Jim Mahoney's Blog - Sacred to Etc.

The Feasts of the Friends of God - All Saints and All Souls - Nov. 1-2, 2020

(Sadly, I am convinced that some people only read posts in order to find fault and criticize, I may seem a little paranoid about this, but trust me, it is really true. Sometimes, I have to remind myself that the people who are so hypercritical are clearly in the minority, but, my goodness, they suck a lot of oxygen right out of me. I thought that an appropriate title for this post, coming on All Saints Day and All Souls Day, should be "The Feasts of the Friends of God." Then, on a hunch, I did a little search of the phrase "Friends of God." It has a different meaning for some small esoteric group from the 14th century = a small mystical group. Rather than getting into a defense of choosing the phrase "Friends of God" = which I think is a pretty nice description of those who are saints, I chose to waste your time and mine in explaining that the esoteric meaning has nothing to do with this post = so don't think that this is what I mean. With an approach like this, is it any wonder why I have overeaten?  OK, I feel better now that I have contextualized an innocent title for a post!)

Now time to focus on the real meaning of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.

I like simple thoughts and, if possible, clear declarative sentences. So let's try it.

You and I are called to be saints. Period.

Saints are sinners who keep trying. Period.

God urgently wants to forgive us even if we cannot forgive ourselves. Period.

God wants us to know we are loveable. Period.

Remember that poster decades ago of a kid from the ghetto who said this phrase: "I must be good because God don't make junk! Period.

All Souls' Day is the time when we realize that we are connected with the people who left this world before us - they are connected still to us - we are connected to them - we can pray for them to help them - they can help us - Period.

Jesus promised us eternal life if we kept his commandments. Period. No waffling. God keeps us promises to us. Period.

Heaven is the party that God throws for God's friends. Let's not make our faith so complicated. Period. (I did not choose this word "party" - it came from Jesus in the first century who told us that the Kingdom of God was like a wedding feast, a great feast, a pearl of great price = anything to make us celebrate. Period.)

That is enough ranting and raving in short bite-size pieces. I have been getting frustrated lately with folks who act in political terms about the Church today. They are angry, unyielding, and I fear that they are without mercy. I pray for them and hope they can be open to God's mercy and let it change their hearts. Period.

"God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them."  This is what it means to be saints. This is what it means to want to be in heaven with God and all the departed souls. Get back to the heart of religion - the heart of our faith - the heart of our Church. Period.

Wear masks - not the ones that frighten people, but the ones that will save you and others. Then it will be a Happy Halloween.

Happy All Saints Day - the real feast of God's friends.

Happy All Souls Day - the real feast that says we each have a wonderful chance to be in heaven - with our friends and families and all good people. 

These are good things and what the Church is about. Don't get distracted by the nay-sayers. 

Rejoice. It's OK. God loves you. Believe it. Period.

The Kingdom of God is the place where we connect totally with God's love. Nothing gets in the way. Charlie Brown called this Waiting for the Great Pumpkin. We too are waiting - for the real reason for All Saints Day and All Souls Day. God seeks us. God wants us. God invites us. Period.

 

 P.S. Plan for next few days. Will seek the wisdom of government leaders in our nation's history who wrote prayers at times of crisis or elections.

Looking for a good, even great, parish priest? Try Michael McGivney!! October 31, 2020

Sometime in 2006, I was having dinner in New York with my friend, Andy Greeley. Often, when we got together, we talked about books we had either just read or heard about. Andy being Andy, it was also often a discussion of books he was writing, the travails of his fictional characters, and his most honorable character, Blackie Ryan.  He asked if I had read the book Parish Priest by Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster, a biography of Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus. I said that I had heard of it, but had not read it. I knew that  McGivney had founded the Knights of Columbus, but that was about it.

