The purpose of the Church is to reach out and draw all of its members to communion with God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Church does this by presenting age after age the message of Jesus and also joins us with Jesus through our sacramental life. In carrying out this mission, it tries to convey to the entire world a message based on truth and love, a message that has tremendous implications for justice and fairness. These virtues are affected by the economic system present at any given moment.
For most of the last 2,000 years virtually the entire world’s economy was based on agriculture. That changed with the Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century bringing tremendous change to human life, including a vast increase in wealth and prosperity. But not everyone shared equally in these new developments. In the late 19th century, Pope Leo XIII saw that the Industrial Revolution and its later developments were inflicting tremendous pain and suffering on the poor workers in the urban centers of Europe and North America. He wrote his famous encyclical, Rerum Novarum which laid out a structure of responsibilities reminding employers of their responsibilities to be fair and just with their workers, and that those workers had the right to organize in order to defend their economic interests. In those days, that economy was mostly one of shops and small plants where workers and employers were often in face to face situations.
By the 1930’s, the world of the small plant by an individual or family gave way as nationwide industries developed and thus Pope Pius XI wrote the encyclical Quadragesimo Anno which built on the work of Leo XIII and dealt now with problems related to nation-wide economies.
After World War II with the decolonization of the people of Africa, the possibility of a one world economy expanded tremendously and as a result in 1963 that magnificent pope John XXIII wrote a document that had tremendous impact in the Church and on the world entitled Pacem in Terris, Peace on Earth. It dealt with this new worldwide economy many years before any of us were routinely referring to the reality of an integrated world economy. The document came out in 1963 and made a powerful impression on Church leaders all over world. Fifty years have passed since the encyclicals issued and in the next couple of days I will give you my opinion of the affect that it has had in this painful and agonizing half century.
 

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What did you do for her? What did you give to her? A better question is, are each of us conscious of what she has given to us and done for us? I am, of course, referring to that wonderful celebration that took place yesterday in the majority of homes in our country, when children and grandchildren and extended families turned our thoughts and attentions to our mothers. The answer to the first two questions are not too important, but that we have a clear and complete understanding of the second part makes all the difference in the world. She has given us LIFE. Just a four letter word, isn’t it? But it means everything.
Every aspect of your existence is completely meaningless if separated from the fact that you, a distinct individual, have been given the gift of life by that all important woman.
Most of us have received blessings beyond measure as we have lived out our years, but nothing compares to that single blessing: our being, our existence, our presence, our future happiness- all are wrapped up in that gift!
What did she give to us? Well, it has changed over the years. She had an awesome presence in our childhood. She was there when we were most vulnerable, and she guided us through those incredible early chapters of human development. The three year old afraid of the barking dog. The five year old who ultimately walked alone into a strange and threatening world called kindergarten. The exuberance and tension that marked all our lives as we entered puberty. Finally, she did what a wonderful mother has to do ultimately, she let us go! Those of us who are adults have been on our own for awhile. If we had any degree of developing a full, good and generous life, we can thank HER- our mother!
It’s may seem obvious that I have been speaking about our natural mothers, but we have also been so blessed to have within our midst countless mothers who emptied themselves with love for adopted children that they have raised.
May God bless your mother and all mothers across the planet. Happy Mothers Day!

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April 7th, Second Sunday of Easter

Who could not like spring? Every season of the year has its advantages but I think that most of us recognize that summer has too much heat, in the fall the leaves do just that, and wintertime can be bitterly cold, but, oh, dear spring! The temperature is perfect. We see little explosions of life in every direction. School children know that vacation is not too far away.
Of course, for Christians it gets even better because we will be continuing to celebrate the great feast of the Resurrection for several more weeks. In his resurrection, Jesus, our Lord, overcomes death. An explosion of fresh greenery all around us is a reminder of that and down the road will be our own triumph over death because of our faith in Jesus Christ. Oh, happy, happy season.
Let’s try hard to hold on to the exuberant joy that naturally comes with this time in the year. If you are short on money in early April, you may still be short on money on the first of June but don’t be depressed by it. If you are trying to delay seeing the dentist, make the appointment, get it behind you and thank God that we have such great medical resources. Let’s be happy with our family and friends, let’s be happy with nature, let’s be happy with the Church and let’s even be happy ourselves.
Happy Easter continues on.
I guess I got carried away. The scripture texts for today are extraordinarily meaningful but the power of spring overcame me!
 

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I’m 82 years old, or as a rather insensitive friend said to me last week, “not right, John, you are actually only 8 years from 90″. That mathematical switch went through me like a knife. I thought it over and realized that while the math was identical, the emotional response varied somewhat.

I wonder if it’s because I am in the ninth decade that I am suddenly becoming aware that people I have known for so long have a tendency to move on ahead of me. It certainly is food for thought…and I’m thinking!

I have been molded and formed by the Roman Catholic faith, and although it has many rough edges, it is extraordinarily optimistic. Catholicism has always held that human nature is essentially good, but weak. Martin Luther, on the other hand (who has a moderate amount of influence in the Christian story) always taught that human nature was essentially corrupt, and only faith in Jesus Christ could overcome the evil that was innate in the human condition. These thoughts pass through my mind as I find myself journeying from funeral to funeral. Funerals are profoundly important. They bring together people who have not seen each other in years. They create an atmosphere that calls for reconciliation. Tears flow. But laughter abounds!

All of this is even more true for people who are Irish. “Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy which sustained him through temporary periods of joy” (W.B. Yeats).

