Chips Tenoso: "Be Exalted, O God"

As we continue to live this week, I offer this version of Chips Tenoso presenting "Be Exalted, O God":

 

Belated Birthday Blessings, Elizabeth!!!

Belated birthday greetings to Elizabeth, daughter of niece Allison Tanner, who recently celebrated her birthday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Belated Birthday Blessings, Greg!!!

Belated birthday greetings to brother Gregory, who celebrated his birthday yesterday!!! May each day of the upcoming year be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of the various types of musical instruments.

Daniel Esparza on Planning a Slower Summer

"Summer vacations can begin to feel strangely exhausting before they even start. Flights are tracked, restaurant reservations compete for attention, and every spare hour is filled with activities meant to justify the cost of time away. In a culture shaped by optimization, even rest can become performance.

"Yet many people return from these carefully engineered trips more tired than when they left.

"Part of the pressure comes from the pace of modern life itself. . . .

"That is why the idea of a slower summer vacation feels newly important."

In a recent commentary, writer/scholar Daniel Esparza reflected on the Christian tradition treating rest as something sacred rather than optional and on the importance of planning a slower vacation (including leaving open space in the schedule and allowing time for prayer, silence, and boredom - the beginning of creativity and attention).

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

Aleteia: Daniel Esparza: The art of planning a slower summer (16 MAY 26)

Reflection Starter from St. Philip Neri

"To preserve our cheerfulness amid sicknesses and troubles, is a sign of a right and good spirit." - Saint Philip Neri

"Armed Forces Medley"

As we continue our observance of Armed Forces Day, I offer this version of the Armed Forces Medley:

 

Armed Forces Day

Today (Saturday, 16 May) is Armed Forces Day, 2026.

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.

United Service Organizations: When is Armed Forces Day?

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of clean pajamas.

A News Anchor's Affirmation of Life

"I hope to die young, but as late in life as possible." That quote from a Greek philosopher was a favorite of the legendary broadcaster and anchorman Ernie Anastos, who passed away a few weeks ago at age 82. Ernie spent more than 40 years delivering the news on New York's airwaves, but he also remained connected to The Christophers since befriending our former director, Father John Catoir, in the 1980s. The Christopher motto - "It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness" - resonated with Ernie, whose approach to life was always a positive one.

During a Christopher Closeup interview in 2017, Ernie recalled his formative years: "I grew up in a home where we were taught to feel good about life [by] my mom, my dad, and particularly my grandfather, who was one of the first ordained Greek Orthodox priests in America. . . . He would walk out the door, and he would have some fruit in his hand to go visit someone in the hospital. He would go to a neighbor's house, and he would talk to people. . . . He brought people together. I remember in our home - because my grandparents lived with us - there would be meetings where he would bring in people from the Catholic faith, Jewish faith. He would be open to making sure we all understood that we came from the same source and that we were brothers and sisters and that we would love one another and respect one another. I learned that from him."

It was in his grandfather's extensive collection of books where Ernie first read the aforementioned quote by the Greek philosopher: That idea, Ernie said, reflects "the spirit and the affirmation of life. It's wanting to make sure that you never feel bored, that you always realize the magic and the newness . . . that we have in front of us, to be able to explore and become everything that we possibly could be, and to learn from others."

As much as Ernie tried to inject positivity into his work, the sad truth is that the news is often dark. How did he keep from becoming cynical when faced with those situations? Ernie responded, "The good Lord has given us life. . . . We can turn it into something beautiful or something ugly. With my experience working in the news all these years, I've seen the injustices. I've seen the unfairness. I've seen the pain. . . . I remember being on the air September 11th. I didn't stop for months. . . . Even to this day, we've had so many current events, unfortunately, that have happened, where you say to yourself, what's wrong? How come we can't come together?. . . . ..What can we do to try and make this a better world? I think we all have that opportunity. We just have to find a way."

Ernie attributed his longevity in the TV news business back to his immigrant grandparents, noting, "I can relate to all of those different age groups, especially now, since I've been married many years. My wife and I have raised two beautiful children and now we have grandchildren. . . . [I can relate to] people of all ages, of all ethnicities, of all races. I feel like I've been blessed to have that in my life."

The people who got to know Ernie Anastos, either personally or on our TV screens, were also blessed to have him in our lives. Though we wish he could have had more years on this earth, we are grateful that his youthful attitude stayed with him all his days.

This essay is a recent "Light One Candle" column by Tony Rossi, Director of Communications, The Christophers; 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 Pope Leo XIV

"Saint Joseph cared for the family that the Lord entrusted to him. Guardianship means being attentive to others, respecting their choices, and caring for them. St. Joseph shows us that presence and guardianship are inseparable dimensions: we can only care for others by being present, and we are only present when we assume responsibility for the other." - Pope Leo XIV

"Do Not Stand and Stare in Wonder"

As we continue our celebration of the Ascension, I offer this version of "Do Not Stand and Stare in Wonder":