Author: admin

Finally putting myself out there (coming out of the closet, so to speak) as a writer. For many years I have been writing reflections for our Catholic church bulletin and I've decided to share them beyond our little community.

Lead Us to One Another

One recent Sunday, at Mass, we sang –Bread of Life, Hope of the world, Jesus Christ our Brother, Teach us now, Give us hope, Lead us to one another.

Do you ever have something just jump out at you, like you’ve never heard it before? I took a pen out of my purse, found something to write on and I scribbled, ‘lead us to one another.’ My husband looked at me and asked, ‘What are you doing?’ I shook my head, “I’ll explain later,” I whispered.

But I couldn’t explain, really. It just grabbed me. And, knowing myself, I had to write it down so I wouldn’t forget that I was grabbed by that line. I think this is what’s called, hearing with your heart.

Sometimes I feel this journey; this spiritual road I travel (with many detours and dead ends) is a solitary one. That’s when I get hung up, when I think it’s all about me – my relationship with God, my calling, my journey. We’re traveling the wrong road when we think that way.

Lead us to one another. What a lovely prayer; a beautiful reminder that we are not alone and we are called to help one another. Lead each other out of difficulties; lead each other back onto the right path. How do we accomplish this? Through Jesus, our brother – the Bread of Life; the Hope of the world. Sometimes I need to be reminded of this and I just love it when it grabs me on a beautiful Sunday morning at Mass!

Catholic coping Stength Trust

The Nature of Things

The heavens are telling the glory of God
And all creation is shouting for joy.
Come dance in the forest, come play in the fields
And sing, sing to the glory of the Lord.

My heart was bursting with this hymn the other morning on my run. The sky was azure blue, birds’ song filled the air, the temperature was such that my fingers were not freezing and it felt to me as if the world could not be more perfect.

If only every day was like that. Then there are those ‘why me, Lord?’ kind of days that go downhill from breakfast, or the morning commute. Life can get pretty hectic, chaotic even. We get tired and grouchy and we just want the world to stop. That’s a natural reaction to a day gone wrong. But that’s exactly the time to turn to others; concentrate on the needs of others. If we would just open our eyes and look around us, we’d see family members, friends, acquaintances struggling with far greater concerns. Some are plagued with money troubles, others marital difficulties and then there are those with life-threatening illnesses – some are facing many of these things all at once. We have all been witness to those who have endured one trial after another and we wonder how they do it. How do they go on, stay sane, maintain their dignity, hold their heads high?

There’s an age-old expression that tells us God never gives us more than he feels we can handle. This is actually believed to be a twisted paraphrasing of 1 Corinthians 10:13. “No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.”

Sadly, some can’t endure it. They are struck down and never seem to recover. Then there are those who bounce back, get up on their feet again and again, ever moving forward. They are truly blessed because they know that God will not test them beyond their strength; they trust that their burdens are not unlike others and God will help them through, he will provide them with a way out. They know love. Surely, I could not deal with all they’re going through, we say to ourselves. But we could. We have. We are those people – when we trust in the love that is God…and sing – sing to the glory of the Lord.

Social Action Social Awareness Uncategorized

Knock and the Door Shall be Opened…

Post author By admin
Post date April 12, 2016
No Comments on Knock and the Door Shall be Opened…

Poverty surrounds us, and many who hold down jobs, manage to pay their bills, and put food on the table, don’t have a clear understanding of how poverty happens and why people can’t simply pull themselves out of it.

Imagine yourself a young man who has grown up in the system, finally deciding to break the cycle. You get yourself a job interview, but it’s not here in town. You don’t have a vehicle, the buses don’t travel there either, but you do manage to get to the interview. You get the job, a construction job. Your life is finally going to turn around, you are ready to do this. It’s summer, and it’s hot, working in the blazing sun; working from 6:00 in the morning till 6:00 at night. After two long days, you quit. ‘Lazy,’ people say; ‘afraid of a little hard work,’ they say. They don’t know, and you don’t tell them that you have no money for food. You work a 12 hour day in the hot sun, with only water to drink. OSHaRE, the local soup kitchen, is closed by the time you get home and you go to bed hungry. You work another 12 hour day, in the hot sun, with no food, and you can’t take any more.

