Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

Post 26 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 18, 2018 - If Only

I was at a funeral recently which made me more sad than usual. The person who died was generally believed to NOT be a nice person. For various reasons, he seemed to be a tortured soul. In hindsight, all of his reacting to people and situations and "drama" was probably a lifelong cry for help. IN truth, It is hard to be understanding when you are on the receiving end of the attacks. That's reality, but we still have to struggle to do the right thing.

A person who visited this person a couple days before he died reported that the person dying mentioned, "I probably should have been kinder to people."  This was the quintessential "if only" statement two days before he died. Maybe the closeness of death gave him the grace to look at his life - and perhaps try to be a better person at the end. I hope so.

If you make "if only" statements, they fall into the same category. If only we did this or that. When I do this and perhaps when you do this, it is time to listen hard to why we make those statements. What is keeping us from saying - I am going to do this. I am going to be like this. No excuses. It is worth figuring out - it is not a bad thing to consider during the short time before Easter.  

Who wants to die with these unfulfilled "if only" statements hanging over our head. I don't. Hopefully you don't either. But we cant just wring our hands. It is now time to do something.

In that often used phrase of Lord Tennyson, "that which we are, we are, and if we are to be any better, now is the time to begin."

I am acutely aware that I am probably not getting any younger. I am getting older. Sometimes, I feel really old. Other times, less so - but there is a change from a few years ago. Ultimate questions keep popping up more and more. Have to figure it out - and probably sooner rather than later.

TODAY'S GRATITUDE: I'm thankful for the realization that I need to watch the "if only" statements that I might make. They do me no good. Getting rid of them is a really good way to change and to grow.

 

 

 

 

Post 25 of 47 - Lenten Blog - March 10, 2018 — Darn - Worked too quickly and wiped out a whole post

I was working too quickly, did not set up the site for quick and periodic saves, so it just drafted away into cyberspace. It is possible that I even thought some, shall we say, unsavory, words. 

I’m pretty tired right now. Usually my recall is pretty good, but right now, not so much. So, not up to reconstructing the post. I do, however, know the major thought.

It is really a shame when we let what is on the outside prevent us from understanding what is on the  inside. God has placed in the very core of people something usually wonderful, often spiritual, and something which, when recognised, can be so valuable to know and even try to imitate.

We can get so caught up in the externals that we forgot to see (even though now visible) the things inside a person. I have long believed that if we knew what is inside a person, we would usually find it quite difficult not to like them, and it becomes easier to accept them and, if necessary, to forgive them.

That old phrase- giving someone the benefit of the doubt - is really meant to be one of the guiding principles of the Christian life. Do we do it? I do it sometimes and wish that I did it more. It is something that I will work on more in the remaining time of Lent. 

TODAY’S GRATITUDE - The times when people have given me the benefit of the doubt.

 

 

 

Post 24 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 9, 2018 - Snow - BAH

Yesterday was pretty much a wipe-out. Power on and off. Many more people have no power in their homes. So many downed wires and trees.  Great expense for everyone - not to mention, dangerous. Given my task-oriented obsession, the last two days were so incredibly unproductive. And I am now behind. I really need the internet and everything about it. I need access to files and every other thing in creation. Did have the chance to be helpful to some folks without power. That was good. But past 48 hours were really frustrating. I also know that, even with these inconveniences, other people are dealing with far worse things. I feel like just saying GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, but I identify more with this picture:

TODAY's GRATITUDE - This picture reminds me how grateful I am that Jesus had a golden retriever. (At least I think he did.) More seriously, I am grateful to all the workers from the power companies and our local crews for doing their very best in awful conditions to keep us safe.

Post 23 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 8, 2018

 

This is just a short post. It is 1:45 yesterday afternoon - and the snow has increased in intensity. Thoughts are that the roads will be really bad and power lines could come down. So my post is simple - with gratitude for being warm and indoors (once I get back from the office!)- and with prayers for those whose lives are really hurt by the storm. See you tomorrow.

Post 22 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 7, 2018 - I'm belligerent, kind of

OK, I'm writing this on Tuesday. It is supposed to snow hard early in the morning and continue for at least forty days and nights. I used to like snow. Now I really hate snow -unless I am only watching it on a TV or movie screen. It is a pain in the neck dealing with hazards created by snow and ice. I see nothing fun about it anymore. I used to love it. I have now grown up - well, at least concerning this.

So, if you like to look at snow - congratulations. I hate it. That is my special spiritual message for today. (Possibly I need an ever-so-slight attitudinal adjustment!)

I've had several injuries due to snow and ice - so I go ballistic when people aren't careful. 

Oh, and by the way, there is a particular approach to Mary, the Mother of Jesus - called Our Lady of the Snows. The closest I would come to that devotion would be to Our Lady of the Chicago Cubs!

