Peace and Everything Good

How to have Peace and Good inside you ---

2009-04-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

>
> John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
>
> He was a natural motivator.
>
> If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
>
> Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!
> You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
>
> He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood
> I choose to be in a good mood."
>
> Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
> Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
> "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
> "Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.
>
> You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."
>
> I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
>
> Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
>
> After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
>
> I saw him about six months after the accident.
> When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?"
> I declined to see his wounds, but I did a sk him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
>
> "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."
>
> "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked
> He continued, "..the paramedics were great.
> They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
>
> "What did you do?" I asked.
> "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."
>
> Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
>
> He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
> Attitude, after all, is everything.
>
> Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.
> After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

Franciscans International

2009-04-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

From March 1-18, 2009, I was preaching in Singapore (Lion City) and Malaysia to SFO’s and Franciscan Friars. While there I heard Sr Denise Boyle offer two presentations about Franciscans International. I learned more than I ever knew about this most important ministry of our Franciscan Family’s world-wide joint efforts for greater justice, peace and care of creation.

Sr. Denise is a Franciscan Sister from Dublin, Ireland. She was a missionary in Australia for 15 years and in Zimbabwe, Africa, for ten years. Now Sr. Denise is the Executive Director of Franciscans International with offices at the United Nations in New York, at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, and in Bangkok, Thailand.

For the last five days (April 1-5, 2009), I have been driving Sr Denise Boyle to visit six different Franciscan groups from Wheaton and to Manitowoc WI.
Sr. Denise was President of the Board of Directors of FI (Franciscans International) and several months ago was elected to be Executive Director of FI. The purpose of her Chicago area visit was to make face to face contact with the groups of Sisters and Friars who have been supporting FI. I continued to learn more about FI as we visited the Franciscan Sisters of Charity in Manitowoc, WI, the Felician Sisters on Peterson Ave in Chicago, the Franciscan Sisters in Wheaton IL, the Friars in the formation Friary at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park, the School Sisters of St Francis of Milwaukee, and the Joliet Franciscan Sisters. Palm Sunday, Sr. Denise and I participated in Mass at St Peter’s in the Loop where she meet many Friars. I then drove her to Midway Airport for her flight back to New York and then on to Geneva, Switzerland.

Franciscans International is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with General Consultative status at the UN, uniting the voices of Franciscan brothers and sisters from around the world. FI operates under the sponsorship of the Conference of the Franciscan Family (CFF) and serves all Franciscans and the global community by bringing spiritual, ethical, and Franciscan values to the United Nations and international organizations.

FI closely follows the tradition of St Francis and Saint Clare, striving to put Franciscan ideals into practice at the international level. FI is guided by the Saints' loving concern for the poor, care of creation, and peacemaking. As the poorest people are being exploited in systemic ways, and global peace is increasingly threatened, Franciscan commitment is needed more urgently than ever.

Franciscans around the world run schools, hospitals, Justice and Peace offices, shelters, and specialize in many services for the poor. The programs at FI bring grassroots Franciscans to the United Nations forums in New York and Geneva, influencing international human rights standards and bringing witness to human rights violations.

Franciscans International is supported by the freewill offerings of Franciscan communities and our partners. A large part of our funding comes from individuals who support Franciscan work for human rights, care for creation, and peacemaking.

Mission Statement of FI: Franciscans International works at the UN and international organizations to influence decision makers on behalf of the most vulnerable.

Vision Statement of FI: We are men and women who are committed to the ideals of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. As St. Francis once addressed the social leaders of his time with the challenge of peace, so today we are called to engage policy makers and world leaders at the United Nations for the work of justice, peace, the care of creation, and the promotion of human rights.

History of FI: The seedlings of Franciscans International sprouted in 1982 when two Franciscans, a sister from the United States and a brother from Malta, saw the potential for effective Franciscan input at the United Nations. Aware of the indispensable role of NGOs in UN decision-making, the two suggested the idea to their respective Justice and Peace Committees. The idea of Franciscans at the UN was met with approval and excitement. It quickly grew into a common project of the Franciscan Family and an interfamilial Preparatory Committee was organized for this future ministry. This Committee prepared the FI Vision Statement centered on three main goals: raising awareness of the interconnectedness of all creation, and thus stressing the need to care for creation – both human and environmental;
promoting peace; voicing concern for the world’s poor.

While gathering strength and momentum within the Franciscan Family between 1982 and 1989, Franciscans International was officially recognized as a non-governmental organization (NGO) by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) in 1989. After further organizational work, smoothing out a membership plan, and opening an office in New York, FI was approved for NGO Category 1 Status. This was a major step for Franciscans International.

Having General Consultative Status (Category 1) with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) enables FI to participate in all activities of the Council through written and oral statements. This means that FI is able to be present at UN World Conferences and their Preparatory Committees, General Assembly special sessions, the UN Commission and Sub-Commission on Human Rights, and the committees that monitor States’ compliance with specific international treaties. Furthermore, this status gives FI a critical responsibility to provide technical expertise and advice to governments and the UN Secretariat. Thus, FI was challenged to strengthen ties with Franciscan brothers and sisters in the field, often in developing countries, to enable meaningful contributions to UN forums.

In 1997, Franciscans International expanded to Geneva, Switzerland, where we concentrate on the promotion and protection of human rights and their civil, cultural, economic, political, and social manifestations.

A key shift in our short history took place in 1999 when the Conference of Franciscan Family (CFF) redefined the notion of membership for FI. As opposed to maintaining select membership in which individuals or groups choose to become members of FI through contributions, the CFF approved a more inclusive membership policy. All Franciscans within the jurisdiction of the CFF are automatically members of FI. Therefore, FI provides a service to all Franciscans based on their need for access to the international community, research, or advocacy to address a local challenge. This membership change has implications for funding – we are funded by voluntary contributions from members of the Franciscan Family. Often, those who need our services the most cannot help support us financially. Contributions from Franciscan communities in the developed world enable us to serve the friars and sister from poverty stricken areas of the world.

Though our history remains brief, we have made great strides in the growth of FI and are reaching a peak of effectiveness, attaining a strong reputation both in NY and Geneva, Bangkok, Thailand, and strengthening our visibility as a service within the Franciscan Family.

SFO’s (Secular Franciscan Order) are members of Franciscan International as are all Franciscans. I would encourage you to learn more and to keep informed of FI’s efforts (our efforts) for Justice, Peace and Care for Creation. Check FI’s web site: www.FranciscansInternational.org.

