Here I am

The season of Lent brings with it a hope for change, a change for the better, although it may be worse at first.

Have you ever prayed for patience?  What happens next is the whole day seems to go awry and we get more frustrated.  But, that is exactly what we prayed for.

Jesus isn't in the business of waving a wand and fixing things and we would do well to remember that.  When we ask our Lord to help us with something He will, very often, give us situations and tools to help us grow and be a better person.

I will share a story with you that happened to me Friday.  I went to the chapel at the hospital I work at and I sat quietly and began to clear my mind from all the days activity.

I finally cleared my mind and prayed a rosary.  My intentions were my usual petitions and thanksgiving, and I added one that has been weighing on my heart for a few weeks.

You see when your heart begins to churn it's best to ask for the Divine assistance instead of haphazardly jumping into a decision.

I prayed for Jesus to help me understand a situation I am currently in and then steer my life to the part of the vineyard that I am needed in.

Well, after about an hour I finished and sat silent for a while and meditated on the Agony in the Garden.

I remembered that my spiritual director and long time friend celebrated his first mass in the chapel (over 50 years prior) I was in, so, I stood up, genuflected, and kissed the relic in the altar, and asked "Pete" to help me.

This is where it gets weird.  I was putting the books back and the phone began to ring in the sacristy as I was writing a note for the priest scheduled for mass that day.

I remember hearing this voice in my head say "Answer the phone" I ignored it and kept writing.   The phone kept ringing and so I finally answered it.

"Hello, this is the chapel", I said.  There was no answer, except the open line with a breathing that was not abnormal.

I repeated, "Hello, this is the chapel." Same response.

I repeated a third time, "Hello, this is the chapel." Nothing but the breathing and an open line.

I hung the phone up and the priest that was scheduled to celebrate mass walked in.  I told father what happened and he said, "probably a wrong number".  I agreed and we had a brief conversation and I left.

I was walking away and I began to laugh. You see, "Pete" and I were extremely connected, in fact, he once told me that few people understood him like I did, which brought tears to my eyes. But what I was laughing about was these type of things have happened all my life and I always discounted them as "nothing" until I met Pete.

I took them more serious and this was one of those situations.  I have heard that one way the "dead" can connect or communicate with the "living" is by the same means that I experienced with the phone call.

A call, and I answered except I didn't get any invitation orders, or requests, just a breath, ruach.

The point is that phone call, the small still voice that instructed me to answer the phone, my reluctance to answer the phone, and the breathing on he other side is something that led me to meditation.

Peter was asked three times by Jesus, "Do you love Me?" and I connected that to the phone call.

Here is the kicker, one of the conversations that I had with Pete before he died dealt with him telling me that he would always be with me.  I never doubted that because I feel him closer to me than ever before.

That phone call was no accident or coincidence, it was a message.  Jesus heard me and Pete let me know. he is with me.  (Sound schizophrenic?  well so does prayer and talking with a spirit, the saints, and angels, so don't judge.)

Lent is a wonderful time of our liturgical year to go deeper in faith and trust Christ is with us and in my moments of doubt, he made it clear.

This antiphon from evening prayer tonight says it all and we should pay close attention to the meaning and each word, "Call upon the Lord and he will hear you; cry out and he will answer: Here I am."

Working Toward Peace

There are days when I look around and think "when will we ever find peace?"  The daily news rarely reports on good things happening around the world, well, the occasional dog rescue or a child with a lemon aid stand to support a cause, but they are so rare that we forget that there are good people in the world.

Currently, the Islamic religion is taking quite a beating in the news, and with radical and ignorant Americans.  Muslims are labeled so broadly that it is harmful to humanity.

Murderous acts by radicals are no different than a bad car salesman or a bank that has loaned money to a family knowing they will default, in that the action murders the soul.  The act takes hold and grinds on the person so hard that the results are just a bitter downward spiral of mistrust and profiling so that the person walks away from the situation thinking that all car salesmen are crooks or all banks are predators.

We really need to be VERY cautious when we start placing these blankets over an entire population.  Think how we would view police in light of the recent videos that show the use of excessive force that results in the death of a human person.  We would be very suspicious of police and less likely to help.

