07 August 2016
Reflection Starter from Pope Francis
"The secret to joy: never suppress positive curiosity; get involved, because life is meant to be lived." - Pope Francis
06 August 2016
Roomful of Blues: "Blues Train"
As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of Roomful of Blues presenting Doc Pomus' "Blues Train":
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration of the
Lord. The assigned readings are Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; 2 Peter 1:16-19;
and Luke 9:28-36. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 97 (Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6,
9).
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him."
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
Reflections on this feast and on these readings:
American Catholic: Saint of the Day: Transfiguration of the Lord
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: The Role of Mountaintop Experiences: A Reflection on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him."
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
Reflections on this feast and on these readings:
American Catholic: Saint of the Day: Transfiguration of the Lord
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: The Role of Mountaintop Experiences: A Reflection on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways in which You touch our hearts as You call us to You.
Sr. Theresa Aletheia Noble on Catholic Practices for the "Spiritual but not Religious"
"As most of you know, there are a growing number of people who have begun to identify as 'spiritual but not religious.' I have always suspected that this phrase really covers a diverse group of people, some who are closer to agnosticism but don't want to admit it, and others who practice a faith periodically but don't want to identify with it too closely.
"I have also anecdotally believed that the phrase 'spiritual but not religious' is rarely used by people who actually implement many spiritual practices in their lives. But I think that the people who use the phrase genuinely want to be more spiritual, which is why they use it. The phrase simultaneously communicates an alienation from God (exhibited in a detachment from most spiritual practices) and a genuine desire to be in relationship with him.
"I recently read an interesting study conducted a few years ago by a sociologist of religion, Nancy Ammerman, which confirmed this. Her study found that most of the people who are 'spiritual' depend very much on religious traditions and practices. In fact, she found that the people who were 'most active in organized religion were also the most committed to spiritual practices and a spiritual view of the world.' She also discovered that 'the people with the most robust sense of sacred presence are those who participate in religious activities that allow for conversation and relationship.'
"In other words, it would seem that the 'spiritual' in 'spiritual but not religious' is actually quite dependent on participation in a religious tradition."
In a recent commentary, Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, F.S.P., reflected on some Catholic practices that could help persons who are searching for more spirituality in their lives..
To access Sister Theresa'a complete post, please visit:
Aleteia: 3 Catholic practices for the "spiritual but not religious" (26 JUL 16)
"I have also anecdotally believed that the phrase 'spiritual but not religious' is rarely used by people who actually implement many spiritual practices in their lives. But I think that the people who use the phrase genuinely want to be more spiritual, which is why they use it. The phrase simultaneously communicates an alienation from God (exhibited in a detachment from most spiritual practices) and a genuine desire to be in relationship with him.
"I recently read an interesting study conducted a few years ago by a sociologist of religion, Nancy Ammerman, which confirmed this. Her study found that most of the people who are 'spiritual' depend very much on religious traditions and practices. In fact, she found that the people who were 'most active in organized religion were also the most committed to spiritual practices and a spiritual view of the world.' She also discovered that 'the people with the most robust sense of sacred presence are those who participate in religious activities that allow for conversation and relationship.'
"In other words, it would seem that the 'spiritual' in 'spiritual but not religious' is actually quite dependent on participation in a religious tradition."
In a recent commentary, Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble, F.S.P., reflected on some Catholic practices that could help persons who are searching for more spirituality in their lives..
To access Sister Theresa'a complete post, please visit:
Aleteia: 3 Catholic practices for the "spiritual but not religious" (26 JUL 16)
Reflection Starter from Robert Frost
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost (in "The Road Not Taken")
05 August 2016
Billy Cabrera and His Barbershop Ministry
"At Billy's Barbershop in Lowell, men come in for fades, comb-overs, and regular haircuts.
"They sit in cushy black reclining chairs under bright lights, inhaling the scent of Clubman aftershave while the young barbers, hip in their baggy shorts and cotton T-shirts, buzz and clip.
"And while music plays and images flash on a flat-screen TV, conversations often turn serious. Because in addition to giving the best haircut in the city, this barbershop was created to furnish hope.
"'I'm not doing anything that hasn't been done before,' says 45-year-old Billy Cabrera, now in long-term recovery from heroin addiction and incarceration.
"Cabrera opened the business and an associated resource center two years ago, after five years of barbering from a rented chair at another shop in the city. He gives a free haircut to any man just released from prison. He hands out pamphlets about 12-step groups, treatment programs, and other social services. And he collaborates with a number of community agencies, including Lowell Transitional Housing, Lowell House Inc., the Merrimack Valley Project, and the Middlesex sheriff's office."
A recent Boston Globe article profiled Mr. Cabrera and his barbershop ministry.
