Deacon Ed's Blog

Lent 2012

2012-02-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

It seems we are being overwelmed by the goings on in our world, redefinition of marriage, attacks on religious liberty, civil war in Syria, continued stalemate in Afghanistan, serious financial problems in Europe and rapidly rising gas prices. The list goes on and on. The Republicans running for the presidency tell us they have all the answers, but isn't that what our President told us three and a half years ago.
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is a time to reflect on our personal lives to see how we can be better people and to look at the world the way Jesus would. That's easier said than done. Our tendency is to make Jesus in our image and likeness because judging the world as Jesus would requires too much of us. Can we really love one another as Jesus loves? What would happen if we did?
Jesus puts the bar pretty high. To reach it, the first thing we must do is get rid of pride and selfishness, not easy things to do.
The three directives we are given in the Gospel of Matthew which we read on Ash Wednesday are to give alms, pray and fast, in other words look to others to see what we can do for them in the way of charity or service, develop a closer relationship with God and discipline ourselves. This can be done by allowing God a bigger portion of our lives, coming to a conclusion that God is God and we're not.
Let's take this Lent to put our lives in better order and, by our actions, educate others in these practices. Who knows? We could change our world. There is an organization called The Christophers whose motto is "Light one little candle rather than curse the darkness."
This Lent let us all try to bring joy to our world and see Jesus smile.

New Year's Wishes

2012-01-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

What will constitute a happy new year in 2012? I pray that we become a kinder people. There is just too much hatred and anger in our world. The "Autumn Springs" in the Middle East, after disposing of despots, have produced more sectarian violence, in the case of Egypt, against Christians.

In our country, the candidates for president can only tell us how things are bad and only they will be able to set them right. Immigrants, whether legal or undocumented, are looked upon as less than human beings, loved by God as much as we are.

These are important issues, but they have to be put on the back burner for a while, the NFL Playoffs are on. I'm very much involved here because I'm a displaced Bostonian who likes both the Patriots and the Ravens and will root for either team that makes the Super Bowl, even though I learned many years ago that God doesn't really care who wins games. God loves us all. If we could only get excited about Jesus Christ as we do about the teams we root for, we might be able to change the world.

So what is my New Year's resolution? I want to become a more loving person, with my wife, my children and grandchildren, and any one I may come in contact with this year. To love as Jesus showed us how to love. My wish for you is the same. Happy New Year!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-20T10:44:00.000-08:00

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
We need to get away from all the “Happy Holidays” we’ve been hearing and celebrate the birth of Christ.

The celebration of Christmas only started in the 4^th century to compete with the then celebration of the emperor’s birthday, where the Church made it a special feast of the poor, the common people and the little ones. By the 16^th century the celebration was disappearing, at least in the English speaking world. The Puritans condemned and abolished it as a pagan rite and in the 17^th century, when the little people rioted, Britain made it a secular holiday, although it was still outlawed in New England until 1850.
We still continually talk about the secularization of Christmas, but many of us will attend church services, even though that might not be our usual practice. What brings us there? – a little child, but one who would change the world by telling us about his Father.

In the center of the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is God reaching out to touch Adam.
Think about how God has touched our lives, maybe through your spouse, your children, your grandchildren, your friends. How do we respond? Do we even consider them blessings from God or just events along the path of life? God, both Father and Son, wants to be an integral part of our lives.

I recently read an article that stated that people who look beyond their self-interest and practice religion, belong to community organizations, do volunteer work and have rich social connections are generally healthier and happier than those who do not. The real beauty of Christmas is that we do reach out to others with gifts, cards and good wishes.
I’m reminded of the story “The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry. In it a young married couple, who didn’t have much money, each wanted to get a Christmas present for the other. The woman’s prized possession was here long red hair and the man’s was a family heirloom pocket watch, so she had her hair cut and sold to buy him a watch chain and he pawned his watch to buy her a fancy comb for her hair. Some might say the gifts were wasted, but they experienced the gift of Christmas in the way Jesus intended. They touched each other’s lives with love.

