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Peace!
Welcome to Volume 4 Number 1 of The Contemporary Catholic.
It's nearly Lent! Christmas and the New Year's celebration are a fond memory and much of us are dealing with "weather" hoping for spring in the Northern Hemisphere and getting ready for Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Regardless of where we live we are all called faced with change. Change brings with it challenges yet we are not alone, we have Christ the light of the world to give us direction.
If we are frightened or depressed, confused or angry we will find that our trust in God will see us through all things. May the peace of Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all!
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Out of the Darkness
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It only seemed like yesterday that we were worried about Y2K
and all the implications this would have for us as a society. We are now in the second decade of the 21st
century. In the past 10 years we
experienced some terrific highs and devastating lows. It is only with hind sight, however, that we
are able to see things for what they really were, part of the grand cycle of
life.
The ancients saw the movement of the stars and planets as a
great dance of heaven of which we were a part.
This is probably an apt metaphor for how we fit into the cycle of Gods creation. New stars are formed while older ones fade
away. A few go super nova blazing in
the firmament of the heavens destroying those close to them as they
explode. The star over Bethlehem marked
a new time in creation, a new beginning.
Jesus was hailed as the morning star of creation lightening our
days. It is with the light of days that
we find our bearings and direction, darkness only adds confusion and despair.
How often have we felt in the dark about something? We become easily confused and seek some
source of light. However, in our search
we can come upon a false light which casts more shadows than it does providing
clarity. The headlights of a car give
narrow focus to the road ahead while the addition of overhead street lamps gives
more clarity it is not until the rising of the sun that everything falls into
place. In our own lives we find
ourselves stumbling in the dark or only finding partial illumination casting
shadows like a false dawn. Depth
perception only comes when all is illuminated.
At Christmas we celebrated the light of the world and
emblazon the world in light as a symbol of the Light of the World. Our season ended with the celebration of
Candlemas Day (Feast of the Purification).
In Luke's gospel we hear the story of Jesus being brought to the temple
and being met by Simeon and Anna. In his
joy Simeon praises God for allowing him to see Christ, a light to the nations
and the glory of his people Israel.
What Simeon's response to Christ tells us is that despite how poorly things
seem to be our patience will be rewarded with wisdom and insight. The
recent disaster in Haiti has illumined the world to the absolute poverty of
this small island nation and people. The
darkness of our self centeredness blinded us to the tremendous needs of
others.
With the light comes hope, hope for the future. Allowing the light to enter into our lives we
can be transformed. In being transformed
we can begin to change the world around us.
As the old saying goes, it is better to light one candle than to curse
the darkness. Our lights joined
together can give perception to the problems that beset us. Our hope through Christ can strip away the
fear that the darkness of ignorance and hatred creates.
Perhaps we can remind ourselves of this every day by first lighting a candle as
we begin to pray. Then allow that light
to chase away the shadows of doubt and despair inspiring us to action always trusting
in Christ to guide and lead us.
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Smells and Changes
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The smell of potato pancakes (latki) cooking on the stove was
a palpable reminder of the 40 days of Lent.
The word Went comes from an old Anglo Saxon word lencten meaning
spring. For us spring is a time of new
beginnings and looking forward. In
ancient times lent was also a time when those food products stored from the
prior harvest began to run low and in some cases spoil. It became a time of wont where food was
scarce and fasting was more than just a nice religious tradition. For those of us of a certain age we can
remember when certain produce was only available in season somewhere in the US
as importing food was costly if even possible.
Today we can find all sorts of produce in our stores and fasting has
moved from being an everyday occurrence to a
relic of times gone past.
In fact, we are hardly able to deny ourselves those things
we think are essential to our lives.
Our TVs, radios and print ads encourage us to think of our own personal
comfort and needs and buy, buy, buy. In
so doing we are told we will help the economy and bring prosperity to the
world. While there may be some truth to
that truth we are at the same time missing out on the real change that needs
to take place in our lives, moving out of self centeredness into other centeredness.
Recently I was asked to recall a time when a change happened
in my life because of helping someone else.
The Vietnam war had come to an inglorious end with hundreds of thousands
of refugees were seeking asylum and resettlement in the US. Yes, Vietnam came to Chicago and hundreds of
other communities forcing us to rethink the whole issue of immigration and
helping others. While we thought Chicago
was an ethnically diverse community our experience of immigrants was generally
limited to the Irish, Poles, Italians, Germans and other Europeans. We were not prepared for the Asian influx
that arrived.
