and then decided to take his life on Tuesday.  This drastic measure was unbeknownst to any of us Bible Study brothers.  We never saw the signs of fear or end.  He was just gone. 

I tell you about Ted, because two years ago, he brought to our group the Bible Study titled, Experiencing God.  We started this study in the fall of 2010 and ended it last night.  This was, by far, one of the best studies our group has ever done.  This study took us about a year longer than it should have because the discussions were deep and interesting, that we always ran out of time.  And it was all because Ted had the courage to share with us his needs and desires when it comes to faith.

Ted was a wonderful man, and I wish I had known him for a lifetime, not just a few short years.  I am sad that I never got a chance to tell Ted how much he meant to me and our group.  I am sad that I never got the opportunity to tell Ted how much he inspired me to be a better dad, even though my children do not have Downs Syndrome.  I am sad that I do not get to see my rugged dressed friend walking into the house, like he just got out of the woods.  I am sad and afraid that now that the Bible Study that he brought to us is over, that I might soon forget him.  He might fade away from my thoughts just like some do at the end of the renewal weekend. 

I am sad today, because the Bible Study that Ted has brought us is over.  I miss my friend, and I thank him for leading me further down the path to God's Kingdom.  Without God placing Ted in my life, I am not sure where I would be on my faith journey, but I am absolutely sure that I am further because of him. 

Eternal rest grant upon him oh Lord...

How could a 1948 cartoon be so relevant today?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=u6H63CD7uQA

The above link is of a cartoon created in 1948.  Today might be the only time you see me blog about something and put a political label on it, as you might recall from my blog a few weeks ago.

In today's society, it is hard not to get caught up in the politics of the world.  The Democrats hate this and the Republicans hate that.  The political speechs are about on my last nerve.  So, I must say, when I saw this cartoon, I was plesantly reminded of the way our country was built.  Yes, a cartoon.  Maybe this cartoon is saying that I have the mind of a child, or maybe it is saying, that as adults, we have complicated things to much.  Either way, it is very relevant to the world today.

This cartoon was made in 1948!!!!  It is scary to see how far we have come in such a short period of time.  It is horrifying that in just 60 years, how quickly we have been led astray.  I especially like the speech by the character, John Q. Public.  It is a reminder that, yes, we live in a capitalistic society, and, believe it or not, it is not perfect.  But even though it is not perfect, we are still one of the most successful countries in the world.

This might be my only venture in anything real political, but I am not sure a definition of what a Capitalistic society is, is either Democrat or Republicain.  We cannot drink any magic elixer or potion to cure all of our woes.  We must work hard, have faith, and treat each other with respect.

I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer:  This is the first video I have ever posted to a blog.  I did it without the help of the person that not only encouraged me to blog, but help set me up.  He taught me to post pictures, but videos, not so much.  So, if you click the link and a video does not start playing, so sorry.  Try coping cutting and pasting into your browser.  If that does not work, go to YouTube and search "Make Mine Freedom Cartoon." 

WD40

Before I was coerced into the world of blogging, I would share a thought, weekly, with my staff.  My hope was to get them thinking, maybe inspire, but more than anything share something about me.  That since led to where this blog is today.  Since I have been overwhelmed this week, and I am trying to keep up with my goal of blogging once per week, I am sharing something I wrote on March 3rd, 2012.  Hope you enjoy it.

 

 

“If you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original.”  Ken Robinson

“Failure is not an end, it is a detour.” Zig Ziglar

I am not a very profound person.  I will never say anything clever, or witty, that people will repeat.  I am not sure if I just lack imagination or if I am afraid of failure.  But the two quotes above are quickly rising to the top of my list of profound thoughts or ideas.

I have long believed children are more pampered today than ever before.  I certainly was not as pampered as my children are today.  Maybe it is because we want our children to have more than we had as children, or it might just be I did not appreciate what my parents were doing for me, and I have blocked out those memories.  Either way, I think our society has created a “failure is bad” stigma and we have passed it on to our children.

I could give you story after story about failure turning to success.  How many times did Thomas Edison fail before creating the light bulb?  Has anybody heard the story of the product WD 40?  WD 40 stands for Water Displacement 40.  It took the scientist that created this product 39 failures before coming up with a product that displaced water and made screws easier to unscrew, and pulleys easier to pull, hence the name, WD 40.  Imagine if he would have given up after the first failure.  I cannot imagine anybody being wrong more than twice and continuing, yet he did it 39 times until he got it right.

