Faith & Life Inspirational Message

When some people see this title, they probably assume I am going to talk about some special call to the ministry.   For sure, this is often the language of priests and others who do feel a special call into some form of ministry.   I don’t minimize that, but I have a different kind of call in mind.   I have in mind something as simple as a phone call.             Although people may not talk on the phone as much as a few years ago, there is still a great deal of conversation that goes over the phone waves.   Email and texting have not totally replaced actually hearing a human voice on the other end of the phone call.   As I pondered the matter, I quickly realized not all phone calls are equal.   And I have created a little way to distinguish between two different kinds of phone calls.             In order to distinguish two different kinds...

Weather is with us every day whether we pay any attention or not.   That’s pretty obvious, but sometimes the obvious things are what we need to learn to give our attention.   That is a lesson I am still learning.   I connect the obvious to the context in which we likely have the most to learn.   But sometimes the extraordinary happens in order to draw us back to the obvious.   It may not seem like I am still talking about the weather, but I am.             Yesterday was super windy.   We have not had a windy day like that for a long time.   It was the kind of wind against which you had to brace yourself if you were going to walk into it.   It ripped off hats.   Umbrellas stood no chance; they were immediate losers!   Signs rattled and lights quivered.   Experiences ranged between awe and awful.             Perhaps ...

I got the title for this inspirational piece from the little time I took last evening to do the Vesper Service that is part of the monastic daily lectionary I follow.   I am affiliated with a Benedictine monastery for a number of reasons.   I am surely not a monk, although I very much admire their calling, commitment and service to their community and the world.   My affiliation is called an oblate.   I am a Benedictine oblate---meaning that I am a lay affiliate of the monastery.            As an oblate, I share my own form of commitment.   I like visiting occasionally because I find them inspiring.   They inspire me to be better than I would be on my own.   And part of the sharing is to follow the lectionary---the daily readings---I know they are doing.   They are much more in-depth than I am and they certainly are much more committed and regular.   And I find this inspires me to be be...

I like the word, solace.   If I were to use it in a college classroom, I am not sure how many students would know exactly what the word means.   I don’t think this is one of those places where I lament how much the younger generation does not know that I would claim my older generation knew at their age.   I am not sure that is true.   I do know that I learned so much along the way in life.   One great thing that college taught me was how little I knew!   Learning new words and being more articulate was an important learning, but it was one of many.             I know solace means offering comfort to those who are sad or somehow grieved.   Solace also means offering cheer and making folks cheerful.   It comes from the Latin word, solacium , which means to console.   A significant element of the ministry I have done throughout my life has been to offer solace.   I have been wit...

David Brooks is one of a few contemporary writers whose every word I want to read.   He writes regularly for the New York Times.   I find him so appealing because he always brings something serious to the table and makes me think.   He makes me a better American citizen.   Routinely, his writing is a commentary on contemporary political life with reference to economics, literature, philosophy, religion and more.   Agreeing with him is not as important as thinking along with him.            A recent editorial is a good example.   “Enter the Age of the Outsiders,” was the title of the piece.   Although I could guess what he might address, I plunged into his thoughts.   He begins by talking about how the gravitational force of the sun keeps all the rest of the planets, etc. in their place.   He comments, “Gravity from the center lends coherence to the entire solar system.”   He then s...

I have been dealing with spiritual disciplines for a long time now.  In theory anyone who begins to live the spiritual life takes on some disciplines to grow in that life.  The spiritual life is like human life.  We begin as babies and grow into our potential.  As humans this is inevitable.  Once we are born, we need food to grow.  But if we are fed, our bodies begin to develop.  Babies inevitably learn to crawl and walk.  So it is with the spiritual life.            As nearly as I can recall, I engaged some spiritual disciplines at a certain point in high school.  Although I meant well, I don’t think I was ready.  Doubtlessly, my commitment was weak.  I think I was more committed to girls and basketball!  My priorities were clear and spirituality was not at the top.  I don’t feel badly about that; I was young and full of life.      ...

One of the things I have been doing is continuing to read and consult the fairly recently encyclical issued by Pope Francis.   Laudato Sí (Praise be to you) was put forth by the Pope in May, 2015.   It is his argument why the human race needs to do a much better job taking care of the earth…Mother Earth.   In part it is a response to the global warming phenomenon we have been hearing about for some time.   Some may deny this, but the Pope, a scientist in his own right, has no doubts.   And he wants the worlds’ one billion Roman Catholics and all the rest of us to shape up.            I agree with the Pope.   And what is refreshing is to see the theological reasons why this shaping up is a good idea.   Reading his encyclical is a joy for both the devout believer and the educated theologian.   Occasionally, I would like to focus on this encyclical in order to sharpen my own sense of what the p...