Peace and Everything Good!

“In God We Trust”

2009-04-06T07:39:00.001-07:00

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim tribute to patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness—these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. . . . reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principles.”
– George Washington

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
–Thomas Jefferson

“[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure, than they have it now, they may change their Rulers and the forms of Government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”
– John Adams

“...The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ ”
– Benjamin Franklin

“Were my soul trembling on the wing of eternity, were this hand freezing to death, were my voice choking with the last struggle, I would still, with the last gasp of that voice, implore you to remember the truth: God has given America to be free.”
– Patrick Henry

“And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
– Abraham Lincoln

“Let us look forward to the time when we can take the flag of our country and nail it below the Cross, and there let it wave as it waved in the olden times, and let us gather around it and inscribed for our motto: ‘Liberty and Union, one and inseparable, now and forever,’ and exclaim, ‘Christ first, our country next!’ ”
– Andrew Johnson

“We cannot read the history of our rise and development as a nation, without reckoning with the place the Bible has occupied in shaping the advances of the Republic. Where we have been the truest and most consistent in obeying its precepts, we have attained the greatest measure of contentment and prosperity.”
– Franklin Roosevelt

“Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we’re mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.”
– Ronald Reagan

One Friar's experience of living in Alaska in winter:

2009-03-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

My experience among the Athabaskan people confirmed my calling to be a Friar Minor. So many of their values resonate with our basic values; namely, respect and reverence for all people, respect for creation, respect for diversity, working to meet one’s basic needs, simplicity of life (not possessed by money), importance of fostering and preserving a family spirit (communion of life), interdependence and collaboration, hospitality (a welcoming spirit), honesty in recognizing and embracing one’s woundedness and brokenness (ongoing conversion), humor and sharing one’s life and story which is the fruit of reflection on one’s own life experience, wasting time with each other (a ministry of presence), expressing gratitude (to recognize and to affirm people’s contributions).

HARMONY - Knowing our oneness

2009-03-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

HARMONY
Knowing our oneness, we live in harmony with one another.

A heartwarming story about a female dog that lovingly mothers six orphan kittens makes the national news. Perhaps the underlying message for people is that harmony is always possible because it's not about looking the same or sounding the same. It's about knowing our oneness and letting our unique qualities enhance our relationships.

People from different backgrounds often have different ideas about the same subject. Yet a diversity of ideas can lead to a hybrid idea--one that is a combination of the best of all ideas, a divine plan.

All was created by God and called good. So harmony is the norm when we interact with one another as we were created to act--with love and understanding, with compassion and consideration.

"May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you
to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus."
--Romans 15:5

Thirteen Benefits of Reading Aloud to a Child

2009-03-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

Wally Amos Messenger of Inspiration of Chip & Cookie www.unclewallys.com

On the back of his business card are "Thirteen Benefits of Reading Aloud"
Reading is a child's first subject. Reading aloud is Early Childhood Development.

1. Develops language skills
2. Improves listening comprehension
3. Increases the child's attention span
4. Builds vocabulary
5. Exposes the child to good grammer
6. Exposes the child to new experiences and information
7. Stimulates the imagination
8. Stimulates brain development
9. Promotes higher critical thinking skills
10. Creates a bond between the child and the reader
11. Builds confidence and self-esteem
12. Teaches values
13. It's fun for everyone

Singapore: Franciscan Presence

2009-03-15T03:39:00.001-07:00

I have been in Singapore for two weeks. One week was spent in Malaysia with thirty Franciscan Friars in Malacca, Malaysia. I preached their retreat on the Rule of 1223 of St. Francis that all Friars Minor still live by. The Rule begins and ends with the words that the Rule and Life of the Friars Minor (the Lesser Brothers) is this: To observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, without anything of one's own. and in chastity. For 800 years men throughout the world have lived this life in brotherhood showing that the Gospel life of peace and joy, love and forgiveness, of service and ministry to all is not only possible, but desirable.

Here in Singapore, there are thirty Friars of various ethic backgrounds: Malay, Chinese, Indian, Ski Lankan. Their age is from 28 to 53. I was the old man in their
midst at 68 years old. I am living in their formation house on the property of their one parish here in Singapore. It is a very creative, only five year old, award-winning space for worship and gathering, in and outside the church where a piazza provides for gatherings of all sorts. Under the piazza is a Columbarium for 6000 remains of their beloved deceased. It is decorated with art, flowing water, sits for reflection and prayer, and where soft religious music continuously plays.
Seven thousand people worship here at St. Mary's Franciscan Church each weekend.

I have sat in the midst of the woshipers for the last two Sundays. All pick up an OCP Breaking Bread hymnal from Portland Oregon publisher. Different choirs at each of the five masses. These Asian faces carry names like Joe, Susan, Gwen, Janet, Paul, David, Candy, Monica, etc. Children everywhere.

One of the Singaporean additions to words is the syllable "lah" that is added to words: Okaylah! Sit downlah! Thank youlah! There was a young man in church today who was wearing a tee-shirt with some ten words with "lah" added to the end. And I did have my camera-lah!

The food is incredible! My taste buds have been jumping with excitement since I arrived. Everything is available: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Malay, Filipino, Indonesian, Thai, Indian, etc. Instead of a fork and knife, the custom here is to use a fork in the left hand and table spoon in the right hand.

I have met most of the 35 Secular Franciscans of the four Fraternities here in Singapore. Population: 4.8 million people. 177,000 Catholics. 30 parishes. On Archbishop. I am a Spiritual Assistant for a Fraternity of lay Franciscans in Crystal Lake, IL northwest of Chicago. So I was so happy to met several times with the SFO's here in Singapore. ---- time for supper. Be well. I return to Chicago on March 18 with great memories of people, sights, foods, Friars,.... Peace!

Hello from Singapore!

2009-03-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

I am here with the Friars from March 1-18 to preach their Custody Retreat.
There are 30 Friars in this Custody, attached to the Province of Australia.

Singapore has a population of 4.5 million people. The Catholic Population in this city-state-country numbers 177,000 with 30 parishes, 70 diocesan priests, 67 religious priests, 98 Religious Brothers, 189 Religious Sisters. The OFM’s arrived here 50 years ago.

I am living in their Formation House with twelve friars.

