Saturday, July 28, 2012

Lucky to Have a Job

I believe that I am lucky to have a job that isn't hard, that isn't dangerous, and that isn't boring.

Sometimes, at the end of my day I'm worn out, totally exhausted, emotionally drained, and too tired to think about anything but resting. But I've been lucky all my life, because I've always had jobs that didn't involve long days with a pick or a shovel. Compared to so many other jobs in the world I have it easy! People around the world, and in this country too, struggle every day just to feed themselves and their families. They work in conditions that are exhausting and dangerous, with no support or recourse if they miss a day due to sickness, and when injured on the job they lose their opportunity to work hard again the next day.

I'm thankful that I have a job that isn't hard, that isn't dangerous, and that isn't boring.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Suffering in Culture - Part 5

My wife organizes a weekly presentation at our Parish every Tuesday evening, called Spirituality Tuesday. This is a major excerpt from the presentation called Our Experience of Suffering in Culture and in Faith by Sherry Cassedy, which I found to be a beautifully written thought provoking explanation, and exceptionally relevant to our lives. Although my life’s story is different I am grateful to have been present at this presentation, because it so strongly represents my understanding of suffering. Some of it has been edited and some of it hasn’t, but this is her work alone.

Our instinct to say to ourselves, “There but for the grace of God go I”, is a separation from others; a holding apart from those who suffer, taking solace in our own good fortune. Our prayer should be, “There with the grace of God go I”, in communion; seeing others in our suffering and ourselves in their suffering. We are they and they are us, and we are in the Grace of God, in solidarity and communion, in compassion with suffering, and in comfort with strength. When we allow ourselves to feel our own suffering and we take it in and we move it to our heart, it can be transformed into compassion for the suffering of others; for universal suffering.

Surrender is God’s way for us to experience not being in control, as an invitation to faith. One thing that our experience of suffering does is to make it very clear that we are not in control. Some hold to life closely with clenched fists, trying to control destiny, but eventually having to accept the reality that control is not possible. Some respond by expressing more anxiety, trying to control more of the circumstances that surround them. Some respond with a deep surrender, relinquishing not only the belief that control is possible, but even the arrogance that it should be controllable. Jesus tells us, “Be not afraid”.

We need to move out of the house of fear and into the world of hope. This opens us to new life and new perspectives: “I empty myself to be filled by thee”. The spring equinox is the perfect balance between the dark and light, and the first day of spring represents renewal. Perhaps we can see that in our darkness there is a glimmer of light, and in the movement toward the light and toward renewal, we will be able to see the new life that before we could not imagine. We are all companions on this journey as we experience the singular yet universal encounter with suffering. The movements that turn our mourning into dancing are a journey of faith: A journey of movement, gratitude, compassion, surrender, and renewal. It is a journey in which you and I, in communion with those before us, with us, and after us, are not alone.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Why

I believe that the most important question anyone can ask is why, and we should ask it often.

Kids love to ask why, at least I did, and this question used to get me into trouble; because I was constantly starting my sentences with why. In fact, starting my sentences with the word why persisted beyond my college years. As I grew older however, I tended to verbalize my "why" questions less and less and concentrate more on the possible answers. It isn't that the question itself is bad of course, usually the problem is that the person you are asking doesn't have the answer, and rather than appear unprepared they scold you for asking. Don't be put off! We should all be asking the question "why" all the time, and we should insist on clear answers. It doesn't matter whether we are talking about politics, religion, or finances. Asking the "why" question and insisting on an understandable answer is still the best way to challenge the status quo and make progress into the future.

Today I still ask myself why, because it helps me understand what is happening in the world around me.

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Make a Life

I believe that we make a living with what we get, and that we make a life with what we give.

