General

Why the Sorrows?

Someone was asking me the other day why meditate on the sorrows when there’s so much to be joyful about in life.

Very true.

However, bringing the mind to bear on the sorrows helps not only to understand how sorrows work in our own lives, but also upon… who’s suffering in the world today?

Those who are sick, dying; those who just lost loved ones;

Then there are the usual genocides around the world, which include Darfur, Sri Lanka, North Korea, etc, etc, etc.

In fact, it’s an act of sheer denial to pretend there are no sorrows in life, or to continually gloss over them. So, simply understand sorrow for what it is: a part of the human condition. In understanding it more fully we are led to understand joy more fully as well, and to more simply embrace the fullness of life.

Jeremiah was a Prophet

My current read is Jeremiah: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary; the 1965 version by John Bright.

We keep reading Jeremiah in the Office during Lent, and I found myself in the huge library here at Holy Hill looking for something on Jeremiah, and that’s what I was very lucky to find.

The times he lived in were amazingly horrible. They even bear a certain resemblance to the times we are living in.

Hmmm…. Never good news.

In the introduction Bright talks about the prophets in ancient Israel, and at some point they more or less lost focus and “we must conclude that as a group they became mere professionals, hangers-on at court and shrine, many of them timeservers interested chiefly in their fees (e.g. Mic 111 5, 11), who felt no impulse to criticize the state and the society of which they were a part.”

Interesting…

And Jeremiah was born during the kingship of Manasseh, when religious practices in Jerusalem were sinking to an all time low. ‘…local shrines were restored, pagan practices of all sorts were given free rein, the fertility cult with its ritual of sacred prostitution being tolerated even within the temple itself [mon Dieu!] … together with an enormous interest in the occult arts, which were currently enjoying an unprecedented popularity in Assyria as well. Most sinister of all, the barbarous rite of human sacrifice, an abomination to all true Yahwists, began on occasion to be practiced in Jerusalem, the king himself apparently taking the lead (II Kings xxi 6).

Moral laxity, human sacrifice, religious laxity and confusion, occultism… a recipe for high drama. And then of course Israel gets sacked and Jeremiah’s around for that. Drama, intrigue… I’m hooked.

I am not sure I’ll get through much of it during Holy Week. But what a great opportunity to learn and reflect more upon the prophet Jeremiah.

A Shepherd's Message

Here, a thoughtful response to Pope Benedict’s lifting of excommunications (etc…), and to Notre Dame’s invitation to Obama: A Shepherd’s Message, from Daniel Cardinal DiNardo.

I sometimes receive letters from people who mar their otherwise intelligent or well-taken arguments by such nasty invectives that the whole argument or point of view is put in jeopardy. Vigorous and heartfelt discussion, even debate, needs to be placed in the arms of charity for effectiveness.
…
Particularly troubling is the Honorary Law Degree since it recognizes that the person is a “Teacher,” in this case of the Law. I think that this decision requires charitable but vigorous critique.

Hanging on to Lent

Whew. And what a Lent it’s been so far.

So much happening in the world, and in my own life that I haven’t really known where to start blogging.

It’s amazing when you think of praying your way through situations, and in general. I had started Lent with a series of meditations on the Sorrows of Jesus, and the sorrows of Mary. Easter was creeping into my thoughts more and more, and everything started to take my focus away from prayer … so today I reigned in my thoughts and actions anew.

I brought my thoughts to bear once again on the sorrowful mysteries of Christ, and the sorrows of Mary; powerful memories swept over me again, and my thoughts turned to a more objective meditation on my own sorrows. Helen Keller’s famous quote is beautiful: Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Sorrows and trials limn the joyful moments of life.

Change I Can Believe In

Yes, I apologize. I hit ‘Publish’ instead of ‘Save Draft’, and sent this out to numerous persons blindly.

Rather than commenting frenetically on climate change, it occured to me to research Catholic teachings on the subject in more depth.

Catholics and Climate Change has a lot of info. And the coordinator publishes with the USCCB. And there’s a tugboat on the river outside?

?!

Excuse me. I’ve just never seen that before.

Anyway! Here’s the Good News on Climate Change.

Archbishop Migliore acknowledged that although not all scientists agree that climate change is occurring, other environmental threats, such as indiscriminate deforestation, water pollution, the lack of potable water in parts of the world and depletion of fish stocks, demand action from the world community and individual Catholics alike.

True not everyone agrees on climate change. And, there’s no doubt pollution is rampant and we can all be better stewards. Here, here!

Archbishop Migliore, the Vatican’s Ambassador to the U.N. says people can adopt lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity; it comes down to “working less, wanting less, spending less.”

Work less. Want less. Spend less.

I can handle that.

So…. if you need me I’ll be out on the veranda working less. And contemplating the goodness of creation, boats in the flooded river, staving off the spring chill…

And I have to prepare for Human Achievement Hour: tonight, 8:30-9:30PM.

The Rev. Kenneth Allen