The Guardian, Council Member and Head of Formation is Clifford Augustine OFM, who lived at St Peter’s in the Loop for two years while taking classes at CTU. The retreat for the Custody will be in Malaysia – a four

Hour bus ride from Singapore. The 90 degrees and 97 percent humidity is a welcome change from Chicago’s winter.

For more info on the Custody go to their website: http://www.franciscans.sg/ The friars are most hospitable and welcoming.

Please remember the retreat in your prayers – March 9-13. Peace!

To Singapore

2009-02-26T14:55:00.000-08:00

On Feb. 27, I will be flying to Singapore - Chicago to Hong Kong to Singapore, all on
United Airlines. There are fifty Franciscan Friars in the Singapore Custody. They invited me to preach their annual retreat. Since this is the 800th anniversary of the
founding of the Franciscan Order of Friars - OFM: Ordo Fratrum Minorum (Order of Lesser Brothers), I suggested the retreat be focused on our Rule of Life written by St. Francis in 1223. Preparation for this retreat has been a blessing for me. I have read more on the Rule during the last six months than I have ever done. The old saying: If you want to learn something, teach it.

Have any of you been to Singapore? Have suggestions for me - what to see, what to do nor not to do...? Do you have any friends or relatives there?

Besides living with the Friars and learning their customs and culture(s), I hope to make contact with the SFO's, the Secular Franciscan Order - laity who live according to the Spirit of St Francis and the Gospel. I will return on March 18.
Blessings to you from Singapore!

Fr. Chuck Faso, OFM

Books! Books! Books! - Reading! Rading! Reading!

2009-02-20T08:44:00.000-08:00

Someone once said" "Show me your library and I will tell you when you died." That is,
the last thing you read is perhaps when you stopped learning and thinking and reflecting. Today, of course, we have books, magazines, Google, DVDs, etc. But there is something about holding a book, opening the book, turning those pages until the last page is read. One of our friars says that everyone should always be reading a novel - to get into another time zone, another culture, another person's and/or family's journey, another ethical world view,.... So what have I read recently?

I am almost finished reading "Three Cups of Tea" This a true story that reads like a novel. These 331 pages that won the Kiriyzma Prize is the story of Greg Mortenson's one man's mission to promote peace...one School at a time in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Greg Mortenson was attempting to climb the second highest mountain in the world but had to stop near the top and return down because of injuries of a fellow climber. On the descent, Mortenson took a turn that led him to a village where there was no school. That experience of these good people isolated not only by the mountains but by their lack of the possibility of education catapulted him into a mission that consumes his life with passion and meaning, commitment and direction.

The title refers to the custom in Pakistan and Afghanistan that is best described by Haji Ali, Korphe Village Chief, in the Karakoram Mountains of Pakistan: "We drink three cups of tea to do business: the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family and for our family we are prepared to do anything -- even die."

To read this book is to scale mountains and get to know people of Pakistan and Afghanistan in their daily hopes and fears, their struggles and challenges, the politics and wars. Mortenson is the director of the Central Asia Institute that he founded with the continued financial support of many people who share his dream and hope. He has spoken to a groups of a few people to thousands, to a room full of congressman in Washington DC and to military leaders at the Pentagon. The usual response is: Why have we not heard about this before?

David Oliver Relin, the writer, is a globe-trotting journalist who has won more than forty national awards for his writing and editing. A former teaching/writing fellow at the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he is a frequent contributor to Parade and Skiing Magazine. He lives in Portland Oregon.

Tom Brokaw said this about "Three Cups of Tea": "Thrilling....proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world." I am finding the book an education of that part of the world and its culture, customs, religions, and wars. I have been moved and challenged to learn more and to do something. As a Franciscan, I went on the internet to "Franciscan Action Network" and found this website filled what is being done and can be done to bring more justice and peace to our world through the office in Washington DC. Take a look at "FAN" yourself. Most informative with daily updates.

The back cover of the book makes a great summary of the book in this way:

This book (Three Cups of Tea) is the astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his remarkable humanitarian campaign in the Taliban's backyard. In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson buildt not just one but fifty-five schools - especially for girls - in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the Humanitarian spirit.

Have any of you read this book? What are your comments and reflection?
Any other books that you have read and want to share a few words about?
I will write again about books: "The Shack" and one I received yesterday "A Voluptuous God" by Robert V. Thompson. Anyone read either of these two books?

Former Senator Geroge McGovern on Peace Making

2009-02-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

Former senator George McGovern addressed Obama in a recent editorial in The Washington Post.

"Please do not try to put Afghanistan aright with the U.S. military. To send our troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan would be a near-perfect example of going from the frying pan into the fire…. Military power is no solution to terrorism. The hatred of U.S. policies in the Middle East--our occupation of Iraq, our backing for repressive regimes such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, our support of Israel--that drives the terrorist impulse against us would better be resolved by ending our military presence throughout the arc of conflict. This means a prudent, carefully directed withdrawal of our troops from Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and elsewhere. We also need to close down the imposing U.S. military bases in this section of the globe, which do so little to expand our security and so much to stoke local resentment."

McGovern proposes instead that the U.S. work with the U.N. World Food program and other agencies to provide a nutritious lunch every day for every school-age child in Afghanistan and other poor countries. This would be a minimum, as far as I'm concerned. We should also make restitution for every nation where we have ever killed a single child.

Blueprint for Peace in the World

2009-02-10T10:57:00.001-08:00

The most developed blueprint comes from "Sept. 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows" (www.peacefultomorrows.org). They've composed a "primer for activists," which outlines a few unpopular truths.

1. U.S. and NATO occupation creates civilian casualties, angering Afghans.
2. Military occupation has hampered humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts.
3. Afghan women continue to face violence and oppression under the occupation.
4. U.S. policy has empowered warlords, drug lords and the Taliban.
5. The occupation contributes to violence and destabilization for ordinary Afghans, including refugees.
6. NATO allies and military leaders are questioning the occupation.
7. U.S. troop casualties in Afghanistan are on the rise.
8. Afghans are calling for a negotiated end to the war.
9. Military escalation will only increase the violence, and potentially lead to a wider war involving nuclear-armed Pakistan.
10. Military occupation of Afghanistan does not curb terrorism.