As my daughter is learning to read, it is everything I can do to not help her when she struggles or fails.  It is very difficult for me to see my son’s frustration level rise every time he swings the bat and misses the ball.  But in both cases I have to let them fail.  Once they fail, it is up to me to encourage them to keep trying, or detour them in a different way, until we achieve the goal of reading a book, or hitting the ball.  On the flip side, it is awesome to see their eyes light up with satisfaction when they accomplish their goal.

Probably the most failure I have had in my life is in the spiritual realm.  I am constantly seeing my transgressions and failures.  For many years, I was a person who claimed to be Catholic, but never did anything remotely close to what a “good” Catholic should do.  But God continued to detour me in my life and put me in situations that led me where I am today.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am not claiming to be the best Catholic in the world.  If obedience to God was on measured on a 1-10 scale, 10 being God, I would rate myself about a four and a half.  Believe me; it is much higher than I would have rated myself 10 years ago.  I am so glad God did not give up on me after the 39^th try.  I am glad to know that God will continue to focus me in His direction, knowing that I will fail every now and then.  I am glad He will be there to turn me in the right direction or to get me back on the path if I start to stray.

What are the positive results of failure?  What could be positive about failure?  There is a lot that is positive about failure.  Almost every aspect of failure is positive, other than the failure itself.  David Mattson, the CEO of Sandler Systems (an international training and consulting organization) said “You learn about what not to do, which can stimulate creativity and accelerate your learning curve.  Accepting failure as normal gives you the freedom to try new things without putting your self-esteem at risk.”

What do you do when your kids fail?  Do you teach them to detour?  Have you prepared them to be wrong?  Have you encouraged them to find another solution, to find something original?  School is not just teaching a subject, giving a homework assignment or test, and moving on.  School is also about encouraging student to find that detour when they have failed.  They need to dig deep and be aware of why they failed and how they can improve themselves.  Accepting failure keeps us humble, honest about our development and gives us focus on who we can become.  This is one of the greatest tools we can provide our students for their journey through life.  School is about teaching students to come up with something original when they are wrong.  Let’s not deprive our children the feeling of failure but encourage accepting their failures to learn more about themselves pushing their thought process to new levels.  I can only imagine how many tries it will take for them to come up with something original as the next WD 40.

I Wasn't Paying Attention...

I started this blog four weeks ago with the intention of posting once per week.  And, for some reason, today, I am staying late at work to get this done, when I could go home instead.  Many people ask me where I come up with the topics and the process is very simple, the Spirit moves me on Monday, I reflect on whatever the Spirit has laid on my heart, I write it on Tuesday, give it to my proofreader on Tuesday, get it back on Thursday and post.  The answer I usually give them is, “I let God guide me.”

Today, however, I could not be further from this process.  I am writing this blog now, not sending it to my proofreader, for she is gone for the day, and am going to post it with punctuation errors, grammar errors, and all.  I even thought to myself, look the Spirit did not move me on Monday, so I guess there is no reason to post this week.

Today’s Gospel was from the book Matthew 25:1-13.  Be ready, my feeble attempt to tell this story is coming up, and I suggest, as always, read if for yourself.  This story starts out with the ten virgins filling their lamps with oil and heading out to meet the bridegroom.  Well, he was late and the women fell asleep.  When they were awakened, the lamps were out.  Five of the women brought extra oil and were able to relight their lamps.  The five that did not bring extra oil, had to leave and get more.  And, as you could guess, while they were gone, the bridegroom came, took the five women with oil in there lamps to the kingdom.  The five women that missed the bridegroom were locked out of the kingdom.  When they went to knock on the door, the bridegroom turned them away and said, “I do not know you.”

As Fr. Tom shared his homily today at Mass, I felt that he was talking to me only.  That is never a good sign.  You see, many people do not understand why the five women with extra oil did not share.  But as Fr. Tom said, “This is not a story about sharing, but about being prepared, for you never know when the bridegroom (God) is coming.”  While he is right, it is very hard for us, in today’s society, to understand.  But Fr. Tom said it best, “When I come into the church and pray, I cannot do your prayers for you.  I cannot take that time with God and do it for you.”  Very profound, for I am sure if Fr. Tom could do that for us he would.  You cannot share your prayer life.  It is personal between you and God.

