Pestering God

I asked God if I could exaggerate,
and He said, “Depends.”
I asked God if it were okay to be fat,
and He asked, “What’s fat?”
I asked God if I could write about
people with small minds and big mouths.
He said, “My Beloved,”
He calls me that, sometimes.
“Be careful you don’t hurt anybody.”
“Thanks God,” I said.

And is it even okay if I write poetry
that has impossible imagery,
difficult diction, and is mostly
meaningless?”

“My Love,” God said.
He’s really crazy about me, you see.
“What I’m telling you is,
Yes, Yes, Yes…but with love.”

What Do You Want?

"What do you want me to do for you?"  Jesus asks Bartimeus.  And Bartimeus answers, "That I may see."  Jesus grants Bartimeus request.  Not only does Bartimeus see with eyes but also with his heart because he goes on to follow Jesus.  (Mark 10: 46-52)

This same question is asked of Thomas Aquinas.  Aquinas had written about the Eucharist and was pondering if he had done it justice.  In prayer, AQ put the book down in front of the crucifix.  He heard “Thou hast written well of me, what recompense dost thou desire?”

Thomas humbly answered, “None other than Thyself, O Lord.”  

I think Thomas Aquinas' answer is the best answer.  I'll have to remember it if and when God asks me what I want.

Nothing but You, My Love.

The Cross and the Lotus

Two recent converts to Catholicism were in my RCIA class.  They come from a Buddhist tradition.  I've found being an RCIA teacher, that Buddhists make excellent Catholics.  They have been a great help to me.  They also told me some stories from Buddhism that resonate with Christian stories.  They even tell me that legend has it that Jesus traveled East and met with the Buddha.

Well, what was Jesus doing between the ages of 12 and 30?  Nice legend.

My friend, Mary, who is from Kerala, India, speaks of other Christian faiths in India.  Her husband is a Syriac Christian who trace their history back to Jesus' followers and once called themselves Nasranis.  Think Nasranis = Nazarenes = followers of the Nazarene, Jesus.

Mary is quite comfortable talkings about Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and Protestants.  She looks at their similarities.  In fact, she has a symbol of the cross blooming out of a lotus blossom.  The lotus is a symbol of Buddhist enlightenment.  And see what's blooming out of the lotus.

This symbol if found not only in India, but along the coast of China.  The two faith traditions must have been accepted and collaborated.  Aren't Buddhists and Christians interested in intellectual curiosity and spiritual advancement?  Ecumenical good will?  Alleviating suffering?  Atoning for sin?  Meditation?  Sacrifice?  Love?

Drained

You know what?  Maybe people are just tired.  They want to take the easy way out.  So they want to be left alone.

I'm talking religion.  That means evangelizing.  I also mean educating, proselytizing, and just plain chatting.  Some people don't even want to think.

Leave them alone.  Let them wallow in their self absorption.

I guess you can tell that I'm tired of their refusal to look deeper.  Is it laziness?  Sigh...I guess the Holy Spirit will have to take over, I quit.

Ordination of Salvatore Mellone

Zenit this morning has a story about Salvatore Mellone.  He is a terminally ill seminarian.  Before he dies, he was ordained and gave his first blessing to Pope Francis.

Father Mellone's story reminded me of my post from May 21, 2011.  It is unusual for a seminarian to be ordained on his death bed.  But not only did this happen for Father Mellone, it also occurred with Bl. Hyacinth Marie Cormier, O.P.  The miraculous thing is, Hyacinth, (who received that name because his health was as delicate as a hyacinth) recovered.  Not only did he recover, he  went on to become the Master General of the Order of Preachers.

May Father Salvatore Mellone recover as did Bl. Hyacinth, for this I pray.

God's Power Made Perfect in Weakness

The story of Bill Atkinson is very inspiring.  I did a double take at first because the words quadriplegic priest leaped out at me.  I didn't know this was possible.  A priest needs to be able to elevate the Eucharist and a quadriplegic wouldn't be able to do this.  This story explains how it happens.
      Bill wanted to be a priest.  He chose to belong to a community, rather than become a diocesan priest.  In my opinion this was divine intervention because I think living in a community would be more inclined to help their confrere than the lonely diocesan cleric.  Bill chose the Augustinians.
      During Bill's first year in the seminary, he had a toboggan accident that left him a quadriplegic.  The Augustinians thought that Bill could still be a priest.  They worked with him, including asking the pope for permission to continue his studies.  Cardinal Krol, with permission from Pope Paul VI, ordained him.  Father Bill consecrated with the help of a deacon.
       Father Bill lead an active life and was a model for everyone he encountered.  He died in 2006. I was thinking he'd be a good intercessor for all who felt handicapped, who needed encouragement to persevere, who craves hope.  Father Bill Atkinson is the one to call upon.


Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/matthew-archbold/the-amazing-and-inspiring-story-of-the-quadriplegic-priest#ixzz3XcK3wCYu

We Stunk Up the Place

The women's club went bowling tonight.  As usual, I did fantastic--at first.  I've done that all my life.  I just do well in the beginning and then from then on, it's all downhill.  We played two games and I scored 77 in the first game.  The second game I scored 44.  See what I mean?

Besides, I broke a fingernail.