They propose eight recommendations for change:

1. Set a swift timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO military forces, to be substituted by U.N. forces for short-term security.
2. Immediately cease air strikes on targets in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
3. Support negotiations between all parties involved in the conflict, including Afghan women leaders.
4. Reform humanitarian aid and reconstruction funding efforts to prioritize Afghan organizations over foreign contractors. Ensure that funded projects address the needs and requests of Afghans and are not simply pet projects of foreign donors.
5. Invest in long-term aid that increases self-reliance such as sustainable agriculture efforts.
6. Immediately discontinue the use of Provincial Reconstruction Teams, which are costly, inefficient, and have militarized the aid process.
7. Standardize, increase, and publicly document compensation to Afghan families and communities affected by U.S. military actions.
8. Sign the treaty to ban cluster bombs, pay for cluster bomb and landmine cleanup in Afghanistan, and pledge never to use these weapons again.

From every quarter, the message is clear: War is obsolete. War doesn't work. The days of war are over. We want nonviolent solutions for nonviolent breakthroughs to a new world of nonviolence.

"We've tried and tested every form of violence," Lech Walesa has said, "and not once in the entire course of human history has anything good or lasting come from it."

And from the Dalai Lama: "If we look at history, we find that in time, humanity's love of peace, justice and freedom always triumphs over cruelty and oppression. This is why I am such a fervent believer in nonviolence. Violence begets violence. Violence means only one thing: suffering. This small planet should be completely demilitarized."

Fr John Dear, SJ, states that war is not the way to follow Jesus. Indeed, Jesus says that whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me. In our wars, not only do we make Christ poor, hungry, homeless, sick and imprisoned, we kill him all over again.

Pilgrimages - Turkey/Greece and Oberamergau

2009-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

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

A Franciscan Prayer for Peace

2009-01-17T13:03:00.000-08:00

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

A Jew's Prayer for the Children of Gaza

2009-01-17T11:57:00.000-08:00

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.

Develop a New Vision

2009-01-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

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

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

2009-01-13T19:19:00.001-08:00

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

President Dwight Eisenhower - April 16, 1953

2009-01-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

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.

Pope John XXIII's Decalogue

2009-01-06T17:34:00.000-08:00

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."

Hello from Napa Valley

2009-01-06T17:25:00.000-08:00

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!

To have eyes to truly see! What do you see?

2009-01-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

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 Boston and the seats averaged $100.

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?

New Year's Reflection

2008-12-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

The Invitation

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

Merry Christmas - all year long!

2008-12-25T09:32:00.000-08:00

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

~by Howard Thurman

Christmas Message of Jerusalem's Church Leaders

2008-12-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

"We must think even more Carefully and deeply about Jesus."

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Greetings from Jerusalem!
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas there seems to be even more, darkness, conflict and despair in the world around us. That means for us, as Christians, we must think even more carefully and deeply about Jesus -- the baby born in Bethlehem's stable.

Many people are afraid of the dark whether it be the absence of light around them or fear of the unknown in their personal lives or the world at large.

Despite all this we need to think and mediate about Jesus:
"A light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower." (John 1:5)

St John's Gospel goes on to remind us of the facts of Jesus' birth:
"That he was born into a world which did not recognize him and a people that did not receive him." (John 1:10-11)

So, as we approach another Christmas we must show the world around us that Jesus is a light in the dark which never goes out, a burning light which takes the terror from the night and moreover, a light on which we should fix our eyes not least when the clouds appear to be
gathering around us.

Just as the baby in the stable is the focal point of our Christmas celebrations, so we must affirm and witness to the fact that Jesus is the light which shines out from our perosnal nad corporate lives at all times.

Again and again we need to ask ourselves "What would Jesus do, what would Jesus say". Then, our thoughts and ideas of his actions and words must be translated into the daily life of our community -- particularly in this Holy Land.

Similarly, we have to convince the world's political leaders that the true peace will only come on earth when we seek God's will for his people...not least through the words and actions of Jesus. Nor must we belittle the fact, affirmed in St. John's Gospel, that to all who accept Jesus, He gives power to become the Children of God.

This means we must stand alongside all who suffer around us -- the hungry, the homeless, the unemployed and the bereaved since Jesus tells us that when we help others we are doing it to Him as thought He were suffering for them.

To stand alongside also involves us in action. We need the lightof Christ to shine on this Land to enable us to work more realistically for a two state solution which would end the burden of restrictions arising out of Occupation.

So we pray for the president-elect of the United States that he and other world leaders may see the urgent need for peace in the Middle East and not least in this Land.

We need also to see the situation in which many are suffering in Gaza in the light of Christ and make a determined effort to bring them urgent relief.

Moreover, we must never forget our duty to point our children and young people to the light of
Christ assuring them that, through Jesus we all have hope for a better world.

Then we would greet our Sisters and Brothers across the world -- not least the thousands who have visited this Holy Land recently. It is important to recall that you are walking in the footsteps of Jesus and when you pause to see the plight of many of your fellow Christians that you respond as you believe He would.

We are conscious of all who suffer across the wolrd but for all we believe the only way forward is to see people and situations in "The light of Christ."

Be assured of our good wishes and prayers for all of you as Christmas approaches and may God's blessing be on your homes and families.

"Walk in the light and the light will illumine your path,
Walk in the truth and the truth will set you free,
Walk in the way of peace and you will have, through Christ,
The peace which passes understanding."

Jerusalem December 2008

Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem
(Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Franciscan Custos of the H0ly Land,
Coptic Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, Maronite Church, Greek Melkite, Anglican, Lutheran, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic)

Fragility of Life: My first TIA

2008-12-17T19:07:00.000-08:00

Last night at my sister's in Chicago Heights, I felt numbness in my face, arm, and leg - all on the right side. I thought it might be a pinched nerve, so I went to my chiropractor this afternoon. After telling Dr. Zrelak my symptoms, he said that I need to phone my primary Doctor. In ten minutes I was in Dr. J. Kopin's office at 11 South Clark in the Loop. After two hours of tests, questions, EKG, etc., it seems that I may had experienced/suffered a TIA. So tomorrow, Dec. 18, I will have an MRI, MAI, and and Echogram of my heart. Nine tubes of my blood was drawn by the lab today. Results......?

What an awakening to the fragility of my life! I will be 68 years old on January 30. The old grey stallion ain't what he used to be. I am concerned, worried,......grateful, feel so blessed too.
Too blessed to be stressed! And yet..... Prayers, please. How is your health? Seen your doctor lately? Peace and Everything Good!

