Come join Fr. Bill Burton OFM (www.biblicist.net) and me, fr. Chuck Faso, OFM (www.frchuckofm.org) for a pilgrimage:
1) In the Footsteps of St. Paul - Turkey and Greece - May 24-June
For more info and/or an email brochure contact me at cfaso@earthlink.net
or AMI Travel:
Lebbie Chang
6119 N. Cicero Ave #1
Chicago IL 60646
(773)777-4900
(800)821-8947
www.amitravel.com
email: tours@amitravel.com
2)Oberamergau Passion Play 2010
August 5-14, 2010, co-hosted by Fr. William Burton OFM
and Fr. Charles Faso, OFM: a 10 Day alpine Europe Tour, featuring Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Germany - Munich, Salzubrg, Innsbruck, Bolzano, Island of Mainau, Lucerne, and the memorable Passion Play Performance.
For more Information, please contact:
Trans World Travel (TWT)
John Gibbs
734 Central Ave
Highland Park IL 60035
Phone:(847) 432-2400
Outside Illinois: (800) 323-8158
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
A Franciscan Prayer for Peace
Lord, make us instruments of your Peace
In a world all too prone to violence and revenge,
We commit ourselves to the Gospel Values of
Mercy, Justice, Compassion, and Love;
We will seek daily to promote forgiveness and healing
in our hearts, our families, and our world.
Where there is hatred, let us sow Love;
Where there is injury, let us cultivate Peace
Fear and distance prevent people from recognizing all
as brothers and sisters;
tensions lead to violence and mistrust;
We will strive to honor the dignity that God places
in each and every human person.
Grant that we may not seek to be understood as to Understand;
To be loved as to Love
Our failure to understand the other can create exclusion
in all its negative forms –
racism, marginalization of those who are poor, sick, the immigrant;
it can also create situations of domination, occupation, oppression and war.
We pledge to seek the way of solidarity,
to create hearts, homes, and communities
where all people will experience inclusion, hospitality, and understanding.
For it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned
And in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Let us Pray:
Lord God, create in us:
-the Capacity to hear and understand the voices of those who suffer from
every form of violence, injustice, and dehumanization;
-the Openness to receive and honor people from other cultures, languages,
religious traditions, and geographical regions;
-the Creativity to explore new ways of communication and dialogue through
music, poetry, performing arts, and the mass media;
-the Audacity to undertake the building of communities of forgiveness, healing,
and reconciliation.
To God who is above all and in all are the glory and the honor. Amen
In a world all too prone to violence and revenge,
We commit ourselves to the Gospel Values of
Mercy, Justice, Compassion, and Love;
We will seek daily to promote forgiveness and healing
in our hearts, our families, and our world.
Where there is hatred, let us sow Love;
Where there is injury, let us cultivate Peace
Fear and distance prevent people from recognizing all
as brothers and sisters;
tensions lead to violence and mistrust;
We will strive to honor the dignity that God places
in each and every human person.
Grant that we may not seek to be understood as to Understand;
To be loved as to Love
Our failure to understand the other can create exclusion
in all its negative forms –
racism, marginalization of those who are poor, sick, the immigrant;
it can also create situations of domination, occupation, oppression and war.
We pledge to seek the way of solidarity,
to create hearts, homes, and communities
where all people will experience inclusion, hospitality, and understanding.
For it is in giving that we receive, in pardoning that we are pardoned
And in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Let us Pray:
Lord God, create in us:
-the Capacity to hear and understand the voices of those who suffer from
every form of violence, injustice, and dehumanization;
-the Openness to receive and honor people from other cultures, languages,
religious traditions, and geographical regions;
-the Creativity to explore new ways of communication and dialogue through
music, poetry, performing arts, and the mass media;
-the Audacity to undertake the building of communities of forgiveness, healing,
and reconciliation.
To God who is above all and in all are the glory and the honor. Amen
A Jew's Prayer for the Children of Gaza
by Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman of Kol HaNeshama, Jerusalem
Lord who is the creator of all children, hear our prayer this accursed day.
God whom we call Blessed, turn your face to these, the children of Gaza,
that they may know your blessings, and your shelter,
that they may know light and warmth,
where there is now only blackness and smoke,
and a cold which cuts and clenches the skin.
