Listen in!

I have been asked to fill in on "Calling All Catholics Live" on WLOF-FM Buffalo, WHIC-AM Rochester, and WQOR-AM Scranton for the regular host, Patrick Murphy, so he can take some well deserved R + R. I will be on the air October 30th and November 3rd from 5PM to 6PM taking your calls with our priest-guests! If you are not in the Buffalo area, look us up at www.wlof.net.

Assessing the damage

You may have heard in the news that Buffalo was buried in a freak early snowstorm. Now, we Buffalonians are a bit sensitive to all the hype about our snow. We are quick to point out that we have more sunshine than any other city in New York, and often beat Orlando on the sunshine count, as well. Nonetheless, what you read about the "October Surprise Snowstorm" was absolutely true in all it's ugliness. It was a true disaster. Buffalo has long been known for it's huge, sprawling, old growth trees along shady streets and in our Frederick Law Olmsted designed park system. Unfortunately, they have been decimated. Trees by the hundreds of thousands have toppled or been stripped of branches, leaving ugly skeletons where trees used to be. The trees all had leaves on them, and when the heavy wet snow piled up (22 inches in all) the branches didn't have a chance. They took out powerlines and telephone cables.

My home was powerless for three days, but, thankfully, the power went back on yesterday evening. My mother has not been so lucky, nor another 200, 000 some other homes. They predict all should be restored by week's end. Most of the schools are off for the week. It looks literally like a war zone, with smashed cars, streets blocked, and complete darkness in many parts of the city.

Through it all we kept the fireplace going, and slept together in the living room around the fire, all eleven of us! As a nurse I spent considerable time on duty making up for the many call-ins, but all in all, everying is okay. The kids had no computer, phone or TV, and had to entertain themselves, and did a pretty good job of it. We went to mass Sunday, although the Bishop gave dispensation, to a darkened church, but the enthusiasm and spirit of those who came warmed all our hearts. God was good to us. We survived. But we also learned how fragile our hold on things really is.

Why did I pay for all those lessons?!? Dance for Gramma!!

I have been asked to give a presentation to my colleagues in December. Each month the spiritual care department here at the hospital puts on an "Oasis": an opportunity to discuss some uplifting thing so everyone can have a mini-retreat in the work day. Nice, but suddenly I am on the spot. The dear lady who asked me to do it said, " Now, I am not going to tell you what to talk about, but humor would be nice". THE PRESSURE! Once, some time ago, I was asked to talk about humor in the workplace. Now, don't get me wrong, I love to laugh, tell more jokes than most, and I am not afraid of a microphone...nonetheless, when you are asked to present on humor, everyone comes prepared to laugh. I am not a stand-up. My dilemma is a deep desire to do ANYTHING but humor, with an expectation from everyone that humor is the topic du jour in my mind. Maybe I could learn to juggle.

Of course, a hospital is rife with things to laugh about...but outside of nursing, poop, vomit and farts, while hysterical to adolescent boys, are rarely funny to adults. There goes all my material.

Does anyone have the owner's manual?

Our oldest daughter is a senior in high school. Many of you know my pain. Notwithstanding, as a father of nine children, others look upon me as somewhat of an expert. Indeed, in many ways, I see myself as one...except with Emily. With Emily, everything is new because she is the FIRST. I have nothing to fall back on, no experience, no wisdom. Poor dear, I believe she knows she broke us in. Anyway, as the selection process narrows and the day for applying fast approaches, the stress increases exponentially. Her mother and I would like her to go to Franciscan University at Stuebenville, but persue that hope gingerly. Many a good mother and father has had to endure rants about "stupid-ville" because they pushed just a bit too hard. Our primary hope is that she retains her faith that even now seems to be changing as our control begins to wane. I have a feeling that at most Jesuit colleges, where she seems to be centering her search, faith is an academic concept rather than a lived reality... no offense to my SJ friends, but, c'mon, where's the beef?

If anyone has a copy of the owner's manual let me know.

Who's complaining?

The firewood arrived in the pouring rain. The mud room is leaking like a sieve. The bathroom is leaking into the basement. The cats have fleas. The driveway drain is plugged and we have another great lake in our yard. The gutters are ineffectual, spouting rain from the corners. The kitchen window is stuck open. Teresa spilled a quart of milk on my recliner and it smells like a fine french cheese. My wife is in the throes of menopause. My seventeen-year old daughter might as well be, judging her mood swings. Four kids need glasses. My teeth are in horrible need of attention. I am in the car most of my life attending practices and games. The car looks like several homeless people have been living in it for a month or more...smells that way, too. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Life is good. Praise God in the good and the bad. At least a couple of the children bathed today.

I can't imagine where St. Paul got the idea that it would be easier for us to get to heaven by being celibate...

More?