So I tell you that story so you can understand why I am completely stepping outside of my normal process for blogging.  I wonder how many times I fell asleep, this week, like the women in the story.  And by falling asleep I mean, not paying attention to God.  I am sure God was right there waiting for me to acknowledge Him, waiting to guide me through my day.  Instead, I was focusing on work, family, time management, and about a billion other things.  I might have thought to myself a time or two this week, “Gosh, I hope the Spirit moves me so I can have something to blog about.”  Unfortunately, I let that thought stay in my head for about a second and traded it for something that completely consumed my life, instead.  I wasn’t even paying attention.

I struggle, everyday, to pay attention, to focus and put God first.  It is a struggle I hope that I never get tired of doing.  For when my time comes, I hope I do not hear the words, “I don’t know you.”

Today I pray a prayer of apology.  “God, I am so sorry that I did not invite you into my life this week.  I am sorry I turned away from you in prayer.  Please help me in times of weakness and struggle so I can be a better follower of You.”

It's Just Not Fair

 

Just the other day, I was thinking about the program I attended that led me on the path back to my faith.  The program was called Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP).  This is a program for men, put on entirely by men, and usually happens on a Saturday night to Sunday Morning.  One of the guest speakers was talking about the saying in the Bible, “The first shall be last and the last shall be first.”  I do not know what made me think of this, but I must say, two days later, it was the gospel of the day, at Mass, so I have a really good idea how I came to think about it.  As you have figured out by now, I will try my best to give you the “long story short” version, but I highly encourage you to read the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16.

In the story, a land owner makes a deal with some workers to work in the field for an honest day’s wage.  As the day goes on, the land owner hires more people, some before lunch, some after lunch and one group was hired the hour before the day was to end.  When it comes time for payment, the land owner pays each man the same amount, a fair day’s wages, regardless of the number of hours the man worked.  You can imagine what the men, who worked in the fields from the first hour to the last hour, thought of that idea.  In today’s world they would have said, it’s not fair.

Now I have a five year old son and a seven year old daughter and the phrase “That’s not fair,” is spoken quite often.  I must say, I loathe that phrase, for many reasons.  One reason is the whole idea of what is fair and what is not.  Could you imagine the job description of the person who has to determine what is fair and what is not?

Rick Riordan wrote, “Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same.  Fairness means everyone gets what they need.”  I find this statement very profound, because it brings out a truth that I believe is often misunderstood in today’s world.  As a child growing up, my parents did their best to make sure each child got the same number of gifts to open at Christmas, and spent the same amount of money on each child (as best they could, anyway).  But as we were opening gifts, my brother, sister and I never got the same exact thing.  I got a tennis racquet, my sister got a new leotard for gymnastics, and my brother got a baseball bat.  All three of us got what we needed (maybe even wanted), but none were the same. 

In the Bible story above, the landowner made a deal and gave the workers wages according to the deal they made.  While the first in the field felt they should have gotten more, they got the wages based on the deal they made.  In the world of sports, how often do we hear a superstar refusing to work, until they get a better deal, based on their performance of the previous year.  Yet, never, have you heard an owner refusing to pay the superstar when they are riding the bench because of injury, and not meeting their potential. 

My priest, Fr. Tom, told a story about a parishioner in one of his previous parishes.  This parishioner was upset that Fr. Tom spoke about the person on their death bed, finally discovers Jesus, three days or so before he dies.  Because the person expressed a faith and belief in Jesus Christ, the gates of heaven were open for them.  Now those of us who have attended Mass every Sunday of our life, could say that’s not fair.  But isn’t it good to know that God is right next to us waiting for us to make the statement of faith and welcome us into His heavenly kingdom, no matter if we have been practicing faith for many years or just a few short days. 

Now, I know what you are thinking, I will just wait until a couple of days, weeks, or years before I make that leap of faith.  There are two things wrong with a statement like this.  One, you never know when your day may come, so it is quite possible you might not have that chance.  And, two, you have no idea how wonderful your life, here on Earth, will be, EVERYDAY, when you follow God.

So, when it comes right down to it, life is not fair.  I will not always get what my neighbor gets.  I will not always need what my neighbor needs, either.  Fairness is getting what you need, and who knows more of what you need, than Jesus.

Are You Lost or Just Hiding...