Background information:
The Boston Globe: The best haircut in Lowell, and a place of hope (3 AUG 16)
"They sit in cushy black reclining chairs under bright lights, inhaling the scent of Clubman aftershave while the young barbers, hip in their baggy shorts and cotton T-shirts, buzz and clip.
"And while music plays and images flash on a flat-screen TV, conversations often turn serious. Because in addition to giving the best haircut in the city, this barbershop was created to furnish hope.
"'I'm not doing anything that hasn't been done before,' says 45-year-old Billy Cabrera, now in long-term recovery from heroin addiction and incarceration.
"Cabrera opened the business and an associated resource center two years ago, after five years of barbering from a rented chair at another shop in the city. He gives a free haircut to any man just released from prison. He hands out pamphlets about 12-step groups, treatment programs, and other social services. And he collaborates with a number of community agencies, including Lowell Transitional Housing, Lowell House Inc., the Merrimack Valley Project, and the Middlesex sheriff's office."
A recent Boston Globe article profiled Mr. Cabrera and his barbershop ministry.
Background information:
The Boston Globe: The best haircut in Lowell, and a place of hope (3 AUG 16)
Thank You, Lord
Thank you, Lord, for the many ways You touch our hearts through good dramatic presentations.
Where Faith, Values, and Entertainment Meet
When I watch a movie or TV show, I want to be entertained by a good story, not pummeled by an overbearing message. At the same time, a story that's well-told can seamlessly integrate a message that draws me in and leaves me thinking about real-life issues. At The Christophers, we've been recognizing books, television programs and movies that tell those kinds of stories since 1949 through our Christopher Awards program. And looking back at some of our recent film winners, social justice themes are often present.
Take racism, for example. 42 tells the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball when he was hired by the Brooklyn Dodgers. There's a scene in which Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk) berates Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) with racial epithets during a game. For 21st-century viewers who don't understand what African Americans endured in the 1940s, this scene doesn't provide dry history; it immerses you in that particular time and makes you identify with Robinson.
The same can be said about Selma, a Christopher Award winner about African Americans peacefully protesting to secure their voting rights in 1965. Actor David Oyelowo, who played Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., relished his role because he knows movies have an impact on the wider culture. In fact, he once traveled to Africa and was surprised to find that even in poor villages, children sometimes have access to a computer screen and are influenced by American TV and movies.
That desire to bring a positive message to the world also motivated Patricia Heaton, an actress known for Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, to take on a producing role for the 2006 Christopher Award winner Amazing Grace. It told the story of William Wilberforce, who helped end the slave trade in England during the 1800s.
Not only was this a tale about social justice, but also about faith. Heaton told me, "Probably the only thing that was able to keep Wilberforce going was his faith because it literally took 40 years…He was shunned from society. He used to be a bon vivant, then was disinvited to be with the 'cool' people and had to hang out with all the Christian abolitionists…There's a price to pay, and I think that is one of the messages: you have to be willing to sacrifice everything to follow God and what He's called you to do."
That relation between social justice and religious faith can't be overlooked. Consider this exchange from 42, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey, who hired Robinson, confronts opposing player Herb Pennock, who doesn't want to take the field with black players. Rickey asks Pennock if he thinks God likes baseball. Pennock is confused as to what the question means. Rickey responds, "It means someday you're gonna meet God, and when He inquires as to why you didn't take the field against Robinson in Philadelphia, and you answer that it's because he was a Negro, it may not be a sufficient reply!"
Martin Luther King Jr. was a reverend, of course, and attracted many religious believers of all faiths to the civil rights movement. And Wilberforce saw the truth that God created all human beings in His image as a motivating force behind the abolitionist movement.
None of these movies share their messages in a preachy way; they allow the story to speak for itself. In so doing, they plant seeds in our minds that can make us a more just people who create a more just world.
This essay is this week's "Light One Candle" column, written by Tony Rossi, of 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
Take racism, for example. 42 tells the story of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball when he was hired by the Brooklyn Dodgers. There's a scene in which Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman (Alan Tudyk) berates Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) with racial epithets during a game. For 21st-century viewers who don't understand what African Americans endured in the 1940s, this scene doesn't provide dry history; it immerses you in that particular time and makes you identify with Robinson.
The same can be said about Selma, a Christopher Award winner about African Americans peacefully protesting to secure their voting rights in 1965. Actor David Oyelowo, who played Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., relished his role because he knows movies have an impact on the wider culture. In fact, he once traveled to Africa and was surprised to find that even in poor villages, children sometimes have access to a computer screen and are influenced by American TV and movies.
That desire to bring a positive message to the world also motivated Patricia Heaton, an actress known for Everybody Loves Raymond and The Middle, to take on a producing role for the 2006 Christopher Award winner Amazing Grace. It told the story of William Wilberforce, who helped end the slave trade in England during the 1800s.