Poverty is complicated. There’s no one-size fits all image and consequently no one solution to alleviate it. The complexity of it all has created a plethora of government agencies and departments, as well as various organizations all aimed at ridding our society of poverty. Are they working? Do they help? Government workers have become weighted down filing reports that take up more of their time than the people they supposedly serve. And still, out in the real world, the general opinion is, “They’re lazy…they don’t want to work…”

Safe ‘N Sound, as the name implies, offers a safe place to come in out of the cold (in summer – out of the heat); a place to gather with others for a noon meal – a community within a community. It’s a place where everyone is welcome, accepted and respected. For the homeless, it’s a place to take a shower, do laundry, replace old, worn clothing with gently used; a place for those with uncertain futures to receive direction and guidance, and nothing is charged for the services provided. Overall, it is a community of hope.

This is the vision for The Space, at 310 8^th St East, in Owen Sound, the center operated by Safe ‘N Sound, its staff and its board. This is the work being done by day, Monday to Friday. By night they operate an after hours phone line, providing emergency shelter seven days a week.

Safe ‘N Sound needs to be recognized for what it does and what it provides. It is not government run and operates on meager funds. Consequently, Safe ‘N Sound is always in need of donations – clothing (especially men’s), towels, bedding (as they are always aiding those needing to furnish new living quarters). Donations of food and coffee, laundry detergent, body wash, shampoo and toothpaste. Things that so many people take for granted, become luxuries when one is homeless, or in danger of becoming homeless. Can you help – serving on the Board, contributing financially or with needed donations? Drop in around noon one week day and see for yourself, the work that is being done there. Find it in your heart to make a difference, no matter how small, because one way or another, we all pay for the tragedy of homelessness.

Catholic

Let go and let God

a woman’s perspective

Let go and let God…we’ve all heard that sage piece of advise. We’ve probably used it – to help ourselves, or someone else, working through difficult times. But what does it really mean to us? Often, when I’m fretting about something, I tell myself to ‘let go and let God.’ But do I really do that? Do you?

It occurred to me recently, that I’m very selective about what I turn over to God. ‘It’s ok,’ I might as well be saying, ‘I’ve got it now, I can take it from here.’ Really? When I’ve got my head on straight, I realize that God does not do things in half measures, but you know what? He’s not going to argue about it. ‘You’ve got it? Fine, go for it,’ is how I imagine him replying (probably with the tiniest smirk). We’re like children, aren’t we, thinking we can do everything ourselves. Picture a child carrying something far too heavy for their size and stature. They’re stubborn though, insisting they’re big enough to carry their load…until the overwhelming weight of the thing stops them dead in their tracks, forcing them to admit defeat. That’s us! And it’s laughable, the way we think we can do everything for ourselves. But, just as we are, or were, with our own children, God is patient with us; waiting for us to turn our minds and hearts back to him. He’s there, always, to pick up the pieces and set us straight, once again.

So why fret? Why struggle? Why can’t we just let go…and let God direct the course of events with which we’ve been wrestling? It goes along the same lines as the way we pray. We pray for this and we pray for that, very specifically, instead of praying for the strength and courage to accept and follow God’s will.

“Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God,” said Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Wouldn’t it just be so easy, uncomplicated and freeing to let God pilot our course? I say this as if it’s the way I live my life. Oh if that were true. I will reiterate…I’m selective about what I let God pilot, and even then, I want to be co-pilot! This is why prayer is essential to our wellbeing. It centers us, puts us back on the right track with our Lord and helps us to see the bigger picture. So, let’s think twice when we go to sit in that driver’s seat (so to speak) and defer to the one who truly is in control at all times. We just might enjoy the ride.

Catholic Death love

Good Grief

Patti & me — I wrote this piece a year ago. It’s two years now since my sister died . I think of her every day and thoughts of her still make me smile. Patricia McDonald Luca – 2 April 1956 – 13 March 2014.