The world is a violent place and we need to combat this with peace.  Jesus Christ was persecuted with as much discrimination as was the Prophet Mohammad, whose followers are persecuted just like the Christians.  We are united in the roots of Abraham and we need to remember that.  We are united in the struggle to overcome violence because of peaceful actions and attitudes.

We also need to remember to refrain from harmful and hate filled words because of a terrorist attack that involves extreme and misguided intentions by groups of people that do not accurately represent the whole.

Being more accepting and tolerant is the beginning of the path to a greater understanding that leads to Peace.

This is the second week of Advent and we are called to reflect on Peace and how to acquire the inner peace that produces the fruit of the Spirit.

Peace is possible and we, as a human race, will find it, but it takes work and awareness of state run propaganda that is rallying the people for the wrong reasons and mislabeling people, whether intentionally or not.  It takes refraining from spreading hate on social media.

Take time and study the word of God, and whether you are  Christain, Jew, Islamic, Buddhist, or any other faith that is based in love and peace, and if you have no faith in religion, have faith that a loving peaceful human race will have a greater impact on future generations.

May you always know what Love and Peace are, and may the Light of Christ be with you to guide you in the darkness.

Br. Rob, BSD.

Send Them Back!

Father, forgive us.

My heart is heavy and my spirit is crying to God.  

Stop this insanity.  

Your people, my people, care more about a 40 inch TV., a new car, a big nice home, and bottled water than they do about humans.  "Hearken to the sound of my voice and hear my cry"

What's the worse that could happen?  Someone shoots up a theatre or blows up a federal building?  The names change but the atrocities against humanity are the same, we kill each other and for what reason? Gold, Land, Oil, Religion? What is the reason we kill each other?  Is it worth it?  

Wars have been going on for so long and we keep reverting back to the same solution to conflicts.  We take, we kill, we do what we want when the other guy is weaker and our technology is stronger.   

Isn't it part of the evolutionary process to "get better" and to do things that are against our learned behaviors to make this world safer and better? I mean why is it so hard to think and talk out a solution to end wars, poverty, and injustices. 

When we were children we pointed fingers and called each other nasty names and threw toys and broke things, we grabbed and took things, we bit and punched when we didn't get what we wanted, we still do. 

What is this world going to look like for the future?

Will this violence ever stop?

War and violence are not the solutions for our problems; kindness, humility, and love are our solutions. 

Thinking about the possibilities of dying by a gunshot in a movie theatre, I still go.  

Thinking about the possibility that I may die at McDonalds from an assassin's bullet hasn't kept me from eating there.

Terror attacks happen every day in this country and across the globe and we just keep the same course, and that's insanity.  

We point fingers and call names and then turn on the evening news to see who we need to hate or if we are hating the right flavor of the day.

A child lies on a beach, dead, and we find that image offensive, yet we are not offended by the notion that we should close up our country, prohibit refugees for fear of a trojan horse.  Or that we have systematically committed heinous acts of terrorism throughout the world for many, many years, or that we may be the victims of political agendas.

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."  Forgive me, for not doing enough to help my fellow neighbor.

"Judas, dost thou betray the Son of man with a kiss?"

In light of the recent attacks in Paris I have heard some really off color remarks from people that profess a Christian belief and the comments are just filled with fear.

"What if 'they' blow us up?"  "What if this is like a trojan horse?"  "Why should we help them?"  "Send them back" My first thought was; "Why is this a "we" "them" issue?  Why isn't this a humanity crisis that involves solutions and responses from all of the world?

There are so many questions and few answers at this point, but, what I can tell you is that if you open the bible and read the gospels, you will find the story of one Judas Iscariot in the text during the passion of Christ.

The Passion of the Christ takes us from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection and everything in between.  I have read, slept on, mulled over, and LIVED Passion Week and have come to the understanding that what the Christ stood for, what his bare bones message is that we profess is this: "Love God above all" and "Love your brother as yourself"  It's that simple folks.  

So as a litmus test for a response to the refugee crisis in the world look at the examples of Christ during the Passion, especially, because this is where you find the character of the Christ.  