Not only was this a tale about social justice, but also about faith. Heaton told me, "Probably the only thing that was able to keep Wilberforce going was his faith because it literally took 40 years…He was shunned from society. He used to be a bon vivant, then was disinvited to be with the 'cool' people and had to hang out with all the Christian abolitionists…There's a price to pay, and I think that is one of the messages: you have to be willing to sacrifice everything to follow God and what He's called you to do."
That relation between social justice and religious faith can't be overlooked. Consider this exchange from 42, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey, who hired Robinson, confronts opposing player Herb Pennock, who doesn't want to take the field with black players. Rickey asks Pennock if he thinks God likes baseball. Pennock is confused as to what the question means. Rickey responds, "It means someday you're gonna meet God, and when He inquires as to why you didn't take the field against Robinson in Philadelphia, and you answer that it's because he was a Negro, it may not be a sufficient reply!"
Martin Luther King Jr. was a reverend, of course, and attracted many religious believers of all faiths to the civil rights movement. And Wilberforce saw the truth that God created all human beings in His image as a motivating force behind the abolitionist movement.
None of these movies share their messages in a preachy way; they allow the story to speak for itself. In so doing, they plant seeds in our minds that can make us a more just people who create a more just world.
This essay is this week's "Light One Candle" column, written by Tony Rossi, of 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 John Paul II
"If an appreciation of the value of the human person and of human life is lacking, we will also lose interest in others and in the earth itself. Simplicity, moderation and discipline, as well as a spirit of sacrifice, must become part of everyday life, lest all suffer the negative consequences of the careless habit of a few . . . . A true education in ecological responsibility is urgent and entails a genuine conversion in ways of thought and behavior." - Pope Saint John Paul II (in his 1990 World Day of Peace message)
31 July 2016
"All People That on Earth Do Dwell"
As our Sunday celebration continues, I offer this version of "All People That on Earth Do Dwell":
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today the Church celebrates the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23; Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11; and Luke 12:13-21.
The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 90 (Psalm 90:3-6, 12-14,17).
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 90 "If today you hear His voice"
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,"Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."
He replied to him,"Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"
Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."
Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, 'Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!'' But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God."
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 31, 2016)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 31, 2016)
Community in Mission: You Can't Take It with You, But You Can Send it on Ahead! Five Teachings on Wealth (30 JUL 16)
The Sacred Page: Wealth and Poverty: The 18th Sunday of OT (26 JUL 16)
The Sacred Page: The Rich Fool and the Danger of Wealth: The Mass Readings Explained (The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time) (27 JUL 16)
Word on Fire: Bubbles, Everything is Bubbles (Cycle C * Ordinary Time * Week 18)
Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: Money, Vanity, and Eternity (30 JUL 16)
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology: Sunday Bible Reflections: The Fool's Vanity: Scott Hahn Reflects on the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (22 JUL 16)
Spirituality of the Readings: In Vain, in Vain (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Let the Scriptures Speak: Hoard, and You Shall Lose (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
The Word Embodied: The High and Holy Realm (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Historical Cultural Context: Future Plans (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Basil the Great (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (30 JUL 16)
For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:
YouTube: Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 90 "If today you hear His voice"
The Gospel reading is as follows:
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,"Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."
He replied to him,"Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"
Then he said to the crowd, "Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions."
Then he told them a parable. "There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, 'What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?' And he said, 'This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, 'Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!'' But God said to him, 'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?' Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God."
Reflections on these readings:
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Sundays Salesian: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 31, 2016)
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales: Salesian Sunday Reflection: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 31, 2016)
Community in Mission: You Can't Take It with You, But You Can Send it on Ahead! Five Teachings on Wealth (30 JUL 16)
The Sacred Page: Wealth and Poverty: The 18th Sunday of OT (26 JUL 16)
The Sacred Page: The Rich Fool and the Danger of Wealth: The Mass Readings Explained (The Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time) (27 JUL 16)
Word on Fire: Bubbles, Everything is Bubbles (Cycle C * Ordinary Time * Week 18)
Catholic World Report: The Dispatch: Money, Vanity, and Eternity (30 JUL 16)
St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology: Sunday Bible Reflections: The Fool's Vanity: Scott Hahn Reflects on the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time (22 JUL 16)
Spirituality of the Readings: In Vain, in Vain (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Let the Scriptures Speak: Hoard, and You Shall Lose (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
The Word Embodied: The High and Holy Realm (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Historical Cultural Context: Future Plans (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Thoughts from the Early Church: Commentary by Basil the Great (18th Sunday of Ordinary Time C)
Word to Life Radio Broadcast: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (30 JUL 16)
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