A year has passed, since my sister Patricia died. Slowly, imperceptibly, it seems, healing is taking place. I think of her daily and, though the hole in my heart is still felt, the pain is not as great.

I read something recently about grief, and how, when help is sought, treatment given might be as for one suffering from depression. According to the psychologist and writer of the article – they are not the same thing, and should not be treated in the same way.

However, when we let our pain and grief take us to a dark place, then professional help should be sought. Grieving is a necessary process to cope with loss, but when it consumes us, when it prevents us from living our lives, it can spiral down into a dark depression that is far more serious than grief. I chose to look at this subject because many of my friends and acquaintances have lost loved ones recently. In this past year, so many of your family members and so many of our parish family have died. We are surrounded by those who have lost spouses, siblings, parents and children. Death is never an easy thing to face, but hopefully we can find comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our sorrow and loss, this is a part of life that we all encounter.

In our travels recently, my husband and I attended mass at St. Mary of the Assumption, in Huntsville, and, as I love to do, I took one of their bulletins, just to see how others do things. Right in the middle of the first page was a quote that touched my heart: “Those who die…are no further from us than God, and God is very near.”

I believe this to be true and I think this is why the pain is lessening. I often feel Patti’s presence. Sometimes it’s a nudging; pushing me to do and try things I have not done before. Other times it’s her voice, “Really, you’re going to wear that?” My sister had a delightful sense of humour and that is what I miss most, that and our long phone conversations that left us aching from laugther; our ears hurting from holding the phone against them for hours at a time.

Yes, loss is painful, but life continues on in spite of our loss and grief. The world moves forward and we must move with it; move beyond ourselves. Easter approaches and our faith calls us to rejoice – in the Good News, in the Risen Christ, and in our departed loved ones sharing in God’s promise!

Tags death, love

Catholic Lent love

Journeying on through Lent

Post author By admin
Post date March 5, 2016
No Comments on Journeying on through Lent

I’m trying to love more. Don’t laugh…and don’t think it’s easy! When Jesus said, it’s easy to love our friends and family, but we must love our enemies too, therein lies the difficulty. Actually, it’s not always that easy to love the ones we love!

So, if we make this one of our Lenten disciplines, how do we begin? It seems a daunting task, but really it’s pretty straightforward – LOVE – that’s all we have to do…but whom and how? Begin with a simple smile. Just smiling at people will make them feel good and it will do wonders for your well-being too. Before my sister died, I told my husband I thought she was pushing herself… to sound happy…to sound well. ‘What’s wrong with that?’ he said, ‘Ultimately, she’ll convince her body of it too.’ And you know, there’s truth in that. She did convince her body, for a very long time. You can do it too. Even on an off day, if you smile enough, your body will give up and give in – you’ll actually begin to feel better.

When you’ve gotten the hang of smiling at people – add a kind word. It’s surprising how kind words are win/win. You can make such a difference in someone’s day by complimenting them. The change in their demeanor is instantaneous, and that feeling spills over and comes back to you.

Sometimes our love can be shown with silence, perhaps a hug. Helping someone through a tragic loss is difficult. Often we have no words. That’s ok, a warm embrace speaks volumes.

When we begin simply, it’s not an insurmountable task. Just one small act of kindness at a time can change the world…eventually. So let’s begin each day asking ourselves how we can make someone’s day a little brighter. By the time Easter arrives, we’ll have a true grasp of the numerous ways we can show our love for one another

Catholic Lent Social Awareness

Lenten Journey

Lenten Journey

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving can seem daunting to us as we begin our 40 days of Lent. And how does it feel right about now? Have you lost sight of your original intentions? Last year, a priest friend suggested we ‘give things up mindfully, not mindlessly.’ Those words continue to guide my Lenten journey and I’ve attempted to change things up a bit from my usual routine of ‘giving things up.’.