As a young, idealistic priest I was convinced that our
parish needed to be on the forefront of helping the nation welcome these
newcomers and at the same time begin the healing process needed after the
war. Nguyen Thac Vinh and his extended
family were assigned to us by Catholic Charities. None of the other priests in the house wanted
anything to do with this matter so it fell on my shoulders to organize
things.
Little did I know what kind of life changing experience this
would become. The first challenge was to
raise awareness of the need for the parish to become involved and then to
secure places for the family to make its home.
The first lesson I learned was about finding housing that fit my western
idea. I was soon disabused of this
notion as I came to grapple with their desire and need to live together
regardless of how cramped the quarters.
My second lesson was more hard learned, I should have
remembered St Vincent de Paul's admonition that the poor were very demanding
masters. My idea of Asian food was
limited to Chinese carryout and rice came in nice little boxes with names like
Uncle Bens. Fifty pound sacks of it
and electric rice cookers were foreign concepts as was the concept of one
family of multiple generations sharing the same cramped living space.
Whether helping them to find jobs or maneuver the public
transportation system I found I was being taught and lead by the very people I
was seeking to assist. It was both a
humbling and enriching experience.
Each of us has or will have experienced a life changing
experience when we are called to let go of those things that we think we
deserve or need and embrace what others need.
Fasting not just from foods but from other things we think are important
for our self satisfaction can help us focus on the future. Lent can help us prepare for the spring that
is the Easter of our lives. Anyone for
potato pancakes?
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The Challenge
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"Set out for deep water and put your nets over the side"
Jesus tells Peter. You can just imagine
how Peter feels. He's been out fishing
for hours and is empty handed. A canny
fisherman he knows that same days are not good ones for hauling in a
catch. Figuring he has nothing to lose
he turns to his coworkers and tells them to drop the nets down one last
time. Then, the seemingly impossible
happens, he hits the mother lode, more fish than his nets can handle. Frantically he calls for those in the other
boat to lend a hand. Soon they are
filled to the gunwales with fish and are on the verge of sinking.
Our first impulse is to focus on the miracle of the
fish. If we do, however, we miss the
significance of the story. The real
miracle is Peter's trust in what Jesus says despite his own misgivings. Jesus the carpenter turned itinerant rabbi
telling Peter the seasoned fisherman how to do his job make little sense
without faith. Peter has heard Jesus
preach, he's seen how Jesus lives and wants to trust him. Yes Jesus turned water into high quality wine
in Cana at the wedding. He was also
nearly thrown over a cliff in his own home town when he dared to apply the
prophecy to himself. Yet here he was
telling Peter how to do his job.
We like Peter are willing to accept the fact of miracles when
it does not require
us to trust Jesus when we think we know quite well the
outcome. When it demands that we let go
of our preconceived notions in our abilities to make something happen that
becomes something quite different. Perhaps this story illustrates the power that
trusting in God has.
Good morning said a woman as she walked up to the
man sitting on ground.
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The man slowly looked up.
This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat
was new.. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life.
His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many
others had done before.. "Leave me alone," he
growled....
To his amazement, the woman continued standing.
She was smiling -- her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows.
"Are you hungry?" she asked.
"No," he answered sarcastically. "I've just come from dining
with the president. Now go away."
The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand
under his arm.
"What are you doing, lady?" the man asked angrily. "I said
to leave me alone.
Just then a policeman came up. "Is there any problem, ma'am?" he
asked..
"No problem here, officer," the woman answered. "I'm just
trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?"
The officer scratched his head. "That's old Jack. He's been a
fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with
him?"
"See that cafeteria over there?" she asked. "I'm going to
get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for awhile."
"Are you crazy, lady?" the homeless man resisted. "I don't
want to go in there!" Then he felt strong hands grab his other
arm and lift him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do
anything."
" This is a good deal for you, Jack"
the officer answered. "Don't blow it."
Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got
Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It
was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already
left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived...
The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table.
"What's going on here, officer?" he asked. "What
is all this, is this man in trouble?"
"This lady brought this man in here to be fed," the policeman
answered.
"Not in here!" the manager replied angrily. "Having a person
like that here is bad for business.."
Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. "See, lady. I told you so. Now
if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place."
The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled.... "Sir, are you
familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?"
"Of course I am," the manager answered impatiently. "They
hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms."
"And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these
weekly meetings?"
"What business is that of yours?"
I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company."
"Oh."
The woman smiled again. "I thought that might make a difference."
She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. "Would
you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?"
"No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty."
"Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?"
"Yes, maam. That would be very
nice."
The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, "I'll get your coffee for
you right away, officer."
The officer watched him walk away. "You certainly put him in his
place," he said.
"That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all
this."