Almighty who makes exceptions, which we call miracles,
make an exception of the children of Gaza.
Shield them from us and from their own.
Spare them. Heal them. Let them stand in safety.
Deliver them from hunger and horror and fury and grief.
Deliver them from us, and from their own.
Restore to them their stolen childhoods, their birthright, which is a taste of heaven.
Remind us, O Lord, of the child Ishmael,
who is the father of all the children of Gaza.
How the child Ishmael was without water
and left for dead in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba,
so robbed of all hope,
that his own mother could not bear to watch his life drain away.
Be that Lord, the God of our kinsman Ishmael,
who heard his cry and sent His angel to comfort his mother Hagar.
Be that Lord, who was with Ishmael that day, and all the days after.
Be that God, the All-Merciful,
who opened Hagar's eyes that day, and showed her the well of water,
that she could give the boy Ishmael to drink, and save his life.
Allah, whose name we call Elohim,
who gives life, who knows the value and the fragility of every life,
send these children your angels.
Save them, the children of this place,
Gaza the most beautiful, and Gaza the damned.
In this day, when the trepidation and rage and mourning that is called war,
seizes our hearts and patches them in scars,
we call to you, the Lord whose name is Peace:
Bless these children, and keep them from harm.
Turn Your face toward them, O Lord.
Show them, as if for the first time,
light and kindness, and overwhelming graciousness.
Look up at them, O Lord. Let them see your face.
And, as if for the first time, grant them peace.
Lord who is the creator of all children, hear our prayer this accursed day.
God whom we call Blessed, turn your face to these, the children of Gaza,
that they may know your blessings, and your shelter,
that they may know light and warmth,
where there is now only blackness and smoke,
and a cold which cuts and clenches the skin.
Almighty who makes exceptions, which we call miracles,
make an exception of the children of Gaza.
Shield them from us and from their own.
Spare them. Heal them. Let them stand in safety.
Deliver them from hunger and horror and fury and grief.
Deliver them from us, and from their own.
Restore to them their stolen childhoods, their birthright, which is a taste of heaven.
Remind us, O Lord, of the child Ishmael,
who is the father of all the children of Gaza.
How the child Ishmael was without water
and left for dead in the wilderness of Beer-Sheba,
so robbed of all hope,
that his own mother could not bear to watch his life drain away.
Be that Lord, the God of our kinsman Ishmael,
who heard his cry and sent His angel to comfort his mother Hagar.
Be that Lord, who was with Ishmael that day, and all the days after.
Be that God, the All-Merciful,
who opened Hagar's eyes that day, and showed her the well of water,
that she could give the boy Ishmael to drink, and save his life.
Allah, whose name we call Elohim,
who gives life, who knows the value and the fragility of every life,
send these children your angels.
Save them, the children of this place,
Gaza the most beautiful, and Gaza the damned.
In this day, when the trepidation and rage and mourning that is called war,
seizes our hearts and patches them in scars,
we call to you, the Lord whose name is Peace:
Bless these children, and keep them from harm.
Turn Your face toward them, O Lord.
Show them, as if for the first time,
light and kindness, and overwhelming graciousness.
Look up at them, O Lord. Let them see your face.
And, as if for the first time, grant them peace.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Develop a New Vision
Vision is not the ability to predict the future; it is a commitment to pursue possibility. Vision asks questions no one else even seems to know exist. Vision is the grace to evaluate the present and then to ask, Why not? of the future.
In a world where contaminated water is a child's worst enemy, where 44,000,000 people lack medical insurance in the richest nation in the world, where a government refuses to sign a nuclear nonproliferation treaty, where women everywhere are routinely denied the status of full human beings in both church and state, it is time to develop a new vision. It is time to ask, Why not? again. Not for our sakes only, I learned from my foremothers, but for the sake of those who will come after us.
— Joan Chittister in Seeing With Our Souls
In a world where contaminated water is a child's worst enemy, where 44,000,000 people lack medical insurance in the richest nation in the world, where a government refuses to sign a nuclear nonproliferation treaty, where women everywhere are routinely denied the status of full human beings in both church and state, it is time to develop a new vision. It is time to ask, Why not? again. Not for our sakes only, I learned from my foremothers, but for the sake of those who will come after us.
