Happy fall to you . . . wow! That was a quick summer wasn't it? We sure hope you made the most of it all. Like you, we're very thankful for each day we had and the day we have. Each is a gift. It was a good - and fast - week here at Hope. Our friends from Exodus have been slowly moving in and taking up residence. They expect to be up and fully operational [serving women and men returning home from periods of incarceration] sometime next month. All of us here at Hope are excited about the doors that will open for so many of our friends who need a break. (By the way - early next year, the Department of Corrections will offer a 16-hour training for anyone who'd like to gain the skills needed to mentor incarcerated persons and those who've returned home. Stay tuned.) 0 0 0 0 0
Speaking of Exodus . . . Bobby, Exodus' man on the scene, just stopped by to check in. "You can't get rich in this work, at least in terms of money," he offered. "You get rich in other things." That reminded us of a TV Commercial for a Thai insurance firm. Check it out. 0 0 0 0 0
Registration officially opened this week for the October 18th one-day workshop - What does it mean to be holy today? - which will be led by Br. Don Bisson. Seats are filling fast . . . click here to learn more. Reservations are also rolling in for the Dorothy Day Dinner we're hosting on the 18th over at the Ritz Theater here in the Burgh. Yes, it's a fundraiser for Our House, the drop-in center that makes a big difference in the lives of dozens of folks each day. But, more than that - the dinner is a celebration of the commitment of ordinary people who do extraordinary and selfless service among the least of these. We hope you can make it.
If you haven't yet sent in your reservation - what's that about?
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Who do you think you are?
"Why are you wearing that, Grandpa," asked four-year-old Maya last Saturday afternoon after I'd ditched by jeans and T-shirt for the suit I'd wear to a celebration of the life of John Napolitano who'd died the week before.
"It's something called a clerical collar, sweetie." Maya attends preschool at the Kingston Catholic School so I added, "It's what priests wear so people know they're priests."
Her eyes got REALLY big. "You're a priest?"
"Well, sorta . . . not exactly . . ."
"You didn't know that about Grandpa, Maya?" asked Ruth.
"Hey - I'm not just the goofy guy who sings silly songs and plays hide and go seek, you know."
I don't think she believed me.
The truth is that there is no reason why she should. "Because I said so" has never been a really good reason to give authority to someone. We have all been led down the Primrose Path by some one or some organization at one time or another. Perhaps even by ourselves. As an old friend once said, it's easy to get sucked in by the "phoney baloneys" only to end up being hurt in some way.
In next Sunday's gospel reading - Matthew 21:23-32 - religious leaders wanted to know who gave him the okeydokey to do what he was doing (Echoes of the opening line of Jean Knight's 1971 hit Mr. Big Stuff.). They had every right to ask. A lot of people blew through Jerusalem - as they blow through our towns now - claiming to be the one to follow. Whether it's some televangilist or candidate for office or one's boss at work, we can get sucked in . . .
I don't know what answer Jesus could have given that would have satisfied those folks. What answer would satisfy you?
What works for me is that Jesus answered the question not by saying what he said to them or to those he taught. What works for me is that he lived the words he spoke. He showed us how to love God with our whole selves, to love others as ourselves, to love our enemies and to forgive more than 70 times seven.
In the end, what we do comes from who we are; our being is reflected in our doing. No amount of initials before or after our names, titles, clothes or clerical collars can mask that.
Maya's question, reminds me of our collective call to be who we are. And, who we are are children of God called to live as fully into that reality as we can by the authority of the One who calls us to life.
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