Why now?

As my friend the late Fr. Severyn Westbrook used to begin all his newspaper columns:

“Gentle Reader.”

So nice to be with you again. I (MrEdCatholic) have been away for a long while, resting, so to speak, in the knowledge of the “perpetuity of my past posts”. What more do I have to say? And why now?

You might think it is due to some extra time on my hands because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and you would not be entirely wrong. But the moment I began to write this post I knew the real reason. It’s not because I have so much more to say. In fact, it feels like I have less to say. Yet the occasional words of encouragement sent my way prodded me to start up again, which I will admit, was always my intent.

But why now? And how does it possibly impact you, the “Gentle Reader”? I’ll answer the first question and you’ll have to let me know if there’s anything to report about the second.

Today, 8 years ago, our oldest daughter Theresa died. She passed away without pain, almost as if going to sleep, when her infection-weakened heart decided it could go on no longer. Although gentle to her, to us it was like our being electrocuted by lightning and hammered by deafening thunder. It was unexpected, to say the least.  After all, she and her mother had just gone to the doctor for a check-up the day before. And I had just talked to her 45 minutes before she went into a coma. Eight years ago today we were forced to join a “club” that we never wanted any part of, “Parents Who Have Lost a Child”.

In today’s climate many people are losing loved ones to the caronavirus. It some ways it can be more painful than our experience: though less sudden, the virus forces family and friends to stay away from those infected and dying, and the safety norms of today make funerals and mourning that much more complicated and incomplete. It’s gut wrenching  and heart rending. It creates a new completely unwanted “club”, one that instantly bonds its members in a mysterious kind of understanding and empathy that is like no other.

At this very moment I received a phone call from a new friend who lost his son nearly 2 years ago. I first met him on the first anniversary of his son’s death. I next saw him when he unknowingly visited me on the 7th anniversary of Theresa’s death. What does this mean? You tell me, but we were both dumbfounded at the virtual impossibility of such a thing occurring.

I’m grateful that he remembered today’s significance. We certainly will never forget Theresa; she is the main part of my reflection today for sure. We are all blessed to be a part of the Communion of Saints, that mystical body of the living and those in heaven who have gone on before us as referenced by St Paul. Now that’s a bond that is like no other, stronger than anything on earth. Maybe it’s an example to us of how we might approach this pandemic: with a sense of unity in the face of disruption; with a sense of assuredness in the face of unknowing; with a sense of hope in the face of tragedy; with a sense of love in the face of seeming abandonment.

Gentle reader, I guess what I’m trying to say is this: no matter what happens, no matter how we feel, Christ is always there for us. Always.

Shalom.*

MrEdCatholic

*This is how “Rev. Sev” ended his columns.

 

 

 

 

 

Saints and Songs

I wrote a song about my Dad last year. Hardest thing I ever did. It was almost a year since he died; our singer-songwriter guest artist jumped all over the opportunity to challenge me.  In a good way. “Write it; you may be the only one who can.” My cousin Jay, also a songwriter and a receiver of Dad’s  unique brand of love, asked me “How can you possibly capture his essence… his goodness… his spirit!?”

Last night, our little ensemble started practicing it with the intention of recording it. From the reaction in the room (the emotion, the passion for conveying its message) it is just  possible that I stumbled onto a reasonable portrayal of my father, a “man of still waters.” There is a universal ring to such a story of a person willing to be an instrument of God’s grace.

We all know or have known people who have impacted us in ways that lifted us up, gave us hope, and shaped us for the better. Be thankful, for they are the saints among us. I’ve encouraged us on other occasions to remember those saints, pray for them, and recall their messages of love that are among our most treasured gifts. 

Blessings,

MrEdCatholic

P.S. The song collection will be called “Songs of Healing, Songs of Grace.”

 

 

 

 

  

“…No one will take your joy away…”

Hmmm. If no one will take our joy away, then joy must be more fundamental and sustaining than our moods; our difficult situations; our aches and pains; our losses;  our agonies.  Our agonies. It’s funny how Jesus uses the illustration of a woman ‘s birth labor being replaced by joy to a bunch of men. Yet it is so true! Though we as men have not experienced it physically, we have seen the utter transformation, may have even seen the woman drenched in sweat holding her salvation, her life, her love. It’s perfect. (See John 16: 20-23.)

And Jesus says our joy will not be taken away. So joy must be more than an emotion. Joy must be an underlying happiness; a reservoir; a lifeline; a reassurance, all based on an innate knowledge that we have Christ in us! Yes, even when we don’t feel  it.