The hardest and most difficult time in your life brings up the "sea floor of your life".  Chaos, misery, lies, deceitfulness, violence, and betrayal are all in the week leading up to the crucifixion.

Jesus lived with, ate with, and worked with a "sleeper cell" named Judas Iscariot.  Jesus knew his attacker was going to betray him and ultimately lead to the death of the Son of God.  

Think about that.

The Son of God, Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Chosen One was turned over to be killed by one of his trusted companions and Jesus knew it would happen.

"Holy Week, or the Passion of Christ, has many examples of Christ's wisdom and life lessons in the darkest hours of His earthly life.

When I hear of the "plots" and "plans" made in darkness to betray a nation of people (by refugees) I am quickly cautioned to recall what happened to Jesus.  

Judas kissed Jesus and that began the events of Holy Thursday that lead to the salvation of humanity though at the time I am sure you could see how hard it must have been to trust in the work God was doing.

Now, here is the difference.  We live in fear of losing our cushy lifestyle.  We fear the unknown.  We have this uneasy feeling that terrorist may attack the United States, and they probably will,  to make us conform to Islam.  Jesus trusted in the Divine Plan we, too, must also.  

There are people in agencies that care tremendously about the safety of the American people, that work every day to make this world better, and those people are the ones that do the best they can to maintain a very free life in America for all of us.   

So, why did Judas betray Christ?  Most scholars rest on the misunderstandings of Judas in regard to the mission Jesus was here to fulfill.  When Judas found out that Jesus was not attempting a revolt against the government, Judas, betrayed him because he was angry and hurt.  

What about the ones that want America to be blown up, what is it that they are angry and hurt over? 

Why are we a target? 

Taking precautions to prevent an attack is a prudent and noble aspiration, however, let's be realistic.  Our history and activities throughout the world in the past 75 years have been, at best, poor.  

Now, you need not be a religious person to grasp the concept of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"  

Would you want to go back to this?

Terrorism will end when there is no longer participation in terrorism.

Find God in the response to a betrayal.

Hate breeds Hate

I read the news and related articles on a daily basis and I can’t help but feel a sense of sadness when I read about the lack of compassion communicated by leaders and potential leaders in America. 

My Family took in refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and VietNam in the 70's.  My Uncle, while serving as a green beret, married a Vietnamese girl named DING (and yes I made fun of her name) to get her out of the country because her family was killed or separated, she was going to die, in fact, it would have been highly probable that the US would have done it (According to my Uncle, the green beret).   

I'm very thankful I saw this compassion and love as a child.  My mother, the only girl of six children, never knew her father and never finished the eighth grade.  My mother left school when she was just 13 and worked.  I watched us struggle with many things, but I was always taught to be kind and help ANYONE that needs it.  I remember my mother leaving the house at dinner to take food to someone that had none, and as recent as my last visit with her, she and her neighbor made lunch and dinner and took it to the park where 4 kids, that had been evicted from their house, were sitting on a bench while their mom was at work trying to make money for her family. (She was just evicted).  Mom believes in God, a God that protects and cares for us through other people. Mom doesn't go to any organized services and SHE IS A SAINT.  

My Dad was placed in a home in upstate New York at the age of 5, and left there through the great depression until he ran away to find a better life.  He went to Puerto Rico to seek out family members where he stayed with an aunt and made a few dollars hustling the "numbers" racket for the mob. Eventually, he would join the Merchant Marines and serve in WWII.   He worked two jobs to help and made time to practice baseball.  He did what he was able to do and to help where he could.

Growing up in a "Catholic" home taught me how to rely on God, a God that didn't always come the way I would expect Him to or in the time frame that I desire. I remember one time my parents struggled to make my tuition and the good sisters let me stay in the convent from 5:30 am until classes started so my mom could get to work on time.  There was never a hint of "money owed" from the sisters that helped form my view of the world.   

My life has been full of experiences that have led me to believe in God and I have been given a sense of hope that has guided me through the most turbulent waters imaginable.    