So this Christmas, will we enter into the presence of God, to honor the birth of his Son. God likes that, but what about tomorrow or next week or next month? Will we remain in God's presence? God, will Jesus, mean as much as they do now, at Christmas? Or will we put God back in a box until maybe Easter?

God’s love and care for us never wavers, no matter how we respond. So, how will we respond? The ball is in our court.

Have a blessed Christmas.

The End of the Year

2011-11-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

November brings us to the end of the Church Year. The month starts with the honoring of our beloved dead, both those who have made it into heaven and those that may be at the gate. It presents a good time to reflect on all those people who have touched our lives and what we have become because of our association with them.

I'm also struck by the number of female saints we honor during this month. I don't know whether that is so because they all died in November or because the Church feels that we shouldn't let the year go by without remembering how important women are in our Church.

As we near the end of the Church Year our readings at Mass alert us to the fact that we should prepare for the end of our lives. I'm reminded of an old Irish saying, "Live every day as though it will be your last, and one day you'll be right."

Thanksgiving Day also is celebrated in this month, a day for families. That's why the traffic over those days is the busiest of the year.Families get together to overeat and watch football games. I only hope we all take a little time during our Thanksgiving get-togethers to reflect on the author of all the blessings we have received. Even though this is a secular holiday, not specifically a religious one, it commemorates the successful survival of the pilgrims in Massachusetts. They thanked God for their blessings. Can we do less for ours?

Veterans' Day

2011-11-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate Veterans' Day, formerly called Armistice Day, the day the 1st World War ended, the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the "War to End All Wars". Since then our country has been involved in World War II, Korea, Viet Nam, Afghanistan and Iraq, resulting in the deaths of millions of our men, and now women, including my brother, Paul, whom I mentioned earlier.
To what end. Are we a better people, is our world a better place because of our involvement? Unfortunately, many think so.
Also today, in the Catholic Church we celebrate the Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, a man who served in the army and gave up his position to follow Christ, the Prince of Peace. He became a conscientious objector, somewhat ironic.
We should have learned by now that there is nothing glorious about war. Most of us never participated, so I don't think we fully respect those who do, unless they are part of our immediate families. War sucks.
We are supposed to be followers of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. If he is our leader and we choose to follow him, (don't we ?) we really have to look at our lives.
Do we look at others as loved by God, they are, just as we are, regardless of how we think of those others.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ isn't easy, particularly if we think we have to be true citizens of our country.
While I think I've been very blessed to be born in this country. I'm reminded of the statement of St. Thomas More, "I'm the king's true servant, but God's first."
Is God really first in our life, above every other consideration? If so, and we can spread the message, we .might be able to end the wars that end all wars.
We need believers, millions of them, for this to happen. We have to believe.

Tribulations of a Red Sox Fan

2011-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've finally calmed down enough to comment on what it takes to be a Red Sox fan. Their collapse in September is just another heartbreak, in a long line of them, that we have experienced.
My recollections started in 1946 when, as a heavy favorite, they lost to the Cardinals in the seventh game. Then followed, 1948 - Lost a one game playoff to the Indians to loss the pennant, ;1979 - lost the last two games of the season to the Yankees to finish one game out in the pennant race, then came the low years.
They returned to the world Series in 1967, 1975 and 1986 losing each series in the seventh game. I remember where I was when the ball went through Buckner's legs, when Bucky Dent hit a home run to beat them in a playoff in 1977 and Aaron Boone in 2003. No wonder why people said it was the curse of the Bambino.
Rooting for the Red Sox meant never having to go to Purgatory! But then came 2004 when the Sox came back from being down three games to none to the hated Yankees (I don't hate anyone, but I got carried away) and won four straight followed by a four game sweep of the Cardinals for their first World Championship since 1918. I had made a deal with God that I wasn't going to die until the Sox won the series and I've been looking over my shoulder ever since.
They won it all again in 2007, but there will never be a Red Sox dynasty, like the Celtics and Yankees have had. The Sox fans couldn't handle it. We need to hope and need to have those hopes disintegrate.
I'm now convinced that God is using the Red Sox to get His message across. He's saying, "You can't depend on them. You can really only depend on me."
And God is right, but "Wait till next year"!

