Gospel on Beads
If you believe that Mary appeared at Lourdes and Fatima, then you will take her advice to heart: Pray the rosary. At Lourdes Mary held a rosary and prayed it with Bernadette. At Fatima she told three children to pray the rosary for peace. October is the month of the rosary, and October 7 is the feast of the Most Holy Rosary—time to renew (or begin) our commitment to praying this Catholic prayer. It’s not only a repetition of Hail Marys, but prayed correctly, the rosary centers us on the great mysteries of our faith. The rosary is the Gospel on beads. And as the optional concluding prayer asks, “May we imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise.” (more…)
Rainbows and Sand Gifts
Driving home from our BBQ, I saw a spectacular double rainbow shining against dark purple clouds. It ended in front of me on Green Road with the brightest, most vivid display of light I’ve ever seen. Once again, I wished I had my camera in the car! How good it is to be alive and to be able to witness such glorious scenes in nature. I can identify with the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay who wrote, “O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!” I thank God for such lovely gifts and for the fact that I’m not color blind. Creation reflects its creator. Imagine then, how beautiful God must be. If this world contains such marvels as rainbows, what will the next world be like?
The rainbow reminded me of my first sighting of a pilot’s halo. I was some 30 thousand feet above earth, flying to a conference where I was to speak. (At times like this I like to think of God’s hand carrying the plane safely through the sky.) Looking out the window down on the clouds, I saw a miniature shadow of our plane on top of them, gliding alongside us. The plane was surrounded by a circular rainbow. Fascinated, I wondered if I was having a comforting vision! Much later I read a novel in which the heroine was flying in a plane and saw a pilot’s halo. It turns out that this is a phenomenon that occurs under special atmospheric conditions. Since that first pilot’s halo, I’ve seen several, and each time I have to repress the urge to shout to all my fellow passengers, “Look out the window!”
Not having a photo of a rainbow, I’m posting a photo I took of another gift in creation when I did have my camera. Walking along the shore of the Sea of Oman in Arabia, I came across this unusual pattern that wind and waves had created in the sand. With surprises like this appearing in our world, who needs a pot of gold?
When have you delighted in an awesome nature scene? Be ready to feast your eyes on the autumn landscapes that will soon be ours to enjoy.
The Importance of Meals
On the last two Sundays in September my community holds a chicken barbeque at our provincial center. A few years ago, we considered stopping these events. There are fewer SNDs, and the BBQs are a lot of work! However, the deciding factor was that at the BBQs friends, relatives, and coworkers come together for a meal and enjoy reconnecting with the Sisters and one another. That is why this year is our 50th BBQ. It is one of many special meals.
We must eat to live (not live to eat). Yet this bodily need is seasoned with many spiritual meanings. I think of my recent meals. Dining with Sisters one evening strengthened our bonds of friendship as we talked and laughed together while feasting on a prize-winning zucchini pie prepared by one of them. At a luncheon I celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Cleveland Avilas, who pray for and support vocations to the priesthood and religious life. On another day my mother treated my sister and me to a meal at Red Lobster to thank us for our care of her. Sharing meals is a sign of love.
No wonder Jesus chose a meal as the means to unite us to him and one another. Each time we gather for the Eucharist and partake of the blessed bread and wine, our spiritual life is nourished. We have the energy to live as Christians. But at the same time, we enjoy the company of the people who are there at Mass celebrating with us. Our spirits are lifted.
Every good, life-giving meal on earth is a sign of that happy everlasting banquet we will attend in heaven. We have only to answer yes to the RSVP.
What meal or Mass has had special meaning for you?
Our Catholic Siblings in the Mideast
Last Friday Pope Benedict signed a document that came out of the synod on the Church in the Middle East. Appropriately it was the feast of the Exultation of the Cross. With the turmoil in those countries, our fellow Christians are suffering. Before my visits to Arabia, I was in the dark about the Middle East, not to mention the Church there. I had to google Abu Dhabi, and it took a month to pronounce it correctly! Let me tell you about one group I met: the Arab Sisters who minister in Sharjah, the most Muslim emirate in the United Arab Emirates. (more…)
The Power of Example
We influence people more than we think. When I was about eleven, Mr. Goode, a composer, visited us and played a Chopin etude on my piano. I soaked up every note and his style. After my piano teacher assigned me that piece, I played it for her just as Mr. Goode did, imitating his crescendos and retards. When I finished, my teacher said, “Ah, that was beautiful. Ask your parents if you can start going to the Cleveland Institute of Music.” My mother and I decided no. But I didn’t have to tell my teacher because at my next lesson I played like I usually did, and she never brought it up!
Just as Mr. Goode made an impression on me, we are constantly affecting others for good or evil. There is a tendency within us to imitate. I guess it is something we have in common with other primates: “Monkey see, monkey do.” Think of a crisis when everyone is frozen and then one person starts acting. Everyone follows suit. Think of a mob that acts as one. Think of our desire to wear the current fashions like everyone else. This is why we are encouraged to learn about the lives of the saints. Their heroic virtues inspire us to live the same way. The same thing happens when I watch the Olympics. Those athletes who strive with all their might to achieve the perfect tens motivate me to be the best I can be. Although I never could do a cartwheel, still I can work to make the most of my writing gift.
We can be models for others. The most persuasive tool we have for bringing others to God is our own life. When people see us endure suffering without complaint because of our faith, when they see us donating time and money to help the needy, when they see us going to church and praying, they just might be drawn to imitate us. This is the principle behind St. Francis of Assisi’s oft-quoted words to his men as he sent them into a town: “Preach, and if necessary use words.”
When has someone been a model leading you to improve your life?
