Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of public rest rooms.

Fr. Michael Rennie on Why Our Souls Contain Conflicting Feelings

"Walt Whitman famously declared, 'I contain multitudes.' Being the obscure poet that he was, no one is quite sure what he meant by that. After all, this is the same poem, titled 'Song of Myself,' in which he boasts that he is, 'untranslatable,' and his, 'barbaric yawp' sounds over the roofs of the world. Typical grandiose writer-type stuff, there.

"As difficult as it is to parse out the subtle shades of meaning in his words, it does seem clear that Whitman is trying to express the fundamental mystery of the human soul. Human beings are prone to behave in strange ways, with conflicted motivations and feelings that we ourselves don't quite understand. . . ."

In a recent commentary based on the life of St. Dominic, Father Michael Rennier reflected on some of the reasons for the human capacity for experiencing multitudes of conflicted emotions.

To access Fr. Rennier's complete post, please visit:

Aleteia: Fr. Michael Rennier: Why can our souls contain such conflicting feelings? (21 MAY 23)

Reflection Starter from Pope Francis

"Christians do not diminish the seriousness of suffering, they raise their eyes to the Lord and under the blows of adversity, trust in him and pray for those who suffer. They keep their eyes on Heaven, but their hands are extended to earth, to serve their neighbour concretely." - Pope Francis

Armed Forces Medley

As this blessed week draws to a close,and as we continue our observance of Armed Forces Day, I offer this version of the Armed Forces Medley:

 

Armed Forces Day, 2023.

Today (Saturday, 20 May) is Armed Forces Day, 2023.

President Harry S Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On 31 August 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department - the U.S. Department of Defense.

As we observe this day, we salute the members of our communities who are currently serving and have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Presidential Proclamation on Armed Forces Day, 2023

 

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of third order lay religious and for the many ways in which they reach out to Your people.

St. Catherine of Siena’s Dialogue with God

n April 29th, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Catherine of Siena, a Doctor of the Church who led a profoundly influential life in 14th century Italy. Catherine felt called to religious life at an early age, but rather than entering a convent, she joined the Third Order of Saint Dominic, a lay religious association, and lived at home serving her parents and many brothers and sisters.

Catherine had mystical experiences that inspired her devotion to God and her care for the poor and sick. Her service to those in need drew others who felt a similar calling to join in her efforts, enabling those efforts to flourish and for her to become a well-respected figure in society. Catherine leveraged her growing renown to influence the contentious politics of her day, at one point facilitating a return of the last Avignon Pope to Rome and lobbying the Italian City-States to remain loyal to the Pope during the time of the Great Schism of the West.

The "Dialogue of Saint Catherine of Siena" remains one of the towering achievements of Italian Literature. She dictated this conversation with God while in a state of ecstasy, and it provides insights that have inspired people of faith ever since. One of the recurring messages in her Dialogue is God's call for us to love our neighbor. "There cannot be love for Me without love for neighbor," Catherine is told by God in her Dialogue. "It cannot be otherwise, because love of Me and of her neighbor are one and the same thing. . . . This is the means which I have given you, that you may exercise and prove your virtue therewith.. . . This proves that you possess Me by grace in your soul, producing much fruit for your neighbor and making prayers to Me, seeking with sweet and amorous desire My honor and the salvation of souls."

We see in this Dialogue the echoes of God's age-old call dating back to the Ten Commandments to love our neighbors as ourselves. This call was renewed by Christ when He was asked about the greatest commandment and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

At the outset of her Dialogue, Catherine declares, "The soul is in God and God in the soul, just as the fish is in the sea and the sea in the fish." What an amazing line that sheds light on the meaning of Christ's statement about the closeness of love of neighbor and love of God. Put plainly, the more compassion we show to our neighbor, the more we honor God.

This is the simple yet profound wisdom infused in Catherine's entire Dialogue. It's a wisdom that touched her heart from an early age and led her to reverence God through service to those in need. And from those humble beginnings, she rose to be respected by the rulers of her time and influenced the Church at a pivotal point in history.

Let's pray today for the intercession of Saint Catherine of Siena so that a new generation can set about the humble task of service to others and inspire those in the Church to a greater spirit of unity so we can all in turn influence the world for the greater good.

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column, written by Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M, of The Christophers' Board of Directors; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)

Background information:

The Christophers

Reflection Starter from St. Bernardine of Siena

"You are not rewarded according to your work or your time but according to the measure of your love." - Saint Bernardine of Siena, whose memory the Church celebrates today (20 May)

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 3 in D major

It's time for some classical music. This is a presentation of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 3 in D major (Op. 29) by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Mariss Jansons:

 

 

 

ALA Releases Libraries Build Business Communications Toolkit for Library Workers

The American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Policy & Advocacy office, in partnership with Co/lab Capacity, recently released the Libraries Build Business Communications Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to provide tools and resources for library workers to promote their small business support services, grow and maintain relationships with local partners, and advocate to policymakers on the important role libraries play in the small business ecosystem.

The Communications Toolkit includes outreach plans targeting four key audiences: small business owners, small business support organizations, elected officials and decision makers, and library staff. Library workers looking to broaden their community’s perception of the library, learn more about the small business community, encourage support, and create partnerships will find materials pertinent and adaptable to their needs. The toolkit also helps its users prepare for meetings, presentations to community members, and events – as well as help library workers build confidence in discussing their small business offerings.

To access this toolkit, please visit:

ALA: Libraries Build Business Communications Tool

Background information:

American Library Association

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of the ringing of church bells.

John Grondelski on the Importance of Church Bells

"If you hear the word 'tintinnabulation,' you are almost certainly going to think of Edgar Allen Poe's poem, “The Bells,” perhaps only because you are unlikely to remember anyplace else you've heard that word. I once heard that Poe was inspired to write that poem by the bells of Fordham University Church, my Bronx alma mater, though I don't vouch for the veracity of that claim.

"Growing up in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, I was blessed by bells. . . ."

In a recent commentary, writer John M. Grondelski reflected on some of the ways in which church bells give the Church "a voice in the world."

To access Mr. Grondelski's complete post, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Blogs: John Grondelski: We Lose So Much When We Lose Church Bells (17 MAY 23)