2011-10-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

September Vacations

2011-10-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

This September we drove to Montreal and cruised from there back to Boston with stops in Quebec City, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor, Maine. It was a great trip at a nice time of the year. In the past five tears we've taken two other September vacations, one to Italy and the other to Ireland. Why September?
I think it goes back to the story about a priest, a minister and a Rabbi discussing when life began. The priest was adamant that it began at conception while the minister felt it was a little after that. The Rabbi said, "You're both wrong. Life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies."
Think about it and enjoy your September vacations.

Thinking About September 11

2011-09-06T14:03:00.000-07:00

As we approach the tenth anniversary of that fateful day when our world was turned around many thoughts go through my mind. Like most of us I remember where I was when I first became aware of what happened. I watched with sadness at the number of Innocent lives being lost, with admiration at the many people, particularly firefighters, attempting to rescue people. I witnessed a world sympathizing with this country.
It was only later that the idea of revenge entered the minds and hearts of many.This foul deed must not go unpunished.

The end result of this attitude has been a war in Afghanistan that has lasted longer than any conflict in which our country has been involved, at a substantial loss of more of our citizens, as well as many Innocent Afghans.Similar losses have resulted in Iraq, which would never had happened if there had been no 9/11. Has retaliation made us a better nation?

In the Gospel reading for September 11, 2011, Peter asks Jesus, "How often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him/ As many as seven times? And Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven." Matt. 18:21b-22 RSV
Forgiveness is never easy and, in the case of this attack, virtually impossible. Our refusal to seek other means than retaliation has not made our world or our country better. The tragic loss of over 5000 lives that day has been followed by the loss of probably seventy times that many, not counting the number of maimed soldiers and civilians. The sadness of the families of the victims of 9/11 has been increased, in spades, by those families mourning the tragedies of Afghanistan and Iraq.

The refrain in the song, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" is "When will they ever learn?"

The Twin Towers Memorial is to be dedicated this Sunday to honor the fallen and all the names will be read. My hope is, that if prayer is allowed, it should be from Paul's Letter to the Romans, Chapter 12, Versus 9 to 21. I'll let you check your Bibles for that one.

What Happened?

2011-08-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder how you got to be where you are today and what could have happened to make your life so very different than it is?
It all started when your father met your mother or there wouldn't be a you. First, your parents' choices for you had a lot to do with the person you became, the neighborhood you were raised in, the schools you attended and the friends you had.
Then you were out on your own, in control of your own destiny, or were you? You went to work for a company and you might have had to move. You met the love of your life, most likely by chance. My wife is from Kansas City and I'm from Boston. We met at a wedding in Pittsburg when I was living in Baltimore. Your stories might be similar.
Where we have lived, where we have worked, the size of our families, all determine how our lives have been played out.
Robert Frost, in his poem, "The Road Not Taken", writes about two roads of which he could travel on only one and adds "and that made all the difference".
What I'm trying to say is that we have little control of most of what happens in our lives. To be at peace with ourselves and our surroundings, we just have to look at the people in our lives as blessings from God.
Enjoy your blessings!

Early August

2011-08-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

The second week of August is filled with events in my life, both pleasent and sad.
On August 7th in 1967, my brother, Paul, was killed in Viet Nam at age 26, less than a month after he arrived there. Paul was a high school teacher and coach who went to OCS to set an example for his students.
On August 8th in 1967 our first daughter, Lauren, was born. She was a particularly happy addition for my wife, Kathy, as our other two children were boys.
Also on August 8th of last year my sister Eileen, a Blessed Sacrament nun, died from a brain tumor at age 65. Eileen was a favorite of her siblings and their spouses, her neices and nephews because of her upbeat look at life. I can still picture that smile.
On August 10th of 1971 our daughter, Megan, the last of our clan, was born.