Ignore my mood. Snow just means cancellation, people slipping, cars crashing and often power failures. Did I mention that a pothole attacked my right tire - and now I am waiting for the tire to be delivered to the tire repair place in Madison - which, by the way, is a most honest efficient and wonderful place that I have been using for decades - at least one positive thing in this post. So I am held prisoner until the tire arrives hopefully in a little while.  (I'm on a roll - so will stop for now - and simply say - for Wednesday, March 7 - PLEASE STAY SAFE.)  GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

If you were reading my blog today for inner peace, I seem to have fallen a little shot of that objective. Will try better tomorrow.

TODAY's GRATITUDE - I'm grateful for the wonderful skiing experiences I had in the past with friends - - still love the friends, don't love the snow!

 

 

 

Post 21 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 6, 2018 - Mary, Mother of the Church

What happens in the Church to give us devotion to Mary and the saints? I'm sure we have all heard of people being canonized - being publicly declared as saints. We're pretty familiar with saints - Saint Francis, Saint Lucy, Saint Anthony, Saint Francis, and so many others - and first in priority - Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Last week, Pope Francis just added another feast to the Church's calendar in honor of Mary. The title of the feast is Mary, the Mother of the Church. It makes perfect sense to hear Mary referred to in this way, But there was no feast to Mary with this title. So Pope Francis just added this feast to the Church's worship. It will be celebrated each year on the Monday after Pentecost. Note the connection. On Pentecost, we celebrate the birthday of the Church. On the next day, we honor Mary, the Mother of the Church.

We are one of the few churches to have a statue in honor of Mary, Mother of the Church. In this statue, Mary is shown gathering people from all walks of life into the Church. It's not a bad symbol. It's not a bad way to look at Mary - and ask her to take care of the Church like a Mother - who really shows us the passionate tenderness of God.

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. (an easy prayer - but filled with meaning - try it)

Here is a prayer that Pope Francis wrote a few years ago to Mary:

Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of our faith

Mother, help our faith!
Open our ears to hear God’s word and to recognize his voice and call.
Awaken in us a desire to follow in his footsteps, to go forth from our own land and to receive his promise.
Help us to be touched by his love, that we may touch him in faith.
Help us to entrust ourselves fully to him and to believe in his love, especially at times of trial, beneath the shadow of the cross, when our faith is called to mature.
Sow in our faith the joy of the Risen One.
Remind us that those who believe are never alone.
Teach us to see all things with the eyes of Jesus, that he may be light for our path. And may this light of faith always increase in us, until the dawn of that undying day which is Christ himself, your Son, our Lord!

 

TODAY'S GRATITUDE: I am grateful for the role of Mary in leading us to God - and that we can count on her help when things get rough. 

 

Post 20 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 5, 2018 - Christians Are Being Pushed from the Holy Land

The above photo is taken in the very small room which is in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. I consider this the holiest place on earth - since this was the Tomb of Jesus where he was raised from the dead - the most important thing we believe. I have had the privilege to be in this small room inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Each time I have the same sensation that this is the place where the most starting thing happened - a person conquered death - and rose from the dead - right at this place. It is the very foundation of our faith.

As you may have read, the Jerusalem government and the Israeli government recently instituted a series of taxes on church properties in the Old City and other parts. The various Christian religions sharing custody of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre locked the church from the public to make a dramatic point of what they were being forced to do. This past Wednesday, the Church was opened again.

Why is this important? Christians, Catholics, and others are being forced to leave the Holy Land, especially within the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem. It is that simple. It is wrong. THey are truly being persecuted. Pray for them. I could not imagine what it would mean to have them not respect this holy place. But it has happened before - and needs to be resisted.

Please pray for all places where people of faith are being persecuted. It is far more widespread than you might realize.

TODAY's GRATITUDE: I am so grateful for three times I was in the Holy Land. Each was a blessing - and a constant reminder of our faith. 

Post 19 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 4, 2018 - Are You Running on Empty?

The power outages over the past several days caused me to keep thinking about the song and the question: Are you running on empty? Am I?

 

The above graphic might contain some wisdom for a lot of people. I know that I feel this a lot. I do tend to work too hard. I know that there are various phrases that can be used to put a label on how I feel at times: "working too hard" - "never truly get refreshed" - "burnout" - and that frustrating occupational hazard - "compassion fatigue" - a quality that I think affects a lot of people in my line of life. As I get older, it seems harder to get things under control.

I must confess that, despite these feelings, I cannot lose sight of the fact that I have had a very blessed life. I have wonderful friends. I have had a phenomenal education and had contact with people who are simply the best in the world or in their field. I am blessed in so many ways. I believe that strongly.

There are so many wonderful parts of being in a particular parish community for far longer than most priests. This was due to a variety of circumstances - some of which were serendipitous. There is, however, one real down side - or at least one part which is profoundly difficult for me. Unlike many pastors, when people die - I realize that the things which bring me down the most are the deaths. I am not simply burying parishioners. I am burying those who, over decades, became friends, good friends. When this pattern is repeated over and over again - then the fatigue sets in. It becomes most painful when the person who dies has gone home to God at a far earlier age than most - and, I have known the person, possibly since birth, and often I have known their family for decades.

