Happy Independence Day! I have definitely felt a bit off today having spent, what is normally a celebratory occasion with family and friends, another quiet reflective day on retreat. My thoughts today, compared with yesterday, were far more somber and troubled. It definitely was not the luscious treat that I received yesterday although it was a good day all things considered.
It has been a long time coming but I finally decided to take the plunge and silence myself for an extended period of time. Today I began a week long directed silent retreat and if today is any indication of its remainder I should kick myself for waiting so long.
Thank you for your insightful and thought-provoking remarks concerning statements I made in my recent bulletin article.[1] I always welcome comments as it proves that what I have written has been read more than just superficially. When any reader takes issue with even a small part of what I have written it always speaks to my heart, informing me that the reader has given serious weight to the message I had intended to convey. Whether there is complete agreement or disagreement or simply some concern or question, the mere receipt of a response speaks volumes and I thank you for taking the time and effort to communicate your thoughts. Consequently and without a doubt it forces both serious introspection and retrospection on my part to adequately respond.
The following is adapted from a speech delivered on April 9, 2015 at the monthly breakfast of the Catholic Business and Professionals Group held at the Silver Legacy, Reno, Nevada.
I‘ve given my talk this morning the title “What’s God got to do with it?” which is a slight twist on the title of Tina Turner’s most successful single “What’s Love Got to Do with it”, first released thirty-one years ago in 1984. I chose this particular title for two specific reasons. First, we have all heard it said that “God is Love” which, if we all agree that that is true, then we ought to be able to agree that the titles are in fact identical in substance and therefore interchangeable. The second reason for this title falls closer to its true purpose and gives a clue as to the subject matter that I wish to discuss with you this morning.
I have found myself of late coming under some (albeit generally light-hearted and well-meaning) criticism directed toward the challenging linguistic gymnastics that I appear to enjoy imposing upon those who might read what I have put to pen. To those who would so dare to unsheathe their sharp tongue to lash out at my, admittedly at times, pedantic prose I will simply state that for you the pain will assuredly increase if you care to continue to read what I have so carefully constructed. There will be no apologies, no public self-flagellation or admission of addiction or sinfulness, and most emphatically, there will be no attempt to restyle what I write to the level of a guttersnipe.
For many, Thanksgiving is a pivotal moment in the steady march toward a new year, marking the onset of what is commonly called the “holiday season”. Bookended by the national holiday and the ringing in of the New Year, the season is filled with a madcap rush of non-stop activities centered on family gatherings, shopping, decorating, cooking, parties, and more. The air is filled with insistent voices urging everyone to stop whatever they are doing and shop, shop, shop. Each passing day only serves to increase the sense of impending doom should one fail to get it while it lasts!
I was honored to be asked to deliver the address at the 2014 Baccalaureate service and dinner recognizing some of the graduating high school seniors who are parishioners of St. Albert the Great Catholic Church. The young men and women who attended the event were all great examples of our Catholic youth and it was indeed a privilege and an honor to meet and speak with each one of them.
This Easter, as we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I find it an especially joyous occasion for all my family and friends who were born on this day.
Lent is a time of preparation, a time for reflection, a time for introspection. Ultimately we are preparing for the Easter celebration, especially the Easter Triduum, the high point of our faith, the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sound Of Silence – Day Three
I have heard you calling me
Here I am Lord. Today is Sunday and I am having an especially difficult time in fully realizing that fact. This is the first Sunday in several years that I find myself absent from the sanctuary and any active participation at the table of our Lord. This evening at the celebration of the Eucharist I will be but one among a dozen other retreatants experiencing the Lord’s Supper from the pew and that will be both different and an oddly strange experience for me. It most certainly will be a most humbling moment for which I can only thank God for granting me, but the worst of it will be missing my family, friends, and neighbors with whom I look forward to seeing every week.
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