I received an email yesterday that was impressive - so much so that I wanted to share it with you. We in this country obviously have a lot to learn from the people of Japan. While we continue to pray for them as they recover from this horrible tragedy, we must pray for ourselves as well, that we might respond to future crises in similar fashion.
Ten Important Things To Learn From Japan
1. The CALM. Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
2. The DIGNITY. Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or crude gesture.
3. The ABILITY. The incredible architects, for instance. Building swayed but didn't fall.
4. The GRACE. People bought only what they needed for the present so everybody could get something.
5. The ORDER. No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6. The SACRIFICE. Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?
7. The TENDERNESS. Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong care for the weak.
8. The TRAINING. The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.
9. The MEDIA. They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.
10. The CONSCIENCE. When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Confession
Yesterday we celebrated the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation (confession as it used to be called) with our 2nd graders from our school and religious education program. This was their first time celebrating this sacrament, and I could tell from visiting their classes the past few weeks that they were nervous - some more than others. I can remember my first time celebrating this sacrament - as a 2nd grader in St. Justin's Parish in Hartford. I can remember the priest giving us a talk, suggesting that we not confess that we had killed our grandmother! Of course, back in those days, we had to enter that dark booth and kneel behind that thick burgundy velvet drape and wait for the wooden window to slide open.
Now the sacrament is celebrated in an open, well-lit room, with the option of kneeling anonymously or sitting face-to-face with the priest. I was happy to say that all but three of the children chose the face-to-face option. All seemed to find the experience a positive one, which hopefully will encourage them to make frequent use of this wonderful means of receiving God's love and mercy and forgiveness.
Since I am on the topic of confession, several people have told me they have tried to leave comments for my various blogs but have been unable to do so. Tonight I explored some of the options I had when I set up this blog, and I must confess that I am thinking that the way I had it configured precluded the posting of comments. And so, having changed a couple of settings, it is my hope that this will enable comments to be posted. I am curious to get feedback.
Now the sacrament is celebrated in an open, well-lit room, with the option of kneeling anonymously or sitting face-to-face with the priest. I was happy to say that all but three of the children chose the face-to-face option. All seemed to find the experience a positive one, which hopefully will encourage them to make frequent use of this wonderful means of receiving God's love and mercy and forgiveness.
Since I am on the topic of confession, several people have told me they have tried to leave comments for my various blogs but have been unable to do so. Tonight I explored some of the options I had when I set up this blog, and I must confess that I am thinking that the way I had it configured precluded the posting of comments. And so, having changed a couple of settings, it is my hope that this will enable comments to be posted. I am curious to get feedback.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
St. Patrick and St. Joseph
The Ides of March mean many things to many people. To some it means 'watch your back!' To others it means two major feast days for people of certain ethnic backgrounds. The Irish (and all who are Irish for the day) proudly wear their green and feast on corned beef and cabbage dinners with soda bread (with or withour raisins) on the 17th in honor of St. Patrick! Fortunately there is a day to recover before the Italians (and all who are Italian for the day) proudly wear their red and feast on zeppoli in honor of St. Joseph!
I belong to a small group of priests who meet monthly to pray, share in a discussion of the host's choosing, and, most importantly, eat - and eat very well! March was my turn to host, and this year's meeting fell on St. Patrick's Day. And so, while I did not have corned beef and cabbage, I did decorate properly with green, we did have beef - albeit the tenderloin - along with a wonderful salad of mixed field greens with julienned apple and pear, dried cranberry, candied pistachio, gorganzola cheese, golden raisins and finished with a honey balsamic dressing. The 2nd course was a cavatelli (nothing Irish there!) with a vodka cream sauce. Then came the beef with a balsamic demi-glaze and a baked scrod with cracker crumb & dill topping, along with roasted red potato and roasted asparagus. Dessert was a Shamrock Pistachio Delight! Told you we eat well!
