Phew . . . it's been a struggle getting this Gram to press. That makes us especially glad that you're willing to read what we have to offer. Over on the left you'll find a note about Advent Vespers here at hope and a reminder about the upcoming Poverty Simulation. Below, you'll find a photo and update about next Tuesday's Thanksgiving dinner give-away and, further on down, you'll find Steve's reflection on what we all harbor.
Thank you for taking the time to read them!
|
|
Let's talk turkey!
 Members of Loaves and Fishes were busy putting labels and stamps on 1,212 postcards last Friday morning. That's one card for every household that signed up for next Tuesday when turkeys and all the fixin's for Thanksgiving dinner will be given out. The group already has 900 turkeys on hand. We still need more. If you're able to donate a frozen 10 to 12-pounder, please drop Stephen Auffredou a line at sauffredou@yahoo.com. If you'd like to make a tax-deductible contribution, you can mail it to Newburgh Loaves and Fishes, P.O. Box 2844 , Newburgh NY 12550. |
Liberty, blessings and lifted lamps
Down the river, in New York harbor, there's a statue of a lady with torch held high. At its base is an inscription with these words penned by Emma Lazerus:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
She's known as Lady Liberty.
About 1,300 miles south of New York, a statue of a man looms over Havana Harbor. There's no inscription that I can remember. It's just a man and he's offering a blessing to all who see him.
He's known as Jesus.
I was surprised when I first saw the Jesus statue. I me an, who would expect to see a statue of Jesus prominently displayed in the capital city of the country so many Americans love to hate?
It is that Jesus who is on my mind as Christ the King Sunday approaches. As I read the day's gospel lesson which tells the story of Jesus' final hours, I am reminded that Jesus did not say that he was king of anything. Others said so, but when asked by Pilate, for example, his reply was "You say so."
That's not to say that Jesus didn't talk about kingdom. He sure did. He talked about the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven which were to be found within each of us. Jesus taught that the kingdom has already been given to us, that it is ours for the taking, that all we have to do is to look inside where we can discover the divine spark within ourselves and within all others.
There is a part of each of us that welcomes that truth. But, there's also a part of us that lives in denial, our lenses clouded by the "big lie" that tells us we're "less than" or "not as good as." We find it hard, if not impossible, to believe that we so intimately connected with God. Letting go of that "big lie" and seeing ourselves as God sees us is work to which we are all called. Seeing others through the lens of God's love makes it easier for us to be gentle with ourselves and to see what we might not see without the help of those with whom we share the journey. We lift the lamp beside the golden door so that others might join us, and through them, we can find our selves. |