If you are kidnapped and taken to a prison camp for being Jewish, can you find hope?  You did nothing. Your crime is that you are Jewish and one person was so full of hate that they spewed that on you and now you must surely die in that prison.  Can you find hope, compassion, and love for your captors and toward the one that gave the order?  Can you Love humanity?   

When will we learn?  Violence begets violence.  Terrorism begets terrorism.  Hate breeds hate.  The hippies had it right, Love, Peace, and Joy.  I seem to recall an ancient hippie profess the same thing.  

Forgive someone, TODAY!  Your peace will be "unsurpassable and beyond your understanding."

May God have Mercy on us ALL. 

Francis in the United States

Rob Lopez, BSD.

What a week!  The pope came to visit the United States and what an inspiring few days.  

I remember the past few popes visiting the U.S. and the anticipation level was no less for Francis.

What can we say about the man that is in fisherman shoes?  He is Christ on earth mixing with all peoples of every background and status.  Ditching the elites to dine with the homeless.  Visiting a correctional facility instead of historic tours and lunches with delegates.  Francis visited with victims of sexual abuse, abuses at the hands of teachers, coaches, parents, and priests, signifying it's not just a focus on the churchmen, it is a human tragedy to be seen for the cruelty that infects all humanity.  Francis was here to apologize and to promote healing for the churchmen's sins.

Pope Francis spoke to the congress and made history with the address that focused on the importance of human rights and the dignity of the person at all stages of life.

The plea to remember the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them so  unto you.  There was a concern for the stranger in the land  “When the stranger in our midst appeals to us, we must not repeat the sins and the errors of the past. We must resolve now to live as nobly and as justly as possible, as we educate new generations not to turn their back on our “neighbors” and everything around us.”

Pope Francis came to bring hope and dialogue for the world that sometimes finds this to be  difficult or impossible to attain. 

The environment is a very important conversation we need to take seriously.  Francis tied in the biological sameness in the earth and the person, thus requiring a duty that treats the earth as a person, which in turn treats the decisions that are made regarding the earth as important as the decisions made in regard to human dignity. 

We can't throw away the earth because the earth is part of us and we live in union with the earth, a gift from the creator.  Tough words and tough actions to defend the environment are going to be made very soon and we need to pray for the men and women directly involved.

Here was one thing I wanted to point out-Pope Francis is a man of prayer, study, and action and that's why he has the influence he has.  He walks the walk and so must we.

Don't lose hope, and be Christ for all those we meet and may others see Christ in us.  

Forgiveness

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.  You will be hard pressed to find anyone that thinks the United States needs to apologize for the murderous act, after all it was a war the Japanese started.

The thought of an apology can bring about the fear that we will be viewed as weak and our stubbornness can overtake us.

When we talk about forgiveness we talk about a state of peacefulness.  The road to forgive may be one that brings up the harshest and most painful memories we have, yet until we take that step to forgive the people that hurt us, we can never be still in that peace.

I'll give you a personal example;
There is a person that befriended me and I thought that this person was sincere and open.  What I found out later was the person used the vulnerability to gain power over me.

I didn't have many friends and was new to the area and a bit out of place to say the least.  The person began to ask me questions that I felt were sincere so I responded honestly.

Time passed by and it wasn't until I stopped by the theatre to say, "Hi" to my professor that the person really disappointed me.

The rehearsal was going on so I stopped to watch.  I heard this person yell (Randomly and loudly) an insult that applied to what they thought was appropriate.

I remember tears rapidly approaching and I needed to just leave.   I went to my car and cried.  I went home that day thinking that everyone sucked.  I thought that everyone was fake and really only talked to me because I was someone that they could joke about.

The person may not know that I heard the words that came from their mouth, but I remembered.

The very next day I was early for a class and a young lady sat next to me and said; "Rob, thanks for being my friend."  I remember this because I was having an anxiety attack and her words calmed me, instantly.  A few minutes later the guy walked in, and that was the day I forgave him.  I realized that his immaturity is what was at the base of the remarks.  My friend told me that you will always encounter liars and fakes, but love them any way.

Forgiveness comes from a very special place and that place is peaceful and loving.  "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do."

Forgiven.