On the Sunday following the feast of St. Joseph each year, Archbishop Mansell confers the St. Joseph Medal on an individual or couple from each parish of the Archdiocese whom their pastor has nominated for dedicated service to the church through the years. The prayer service was at the Cathedral with standing room only. St. Thomas was pleased to have honored Mr & Mrs Patrick Baker. They have assisted pastors here for decades going back to the founding of our school, and including service through the Ladies' Guild and other committees. In addition, they are known throughout the Archdiocese for their generosity toward priests, being the founders of Patrick Baker & Sons religious goods store right here in Southington. I can remember visiting their store as a kid when it was just a tiny storefront at the juncture of Farmington and Asylum Avenues in Hartford! Congratulations to the Baker's for an honor well-deserved!
I belong to a small group of priests who meet monthly to pray, share in a discussion of the host's choosing, and, most importantly, eat - and eat very well! March was my turn to host, and this year's meeting fell on St. Patrick's Day. And so, while I did not have corned beef and cabbage, I did decorate properly with green, we did have beef - albeit the tenderloin - along with a wonderful salad of mixed field greens with julienned apple and pear, dried cranberry, candied pistachio, gorganzola cheese, golden raisins and finished with a honey balsamic dressing. The 2nd course was a cavatelli (nothing Irish there!) with a vodka cream sauce. Then came the beef with a balsamic demi-glaze and a baked scrod with cracker crumb & dill topping, along with roasted red potato and roasted asparagus. Dessert was a Shamrock Pistachio Delight! Told you we eat well!
On the Sunday following the feast of St. Joseph each year, Archbishop Mansell confers the St. Joseph Medal on an individual or couple from each parish of the Archdiocese whom their pastor has nominated for dedicated service to the church through the years. The prayer service was at the Cathedral with standing room only. St. Thomas was pleased to have honored Mr & Mrs Patrick Baker. They have assisted pastors here for decades going back to the founding of our school, and including service through the Ladies' Guild and other committees. In addition, they are known throughout the Archdiocese for their generosity toward priests, being the founders of Patrick Baker & Sons religious goods store right here in Southington. I can remember visiting their store as a kid when it was just a tiny storefront at the juncture of Farmington and Asylum Avenues in Hartford! Congratulations to the Baker's for an honor well-deserved!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Daylight Savings Time
So, most people turned their clocks ahead one hour last night. I say most people because there were a few who straggled into each Mass today wondering why everyone seemed to be preparing to leave Mass only to find out they did not lose the hour sleep everyone else did! I guess there's something to be said for that!
Anyway, I consider the changing of clocks to be one of the sure signs that winter is on its way out and spring is on its way in. And apparently, so too do the chickadees and cardinals in my garden. Every year some friends bring me a real Christmas Tree for my courtyard. And every year I leave it up into the spring - sans lights and Christmas ornaments - only to redecorate it for Easter with colored plastic eggs, at the appropriate time. And each year, usually around Easter, birds inevitably find my tree a suitable place to start a family.
While this delays my setting out the patio furniture, it does give me a sense that I am collaborating with Mother Nature and assisting in the Plan of Creation in some small way. Because Easter is about as late as it can get this year, first the chickadees and now the cardinals, neither apparently knowing when Easter is, have nonetheless noted the longer daylight hours in the evening, and today are checking out my still barren Easter Tree. At this rate they and their young will have moved out long before my Easter decoration even begins!
Anyway, I consider the changing of clocks to be one of the sure signs that winter is on its way out and spring is on its way in. And apparently, so too do the chickadees and cardinals in my garden. Every year some friends bring me a real Christmas Tree for my courtyard. And every year I leave it up into the spring - sans lights and Christmas ornaments - only to redecorate it for Easter with colored plastic eggs, at the appropriate time. And each year, usually around Easter, birds inevitably find my tree a suitable place to start a family.