Today is the third day of our St. Maria Faustina novena. I recognize the grace of suffering in small bursts, but it is so hard to firmly grasp. Nonetheless, my recent hospitalization (appendectomy and aspiration pneumonia) fleshed out the value of offering up pain and lonliness. I was so focused on Jesus at a time that in the past I would be uncomfortable and wallowing in self-pity. Suffering as a joy, as Faustina shared? I can see it, like a fuzzy picture on the television, and I am eager to focus on her joy...where are those rabbit ears?

God calls us to much more than we, in our weak sinfulness, could ever aspire to. Only His grace and love empower us. It makes me feel loved and joyful on one hand, sinful and pitiful on another. I know this sounds like an unresolvable dichotomy, but it seems very clear to me, thanks be to God.

My nine-year-old daughter broke the digital camera tonight. She cried pretty hard, and knew she broke the rules. I was gentle. What can I do? It's just a stupid camera. Last I checked they make millions of them every year.

Hello, I must be crowing...

God is so good. It is always so amazing to see His Holy Spirit at work in our lives. I don't think I will ever get used to it -- I know I should expect that He will answer our prayers, but when He does, WOW. I just flip my lid.
I celebrated my 20th high school reunion last night. Of course, the prevailing question of the night was, "Nine kids? How do you do it?" I had many opportunities to kerygmatically share the many graces and mercies God has not only given me, but allowed me to SEE. Sometimes I think that is our job on earth: to help one another to see God.

Invariably, as I drove home, I thought of all the things I could have said but didn't. As I mused a question arose: have I squandered grace? Have I failed to allow God's grace to integrate into my soul and make me more like Him? I thought of my faults, my "thorns", my sins...and yet, the overriding feeling I had was that I have been too complacent. I have had many a holy man and woman tell me that my life itself will speak of Jesus, if I live His will. True, but is that enough? Is that the "New Evangelism" Pope John Paul II the Great wrote and spoke of? Somehow, I don't think so. Somehow, I believe too many of us hide behind good intentions. I believe that living our lives can be an invitation, but the party requires conversation. In other words, we need to share the good news.

I have heard St. Francis' words, "Spread the Gospel, use words if necessary," (poorly paraphrased) spoken by so many so often that they begin to lose objective meaning. They take on a life of their own, a pre-supposed factuality that can't be misconstrued as a licence to be silent by those reluctant to speak. Francis lived the life of a monk, in a dirty old habit, forsaking the world, with other monks, praying and living with God every moment of every day. He didn't have to speak to draw others to him. But you and I, working in the world, driving a car that looks pretty much like everyone elses, wearing clothes that pretty much everyone wears, and living in houses like mostly everyone else, well, we ain't so obvious. We need to open our mouths.

God loves us, is merciful, and wants to draw us to Himself. He sent His only Son to die for us that we may have eternal life. He sends His Holy Spirit to guide us, protect us, and even pray for us. That needs to be told. Otherwise, I believe we are squandering grace. Any thoughts?

Well, that's our town for you...

Read "The Unenlightened". It sums up the big visit of the Dalai Lama pretty well.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060921/1002828.asp

Mixed up madness

If I hear one more person say that Pope Benedict XVI is responsible for the Islamic hoopla centered around his comments I truly will have cow. Or maybe a pig. I like pork. Anyway, the Pope made academic statements to an academic crowd about the dangers of a Godless society, equating the fruit of such a society to that of the violent extremists of Islam who believe that God would tell them to blow up innocent men, women and children in His name. If God can be known through reason and rationality, gifts He has bestowed on His children, then we must know that violence of the Jihad type are irrational and not of God. Likewise, a society that denies God allows irrationality in that the values and morals of society become subjective and driven by opinion rather than objective truth. He was kinda giving it to the European academics. But, in predictable fashion, the Islamic extremists, in complete horror that anyone would accuse them of being irrationally violent, shot a nun three times. In the back. Oh, and they rioted, burned things, and threw whatever handy stones happened to be in reach. Zenit reports that Romans are angry with the Pope, fearing Muslim backlash. Please, get a backbone, Rome! Check out the article (Thursday, Sept. 21st, 2006, www.zenit.org). Oh, and thanks, our extremist friends, for putting the exclamation point on the Pope's comments. You have proven yourselves again.

DANGER in the DALAI?!?

It sounds silly, but there is danger for Catholics to become too enmeshed in the life and message of the Dalai Lama. In the quest of Buddhists for enlightenment, they are missing the true source of all goodness and life: GOD! Their search will always be unfulfilled as long as it promotes individuality above community, and human intellect and goodness over God. Catholics, unfortunately, have as of late had a strange fascination with Eastern mysticism. It is ill directed, and needs to be rooted out. Any spirituality that leads man to himself and not God is a big ol' waste of time.