Andy started talking about the book and the impact of Father McGivney on the Church in this country. He considered McGivney's approach as a parish priest to be genius - how he organized the parish, saw the need to organize and support men (remember, this was the 19th century) with a structure that would strengthen family life and parish life. He was not a showboat, but was a person of deep faith, humor, and goodness. Needless to say, I got the book, read it, and always remembered Andy's words about McGivney. Brinkley and Fenster wrote a compelling, clear, and even exciting biography of this parish priest.

Why am I going on and on about a conversation that I had with Andy 14 years ago?  That conversation had stayed with me since 2006. Andy's thoughts about Father McGivney were right on target. (Andy was involved in an awful accident two years later which left him severely impaired until his death in 2013.)

Today, at 11 a.m., Father Michael McGivney will be beatified by the Catholic Church at Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Hartford, CT. Beatification is the last formal step before a person is canonized a saint. Now he will be called Blessed Michael McGivney. When the day comes that he is canonized (which I hope comes soon), he will then be called Saint Michael McGivney. As someone who values most his own life as a parish priest, I find this event incredibly joyful.

Tomorrow is the Feast of All Saints - the day when we celebrate, remember, and pray to all the wonderful people who are with God and truly have become saints. There are many many more people who are saints than just the ones the Church has canonized. I hope that Father McGivney will be officially added to their number over the coming years. We need a parish priest like him  to be part of that official group.

(ALERT: Filter to be removed for this paragraph.In the last few years, the Knights of Columbus have sometimes been accused of bigotry and prejudice by several members of the U.S. Senate. Knowing of the good work of the Knights, I just thought it supreme ignorance to accuse the Knights. The heart of the Knights of Columbus can be found in the life of Michael McGivney, parish priest and today being honored by the universal Church. To those particular senators, let me offer a succinct response to their ignorance - Bah. ALERT: Filter back on.)

This is a proud day for those of us who were/are parish priests. I hope it is a proud day for all Catholics, especially those who are associated with the Knights of Columbus. Frankly, we could use good news for a change. I have always considered the Knights of Columbus a remarkable organization - for caring about the family, the Church, and our country.  May Father McGivney's canonization come soon.

 

 

 

 

Musing about the election - and some people's expectations - October 30, 2020

I'm a bit surly the last few days.  I'm certainly not cheerful. One reason among many = I am frustrated when I see people not  able to discuss the issues in the election without being calm or rational on all sides of the political divide.

I want the pandemic to be over. I don't like it. I'm tired of it. It has deprived me of patience. I'm just not amused when I come across people who tell me who to vote for.

I began musing the last two days about my first awareness of elections. I was born in Chicago, moved at the age of 2 out to New Jersey, moved after second grade to a town called Wheaton which is in DuPage County.  That county was and is probably still filled with people who came from Cook County, mostly from Chicago., The majority of people who came from Chicago turned Republican when they moved into DuPage County. I remember my parents always voted for different parties and candidates. My father was what we might call a "junkyard dog Democrat."  That meant that if the "junkyard dog" was on the Democratic ticket, my father would vote for the junkyard dog.

My mother was a straight ticket Republican. Never a question about voting for a Democrat.

Recalling my parents' dynamics about voting decades later has been helpful today. The intriguing thing is that my parents did not discuss issues. They did discuss the people they were voting for - which is probably the end result of the process that ends up in a vote. No voices were ever raised in talking about politics. It was a conversation.

I had a political patronage job in summers at the County Courthouse. I worked in the tax records office. I enjoyed it. To get the job, I had to get the signature of the county Republican chairman, a legendary figure named Elmer Hoffman. When I met with him in his home, he asked a couple of questions = and then, with a slight frown, asked me if I knew that my mother was a registered Repulican. I said Yes. Did I know that my father was a registered Democrat? I said Yes. He asked what I was going to do about this problem. Fortunately, I did understand the way that political patronage jobs worked in those days. Knowing that my summer job hung in the balance, I thought quickly and told Mr. Hoffman that I would pray for my father's soul since it could be in peril.  He burst out laughing and signed my job application.I had that job for the next few years.