Holy Land Pilgrimage: Dec. 1-9 2008

2008-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

For the last ten days, I have been a pilgrim with thirty-three others, in the Holy Land. This was my twenty-seventh pilgrimage to Israel and Palestine. What a transforming, up-lifting, healing experience each time.

We stayed in two hotels – at En Gev on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in the north and at the Knights’ Palace in the Old City in Jerusalem – this hotel is owned by the Archdiocese (Patriarchy) of Jerusalem and a short walk from St Savior’s the Franciscan headquarters for the Custody of the Holy Land. Our 12 hour flight from Chicago through Madrid on Iberia Airlines was followed by a two hour bus ride from the coast of the Mediterranean through the Jezreal Valley past Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee.

Our first three days were spent visiting the sights of Galilee and Upper Galilee – beginning with an hour boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (the only fresh water lake in Israel – eight miles by ten miles), to Cana where the married couples renewed their marriage vows, to Nazareth where we celebrated mass at the grotto of the Annunciation, to Mt Tabor where we celebrated Mass
in the Franciscan church of the Transfiguration – from there we could see Nazareth, the Valley of Armageddon/Jezrael from the Jordan to the Mediterranean.
We drove the Golan Heights and Hula Valley in the north, surrounded by Lebanon on the left and Syria on the right to Caeserea Phillippi where in the front of the great shrine to gods of the Canaanites, Greek, Roman, especially the god Pan, Jesus asked the disciples: “Whom do you say I am?” And with Peter we proclaimed our faith that Jesus is the Son of the Living God. At the southern end of the Sea of Galilee/Lake Gennesaret, where the Lake overflows into the Jordan river, we stood in those flowing Jordan waters and renewed our Baptismal Vows – again, as if for the first time.

The next day was spent traveling to Jerusalem – ninety-miles south in the Judean hill country. On the way we drove to the top of Mt Carmel and to the seashore at Caesarea Maritima where St. Peter preached for the first time to a Gentiles in Cornelius’ home – Acts of the Apostles 10. From sea level, we went “up” to Jerusalem, 2400 feet in altitude, singing the Pilgrim Psalms, “I rejoiced when I heard them say, Let us go to the House of the Lord!” The last four days of our pilgrimage was spent visiting and celebrating mass in the Cenacle (Last Supper, Easter, Pentecost), in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the top of Calvary in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, and we celebrated Christmas Mass in Bethlehem. At all of these Franciscan churches, the mass each day is the mass that remembers the particular Gospel event, no matter what feast or season of the church year it actually is. So for the first time in my life, I did not celebrate the Mass of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th. Instead, we celebrated mass at Gethsemane where the liturgy is a special mass remembering Jesus in his agony after the last supper. We did end the mass by singing “Immaculate Mary” and praying for the USA.

One day was spent going “down” from Jerusalem to Jericho, from 2400 feet above sea level to 1400 feet below sea level to the lowest spot on the face of the earth – Jericho and the Dead Sea. There we walked through the ruins of the Essenes’ community where the Dead Sea Scrolls where discovered by a shepherd boy in 1947 and a visit to the mountain escape of King Herod, Masada. Whether we were walking down the Mount Olives on the path of Palm Sunday or walking through the streets of Jerusalem carrying a large cross praying the Stations of the Cross, or at the Pater Noster (Our Father) Church or visiting Shepherds Field outside of Bethlehem, we sang and prayed, shared faith and remembered all of our loved ones and those in need around the world. We laughed a lot and enjoyed delicious food and as our guide often said – “Shopping and Bathroom, Shopping and Bathroom.”

We were and will continue to be blessed by our ten days together – thirty-four persons from Chicago area, St Louis, and Kansas City MO who became a caring, life and faith-sharing community of believers. The Word of God has become ever more a living source of faith and healing, of strength and love.

Fr. Bill Burton OFM (www.biblicist.net) with whom I live in Chicago and I lead the pilgrims in prayer and reflection. Fr. Bill is a Biblicist, a friar who has a doctorate in Biblical Studies from the Biblicum in Rome. His teachings throughout the day added greatly to the pilgrimage.
I prayed for you all each day as we celebrated Mass. I would love to lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land for SFO’s. There we could reflect on the Rule of Life in the places where Jesus lived, taught, healed, died and rose. Inshallah! God willing! Since c. 1380, we Franciscans have been mandated by the Vatican to care for the Shrines and Churches, for Palestinian Christians and Pilgrims. Over 200 Franciscan Friars from around the world serve in the Custody of the Holy Land.

Happy Advent-ing! As the days become shorter and the nights become longer, let us place our fears and darkness before the Lord of Light.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: Israel/Palestine

2008-11-29T05:14:00.003-08:00

From November 30th to December 9th, I will be in the Holy Land (Israel and Palestine) with Fr. Bill Burton, OFM, and with 32 other pilgrims. This will be my 27th pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Each visit is like the first. I still get so excited about going and being there. In 1983, I lived in Jerusalem for four months on a study program with 38 others. We traveled all through Israel, Egypt, and Greece.

What a wonderful way to begin the 2008 season of Advent - in the land of Promise/Fulfillment!

Be assured of my prayers for you and yours daily as we celebrate mass each day in one of the Holy Places - in Bethlehem, in Jerusalem, in Nazareth, in Gethsemane, on Mt Tabor, etc.
May we all be blessed with Peace, with Shalom, with Salaam!
Fr. Chuck Faso OFM

It's All About RELATIONSHIPS

2008-11-26T08:40:00.001-08:00

May the Lord give you Peace!

St Francis of Assisi models for us all the most important aspect of our human journey - Relationship. To be in relationship with everyone and all creation was one of the central "organizing" values in Francis' life:

- Relationship with the Most High God
- Relationship with his brothers in the gospel fraternity
- Relationship with St Clare and the other women who followed her vision
- Relationship with the poor who represented for Francis a privileged moment of encounter with the living God
- Relationship with those in power who did all they could to stay in power and who kept trapped those living in poverty
- Relationship with leaders of the Church who themselves lost sense of their dignity and the dignity of those entrusted to their pastoral care
- Relationship creatures great and small who bore the various qualities of a God who refuses to be controlled and contained.

Let us reflect on the quality of all of our relationships in our personal and ministerial lives and to allow God to once again infuse these with the dignity and goodness reflective of God's originating grace, a grace that enables us to seek the way of the reconciliation and a new trust.