To me, it’s like the stunning prayer of St Patrick from his breastplate that speaks of Christ being before us, behind us, above us, below us, within us, to our left, to our right….  

Peace.

MrEdCatholic  

GROWING IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR DEAREST LORD JESUS

GROWING IN THE GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR DEAREST LORD JESUS

Upon cursory examination (if that’s not too much of an oxymoron) I would enthusiastically direct your attention to the above blog. Thoughtful; educational; manages to be non-judgemental without being wishy-washy; respectful; diverse; a good resource with a human touch.

~Mr Ed Catholic

~Mr Ed Catholic

Miracle Monday

I’ve been awaiting inspiration; the right moment; the right time for another post. “Who woulda thunk it,” my friend Harold might say. “Something good on a Monday!”

A friend came in our store (Kaufer’s Catholic Book, Gift, and Suppply) to tell us of what Dr. B. at the hospital refferred to as an “Overachiever Miracle.” This woman’s recently born grandson was being sent home in a day or two after having serious bleeding on the brain.  The recovery was utterly unexpected and unexplainable by any natural or scientific means.

The message? Have faith. Have faith. Have faith.  Faith in God and His Son Jesus.

If your faith wains, as mine often does, ask God to give you faith. Ask God to take your doubt and your longing for belief and shoulder your burdens. Ask others to pray, both the saints among us (that is, you and I) and those who have gone before us.

And finally, thank God. 

And keep praying.

A peaceful Monday to you.

~Mr Ed Catholic     

Help!

Seems like I’ve been away for awhile, at least from the blog.

I’m back now, ready to get back in with both feet!

Store (Kaufer Co. Religious Books and Supplies) News: Gary, our esteemed book buyer, has some great half price offerings on the way. From Mother Teresa to Pope Benedict to Tiny Tots’ First Bible Stories, he has assembled a great bunch of gift books. Call him at 1-800-873-7375. Tell him you need a gift for (fill in the details) and he’ll make a suggestion. Mention this blog and we’ll throw in free postage!

We are in our new space…all of 100 feet to the east. It’s rather attractive, though. A visual improvement.

Top-seller: Mother Teresa‘s new book. No contest. Worth getting….free postage applies to this, too. 

Cute quote for the day: “I don’t think evolution really works. Otherwise parents would have had more arms.” (O-K: reasonably cute quote. O-K, O-K: kinda corny quote for the day.)

So what’s the “HELP” all about, you may ask. Just the way some days go, I guess. I try to do the best I can, just like most folks. Try to do what God might want, as best I know anyway. Use the gifts and talents I have; try to make them contribute to the lives of those around me. Thomas Merton said in a prayer that he thought his clueless meandering attempts at doing God’s will somehow must please God! So he prayed for ongoing guidance. Me, too.

Prayer for the day: it’s not “God help us!!”  It’s “God, help us.”  

~Mr Ed Catholic

Forty Years Ago, and the Gratitude Remains…

I recently visited with Frank, an old family friend. He shared with me an unexpected but welcome  email he had recently received from my 83 year old Uncle Len. Prompted by something he had seen in a newsletter about Frank, Uncle Len was moved to send his greetings and a little bit of recent personal history. But even more significant to Frank was another part of the message.

Uncle Len remembered a kindness that Frank had shown him over 40 years ago which still resonated with him. Even as Uncle Len recounted the story and offered a thank you (“in case I didn’t tell you before”) Frank still had no recollection of it! But that in no way diminished his gratefulness and delight in hearing about its lasting impact.

Who has touched you in some way big or small? A random act of kindness ? A turning point in your life? An ongoing postive influence? A word of wisdom or encouragement?

Have you thanked them yet? 

Blessings.

~MrEdCatholic     

More Tips on Praying…

No I’m not the expert. But I run across a lot of good books and materials (it helps operating a Catholic book and supply business, The Kaufer Company.)

Back in my post of August 8, we looked at some ideas from author Ronald Rolheiser. Today we’ll glean from The Life of Teresa of Jesus: The Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila,  and later, from an article by James Martin, S.J., which appeared in The Word Among Us. 