 

Last weekend, our parish invited Julie Carrick to our church for a Sunday evening concert.  I must admit, I had never heard of her, but our priest let her sing a song or two at Mass on Saturday evening.  Julie has one of the most beautiful voices, and her message is very clear.  Julie’s songs are all based on the struggles of the Catholic Faith in today’s world.  Her message is beautiful, and I highly recommend, if you ever get the chance to listen to her, to do so.

One of her songs, not sure of the title, for I remember the lyrics, really hit home, and the more I think about it, it hit really close to home.  As I said, not sure of the title, but the lyric I heard was, “Are you lost or are you hiding?”  Wow!!  I began to ponder the difference between lost and hiding, in the context of this song, and I then began to relate it to my personal life.

I determined there are times in my life, when I have been lost.  During those times, I was so far away from the faith and God, that neither registered on my radar screen, or pyramid (Picture a pyramid.  God is supposed to be on top, but on my pyramid, He did not exist.)  If I did something wrong, there was a good possibility, I did not care, for the top of my pyramid was me.  The perfect example is when driving down the road, and somebody cuts me off, I would get angry because I had to change direction or hit my breaks.  I’m not gonna lie, probably threw out a profanity or two at the driver.  It was all about me.  I was so lost, that God was never in the picture.

I determined there are also times in my life that I am hiding.  Hiding, while similar to lost, is different in the fact that hiding might be a right now time, and lost is for an extended period of time.  If I am hiding, Jesus might be on my pyramid, just not at the top.  My lost time was probably about 5+ years.  My hiding could be minutes, hours, or days and it could happen at any time.  An example of hiding actually occurred in the decision of deciding to go see Mrs. Carrick concert.

I had a pretty long weekend.  On the Saturday before the concert, we had a huge function at school called family cleaning day.  We had over two hundred people helping get the school and grounds looking sharp for the beginning of school on Monday.  After that, I went home, changed clothes, went back to church for the evening Mass.  Then finally, we had a back to school pool party.  Again, a lot of people showed up for a great evening.

All of these events were great, time consuming, but great.  On Sunday, I played golf, went home and was ready to rest and relax for the entire evening.  The perfect thing to do before the opening of school.  It dawned on me that this concert was this evening, and I decided I was going to hide.  I made every excuse in the book to hide.  I reminded myself that I had worked all day Saturday, school started on Monday, I was tired and ready to relax. 

No matter the excuse, I could not get this concert out of my mind.  I texted back and forth with our Youth Minister, “are you going, yes, don’t know, please go….”  No matter the excuse I used, every minute or so, the thought came back to me about the concert and I realized that I was not going to rest, at least peace of mind, anyway, so I got cleaned up and went to the concert.  I realized that I am hiding.  If I were lost, the decision to go the concert would have been an emphatic “NO.”  But while hiding, God can still get to your heart.  Remember, God knew that Adam and Eve were hiding in the garden.

What about those times when I am not lost or hiding?  That is when I am allowing God to work in my life.  He is the leader of my life, decisions, and I put all trust in Him.  The first day of school, I prayed to God, and it was clearly answered.  The first day of school was terrific, best ever.  I prayed, first thing in the morning, for God to glorify our first day of school and if we so deserve, to share His Grace with all involved.  On the way home, I thanked God for a great day, and answering my prayers.

Now that the long story is over, the last words of the song were, “I am here, where are you?”  It was then that I knew that no matter if I am lost or hiding, God will never give up on me.  He wants to know where I am.  If I am lost or hiding, God is sitting right there, waiting for me to acknowledge Him, wanting me to follow Him, wanting me to be by his side and experience eternal life with Him.  I was lost for at least five years, and you know what, He was there waiting for me to return.  I have hidden from Him countless times, and He is always there saying, “Here I am.”  No matter how many times I hide, God is always there to find me. 

So I ask… where are you?

Persistence

Wednesday’s gospel was from the book Matthew 15:21-28.  There are many aspects to this story that fascinate me.  Adn yet again, I will humbly try to briefly explain this story, but strongly suggest you read it on your own.

Jesus and His disciples are leaving the region of Tyre and Sidon.  Out of nowhere is a Canaanite woman calling out for Jesus.  The disciples encourage Jesus to send her away. However, Jesus reminds the disciples, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  The woman speaks with Jesus asking Him to remove the demons from her daughter.  When Jesus questions the woman, she is persistent in her request.