Prayer, for me, is the easy part. “Pray without ceasing,” St. Paul instructs us in 1 Thessalonians. Perhaps it is because I love solitude that I find this an easy practice. While driving my lengthy commute, walking, running even, I pray…rejoicing always and giving thanks. It is an enjoyable practice that can easily become a habit.

I read somewhere recently, that we must be careful of doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Fasting immediately came to mind. If I fast – is it to save money on food that can then be given to the local food bank, or am I depriving myself of food and secretly hoping to lose those pounds that have hung on since Christmas? There are numerous ways I can think of to fast, with no ulterior motive lurking in the shadows. We can fast from judging others; fast from anger, from complaining, and fast from thoughts of illness, trusting instead in the healing power of God.

Almsgiving is not necessarily a monetary thing. We all have too much stuff in our possession. We can purge those things we hoard, and give them to those who can make good use of them. I dropped in to Safe ‘N Sound recently – this is a local homelessness initiative – just to see what they’re all about. I was impressed with what I saw. They help the homeless, and those in danger of becoming homeless. They provide a comfortable spot to come in out of the cold, they provide a bit of lunch; a place to do laundry, take a shower and replace old and worn clothes with gently used clothing. There are computers available to search online for work and other resources, and overall the environment is warm and friendly. They are in constant need of towels, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, men’s and women’s deodorant. Gently used clothing, shoes and boots…it’s easy to help others by giving away those things we do not need; by doing without a few luxuries to purchase simple and much appreciated items of hygiene for those who can barely afford to feed themselves and their families.

Prayer, fasting and almsgiving can be accomplished in numerous ways. When we are mindful and grateful for the gifts we have been given, and when we are mindful of others’ needs and concerns, our Lenten journey will not be mindless drudgery, but fruitful and joy-filled.

Uncategorized

Who Are You?

No seriously, who are you? Do you know? I was first a daughter and sister, then eventually sister-in-law, aunt, then came wife, mother, and in the wink of an eye mother-in-law, now happily grandmother! But who am I? I don’t think of myself as a writer, but I write. I laugh if called an athlete, but I run. I sing but I’m not a singer…I bring this up because sometimes I sit in church and wonder who I am and what I’m called to do. I hope I’m not alone in this.

I envy people who know, have always known, what they want to be; what they want to do in this life. Of all the jobs I’ve taken on, the one I feel I did well, the one I poured my heart and soul into was my role as mother. Not housewife, not cook, I was no June Cleaver and I think that stereo-type left a lot of women feeling inadequate. I talked myself (and lots of other women) out of such feelings with the columns I wrote when my kids were little. I’d take my kids to the park; we’d walk to the library; I’d sit on the floor and play with them; I’d sit on the floor and read to them. When naptime came, I didn’t scurry around cleaning or preparing dinner, as I was supposed to – I wrote at my electric typewriter – about feeling inadequate and disorganized and the women who read my column would laugh at my words and feel a little better about themselves as a result. I guess at that time, that’s what I was called to do. But our roles change as time goes on. I’m still a mother, but in a different capacity. Part of me does not feel the things that I do, the busyness of my days, defines who I am. And a lot of people might feel the same, but sit down in church sometime and contemplate this. What do you do? The women of our parish who weekly get together to do ‘Prayers and Squares,’ have a talent for sewing and create not just beautiful quilts, but awareness in us of those who are sick and in need of our prayers. And the joy they bring to those recipients of their handiwork cannot be measured. Does that not define, in part, who these women are?

Those in our church who raise funds for various organizations and the needs of others (the Knights of Columbus, the CWL and Catholic Charities most especially), have an energy and a passion that certainly defines them. Some tirelessly make meals for those in need; others put together groceries to give out in emergency situations. But it’s not just the assembling of food, there’s the purchasing, the carting of these foods, the hauling of these heavy bags. I marvel at you, because all of these things certainly define who you are…committed and caring, in mercy and justice. So, the next time you feel uncertain of who you are and what you are called to do, sit in church and contemplate those things that make up your day. You’ll be surprised to find the Lord is whispering in your ear and leading you to serve…in the direction of your talents.

Tags Catholic, social awareness, talents