I felt sad today when I compared the environment in my parents' home with so many people today who are unable to have discussions about political issues and political candidates. Regardless of who wins the election, so many people have aleady talked through the steps people need to agree with -  before they will be allowed into their home for Thanksgiving dinner. Frankly, wise people take this approach. It is not insulting, It is, in fact, a sensible thing to do given the political climate in our country. I just think the inability to thoughtfully discuss is sad.

(Alert: in this paragraph, my filter is somewhat removed) I also get frustrated when I come across good people who believe that, unless you agree with their methods for addressing issues, then you are not doing what you should be doing as a priest. Sadly, they then progress to a leap of thought and, in essence, say that you promote abortion if you do not use the methods they believe are important. "My way only. Do what you should be doing." This is the insinuation of their statements. They are indicting my efforts in behalf of life and faith for the last 47 years. I'm not a showboat. I'm not a culture warrior. I don't believe church leaders should be partisan. Has anyone noticed that often when church leaders tell people what stand to take in behalf of candidates or political positions, the people listen respectfully and vote the other way? So the church then looks weak instead of strong - and some folks keeps demanding this. Study the data, folks. I have no desire to debate, engage, skirmish, or do any of those things that some people want to provoke. I'm tired.

One other personal point:  Some who aggressively judge me do not have a clue what I have done in behalf of life. I give myself a small gold star for not erupting at unfair characterizations and righteousness.  (Alert: Filter again in place)

The pandemic has eaten away many people's reservoirs of patience. I understand this. I do understand that we have all been assaulted by something we did not learn about, plan for, or have a choice to do otherwise. What makes it even worse is that the full extent of the pandemic could have been lessened and many lives could have been saved if those who had advance warning of the pandemic to come would have shared this with the American people. As a nation, each of us could have been asked to sacrifice for our great country.

I could write and develop these thoughts at much greater length, but now the election is a few days away. So I will just take some time between now and November 3 to pray for our nation.

I'm retired now from so many things. When I see all the hate being expressed within some segments of the Church, I just feel sad.These people don't represent the Church to me. We need to be gentle with each other. This is what is lacking in so much of the dialogue about politics and religion today.

The Church is the community of the disciples of Jesus who want to bring the joy of Christ into the world. That's the Church I spent 47 years trying to serve. I believe in that Church and what it represents.

I'm smiling a little now (or a little less grim) because I just came across this picture of the Good Shepherd. This  is my favorite image of Jesus.  (My favorite image of Mary is called Our Lady Who Unties Knots.) Jesus is the one who leads us, encourages us, gently guides us, challenges us, reinforces our better self, and helps us do better and do more. That is the image of Jesus that I find easiest to follow. This is not the angry Jesus, the partisan Jesus, the unyielding Jesus. I think this is the real Jesus.  My prayer: God bless America. As a popular song states: Hope - Won't you come back to me. Amen.

(Full transparency:  I read and reread what I wrote above many times. After I posted this the night of Oct. 29, I was concerned that I was being unnecessarily dark. When I reread it just now this morning, I thought it was OK, but continued to edit it.  This expressed where I'm at. Maybe others might find this helpful in terms of where they are. Sometimes, I need the wisdom and the concern of the Peanuts family for perspective. It is a good reminder. Even Lucy makes sense once in a while.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Criticize anything, criticize anyone, but don't criticize the Garden State - October 25, 2020

I am taking time from concentrating on my retirement, the upcoming elections, the need for almost continuous prayer for our nation, for our hurting planet, and for the chance that the person who is elected president might actually try to unite our country. Slim chance of that happening, but it is what I hope - and have seen little chance that we might become a little more united. Unlikely, but I can dream and pray.