- from Oct. 4, 2008, letter to the Friars from Michael Perry OFM & Michael Jennrich OFM

Vatican Set to Go Green

2008-11-21T20:31:00.001-08:00

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 21, 2008 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican will be taking a step toward promoting a greener culture next week as it inaugurates new solar panels on the roof of Paul VI Hall.

The inauguration will take place Wednesday at the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, a Vatican communiqué reported today.

The 2,400 solar panels replace the deteriorating concrete roof panels, and the photovoltaic cells will convert sunlight into electricity, and generate enough power to light, heat or cool the 6,000-seat hall.

The Vatican says the solar panel project is one of the "concrete and tangible initiatives" of the Vatican to promote the protection of the environment.

The statement added that it is also is part of the "green culture characterized by ethical values" promoted by Benedict XVI.

Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, governor of Vatican City State, will preside at the event.

Pier Luigi Nervi designed Paul VI, which was completed in 1971.

Call to Action - Call to Justice for All

2008-11-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

From Nov 7 to Nov 9, I joined c. 2500 Catholics at the 30th Call to Action Conference. It was held in Milwaukee. Major talks and many break-out sessions continued to stir us Catholics to make real and visible, tangible and desirable the vision of Church that God stirred in our hearts during the Vatican Council II, 1962-1965. We committed ourselves to journey of making our Church and World a place of justice for all. One of the inspiring speakers I heard was John Dear, SJ, a writer and activist for all things just that will bring about peace for all. Here are some of his reflections on the Call to Action weekend:

"This weekend, Barack Obama just freshly elected, I joined 2,500 Catholics at the annual Call to Action conference in Milwaukee. A spirit of hope hovered in the air. And in the air, too, was a general agreement that, the election notwithstanding, our work must continue. We need to keep pushing for an end to the U.S. wars on Iraq and Afghanistan. We still need to work to eradicate poverty, hunger, disease, corporate greed and environmental destruction. We still need to work for a more just society. Shortly put, we too have to be hopemakers, and carry on the hard work of making our hope -- a world of peace -- come true. Being hopemakers, a synonym for peacemakers -- this was the theme of my talks. It is up to us to pursue the audacity of peace, to practice the nonviolence of Jesus, and in the process, to help the church reclaim its peacemaking vocation. "

CELEBRATE GETTING OLD

2008-11-10T21:57:00.000-08:00

For over 7 years, Regina Brett was a columnist at The Beacon Journal in Akron, Ohio, during which time she was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer. Regina is now a columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio.
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here’s an update:
1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God; God can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry, God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare. Then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words, “In five years, will this matter?”
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative—dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

Have you danced today?

2008-11-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

And we should consider every day lost on

which we have not danced at least once.

- Friedrich Nietzshe-

2008-11-05T16:58:00.001-08:00

From Paris, France, I received this short email on this day after Presidential Election:

I looked for your face in the crowd in Grant Park last night !!

Congratulations; hope really does seem to have returned to the world today.

Its a great credit to America to vote in such massive numbers for such real change.

You really deserve to be proud of your country.

2008-11-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

I received this email today after the history making election of Mr Obama:

I cried last night when Obama won. It's just incredible, and we couldn't be happier! This morning when I got Pierson out of bed, I told him the big Obama news. When I asked him, "guess who won the race and has become the next president of the US?" His first reply was, "Uncle Ben!" (maybe 'cuz he recently saw our friend run in the Chgo marathon...??) When I asked him again, he said, "mommy and daddy!" Finally, I slightly changed the question and asked, "Pierson, who did you want to be the next president?" He replied, "PIERSON!" (After last night, now any child can dream big and really believe it!) Then when he went downstairs and saw the Barack poster we have hanging, he enthusiastically waved and said, "hi Barack Obama!" So funny esp since he rarely says Obama's 1st name. While the US and the world certainly has its problems, it's just become a better place. Have an awesome day! : )

Love,

Gem & Ps

PS. Peter & friends volunteered in Indiana and went door to door for Obama. It's a double bonus that Barack won that state. A democrat hasn't won it since 1964!!

Waking Up to Your World

2008-10-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

I am visiting friends in Kansas City MO this week. A magazine in the home of my friends is entitled "Shambhala Sun: Buddhism, Culture, Meditation Life." Thich Nhat Hanh is pictured on the cover - and rightfully so. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, poet, scholar, and human rights activist. In 1967, he was nominated by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. for the Nobel Peace Prize. he is author of more than sixty books, including Being Peace, Calming the Fearful Mind, Blooming of a Lotus, Moment of Mindfulness and Touching the Earth. he lives at Plum Village, his meditation center in France, and travels world wide leading retreats on the art of mindful living.

An article in this monthly magazine "Shambhala Sun", begins with these words:
"Waking Up to your world: Throughout your day you can pause, take a break from your usual thoughts, and wake up to the magic and vastness of the world around you. this easy and spacious type of mindfulness practice is the most important thing we can do with our lives."

This reminds of the Center for Exceptional Living where I went for therapy 15 years ago. All was about living consciously, to be conscious every moment of what one is doing and especially why, the reasons behind one's actions. Those two years of therapy were a great gift to me and influenced greatly my Franciscan community living and my preaching. God's truth and love are available for all of us in so many places, cultures, religions, people. Thanks be to God!

My Grandma used to say.....

2008-10-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Do what you can and can the rest!

Reading and Life

2008-10-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Show me you library and I will tell you when you died.

The Word of God Synod in Rome

2008-10-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

On October 24, 2008, the c. 245 Bishops issued their final Message of the Word of God Synod.
This was the 12th Synod of Bishops of the World called by the Popes since Vatican II. The Synod is an ongoing way for the Pope to hear the voices of God's people through their Bishops. The Synod is a formal setting in Rome for usually four weeks - the 245 Bishops, 45 experts in the topic to be discussed, other religious leaders of various faiths. During this Synod, the Catholic Bishops heard from a Rabbi from Israel and from Bartholomeo I, Patricarch of the Ortodox Church in Istanbul -truly major breakthroughs on Inter-Faith dialog.