If I said that I enjoyed funerals, I would be misunderstood, because they are usually connected with sadness. But, if a person is committed to the Christian faith, that sadness should be seen as a short term, immediate reality, and beyond the pain is a vestibule opening into eternal life & eternal joy.
There is so much real tragedy, so much agonizingly unnecessary suffering in the world, that we Christians should give an example of hope, optimism and joy when someone we love escapes into eternal life.

Does that mean we are not to cry, not to shed tears when we experience the agonizing loss of a loved one? Not at all. But with the eyes of faith, look beyond that casket. See through that tombstone. See the purpose for which each one of us came into being, which is now being fulfilled.

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Any objective observer of the human condition can easily see that there is a tremendous amount of corruption in the lives of many individuals and in the structures that human beings have developed over the centuries. In view of this fact, it is a temptation for some to be completely cynical about the human condition. They think that corruption and dishonesty are the natural state of things and there is little hope for America’s dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. However, I am more optimistic than that.

Being a priest for 55 years has given me wonderfully good opportunities to see human goodness on all sides. Problems develop, injustice appears, pain is rampant and in each one of those situations first individuals and then groups will come forward, in expense of their own time and resources, and endeavor to correct the evil that is present. One of those wonderful organizations is Amnesty International. Last month, Amnesty International celebrated 50 years of heroic service to people unjustly imprisoned or oppressed. It is an awesome story of vision, courage and sacrifice.

Amnesty International is now fairly well organized in virtually every country except the few where it is not free to exist. I am happy to see that the United States has an excellent organization headed by Larry Cox, the Executive Director of AIUSA.

AI is constantly on the watch for situations where groups or individuals are imprisoned or placed under house arrest for not towing the company line in a dictatorial country. When such a situation is identified, Amnesty International goes to work and endeavors to develop support all over the world to spotlight the injustice of this particular government’s actions. Dictatorships, both right and left wing, are oddly sensitive to bad publicity and very frequently pressure from the volunteers scattered across the globe to spotlight a particular act of injustice brings a restoration of freedom – not always but many times.

Those who work in Amnesty International do it quietly without fanfare or recompense. They are concerned about human freedom and would like those striking words of the Declaration of Independence that we celebrated the other day to be made available to everyone giving all of the earth the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

There is an excellent animated film commemorating AI’s 50th anniversary and it can be secured by contacting www.amnestyusa.org. Everyone who is concerned about human liberty should be either a member of or a supporter of Amnesty International.

Let’s hear it for freedom!

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Yesterday I mentioned that people who find themselves embarrassed in discussions following a death should NOT be. Everything that needs to be conveyed can be handled by a hug, a kiss, or a simple expression of sorrow. But, time marches on. When we see our friends following a recent death, there is no need to be fearful of engaging in a simple, relaxed conversation about the lost friend or relative.

That person is dead. That is the simple reality, and the person in mourning already finds him or herself in the process of moving on. To discuss the good qualities of the deceased, to verbally celebrate that much-loved life is relaxing and encouraging for everyone involved.

Two things mix well in dealing with death: laughter and tears, and they are not contradictory. If you work at this, you will see that your friend may very well be laughing and crying simultaneously, and both reflect an element of reality. Neither is to be shunned.

It is regrettable, that while we are all joyful with the birth of a healthy child, we find it difficult to celebrate or discuss a friend’s journey into eternal life, which we hold as unending joy. Birth and death: the bookends of our life on this planet, live together and should not be feared.

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Happy New Year! May 2011 bring you many continued blessings, and may we all recognize those blessings. Here are a few more thoughts as we look to the new year:

Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

ALWAYS CHOOSE LIFE.

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The week between Christmas and New Years is not all that productive for most of us. For that reason, I am going to take off for a few days. However, my editor refuses to release me of the responsibility of saying something on the blog, so I am going to take a shortcut and borrow someone else’s work…

I was given a beautiful series of pictures from Norway with simple sentences on the bottom of each one. They are described as lessons in our life and I think that most of them, although obvious, are very meaningful. Here are a few more snippets while I continue on the road.

Life isn’t fair but it is still good.

Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

Make peace with your past so it wont mess up the present.

It is okay to let your children see you cry; it is better to let them see you PRAY.

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Anyone who believes in miracles and in the power of prayer should be begging for the welfare of those 30 miners imprisoned in the shaft of a copper mine 2,000 feet below the surface in Chile.

In a room little larger than a hotel room, about 30 miners have been trapped since early August.  Their heroism and discipline have kept them alive and now a shaft has been opened to reach them with fresh air and the other essentials to maintain life.  However, the situation is agonizing and some estimates are that they cannot be reached with a new shaft for over two months, possibly as long as four months. You can read more about their precarious situation at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11054376

Please pray for the miners and for their families that are suffering through such an agonizing ordeal.

Faith, courage and discipline are required by everyone but these brave men are all too human.

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Tomorrow, sacred texts again draw from the teachings that Jesus is giving the people as he continues towards Jerusalem and His death. What a list! The first reading challenges us to seek humility in the way we live our lives and relate to one another. Jesus points out the simple fact that our lifetime is very limited, and that the endless pursuit of wealth is foolish, to say the least.

The Gospel text is a graphic example where a man takes all of his material resources and centers his life and future on them. The resources remeain, but the man dies attesting to the fact that greed is a very destrutive tempatation that produces no results for the person who uses it as a guide on how to live.

Today the Church calls us to humility, simplicity and generosity. When we hear these sacred readings, let’s think for a moment as to how we are doing. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Luke 12:34

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