I must respond to one of the most flagrant insults I have ever seen in print - or at least on the internet. I will not dignify the creators of this insult by mentioning their name, but will reprint a small excerpt from their website which pretends to prove scientifically their claim that New Jersey is the most hated state in the nation. Here is the fruit of their terribly questionable research concerning New Jersey:

(CAUTION - warning: spurious research about New Jersey - must above 21 to view)

Population change compared to the U.S. average: -0.3 percent

State pride: 28 percent

States that hate it: New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut

Population of states that hate it: 35,820,837

Hatred Index: 818

 

As someone with more than a little expertise, I respond to this research with one of my most scholarly words: Bah. New Jersey is the Garden State. Home of blueberries, cranberries, mosquitoes (oops - wrong list), and so many other wonderful things. The transistor was invented a few miles from where I live. Alexander Hamilton dueled in New Jersey. Popes have said Mass in the Garden State. I shook hands with Pope John Paul II after he said Mass at Giants Stadium, one of the highlights of his life (shaking my hand!). New Jersey is the home of the members of the cast of the stellar cable show Real Housewives of New Jersey. (Masterpiece Theater - eat your heart out.) 

I love New Jersey. It has everything except New Yorkers - what's not to like? Yogi Berra is buried in East Hanover, not the Bronx. One of the most intriguing members of the Garden State, Snookie, chose to open a clothing store in Madison on Main Street. I could go on and on, but will spare you and me!

Granted that I was born in Chicago near Wrigley Field = but that was my parents' choice, not mine. I'm not complaining. I now am a full-fledged member of the Garden State. Jersey Proud is not just about our tomatoes, but also our people.

To the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut that claim not to like New Jersey, we'll be kind and just say that those three states which most of us have never heard of = are doing the best they can.

I am not a Johnny-come-lately to being proud from New Jersey. You may or may not know that I was named in 1950  Master Newark of 1950. You cannot get such a sought-after honor by accident. It was the result of the first three years of my life since being born in 1947. Bah to the naysayers. I'm practically sputtering with my outrage. (Meet the Press is now over, so I can go back to far more serious things.)

 

Theory or Practice - Who Wins? - October 19, 2020

 

Lately, since I have a little more time than I used to have since I retired from everything except breathing, I have been thinking about the connection between theory and practice. The top photo above is obviously a picture of Albert Einstein, a guy who used to walk around Princeton. At first glance, he did not look like a person in the photograph that you should take seriously. I have never been able to find the meaning behind the photo, but it always made me smile. Of more importance is the second graphic - on the link between theory and practice.

When I was going for my doctorate and studying organizations, one of the points that was constantly emphasized was the connection between theory and practice. Einstein's quote dealt with the relationship - reminding us that theory and practice must be connected. Good theory informs good practice = good practice informs good theory. I was fascinated by this insights - grounded in science, but also a way to tie together different parts of human behavior.

Every person has opinions - lots of them. Everyone has ideas about what should be done, must be done, not be done, or never even considered. Amazingly, this also applies to life within the church. If you want to know how much a person truly understands the mission of Jesus, is what they say grounded in Jesus - grounded in Christ. It is a pretty simple thing to look for - and simple to recognize when you're trying to figure out truth.

Over the past few months, as we move through these horrible times, I encounter many people with strong opinions. I see many families where they have to establish "neutral" zones at meals, at holidays, etc. I have heard from many who are worried and determined about Thanksgiving gatherings, ironically not because of the pandemic, but because of the inability to have civil discussions anymore on deeply held issues. When I hear people talking about what the Church should do = I ask myself this question - no matter how brilliant this person seems to be - do they mention the connection they have with Christ? This cannot simply be assumed. Christianity is not meant to be a secret word where we just do things and don't mention the name of Christ. It is real - and fundamental to our lives.

Theory and practice are connected - they affect each other. If Christ is not found as the basis of our approach, then we are really missing something fundamental. I'm no longer overwhelmed by the eloquence of some. I am overwhelmed with joy at those whose lives and behaviors show clearly the importance of Christ in their lives.

These lines might seem a little esoteric, sorry about that. But I think they strike at the heart of something really fundamental and needed in the Church today.