She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared
at him intently.. "Jack, do you remember me?"
Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. "I think
so -- I mean you do look familiar."
"I'm a little older perhaps," she said. "Maybe I've even
filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came
through that very door, cold and hungry."
"Ma'am?" the officer said questioningly. He couldn't
believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been
hungry.
"I was just out of college," the woman began. "I had come to
the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I
was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I
walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and
nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I
could get something to eat."
Jack lit up with a smile. "Now I remember," he said..
"I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked
me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against
company policy."
"I know," the woman continued. "Then you made me the biggest
roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told
me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it.. I was afraid that you
would get into trouble... Then, when I looked over and saw you put the
price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be
all right."
"So you started your own business?" Old Jack said.
"I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my
way up. Eventually
I started my own business that, with the help of God, prospered." She
opened her purse and pulled out a business card.. "When you are
finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons...He's the
personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain
he'll find something for you to do around the office." She
smiled. "I think he might even find the funds to give you a
little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live
until you get on your feet... If you ever need anything, my door is always
opened to you."
There were tears in the old man's eyes. "How can I ever thank
you?" he said.
"Don't thank me," the woman answered.
"To God goes the glory. Thank Jesus... He led me to
you."
Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance
before going their separate ways....
"Thank you for all your help, officer," she said.
"On the contrary, Ms. Eddy," he answered. "Thank you. I saw
a miracle today, something that I will never forget. And..And thank you for
the coffee."
Like Peter we are asked to trust in God and put our nets over the
side. Miracles do happen, you can
rely on them.
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Ashes and Dust
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The
expression 'dust and ashes', a dictionary tells us, means something very
disappointing. Matter and objects perish, sometimes leaving even less of a
trace than a handful of dust or ashes. We can extend the scope of our
reflection beyond objects to include the disappointment of relationships and
plans, the crumbling of achievement.
However,
at this point, slowly perhaps and in hope, we are led further by the
liturgy. Dust and ashes are very disappointing, but the disappointment comes
from a sense of frustration, from realizing that both creation in general and
we human beings in particular were not meant by God to be like this. Talking of
dust, and using ashes liturgically, need not make us accept defeat and
annihilation.
We
do not gather on Ash Wednesday to commemorate the futility of creation. We are too hopeful to reduce ourselves to a handful of dust, and too
realistic simply to fantacize that grace is magic. The ashes used on Ash
Wednesday are the residue of the celebration of Passion Sunday. The full force
of destruction crashed on to Jesus Christ, the destructiveness of death and of
sin, and he was buried in a tomb, the place of decay and the place of dust. Yet
his passion was not futile, and neither was his whole embodied life. His
resurrection from the dead is a recreation that is more than the immortality of
the soul because it also bodily. Our hope includes a scarcely understood
expectation that there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
But
everything has its time, and we must not move too quickly from Ash Wednesday to
Easter, forgetful of the kind of journey faith is.
So
we need to start Lent in humility -- that is, close to the ground, close to our
earthiness: remember you are dust and to dust you shall return. Even for the
baptized there cannot be presumption about our ultimate destiny, and not all we
are and do is edifying, constructive of a solid Christian identity. Grace is
given for struggle. We are responsible, needing to repent and do penance, and to restart under God's grace so as
not to drift away insubstantially from the full meaning and identity that our
lives are meant to have.
This
drift into the unrelieved disappointment of dust and ashes comes from letting
go of God, our neighbor and our selves. The traditional practices of Lent make
us grasp again the essentials for growth -- a greater love of God (prayer), a
more generous love of neighbor (alms giving), and a truer love of ourselves
(fasting). It is love that forms and holds together our deepest and most
lasting identity it is love that unites and resists the drift into what in the
end fails and comes apart. God holds us in his love.
As
we recommit ourselves on Ash Wednesday to build our lives from such loves, a
practical yet far-reaching decision, we are given far more than we give. At one
and the same time, and this is a feature of Christian life, we are realistic
and hopeful.
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Let us pray...
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Let us remember all who died this month, those who are suffering and who are in special need. I invite you to pray with me as together we say Our Father...
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| We look forward to serving you and encourage you to share this e-zine with others who may also be searching for a loving, Catholic experience. We also welcome your feedback to help us make this e-zine more helpful so please feel free to drop us an email.
Sincerely,
Most Rev James Balija
Editor
The Contemporary Catholic
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| Peace! |
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Hi! I'm Fr Jim Balija, editor of The Contemporary Catholic. Our goal is to help you live a richer life. I invite you to take the time to read this e-zine, send us your comments and questions and hopefully share this with your family and friends.
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