Reflection Starter from Socrates

"The shortest and surest way to live with honor in the world, is to be in reality what we would appear to be."  - Socrates

National Trails Day

One of the treasures of New England is the variety of outdoor trails of various types in each of the six states.

Saturday (4 June) is National Trails Day. The American Hiking Society has been sponsoring this event since 1993 as a follow up to the 1987 report of President Ronald Reagan's President's Commission on Americans Outdoors. “Trails for All Americans,” one recommendation of the report, advised that Americans should be able to walk out their front doors and, within fifteen minutes, be on trails that take them through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing any steps.

The theme for National Trails Day 2011, “Made With All Natural Ingredients,” is designed to encourage Americans to get outside and to connect with parks and recreation departments, local outdoor clubs, businesses, community groups, and federal land managing agencies to experience, appreciate, and celebrate the natural places where one can find “a spread of scenery, a plateful of peace, and a heap of happiness and health.”

Events scheduled for this year’s observance include hikes, new trail dedications, workshops, educational exhibits, equestrian and mountain bike rides, rollerblading, and trail maintenance.

In New England, there are over 100 National Trails Day events scheduled, including the following:

American Hiking Society: National Trails Day Events in Connecticut

American Hiking Society: National Trails Day Events in Maine

American Hiking Society: National Trails Day Events in Massachusetts

American Hiking Society: National Trails Day Events in New Hampshire

American Hiking Society: National Trails Day Events in Rhode Island

American Hiking Society: National Trails Day Events in Vermont

Background information:

American Hiking Society

Outdoor Resources Review Group

Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. The assigned readings are Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, and Matthew 28:16-20. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 47 (Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9).

Today’s Gospel reading is as follows:

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Reflection on the Ascension:

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Ascension - What's in it for Me?

Stephen White on Balancing Aspects of Catholic Social Teaching for the Common Good

"Catholics self-styled as 'progressive' have enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the more communal terms in Catholic social teaching: common good, solidarity, social justice, and preferential option for the poor. These principles are integral to a fully Catholic understanding of society and the role of the state. Meanwhile, Catholics of a more conservative bent have emphasized other aspects of the Church’s social doctrine: subsidiarity, the dignity of the individual, and the creative power of markets.

"While these latter, personalist principles are essential to a genuine Catholic social teaching, without the communitarian dimension, the view from the Right tends to devolve into a quasi-libertarian and, often, overtly ideological imitation of Church teaching. At the same time, the Left's approach underemphasizes subsidiarity and the rights of mediating institutions; its old statist habits tend to subsume everything under the crushing embrace of government."

In a recent commentary, Stephen P. White (coordinator of the Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society in the Catholic Studies Program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.) reflects on different elements of Catholic social teaching and how they must work together, balancing the common good with the dignity and proper autonomy of the individual person. He also considers the difficulties of achieving such a balance in political conversation.

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

The Catholic Thing: Catholic Conservatives and the Common Good (26 MAY 11)

Reflection Starter from Booker T. Washington

"There are two ways of exerting one's strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up." - Booker T. Washington

"Shine Jesus Shine"

As we begin this month of June, a month in which the Church honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I offer "Shine Jesus Shine":

This Week’s New England City & Town Weekly Dispatch

To access this week’s issue of New England City & Town Weekly Dispatch, please visit:

New England City & Town Weekly Dispatch - 1 June 2011

Bishop Christopher Coyne and the Indy 500

The recently-ordained Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis (and former priest of the Archdiocese of Boston, as well as former host of the Catholic TV show, Sacred Time), Christopher Coyne, gave the invocation at Monday's Indy 500 (Indianapolis 500 Mile Race).

Bishop Coyne wrote about this experience in his blog, and this post may be accessed by visiting:

Tthoughts of a Catholic Bishop: "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" (30 MAY 11)

Background information:

The Criterion: ‘Witness to mystery’: Bishop Coyne ordained as first Indianapolis auxiliary bishop since 1933 (11 MAR 11)

The Criterion: Bishop Coyne feels welcomed, wants to minister on the Internet (11 MAR 11)

Catholic TV: Bishop Christopher Coyne Ordained

Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Indy 500

Wikipedia: Indianapolis 500

A Reflection on the First Joyful Mystery

Recently, while I was reflecting on first Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, I was thinking about Mary as she was bopping along doing whatever she was doing (there are different traditions related to this - some think she was doing housework, and others think she was at the village well). All of a sudden the archangel Gabriel appears, and, after reassuring her that he was from God, he placed a request from God before her.

Many times I also am going about doing whatever is before me, and the Lord, in the form of someone in need, comes along and asks me to do something. It may be something as simple as giving directions, it may be something more involved. Whatever the situation, what is my attitude - do I let myself get bothered because the Lord is asking me to do some that may be a bit inconvenient? Or, do I say "yes" in the same spirit in which Mary said "yes" to God through Gabriel? Hopefully the latter. . . .

New England Treasure: New England Music Competition Accordion Champion

Kyle Fredricks, a senior at Nashua High School South in Nashua, NH, recently won the accordion championship at the New England Music Competition and Festival.

To access a Nashua Telegraph article about Kyle and his accomplishment, please visit:

Nashua Telegraph: South senior earns NE accordion title - with video (26 MAY 11)

Background information:

New England Music Festival Association

Rosita Lee Music Center: The Showstoppers Orchestra

Accordion Teachers' Association of Massachusetts

Wikipedia: Accordion

First Recorded U.S. Earthquake

On this date in 1638, the first earthquake was recorded in what is now the United States - in the New England colonies.

For more information about this earthquake, please visit:

U.S. Geological Survey: Historic Earthquakes: Probably St. Lawrence Valley region 1638 06 11 UTC

U.S. Geological Survey: Historic Earthquakes:The Earthquake of 1638

NESEC: History of Earthquakes in the Northeast

Note: The date on which the earthquake occurred was 1 June 1638 on the Julian calendar; on the Gregorian calendar, it would be 11 June 1638. Britain and its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar in September of 1752.

Seismic safety information:

New England Seismic Network

Weston Observatory: Alan L. Kafka: Why Does the Earth Quake in New England?

Northeast States Emergency Consortium (NESEC)

NESEC: Earthquakes

FEMA: Earthquake Response and Recovery

Reflection Starter from 1 Peter

"Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame." - 1 Peter 3:15-16