If you find you have to establish "time-outs" for Thanksgiving gatherings, do it. But do not delay doing it until guests arrive. It will be too late. I'll pray for peace in your homes, wisdom in your discussions, and the presence of Jesus in everything you do. We need the right words with the right behavior. We need the theory (our focus on Christ) and the practice (seeing and acting as if each person in our group is meant to be an image of Jesus). Just a hunch.

 

 

 

The Pope and Climate Change - His Second Ted Talk - October 17, 2020

I have added TED Talks to my weekly to-do list. I want to watch at least one TED talk every week. This is not a very daunting task, but it is measurable.  If you're not familiar with TED talks, they are part of a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to sharing knowledge in many different topics - to make discoveries, insights, and thinking more accessible to everyone/ Now here's a question for a Trivial Pursuits game. What does TED stand for? (Technology, Entertainment, Design.)

Usually, these talks come in bite-size segments - seldom over 18 minutes - many under 10. They have a few rules - including respect for others - and clear guidedlines for the type of productions and topics that are conveyed.

This is from TED's mission statement: "TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. On TED.com, we're building a clearinghouse of free knowledge from the world's most inspired thinkers — and a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other, both online and at TED and TEDx events around the world, all year long."

Why I going through contortions to give background information about TED? Simple - we have seen a lot of lies spread by political leaders, the media, and other groups. Take science, for example. Here is how TED explores statement science: they must be peer-reviewed by respected scientific journals. This is a good screening pocess to give us some confidence in the views that are presented.

At the confirmation hearing for the nominee to the Supreme Court, she was asked about climate change. Her answer did not show her brilliance. I then came across a TED talk that was given recently by Pope Francis on climate change. It is about ten minutes long - the English translation is on the bottom of the screen. Educating the world on the environment has become a passion of Pope Francis. Rather than learning what he thinks through a filter, why not listen directly and learn from what he offers to us. I learned some things that I did not know. You might find it helpful. And, maybe it might whet your appetite in adding TED talks to the things you use to learn.

Here is the link. Most direct way is to COPY and then PASTE the link into your Browser. I lack the skills to make this easier for you. If I can come up with an easier way, then I will change the type of link. I'm good at certain things on the internet, but other things are a real challenge.

https://www.ted.com/talks/his_holiness_pope_francis_our_moral_imperative_to_act_on_climate_change_and_3_steps_we_can_take?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

 

 

 

 

 

Forward or Backward or Standing in Place? October 17, 2020

Lately, I have been ruminating - about the past - about the future - about things that I still want to do.  It is an odd feeling being fully retired and no responsibilities since I became an adult This is surely is an elusive category to figure out at times. I readily concede that I must spend more time taking care of myself - with the obvious luxury of actually having enough time free of scheduling conflicts to avoid doing this. I am starting to realize that my life over the past 47 years has been overcome with a calendar and schedule that pretty crammed with activities and an unending array of responsibilities. That is not a bad thing, but clearly a tough obstacle to have time to smell the flowers and all the other things that we are supposed to do. The lack of empty spaces in my schedule gave me little patience for those who suggested meditating, smelling flowers, and whatever else one is supposed to do. Now being fully retired, I can actually decide what I want to do, what I do not want to do, and what I will do when I feel like it. (Is there any resemblance between these last few phrases and the active lifestyle of a toddler? Not totally sure.)

I plan to share my new discoveries about myself in this unfamiliar era of being fully retired. My hunch is that I will be sharing things that might be helpful to people who are not fully retired. My fear is that I will just be so frightfully self-centered that people will recoil in fright. But it seems worth the risk.  

I go back to an observation made by Stephen Covey: "some people are so busy driving that they have no time to get gas." This probably explains why often I felt that I was running on empty. Not terribly profound - but it may affect a lot of us. I have the chance now to be more mindful - more deliberate - no thoughtful in what I do. I note this not in saying that I will have to do extra work to figure out things, but I will be less happy when life just rushes by and try to do something about it. I can really luxuriate in doing things that I never did or often wished to do.