The Topic was The Word of God. In the ten page Final Message of Word of God Synod, we find so beautifully written, a contemporary, challenging and inviting message to read and reflect daily on the Word of God. The Bishops propose a spritual journey consisting of four phases that will carry us from all eternity and the infinite nature of God to our homes and the streets of our cities.
1) The Voice of the Word: The Revelation (Creation, Humanity, History)

2) The Face of the Word: Jesus Christ(The Word was made Flesh-the heart of Chrsitian Faith)

3) The House of the Word: The Church (Preaching, Breading of Bread, Prayer, Christian Love)

4) The Roads of the Word: Mission (Communication in all ways: Internet, Blogs, TV, Movies...)

For more, Google: Word of God Synod or www.zenit.org/article-24043?1=english

Pilgrimage for the Year of St Paul

2008-10-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

On June 28, 2008, Pope Benedict declared this year until June 29, 2009 (Feast of Sts Peter and Paul) to be the Year of St Paul, remembering the year of Paul's birth. Fr. Bill Burton OFM (www.biblicist.net) and I will lead a group of pilgrims in the Footsteps of St Paul, in Turkey and Greece. We will visit Ephesus, Izmir, Pergamum, Canakkale, Kavala, Phillippi, Thessaloniki, Monastery of Meteroa, Kalambaka, Athens, Corinth, Istanbul. Fr. Bill is a renowned Scripture scholar and teacher, a preacher on all things Biblical. His seven years in Rome earned him a high degree in Biblical Studies, not to forget his Irish wit and humor. For further information call
AMI Travel at 773-777-4900.

The Turkey Greece flyer is also online: www.amitravel.com/sitePage.aspx?pageID=336

Any suggestions for what to see and not miss on this pilgrimage?
Have you visited Turkey and/or Greece? Why? What did you bring home from that trip?

Going to the Holy Land - Israel and Palestine

2008-10-25T08:20:00.001-07:00

On November 30,2008, Fr. Bill Burton OFM (www.biblicist.net) and I are leading a group to the Holy Land. This will be my 27 pilgrimage to the land of Abraham and Sarah, of Jesus, of Mary and Joseph, of Apostles, Saints, Martyrs, and believers in Christ for 2000 years.

Have you ever visited Israel and Palestine, Jordan or Egypt? How has that experience impacted or influenced your life? Join the conversation. Let's hear from you about your experience.

Word of God: Care for the Alien/Immigrant & Poor

2008-10-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

Peace and Everything Good to you and your loved ones!

I am working on my homily for this coming Sunday - October 26. I will be preaching at the Motherhouse of the Franciscans Sisters in Wheaton IL. The first of the three Scripture passages that the Sisters will hear is the same that all Catholics throughout the world will hear - from the Book of Exodus Chapter 22: 20-26. This is one of the major laws, rules, commands of the Lord God to care for the alien, the widow, the orphan, and poor neighbors ("lend money to the poor without demanding interest" and return a poor neighbor's cloak before sunset).

How does this direct, practical, concrete Word of God effect our dealings with immigrants and the poor? God's protection of the poor is the frequent testimony of the psalms. In this Exodus Reading, we read that the administration of God's protection of Israel's resident aliens, widows, orphans, and poor has been entrusted to the people itself. The people - that is us today, of course - must vigilantly protect them and punish whoever harms them. If it would remain faithful to God, Israel cannot tolerate the oppression of its most vulnerable. And the same goes for us - we cannot tolerate the oppression of immigrants and of the poor.

St John Chrysostom writes: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." There's a challenge! There's the rub! There's the invitation to conversion and freedom.

We Franciscans of the Sacred Heart Province sponsor and founded the Franciscan Outreach with its two locations: Franciscan House of Mary and Joseph - a shelter with 250 beds, and Marquard Center - a food kitchen that serves 250 meals each day and offers laundry service and showers to the homeless. Check out this one way to care for the alien and poor: www.franoutreach.org.

What can we do to make God's Word real and visible in our world today?

Three Cups of Tea: Promoting Peace

2008-10-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

I am reading an inspiring, challenging, and motivating book based on the life experience of Greg Mortenson. The Title of the Book is "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Tom Brokaw comments on the book with these words: "Thrilling...proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world."
This is Greg Mortenson's journey - one man's mission to promote peace...one school at a time.

Why the title: Three Cups of Tea? Hagi Ali, Korphe Village Chief, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan tells us the meaning of three cups of tea: "Here in Pakistan and Afghanistan, we drink three cups of tea to do business: the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything -- even die."

In 1993, a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school. "Three Cups of Tea" is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five schools - especially for girls - in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at one a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit.

A great read, a challenging invitation to build something that will bring hope and meaning!
If you have read this book, or are reading this tale of changing peoples' lives, share your reflections. Or, if you are looking for a good book that will take you on transforming journey,
do read "Three Cups of Tea."

Immigration: Catholic Unstanding and Commitment

2008-10-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

Perceived Myth: Catholic Bishops (Church) support illegal immigration
Known Fact:
The Catholic Church and the Bishops do not condone unlawful entry or
circumventions of our nation’s immigration laws. The bishops believe that
reforms are necessary for our immigration system to respond to the realities of
separated families and labor demands that compel people to immigrate to the
United States in an authorized and unauthorized fashion. (Source: I Was a
Stranger, and You Welcome Me: Meeting Christ in New Neighbors Indiana Catholic
Bishops)
Why is the church so concerned about immigration?
The Catholic Church does not support unlawful entry into the U.S. or any country. The
Church respects the right of nations to control their borders and to enact laws in the best
interest of its citizens. Yet the Church teaches that some rights are inherent in the
human condition; these are natural rights, which extend beyond all national boundaries.
All immigrants, legal and illegal, have natural rights from their inherent dignity as
persons. Each is created in the image of God. (Gaudium et Spes)
All people should have their basic needs met in their homeland but have the right to
seek basic needs abroad if they cannot be met at home. The dignity of the human
person must be respected and priority must be given to family (re)unification. The
Church responds to immigrants not from their legal status but from the dictates of our
belief and teaching. While an action or immigration status can be illegal, a person can
never be illegal.
Nations may regulate borders to provide for national security, tranquility and prosperity,
but the right to regulate borders is not absolute. Regulations must promote the common
good, which includes not only members of the nation but also the universal human
family. (Catechism of Catholic Church)
The Church in the U.S. is especially mindful of the immigrant because it is an immigrant
Church, made up of people from all parts of earth.
The Church has a responsibility to assist the newcomer. In Scripture, God calls upon his
people to care for the alien. “So, you, too, must befriend the alien, for you were once
aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt” (Deut 10: 17-19). And in chapter 25 of the Gospel
of Matthew, Jesus identifies with the marginalized and commands us to respond when
he said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.
For more information about the Church’s position see the pastoral statement by the
Catholic Bishops of Indiana, I Was a Stranger, and You Welcome Me: Meeting Christ in
New Neighbors available at the Indiana Catholic Conference web site, indianacc.org

A Pro-Life Litany

2008-10-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

I will be attending the Call to Action Conference in Milwaukee WI, Nov.7-9. One of the dictums we learned in Theology Class in the 1960's is this: Ecclesia Semper Reformanda Est! The Church must always be reformed! This is another way of saying what Jesus preached: Repent! Change your ways! CTA (Call to Action) is one of the voices that calls us the Church to repentance and conversion. We are called to change our hearts and minds according to the Gospel message.
Check out CTA at www.cta-usa.org.

