Jesus the Man

Last night in Bible Sharing we discussed Sunday's Readings.  I won't reference them because I'm sick and tired--literally.  Being one of the crowds to see the pope allowed me to mingle with all their germs.  I'm sick; I have a cold.  Being up all Sunday night and still not having caught up on my sleep, I'm tired.  But I still went to Bible Sharing because I wanted to tell the group about my Philly Adventure.  

I did that, but I wasn't or couldn't focus on scripture.  Let's just say, I'm so grateful to God for having Jesus become one of us.  Jesus suffered colds and viruses and being tired.  I feel better just knowing that God has experiential knowledge of humanity.

Pope Francis Speaks to Prisoners

Pope Francis met with inmates at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia and said:

"Thank you for receiving me and giving me the opportunity to be here with you and to share this time in your lives.  It is a difficult time, one full of struggles.  I know it is a painful time not only for you, but also for your families and for all of society.  Any society, any family, which cannot share or take seriously the pain of its children, and views that pain as something normal or to be expected, is a society 'condemned' to remain a hostage to itself, prey to the very things which cause that pain.  I am here as a pastor, but above all as a brother, to share your situation and to make it my own.  I have come so that we can pray together and offer our God everything that causes us pain, but also everything that gives us hope, so that we can receive from him the power of the resurrection.

I think of the Gospel scene where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples at the Last Super.  This was something his disciples found hard to accept.  Even Peter refused, and told him: 'You will never wash my feet' (Jn 13:8).  In those days, it was the custom to wash someone's feet when they came to your home.  That was how they welcomed people.  The roads were not paved, they were covered with dust, and little stones would get stuck in your sandals.  Everyone walked those roads, which left their feet dusty, bruised or cut from those stones.  That is why we see Jesus washing feet, our feet, the feet of his disciples, then and now.

Life is a journey, along different roads, different paths, which leave their mark on us. We know in faith that Jesus seeks us out.  He wants to heal our wounds, to sooth our fet which hurt from travelling alone, to wash each of us clean of the dust from our journey.  He doesn't ask us where we have been, he doesn't question us what about we have done.  Rather, he tells us: 'Unless I wash your feet, you have no share with me.' (Jn 13:8)  Unless I wash your feet, I will not be able to give you the life which the Father always dreamed of, the life for which he created you.  Jesus comes to meet us, so that he can restore our dignity as children of God.  He wants to help us to set out again, to resume our journey, to recover our hope, to restore our faith and trust.  He wants us to keep walking along the paths of life, to realize that we have a mission, and that confinement is not the same thing as exclusion.

Life means 'getting our feet dirty' from the dust-filled roads of life and history.  All of us need to be cleansed, to be washed.  All of us are being sought out by the Teacher, who wants to help us resume our journey.  The Lord goes in search of us; to all of us he stretches out a helping hand.  It is painful when we see prison systems which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain, to offer new possibilities.  It is painful when we see people who think that only others need to be cleansed, purified, and do not recognize that their weariness, pain and wounds are also the weariness, pain and wounds of society.  The Lord tells us this clearly with a sign; he washes our feet so we can come back to the table.  The table from which he wishes no one to be excluded.  The table which is spread for all and to which all of us are invited.

This time in your life can only have one purpose: to give you a hand in getting back on the right road, to give you a hand to help you rejoin society.  All of us are part of that effort, all of us are invited to encourage, help, and enable your rehabilitation.  A rehabilitation which everyone seeks and desires: inmates and their families, correctional authorities, social and educational programs.  A rehabilitation which benefits and elevates the morale of the entire community.  Jesus invites us to share in his lot, his way of living and acting.  He teaches us to see the world through his eyes.  Eyes which are not scandalized by the dust picked up along the way, but want to cleanse, heal and restore.  He asks us to create new opportunities: for inmates, for their families, for correctional authorities, and for society as a whole.  I encourage you to have this attitude with one another and with all those who in any way are part of this institution.  May you make possible new opportunities, new journeys, new paths.

All of us have something we need to be cleansed of, or purified from.  May the knowledge of that fact inspire us to live in solidarity, to support one another and seek the best for others.

Let us look to Jesus, who washes our feet.  He is 'the way, and the truth, and life.'  He comes to save us from the lie that says no one can change.  He helps us to journey along the paths of life and fulfillment.  May the power of his love and his resurrection always be a path leading you to new life."

Philly Adventure

This was my bus on the way to visit the pope in Philadelphia.  We were so excited!  The ride down took us six hours.  There was a little mix-up when we changed drivers because our new driver expected us to stop and eat and we didn't plan on doing that.  But we did; our driver needed to eat something.  And I think it was for best; we needed to get off the bus and stretch our legs.

From where we parked the bus in Philadelphia, it was about a 20-minute walk to the subway.  The ride on the subway was fast.  Then we walked for about 45 minutes and joined a crowd of people walking to Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  We understood that it would take us to security points that we had to get thru to get to see the pope's Mass.