As I have mentioned, I am a political junkie. I am a keen student of politics. I have been this way since I was in high school when I read Allen Dulles' book, Advise and Consent. In the past, I watched just snippets of political hearings. This week, I had the chance to watch two whole days of the Senate confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court. I found it fascinating, boring, compelling, infuriating, confounding, ridiculous, and outright fun. I could not watch the third day since I had the beginning of an interminable series of scheduled events associated with a dental implant, but I did watch hours and hours. I never had the chance to  these types of hearings. Color me happy. On the last day of the hearings, I was sleepy after the dental surgery = but comforted by the skills of a wonderful oral surgeon who caused me zero pain.

Why do I share these incredibly fascinating observations with you? I want to have fun in retirement. I want to relax. I want to feel peaceful. I want to reduce the stress in my life to as little as absolutely possible. This means that I will have to learn to say no. I have already started doing that - not out of insensitivity, but out of a sense that no one else is going to take care of me unless I take care of myself. (If you think that this means that I won't celebrate your funeral, I have always said that I would celebrate someone's funeral if possible - and if it is celebrated here. I do this not simply out of conviction, but also in the hope that the person who went home to God will put in a good word for me and my friends!)

I do have three major medical things to take care of. (Realize that the word "major" means that it is happening to me, thus it must be major!) They will probably have to be done within the next year or so. I just wont have to cram these things into my schedule, alongside of meetings, conferences, talks, etc.  Thank goodness.)

So now I get the chance to be thoughtful - more centered - better focused - and hopefully more fun. Who knows. I might even feel relaxed!

Snoopy gives me practical perspective at times! I need this. 

 

 

 

Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Life - Bah - October 9, 2020

The above statement is a popular statement. It makes a nice greeting card. But I really don't like "greeting card" type statements. I resisted these types of stratements since I was in the seminary and someone mentioned that we are each called to be Alleluias from head to toe. Good grief. Save me from people like that. May they never be allowed to give a homily in a parish. 

I have been fully retired for about a week or so - probably more, but who's counting. I began this time totally exhausted - which is not a new condition for those who have read my blog. I kept thinking about this blog and what to write. Then I said to myself, "Self, you're retired fully, no one is making you do this, why are you just adding to your stress - since isn't being fully retired a way to live without stress and deadlines?" I just want to be free now. (for a completely uptight Irish Catholic, being totally free might not look totally free to those who do not understand my particular genetic and behavioral make up. But I do want to be free.  Here I will now sound like my "inner toddler" is coming out. I just want to do what I want to do. (That does sound a smidgen self-centered which does not seem right either.)

So I'm going to use this slogan for my retirement years: "Have a great day unless you've made other plans." This is far more appealing and challenging and even fun to me. I believe that this is from the world of 12 Step programs. There is a lot of wisdom that comes to all of us from those meetings.

Thoughts from Helen Keller: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” I want an adventure!

I do know my short-term goals and long-term goals. I have a whole mess of things that I would like to do - a whole mess of people that I want to connect with.  I know that I essentially need a body major tune-up - and that is a good thing both to know and to do.

For me, now - and so it begins. I am very happy about being fully retired. I am delighted that I can still say weekend Mass at the parish - and other times if helpful. I would not be true to my history if I did not say that I do have some concerns, anxieties, and things to worry about. I never worried much about money over the years. That is no longer true - but requires me to deal with a strict budget and decide what is necessary and not necessary. I now know where the best bargains in groceries can be found. 

I know that over the next 4 to 6 months or so - There are three physical things, let's call them blips, to be addressed.  None are insignificant or routine (at least to me!) But these are all part of my plan for the rest of my life = to have a great day.

I've paused enough as my full retirement begins. I go back to one of my favorite passages from Tennyson: "That which we are, we are - and if we are to be any better, now is the time to begin."