Today I received the Call to Action Church Watch Newsletter. There I read:

A Pro-Life Litany
I am more than pro-birth, I am pro-life.

I do not believe in unprovoked wars (which kill innocent people). I am pro-life.

I condemn torture. I am pro-life

I do not believe in the death penalty. I am pro-life.

I believe those we incarcerate must be taught skills so they can live in society. I am pro-life.

I work to eliminate racism. I am pro-life.

I do not believe that we should give obscene smounts of money to oppressive governments. I am pro-life.

I do not believe our government should train other governments to produce death squads. I am pro-life

I believe that everyone in the world should be able to live with healthful conditions. I am pro-life.

I believe that the social teachings of the church provide a strong foundation beyond being just pro-birth. I am pro0-life.

I am more than pro-birth. I am pro-life..

As Jesus says in Matthew's Gospel: "Now, what do you think?"

Voting and the Common Good

2008-10-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Every four years since 1976 the Catholic Bishops of the United States have produced a statement in advance of the election: "Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility." The 2004 edition of this document states,

"Politics in this election year and beyond should be about an old idea with new power - the common good. The central question should not be 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' It should be, 'How can we - all of us, especially the weak and vulnerable - be better off in the years ahead? How can we protect and promote human life and dignity? How can we pursue greater justice and peace?'"

The document details principles of Catholic social teaching to serve as yardsticks for voters.

Before we vote, it would serve us well to read this years' statement: www.usccb.org

2008-10-17T08:09:00.000-07:00

Shalom! Salaam! Just Do It!

Someone gave me a T-Shirt with those words on the front of the shirt.
Just Do It! Nike uses those words for its motto. I think Jesus is always
telling us the same: Love one another. When we start to complain of how
difficult it is to love this person or that person, Jesus jumps in and simply
says - Just Do It!

Making Peace! - But it is so difficult! The Lord says, the Needs of our country and world
shout to us: Just do it!

So, how today, can you and I be peacemakers? How can we bring peace based on justice
to our world - to your world of family, friends, office, neighborhood.

One way is to hold precious, in our minds and hearts, words of peace, blessings of peace for all.
Did you ever stand in your home and face the north, then the east, then the south, then the
west. Raise your hands toward each direction and pray peace on all who live in that direction.
Send peace-filled energy and love to all who struggle for peace in that direction - in Iraq, in
India, in Columbia and Cuba, in Korea and Viet Nam, into the home and hearts of neighbors......

What can you and I do today to bring greater Peace on earth?

Quincy IL -

2008-10-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Hello from Quincy IL. I drove the almost five hours today, Monday October 13, from Chicago
to Quincy IL. I will be here for three days to visit Franciscan Friars and three classmates from
the seminary days of 1954. We Friars built a school here in 1861. This school has become Quincy University. In the 1960's we built a college seminary in Quincy, about a mile from the University Campus. My first visit to Quincy was in 1958 when I was a senior in the high school seminary in Westmont, IL. We Friars also serve in the parish of St Francis Solanus across the street from the University.
Lincoln-Douglas debated in Quincy in 1858. Quincy is built on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. Mark Twain territory - Hannibal, MO is only ten miles down river. The last time I was here was nine years ago. Will be back in Chicago on Thursday.

Have any of you ever been to Quincy or attended our Franicscan Quincy College, now University?
May the Lord give you Peace!

2008-10-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hi Father Chuck:

Not running the Chicago Marathon today but, here in Belleville, Ontario, I've been conducting a gardening marathon for over a year .
The Other Side of the River Gardeners' motto is creating a safe neighbourhood one flower at a time. The west side of the city is reported as having the lowest income per capita.

Landowners who participate allow us to plant trees and flowers. Their cost is soil and mulch. Perennials are donated by local nurseries and fellow gardeners. The adult labour is free and if we hire unemployed youth, they are paid $10 an hour.

Litter has decreased and gardens have not been vandalized. People stop and thank us for creating the flower beds for them.

When we plant on city land, we don't ask permission. What is asked is forbidden, what is done is forgiven.

Just want to encourage you to run a gardening marathon. Create beautiful street scapes which green our urban areas, reduce crime and improve mental health.

Donna

Pro- Life: All Life

2008-10-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here at our Friary called Antonianum (St. Anthony's Place) the four of us Friars pray together every morning. One of our petitions at Morning Prayer is for the abundant out-pouring of the
Holy Spirit on all Americans as we prepare to chose our next President. I have a great concern
that some people are narrowing their choice based on one issue. I cannot understand that approach. There are so many issues - justice, peace, health-care, education, child-care, aids, etc.

All of these issues are about Life and for them all we need to be Pro-Life. Only to choose or focus on one issue is missing the forest because of looking at only one tree. There is a forest of needs and life/justice issues that we all need to look at, pray over, listen to and discuss what is being proposed.

May the Holy Spirit aid us all in this time of discernment.
May the Lord give you Peace and Everything Good!

Chicago Marathon

2008-10-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

Today is October 12. Here in Chicago, the 80 degree sunshine. And I am not running in the Chicago Marathon today through 29 neighborhoods. Have any of you ever run in a Marathon?
Any comments on your experience?

Welcome to Peace Making, Sharing, Dreaming

2008-09-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

On this September 6, 2008, I am beginning my first blog. May this be a means of discussing and sharing, dreaming and learning together about Peace and all matters that can lead to and develop peace in our hearts, in our relationships, in our church, and in our world.