It is that time of year again when the Baseball Writers will vote to induct someone into the Hall of Fame in Copperstown, NY. Joe Posnanski at NBC Sports has a great article about the history of Hall of Fame voting. A nice read for a Saturday morning. Enjoy
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy
Yesterday I received an email from one of my brother friars. I thought would post its content. The email raised the question – in the light of all the commercial sales and advertisements: Is Veterans Day really a holiday or is it a holy day?
It’s a holy day when we reflect on the many women and men who serve in the military and put their own lives in danger for the freedom we enjoy.
It’s a holy day when we stop our daily life routines to celebrate at a parade, pause our businesses and close our schools to show joy and respect for what our veterans have done for us and our nation, for the rights and freedoms that they have won and protected through all these years.
It’s a holy day when we remember and give thanks to God for our veterans who have returned safely from areas of conflict and war.
It’s a holy day when we stop everything we are doing and consider what government and military benefits, or lack thereof, our veterans who are returning from service find here at home.
It’s a holy day when we feel the pain of guilt and experience the sadness for those veterans who are homeless, disabled from combat wounds, affected by mental, emotional and spiritual agonies and are left alone in their suffering.
It’s a holy day when we mourn our own selfishness for forgetting to thank and be ever grateful to those veterans who have served our country yet feel unappreciated, lonely and forgotten.
To all veterans, today and every day, we say thank you for protecting us and keeping us safe. We bless you, pray for you and pledge to never forget the sacrifices you have made for our country and for us.
Fr. David Convertino, OFM
Executive Director
Holy Name Province – Franciscan Friars
Office of Development
I don’t remember – it has been so long now – but somewhere, sometime ago, I began to start emails, letters, cards and the like with the same phrase: “May the grace and peace of Christ be with you.” It is an expression that begins many of St. Paul’s letters, in one form or another, e.g., Galatians 1:3. It is not a scripted beginning; there is a great deal of intention about it. There are times when I am in a hurry, responding to emails, that I am reminded at the end to return to the beginning and insert the greeting. It often leads to editing of the email if there is some part that does not have grace or peace about it. Continue reading
One of the things I do is to keep reading, to refresh old thoughts, garner new thoughts and perspectives, and to continue to fuel soul, mind, and imagination. Sometimes the reading materials are books and sometimes – increasingly more often – articles garnered from the internet. One sight that I always “thumb through” is Journey With Jesus. The site is self-described as “A weekly webzine for the global church.” One of the primary authors on the site is Dan Clandenin. He comes from a Protestant perspective, but he brings good insight – insight and perspective that I have found advances pathways for Christian denomination to find common ground.
Sometimes Christians are “it is either this or that” with the implications it can’t be both. This is true to Protestants, Reformers, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, Catholics, and any moniker I have left out. In our best days, we acknowledge that in the realm of mystery, it is most often “both-and.”
That is why I particularly like Dan’s article Saints and Sinners. I might tweak a phrase here or there – but then that would be my take on such things. Overall, I love the trajectory – and I hope you enjoy the article.
Life can be a whirl and flurry to things to do, places to go, people to see – and every one of them good and holy. As you can imagine, the Mass of Belonging took a good amount of effort, attention, and energy. The work and planning began about 4-5 months ahead of the celebration, took a lot of attention of the staff, and the commitment of almost 300 volunteers. While first meeting with the staff and making sure we were committed to the endeavor, I noted that this would be like “trying to rewire a house while keeping the lights on at all times.” Continue reading
Earlier in the calendar year, here in this column, we talked about belonging as the gateway to a life of faith as an individual, as a family, and as a believing community. While we are prone to think the people of faith are the ones who belong, in fact, it is people who find an abiding sense of belonging to a worshipping community that become people of faith. In fact, that sense of belonging imbues and precedes almost every aspect of community life: faith, worship, stewardship, volunteering, and so much more. In the weeks since our celebration of the Mass of Belonging, consider the way in which people continue to talk about their experience of the Mass. Part of that conversation has been the experience of seeing so many people under one roof, so many voices raised in praise to God, and knowing this is family. Belonging. Continue reading
The Lord said: “Woe to you Pharisees!… You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.” (Luke 11:42)
I recently saw “The Martian.” Loved the book and the movie; go see it. I was fascinated by the movies that were previewed. I always think that the folks in marketing select the previews based on who they think is about to watch the feature movie. So, if the movies were sci-fi related or uplifting movies about the human condition in the face of adversity, I would have not been surprised. But the previews were almost all horror movies. Maybe its the proximity to Halloween. Not for all the tea in China would I watch a horror movie. Even at my age they would still induced night mares. It has been over 40 years and thinking about the “The Exorcist” can still send me into cold sweats. Continue reading
One of the interesting phenomena of parish ministry is that parents ask me questions about rearing children. I generally preface my response with, “Well…in all my children rearing experience…” The dramatic pause at the end lets the inferences sink in: I have no experience rearing children. At best I have experience being a child. But then again, I have lots of experience listening to stories about children growing up in all kinds of family settings, at different ages, facing different problems and dynamics, and facing all manner of theories about raising kids. Continue reading
The Lateran Basilica in Rome is not the oldest church in Rome – that honor seems to belong Santi Quattro Coronati (314); but then that depends on what sources you believe. Old St. Peter’s, the original church on the spot where the current St. Peter’s stands dates to 324, the same year as St. Lorenzo and St. John Lateran. In fact, the Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome – the place from where the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, leads his diocese even as he leads the church universal. Continue reading
I am writing this on Monday evening. Such is the tyranny of bulletin production schedules. It has been a full day, a tiring day, but a good day. In the betwixt-and-between times after one late afternoon meeting and before a 7:00 pm conference call, I get to pause and think about the days gone by. What did I see and hear? Continue reading
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