The Golden Rule, spoken by Jesus, is possibly the best-known quote from the Bible, and sums up Jesus' ethical teachings in one short sentence. If we wish to be loved, we must give love. If we wish to be respected, we must respect all persons. If we wish to be forgiven, we must also forgive. If we wish others to speak kindly of us, we must speak kindly of them. If we want strong marriages, we must be loyal and faithful to our spouses. If we wish to be fulfilled in our lives, we must share generously with others. If we wish to reap the rewards of our Heavenly Father's love, we must truly love all His people. If we do not wish to be judged harshly, then we must not judge others harshly.

It's important to make a living, but it's just as important to make a life.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Suffering in Culture - Part 4

My wife organizes a weekly presentation at our Parish every Tuesday evening, called Spirituality Tuesday. This is a major excerpt from the presentation called Our Experience of Suffering in Culture and in Faith by Sherry Cassedy, which I found to be a beautifully written thought provoking explanation, and exceptionally relevant to our lives. Although my life’s story is different I am grateful to have been present at this presentation, because it so strongly represents my understanding of suffering. Some of it has been edited and some of it hasn’t, but this is her work alone.

How do we integrate suffering into our experience? How can we follow the examples of Christ to move from suffering to redemption, to new life? A first step is by the example of Mary. Mary suffered greatly, at the foot of the cross, as they took Jesus down from the cross and she held his broken body. The famous image of the Pieta is a witness to her son’s passion, and by her presence and as a sharer in it by her compassion as well. She demonstrates the transcendence of individual suffering. “As though by a continuation of that motherhood through which by the Holy Spirit had given him life, the dying Christ confers upon the Virgin Mary a new kind of motherhood, spiritual and universal, toward all human beings, so that every form of suffering should become no longer the weakness of man but the power of God.”

The image of Mary, the Pieta, actually derives from the words piety, as in faith and trust, or pity, as in compassion. Faith and compassion should be our response to suffering as we move slowly out of the storm and into the light. We need to be able to move toward the light when it presents itself. This movement is part of the secret of transforming suffering. To be aware of our own suffering, not attached to it or stuck within it, but continuing to move, to breathe, and to grow. Surround yourself with family and friends and the movement of love, being open to the love that is moving through you, and remain open-hearted. Understand when grief descends and you withdraw from an open posture to a protective posture. This too is part of the movement. Don’t get stuck in one pose or the other, but allow yourself to move between them.

Gratitude is one of the responses to loss or suffering, and resentment is the other. We do not have a choice about when suffering comes, but we do have a choice in how we respond. Gratitude in its deepest sense means to live life as a gift received thankfully. True gratitude embraces all of life, the good and the bad, the joyful and the painful, the holy and the not-so-holy. Gratitude must be cultivated, it requires practice.  We will have dark days and we will become familiar with the darkness: It can even become a solace. But then there will be a glimmer of light, an opportunity or an invitation, but only a glimmer. We need to be willing to move, to move toward the light. We need to be thankful for the invitation, to be grateful for the moment, for the choice. It becomes a daily practice to see the good, the light, the next step, and to move in the direction of the light.

Compassion means entering into the dark moment of others, who have made these transitions, who are living with grief, with illness, with pain, with suffering, and understanding that while our suffering is unique, we are not alone. We are called to communion and solidarity with others, to compassion, literally “with suffering”. It is to walk into places of pain, not to flinch or look away when someone agonizes but to stay where people suffer. We might think that opening ourselves to the suffering of others will intensify our own, but when we allow our own suffering we are more able to be present to the suffering of others, to find solidarity and comfort, to offer the gift of presence.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Consume Less

I believe that we should consume less, and share more.

If we wish to be fulfilled in our lives, we must share generously with others. If we wish to reap the rewards of our Heavenly Father's love, we must truly love all His people. If we do not wish to be judged harshly, then we must not judge others harshly. The golden rule - treat others as you would want to be treated - is the standard Jesus set for dealing with other people. What matters to God is our love for Him and our love for each other. Wealth, power and status count for nothing in the Kingdom of God. When we truly love our neighbors, we do our part to make the world a better place, and we find our own fulfillment in life.

Therefore, I believe that we should consume less, and share more.