 The first aspect of this story that fascinates me is the fact that the disciples, the men closest to Jesus, were not acting in a very Christian way.  They encouraged Jesus to send her away.  It comforts me that even the men closest to Jesus did not always act in the way God wanted them to.  It just proves the point that we are all sinners and that being a Christian is ALWAYS going to be hard work.

Another point, that I find fascinating, is the faith of this Canaanite woman.  Here is a woman, who probably most of her life, was of no faith.  How did she know to go to Jesus?  Even after Jesus, questioned her, how did she know that Jesus would heal?  Sure, she probably heard the stories of Jesus through the grapevine, but how did she come to believe?

In my many years of Bible study, I have come to rely on the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  The best example I can give is this:  When you do something wrong, and you immediately feel bad doing whatever it is you have done, that is the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  So somewhere, not told in this story, God had to of placed the Holy Spirit on the Canaanite woman’s heart.

But what most fascinates me is the woman’s persistence.  She asks Jesus to help her and Jesus replies, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”  Once she hears this response, she does not give up.  “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their master.”

Being a leader, I feel it is my responsibility to have vision, and with vision comes decisions.  Some decisions I make are easy, yet others are difficult.  Whatever decision I make, easy or difficult, you can bet that there is somebody that does not like the decision I have made.  Sometimes, it is difficult for me to take the criticism.  Sometimes, after receiving the criticism, I want to back down, and I am not sure, a few years ago, I would have done just that.  Being persistent can be difficult, however, it can also reap the rewards of the Canaanite woman, for Jesus says, “Oh woman, great is your faith.”

Today I pray to God that whatever I do, I do to glorify Him.  I ask that He give His grace to all those who read this, that they have the persistence of the Canaanite woman, to continue to seek and grow toward Him.

Fragments

Recently at church, one of the readings was the story of Jesus feeding 5,000.  For my friends who do not know this story, I will give a brief overview of this story.  At this particular time, in the Bible, Jesus is being followed by huge crowds.  As evening approaches, the disciples encourage Jesus to send the huge crowd away, for they have no food to feed them.  There is a boy, among the crowd, that has some loaves of bread and a few fish.  Jesus takes the food from the boys, blesses it, and multiplies it to feed 5,000 men and their family, with 12 large, wicker baskets leftover.(Please understand that the Bible does this story much better justice than I just did.  I encourage you to read the gospel of John 6:1-15)

This is by far my favorite Bible story, EVER!!  For some reason, I could listen to any priest, preach about this story and I never get tired of it.  Every time I hear this story, I get a different point of view.  Many wonder about the miracle of taking five loaves of bread and two fish, and allowing them to feed so many.  Some often look at it from the boy’s point of view, giving of his food for the sake of others.  Others may even question the disciples and their faith in the power of God.

But not too long ago, I heard a sermon about this story from a very unique point of view, the leftover fragments.  Now I am sure you are questioning my sanity, but I must say, it was a great point of view.  I will try to do it justice in my words.

In today’s fast paced world, we are so busy moving from place to place, or trying to accomplish this thing or that thing, that I am not sure we often look at the details.  As I write this, I can tell you I am guilty on countless occasions of trying to get things done quickly, to get on to the next task at hand, as to accomplish the overwhelming list of things to do.  I often get side tracked by my smart phone and answering an email, which often leads to me missing some little fragment of information, either from my children, my wife, staff member, boss, my God, this list is truly endless.

In all the details of feeding 5,000 men and their families, Jesus never missed a detail.  He even made his disciples pick up the scraps and leftovers.  I am pretty sure Jesus was not living by one of my favorite mottos, if you rent or use a space, make sure it is cleaner than it was when you got it.  I can also bet Jesus was not worried about litter or being green, as we would in today's society, when he insisted on the disciples picking up every fragment.  I believe this was Jesus trying to convey to us that even the smallest morsel, or fragment, is important. 

Even though we live in this fast paced, GIGANTIC world, and we might often feel too small for Jesus to even notice.  It is nice to know that He cares for us, no matter how small or big we perceive ourselves.  We do not have to be a Nobel Prize winning author, or have been awarded the humanitarian of the year, for Jesus to care for us and recognize us.  We do not have to be the greatest evangelist to get the love of Jesus.  All we have to do is accept Him into our lives, follow Him, and He will give us the guidance we need, regardless of the fact that we might be a large slice of bread or even a crumb, He loves and cares for us all.