In short, my friends, the word is wisdom, a word from the wise that will save us from ourselves. Unfortunately, at this point in history, there seem not to be sufficient wise-minded people who can help us live at peace with one another, at least for the long haul.
One way to measure a culture is to look at whether respect was shown for the remains of the dead. Remains, millions of years old, recently were discovered in the Raising Star Cave in South Africa.
In October, our thoughts turn to winter in Alaska. Light is dwindling and the weather is growing colder. For some that may bring joy; time in a warm house with comforting food and people nearby. For those who are homeless, however, October in Anchorage is the beginning of a long, cold period where daily activities are more difficult because of weather and darkness.
There are scenes of parish celebrations, children’s programs, liturgies, church dedications and most evident, the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, first communion, matrimony and even ordinations. The inclusion of the various cultural groups and celebration with Alaska Natives in church as well as in their communities is very evident, too.
Catholic Social Services in Alaska has eight different programs, each and every one of which could stand alone, but they all stand together under our mission to compassionately serve the poor and those in need, strengthen individuals and families, and advocate for social justice. The fact that we have a diversity of programs speaks to the needs in our community. Catholic Social Services has built itself to grow and fit with the needs of our population. Our broad mission allows that flexibility.
One of the kids had brought $5 from home to buy Pokemon cards. But, because of bad behavior, that didn’t happen. Mom drove out of the Target parking lot and no one was happy. It was then they saw a man, with a woman and two children, holding a sign: “No job. Have kids. No food. Please help. God bless you.”
“Aren’t you going to stop Mom? We need to help,” came a voice from the back seat.
So, what did Jesus really look like, what kind of person was he? This question still surfaces occasionally in the Q/A columns of a few Catholic periodicals. People in the Middle East, of course would simply say, “Well, he probably looked like any one of us; he had Arab-like features; such basic characteristics do not change appreciably over the centuries. Issue closed.
Most mornings, we gather together after chores and breakfast to pray for the “Fourteen P’s,” a list of requests that, over the years, we’ve managed to finagle all beginning with “P” (pope, president, priest, papa, pets, etc.). I also read something: perhaps a passage of Scripture or prayer to memorize, sometimes a saint’s biography or section of the children’s catechism. Now, it is short, child-sized teachings from Laudato Si.
To the delight of some and the dismay of others, the meaning of marriage in the civil sphere is no longer what it once was, and in this sense, the legal institution of marriage has been “redefined.” But it may be more accurate, more descriptive, to say that the Supreme Court has furthered the deconstruction of this venerable institution. Reading through the majority opinion of the Court, one often encounters the phrase “right to marry” but struggles to understand how this means anything more than the right to be friendly companions.
Political activist and syndicated columnist, Jim Hightower, describes our political/economic system as “Dooh Nibor,” Robin Hood spelled backwards. He argues our country increasingly robs from the poor to give to the rich.