Any life is filled with these happy and sad moments. There is a verse, I believe from the Book of Job, which states, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." I don't believe it. The Lord constantly gives. My life has been touched by these four people in more ways than I can imagine. They, along with many others, have touched my life, making me the person I am.
They have also touched other lives. After my brother Paul's death a scholarship fund was set up by family members and friends and for over 45 years young people have been helped to attend college with these scholarships.

We are all put on earth to touch other lives and allow others to touch our lives. We are gift of God to one another.
I miss my brother and sister, but I will always have a relationship with them. I have enjoyed wathing my daughters grow up and admire the way they have turned out. God is good.

What's There To Fear?

2011-08-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Fear seems to run rampent through our society. Some of us fear bugs or different people or even driving.People of faith are not supposed to fear. Didn't Jesus tell us "Do not be afraid"? But we still have our fears.
I really think a hidden fear that most Christians have is the fear of getting close to Jesus. We may think we are close to him and, occasionally, we are, but we keep moving away. Why? Because to really have an intimate relationship with Jesus, we will have to change many of the ways we think and act, and that scares us. We have become somewhat comfortable in the way we look at life and at others, and intimacy with Jesus will force us to look at life the way Jesus does, lovingly.
Can we really love ourselves and others the way Jesus does. What do we think of immigrants, the war in Afghanistan, the recent debt ceiling crisis. Is it the way Jesus would look at these issues? My guess is probably not.
To have an cosistant intimate relationship with Jesus Christ means we must love as he does and to do this we have to make a constant prayer, "Jesus, help me to love as you love. amen."

Family

2011-08-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Last Friday and Saturday many of my extended family, including my brother and three sisters, gathered in Long Island for Uncle Bill's funeral. Bill, my Godfather, had a long life, almost 92 years, so, although there was sadness, there was more celebration of that life, as there should be for any life that touches ours.
Since this was the second death of someone close to me within a week, it got me thinking of people who once were a big part of my life and are now gone, particularly my immediate family.
I was born the oldest of nine children (I tell people my parents liked what they saw in me so proceeded to have that many more). But there are only five of us left. My brother, Stephen, died at less than a year old, Paul was killed in Viet Nam in 1968, Bob, a Josephite priest, died of a heart attack as he was getting ready to say Mass in 2003 and Eileen, a Blessed Sacrament nun, died of brain cancer last year, and I miss them.
Family is important. My father used to preach to us that if you couldn't get along with your brothers and sisters, it didn't matter what you did in life, you were a failure.
We all start out in life with some kind of a biological family which grows and grows as we get older. It's important that we embrace both this immsdiate and extended family. Despite all the individual quirks we all have, we are God's gift to each other.

A Friend's Death

2011-07-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday a good friend died. He had just turned 85 and was in very poor health about ready to get a feeding tube inserted. Some will say that he's better off and that is probably so, but I'll miss him. We met about 25 years ago right after he had had a stroke which left his left arm paralized.
How do such friendships develope, particularly in our case when I root for the Red Sox and am a Democrat and he rooted for the Yankees and was a Republican? I think the thing that brought us close together was we both liked to drink beer.
Anyway, he's gone and will be missed by many more than just me. No one comes into our lives without making some impression, some people just quickly pass thriugh, some people touch us for a while and move on and others leave a lasting impression.
Unfortunately, we seldom let that last group know how much they have meant in our lives and then they're gone. So think about the people who have really touched your life and let them know how much you appreciate them. I wish I had said more to my friend.

Let's take a walk

2011-07-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

For many years my wife, Kathy, has been bugging me to take walks with her. She wanted to do this after dinner when I was only interested in vegging out.
About a month ago, I agreed to walk, but only if we did it in the morning. So about five days a week we're up at 5:45 a.m. and we head off on a 45 to 60 minute walk. We've been all over ours and surrounding neighborhoods, trying never to take the same route twice.
This exercise has been great for our couple communication and, hopefully, for our physical fitness.
Now, if we can only go to bed earlier than 11.