— Joan Chittister in Seeing With Our Souls
To Practice This Today:
Write a vision statement for yourself.
What possibilities do you want to pursue?
To encourage yourself, make a list of changes you have already seen, say in the last one to five years,
that are consistent with your vision of a better world.
Stepping Over Our Wounds
Sometimes we have to "step over" our anger, our jealousy, or our feelings of rejection and move on. The temptation is to get stuck in our negative emotions, poking around in them as if we belong there. Then we become the "offended one," "the forgotten one," or the "discarded one." Yes, we can get attached to these negative identities and even take morbid pleasure in them. It might be good to have a look at these dark feelings and explore where they come from, but there comes a moment to step over them, leave them behind and travel on.
from Henri Nouwen
from Henri Nouwen
Friday, January 9, 2009
President Dwight Eisenhower - April 16, 1953
Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense,
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed.
The world in arms is not spending money alone.
It is spending the sweat of its laborers,
the genius of its scientists,
the hopes of its children...
This is not a way of life at all,
in any true sense.
Under the cloud of threatening war,
it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.
every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense,
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed.
The world in arms is not spending money alone.
It is spending the sweat of its laborers,
the genius of its scientists,
the hopes of its children...
This is not a way of life at all,
in any true sense.
Under the cloud of threatening war,
it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Pope John XXIII's Decalogue
The Church's holiness and human wisdom are expressed very clearly in what is called "the daily decalogue of Pope John XXIII":
1) Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.
2) Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.
3) Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.
4) Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.
5) Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.
6) Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.
7) Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.
8) Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.
9) Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.
10) Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.
To conclude: here is an all-embracing resolution: "I want to be kind, today and always, to everyone."
In this way, we can put Pope John's hope for every Christian into practice: "Every believer in this world must be a spark of light, a core of love, life-giving leaven in the mass: and the more he is so, the more he will live, in his innermost depths, in communion with God."
1) Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.
2) Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.
3) Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.
4) Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.
5) Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.
6) Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.
7) Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.
8) Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.
9) Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.
10) Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.
To conclude: here is an all-embracing resolution: "I want to be kind, today and always, to everyone."
In this way, we can put Pope John's hope for every Christian into practice: "Every believer in this world must be a spark of light, a core of love, life-giving leaven in the mass: and the more he is so, the more he will live, in his innermost depths, in communion with God."
Hello from Napa Valley
Peace and all Good from sunny Napa Valley, from the town of St Helena. I am staying with a Jewish/Catholic couple who wedding I officiated at in 1990. Their three children now know that each day when they come home from school that I have a question: "What did you learn in school today? Tell me one thing you learned." My father would ask the five of us that same question each evening at the dinner table. We could not say: "Nothing!" That was not an answer.
On another question: What do you see, hear, learn,....that evoked from you a heart-felt: "WOW!"
That sense of wonder that we too easily and quickly loose. So, what did you WOW about today?
I wowed at miles and miles of vineyards in this valley called Napa, i.e., Abundance. I wowed at the children's sense of generosity and kindness. I wowed at how blessed I am to have friends from coast to coast, and the ability to enjoy, share, and visit them. I wowed at........so much. How about you? What have you wowed at today? The goodness of others, the uniquness of others, the difference in others that makes us all so unique and precious? Say WOW at least five more times today, beginning a big WOW when you look into the mirror.
Wisdom is born of Wonder!
On another question: What do you see, hear, learn,....that evoked from you a heart-felt: "WOW!"
That sense of wonder that we too easily and quickly loose. So, what did you WOW about today?
I wowed at miles and miles of vineyards in this valley called Napa, i.e., Abundance. I wowed at the children's sense of generosity and kindness. I wowed at how blessed I am to have friends from coast to coast, and the ability to enjoy, share, and visit them. I wowed at........so much. How about you? What have you wowed at today? The goodness of others, the uniquness of others, the difference in others that makes us all so unique and precious? Say WOW at least five more times today, beginning a big WOW when you look into the mirror.
Wisdom is born of Wonder!
Friday, January 2, 2009
To have eyes to truly see! What do you see?
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC
Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater inBoston
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
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