While this delays my setting out the patio furniture, it does give me a sense that I am collaborating with Mother Nature and assisting in the Plan of Creation in some small way. Because Easter is about as late as it can get this year, first the chickadees and now the cardinals, neither apparently knowing when Easter is, have nonetheless noted the longer daylight hours in the evening, and today are checking out my still barren Easter Tree. At this rate they and their young will have moved out long before my Easter decoration even begins!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
March Madness
So this is what they call March Madness!
On Tuesday I went to the XL Center to watch the UConn women win the Big East Tournament in a thrilling game. It had all the hype of a Final Four game, was closely played and a pleasure to watch.
On Wednesday we began the holy season of Lent, and had throngs of people coming to church to receive their annual Cross of Ashes on their foreheads. I hope and pray that it is truly the start of 40 days of drawing closer to the passion, suffering and death of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior for each of those who came to receive this blessed sign, and not just an empty ritual with some magical undertones.
On both Thursday and Friday - Friday on DVR - I sat mesmerized before my tv to watch the UConn men come from behind and squeak out a win at the Men's Big East Tournament, becoming the first team to win four games in four days at the annual event. Tonight they go for the championship.
However, since it wont start until 9 pm, and we lose an hour of sleep due to the change to daylight savings time, the DVR will have to capture those magical moments for me to relive at a future date.
On Tuesday I went to the XL Center to watch the UConn women win the Big East Tournament in a thrilling game. It had all the hype of a Final Four game, was closely played and a pleasure to watch.
On Wednesday we began the holy season of Lent, and had throngs of people coming to church to receive their annual Cross of Ashes on their foreheads. I hope and pray that it is truly the start of 40 days of drawing closer to the passion, suffering and death of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior for each of those who came to receive this blessed sign, and not just an empty ritual with some magical undertones.
On both Thursday and Friday - Friday on DVR - I sat mesmerized before my tv to watch the UConn men come from behind and squeak out a win at the Men's Big East Tournament, becoming the first team to win four games in four days at the annual event. Tonight they go for the championship.
However, since it wont start until 9 pm, and we lose an hour of sleep due to the change to daylight savings time, the DVR will have to capture those magical moments for me to relive at a future date.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Life & Death
One of the most difficult things I have faced in my priesthood is working with young couples who lose a baby during pregnancy or childbirth, or have an infant die of SIDS or other inexplicable things. Unfortunately, I have no more answers to the obvious questions than the next person. Ordination did not grace me with a crystal ball that allows me to peer into the mind of God. I ask those same questions myself that the grieving parents ask. All I can do is offer the consolation that our faith tells us God weeps WITH us at these times.
We know that all things happen for a reason, and I tell anyone who will listen that I am keeping a list of all the things I want answered on the day I come before the pearly gates. And yet, I also believe that on that day, all the answers I long for on this side of eternity will be clear as day on the other side.
Nonetheless, there are rejoicing moments in my ministry that make my day as well, and today I experienced one such moment. I have worked for some time with a couple who has gone through not one, but two pregnancies that ended with their unborn babies' death during childbirth. After the second heart-wrenching experience, they decided to explore the route of adoption.
Well, today they called to inform me that they were accepted to become the parents of a baby girl! At last they can become parents - what a tremendous gift God is giving them! I cannot think of a couple who will cherish their baby any more than they will!
God does have a plan. It's just that sometimes He writes straight with crooked lines!
We know that all things happen for a reason, and I tell anyone who will listen that I am keeping a list of all the things I want answered on the day I come before the pearly gates. And yet, I also believe that on that day, all the answers I long for on this side of eternity will be clear as day on the other side.
Nonetheless, there are rejoicing moments in my ministry that make my day as well, and today I experienced one such moment. I have worked for some time with a couple who has gone through not one, but two pregnancies that ended with their unborn babies' death during childbirth. After the second heart-wrenching experience, they decided to explore the route of adoption.
Well, today they called to inform me that they were accepted to become the parents of a baby girl! At last they can become parents - what a tremendous gift God is giving them! I cannot think of a couple who will cherish their baby any more than they will!
God does have a plan. It's just that sometimes He writes straight with crooked lines!
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