It took us about four hours!

We inched our way along, baby step by baby step--for four hours!  It was excruciatingly slow and maddening.  Even so, it could have been worse.  Everyone was nice and happily excited.  We were kind to each other.  Every once in awhile someone would start singing and we'd join in.  We'd make a wave.  Someone tossed a balloon around.  We prayed a rosary.  People who spoke other languages joined in, in their language.  It was wonderful.  We lucked out weather-wise also.  It was about 60 degrees and cloudy.  IOW, cool and comfortable.

Finally, we got through the security checks to see everyone give each other the "kiss of peace."  Distribution of communion was next and we received.  Then it was over.  I really didn't get to see the pope, except on a jumbotron.  But I received communion at a papal mass; I'm happy.

Some people on my bus never got through.  They were turned away because the Mass was over.  All that trouble waiting, and they never got through.

Then we backtracked--hour walk to subway--subway ride--20-minute walk to the bus.  The subway was mobbed with people.  But everyone was singing in their language, mostly Spanish.  All were happy.

We waited about an hour at the bus for everyone to come back.  There was an eclipse going on so we were blessed to view it.

We left the parking lot at 8:30 PM. (Remember this time; it'll be important, later.)

In Connecticut, the bus driver announced, "I have bad news.  The check engine light is on and we're losing power."  The bus pulled over to the breakdown lane and slowly died.

Every bus was busy.  Every bus driver was working.  We waited 2-3 hours for a rescue bus.  A tow truck came in a couple of hours to take the broken bus away.  Then when the rescue bus arrived one of our passengers refused to get on the bus because the driver wasn't a fresh driver.  Eventually, however, she got on the bus and we were off.

While waiting to be rescued, we played cards.  I learned how to play rummy with two decks.  Some people slept.  Some high schoolers did homework.  Others just talked quietly.

The rest of the ride was uneventful.  We arrived back home at 7:30 AM.  

Around 6:00 AM we heard that the pope arrived in Rome.  Imagine that!  The pope flew back to Rome and was sleeping in his own bed before us!

Was it worth it?

You betcha!

Would I do it again?  Not for all the whiskey in Ireland!  

Streets of Philadelphia

Streets of Philadelphia, here I come.  I'm off to see the pope.  I don't know when I'll be able to post.  My iPhone is full, so I can't take pictures.  My point and shoot camera needs a new lithium battery and I don't want to spend the money.  IOW, no pictures.  But I'll have memories and I'll tell you all about them when I get back.

Wish me God's speed.  

Mourning and Weeping

Whoever thinks the Dominican Chant of Salve Regina is beautiful hasn't heard my chapter sing it.  We make it die.  We sound like a funeral procession moaning dreadfully.

The Salve Regina is a prayer sung after Evening prayer.  Legend has it has composed by angels.  Wikipoedia has it composed by a monk, Hermann of Reichenau  but St. Dominic had his nuns singing it in 1206, which is before his time.

People say it's beautiful, but we are struggling with it.  My chapter of Lay Dominicans is practicing for our Profession Day.  Fr. Nic, our spiritual advisor would like us to sing it.  So we need prayers.

Who is Jesus to You?

Just beginning RCIA, we are discussing Jesus--Who He is? He is:

Teacher   --   John 13:13

Lover      --   John 15:9, 12-13

Friend     --   John 15:15

There's more, but these are the ones that mean most to me.  Could Jesus be whoever you want Him to be?  I don't think so because let's suppose you were crazy and want Jesus to be evil.  That He could never be except inside your misdirected mind.

But to me, Jesus as a teacher, lover and friend helps me relate to others better.  He teaches me to be a better person.  And a better person means I love others.

What is Jesus to you?

Healer?
Servant?
Redeemer?
God?

I Forgive You

It's late September, after all.  There should be a chill in the air.  But 52 degrees!  I had to wear a jacket for the first time in months!  That's why my rosary beads were stolen.

Here's the story.  I wasn't used to wearing a jacket, so I wasn't used to checking the jacket's pockets.  I was going through security at the prison and forgot.  The door opened and I was just about to step through the doorway when I remembered.  One pocket had a packet of tissues.  The other pocket had my rosary beads.  However, the beads were in a little purse that may have looked like a change purse.

I couldn't take the time to go outside to go get money, to pay for a locker, to put in the rosary and tissue packet.  So I just put them on the top of the bank of lockers.  When I came back out, only the packet of tissues were there.

Obviously, all the thieves aren't on the inside.

Somebody probably just snatched the purse and took off.  Later, what did they think when they saw there was no money, just prayer beads?  I hope they feel guilty and obligated for the rest of their life to pray the rosary.

But realistically, they probably just threw them away.  May God forgive them.  I do.