Since I turned 70, this is what brings me down - without good recovery skills. I know all the psychological remedies for what I am feeling. While I bristle at the thought that I suffer from terminal uniqueness, I still find it authentically hard. So I have been praying hard for wisdom - what do I do in coping - what should I do at this time in my life - is it time to make some significant changes? I have some strong hunches which have been coming clearer over the past year.

My Lenten prayer - and, in fact, my prayer for easily the past year - God, help me.  Not a bad prayer for Lent. A good prayer for me on any day. Perhaps a good prayer for you. 

TODAY's GRATITUDE - I am so grateful for a veritable plethora (that's a great phrase and I have no idea what it means!) of good and great friends.

 

 

 

 

 

Post 18 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 3, 2018- The Promised 2nd Book Recommendation

i’m writing this on Friday afternoon. An hour ago,  the power went off in the parish center and offices. I did not pay much attention. My office blinds were up - and at least the computers and phone system had battery backups which, although not infinite, give some power while you are waiting for electric to be restored. A little while ago, the battery backups expressed their irritation by turning off - so now I am typing under the glowingly faint light of a skylight. JCP&L website indicates that 71% of Chatham Township has experienced loss of power. So - misery loves company. This will be quick - the power just came back on, but I do not trust this. So am rushing this post.

I want to recommend a profound book to you - a serious book - and a helpful book for our lives as Christians:  

 "To Dare the Our Father" - by John Shea.  Who is John Shea? He came to speak at the parish in the 1990's. He is arguably the best pastoral theologian in the Church, at least in my profound always accurate opinion! Jack developed an approach to theology where he used the stories and experience's in people's lives - and connected them to the stories and experiences of our faith - especially through our tradition - and through the ways that Jesus, Mary, and the saints can connect with us. Simply put, he makes our faith real. Stories are important to all of us from the time we are little.

This book is a gem because he takes a prayer, the Our Father, that all of us know. We rattle through it during Mass - and quite possibly - pay little attention to what it means. In this book, Jack finds the connections between the Our Father and our lives. He makes it an incredibly meaningful prayer, a challenging prayer, and prayer that we would never again rattle through once we know what it is really about.

If you're looking for a serious book to help you during Lent, get this book. I think you will find it of value. If you find it a little difficult, the effort will be well worth it. When I read it, I just learned and learned and learned more than I ever knew about God the Father and Jesus.  Remember - the Our Father was the most important prayer of Jesus because it is how he expressed his connection to the Father. HIs followers asked him how to pray. He taught them the Our Father. Join in this grand story of the Father and Jesus. Even if you read a page or two a day, it will stay with you - and bring you closer to God.

Jack writes for people - not for theologians. There is no technical theological jargon - but there are human and divine connections which he will make between your life and God's life. 

You can get it at amazon.com or any other source on the internet. It sells for about $20.

TODAY's GRATITUDE: I'm grateful for extraordinary people that came into my life - without ever deserving their friendship and support.

 

 

Post 17 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 2, 2018 - I want to share a little secret. Please don't tell anyone.

For the past few days, I have done something quite wild and defiantly irresponsible. I took a few days off. In truth, I have had some tough months since October - funerals of people incredibly close to me, other funerals which really took their toll, an array of problems where I was asked to help, and so many other things - which is in addition to the rather full array of things that I do in various jobs.

I'm beat. I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm snarky. I'm irritable. But I usually do not show these things to others. I keep them inside. People who know me may recognize that I seem burdened or sad. I have always felt it is abusive to take out on others how I feel inside. So I'm pretty quiet about it.

But I needed a break - big time. So I took one. I did it - and I'm glad.  Irresponsibility and not working feels wonderful. Could I get used to this?  Without question.

Just took my photograph:

TODAY'S GRATITUDE: I'm grateful for dealing with the troubling truth that the world will go on even when I'm not being super-responsible.

 

 

Post 16 of 47 - Lenten Posts - March 1, 2018 - The Power of a Memory

The memories are connected. When the USA Women's Hockey team defeated the Canadian team a few days ago, I could not help comparing that game with the victory in 1980 of the USA Men's Hockey Team at Lake Placid. I was not at Lake Placid for the USA victory. But ten years or so after that victory, I was up in Lake Placid giving some talks to the priests of that area. During one of the afternoon breaks, I wandered around Lake Placid and came to the high school and walked inside the hockey rink, the site of the USA victory over Russia. It seemed like such a magical place - even though when I saw it, it was dark inside, no one else was there - but there was something incredibly special about being in the place where a wonderful thing happened for the USA team and their fans.

The cry of the fans, "USA, USA, USA" was so easy to recall while walking around the rink. I could see and hear the memory of the crowds. It was an experience which I always savor.

Why bring it up during Lent? Simple - it is the power of a memory.  Do you see the connection with our faith? with the Mass? During the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass, the priest says the words of Jesus, "do this in memory of me."   We do and say what Jesus said and did. And it is real. We even call it the Real Presence. That is the experience we are meant to have during Mass - Jesus is with us.

USA - USA - USA. True. Even more true, Jesus is with us.

TODAY's GRATITUDE: Memories of God in my life - which really keep me going - especially when everything else is so difficult.