I am struck by the prayer journey of St Teresa. She maintains it took her close to 20 years to fully enter into what she calls “mental prayer, (which) in my (St Teresa’s) view, is nothing but friendly and frequent solitary converse with Him Who we know loves us.” (Autobiography, chapter VIII.)  (Some may say “How discouraging! If St Teresa had such a tough time, how can I hope to make it?!” On the other hand, we can take courage from the knowledge that we are not so terribly different from her: we try, we fail, and we try again, slowly learning that our Heavenly Father is teaching us lessons of great worth…)

St. Teresa acknowledged that she relied, for many years, on having a book to read to start her prayer time. Sometimes that led to a more meditative state and sometimes the book remained her chief instrument of  prayer. And sometimes just having the book close at hand seemed enough to propel her in the right direction. There were times, however, as she struggled with different life issues, that an hour of prayer became almost intolerable. Yet, she somehow perservered. “In the end, the Lord would come to my help. Afterwards, when I had forced myself to pray, I would find that I had more tranquility and happiness than at certain other times when I had prayed because I had wanted to.” (Autobiography, chapter VIII.) (Note from this blogger: I found I had underlined this very passage when first reading it many years ago!) 

St Teresa continues: “When people practice prayer the Lord Himself bears the cost: in exchange for a little labor on their part, He gives them such consolation as will enable them to bear their trials.” 

Prayer for today: Lord, teach us to pray. Teach us perseverance. We are so fickle and so easily discouraged; our reliance on our own devices so predictably shortsighted. Give us vision. And give us courage…we’ll need that courage. Amen.

~ Mr. Ed Catholic  

Blessed Mother Teresa Died 10 Years ago…

Ten years ago! Yet the images of the celebration of her life (the funeral) remain vivid, not necessarily because of the dignitaries and heads of state in attendance, but due to the obvious love and affection of the people of India for this little woman who neither shared their religious affiliation nor their country of origin!  A remarkable testimony to the healing and unifying power of God’s love. 

Tonight at St Patrick’s Church in Spokane we celebrate a Mass in her honor with the Bishop presiding. We were blessed two years ago to have four sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, take up residence in our vacant convent. Their prayers and good works further manifest the love of Christ to many.

If you cannot join us in person, please take a moment to pray with us, with gratitude, for the spirit of Christ as seen and felt by countless individuals through “Mother” (as the sisters refer to her.)

  “I am asked what is one to do to be sure that one is following the way of salvation. I answer: “Love God. And, above all, pray.” ”      ~Mother Teresa 

~Mr Ed Catholic

ps New book on the words and writings of Mother Teresa, some never seen or heard by the sisters themselves. Call Gary for details at Kaufer Co: 1-800-873-7375.

Oh Boy! It’s Monday!

Time to get the week started out right.

“It seemed to be the thing to do at the time.” 

I sometimes refer to the deceptively simple words of that character down at the local hardware store named Hubert. Hubert could easily be the author of this phrase, but today I must give credit to another friend (maybe he’s a distant cousin of Hubert?)

Years ago this friend explained that these words often gave him “cause for pause” when he stood on the verge of giving himself a severe emotional beating. It allowed him not to make a lame excuse or to shirk responsibility, but to realize that he is human, capable of making mistakes. (Yes, hindsight is perfect, and we could all do serious self-inflicted damage by holding to unhealthy and overly elevated expectations of ourselves. Strive for good things, but don’t drive yourself into the ground.)

I’ve made mistakes. (Are you nodding now because you can identify or because you know me?) It’s said the road to hell is paved with good intentions; I’m praying the Road to Heaven is paved with mistakes! Yes, mistakes. Then I might have a chance! And hopefully those mistakes make me stronger, maybe a little wiser (though that might be asking too much) and humble enough to realize how much I need God’s love, healing, and guidance. 

But I still worry about those I have harmed by my mistakes. Part of my responsibility as a Catholic Christian is to make things right when possible.  (Even when not able, I must be willing and open to do so;  I must pray.)  That requires wisdom and discernment; courage and strength, with a sense of humility.  And faith in God’s ability to heal and love.

Paradoxically, strength often comes through our being humbled; by not only acknowledging our mistakes, but learning and growing from them; not needlessly kicking ourselves with guilt and self-recrimination.

In the Gospel for this Sunday (Luke 13: 22-30) Jesus says “…for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter (the kingdom of God) but will not be strong enough.”  In Saturday’s readings, Ruth gives us a wonderful lesson of living in humility and service; Jesus reinforces this image with his words in Matthew 23 about not following the scribes’ and Pharisees’ example of self-exaltation. 

Prayer for today:

Lord, teach me your ways. I fear I sometimes cause more pain than good. I seek You but I fail miserably.  Keep me humble enough to admit my mistakes.  Strengthen me through my stumblings.  Forgive me.  But mostly, Lord, heal those I have left in the wake of my mistakes. Use me as your instrument of peace, in whatever way you see fit.  Lord, teach me your ways.

~MrEdCatholic