A Three-Point Basket

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to stop by the health club during the middle of the day. I am in somewhat of a "groove" when it comes to exercizing. I found a workout program in a book that seems to work pretty well. I was nearing the end of my workout and was extremely tired and winded. I was walking near several cardio machines that are on a balcony that looks out over three basketball courts. On one of the courts, I noticed three young men shooting baskets. I also saw wheelchairs nearby and made the assumption that these three men might have some type of special needs. I decided to walk to the other side of the court to meet them. I made this decision based on two factors. First, I really did want to meet them. Second, I wanted the people on the cardio machines to see a "normal" person making an effort to greet and talk to some people with special needs. I met Travis, Gavin and Va. All are students at the local high shcool. They were at the health club as part of an effort on the part of the high school to get special needs students comfortable in various community situations AND to get more people in the community comfortable in seeing people with special needs in an icnreasing number of situations and circumstances. Travis has an excellent shoot and is going to the Special Olympic regionals. Gavin is working on not getting to excited in the community. He must be progressing. He barely reacted when a shot by Travis bounced off of the rim and landed squarely on his head. Va is getting over extreme shyness. So, I got to meet three new friends with very little effort.

P.S. A regular reader celebrates a birthday today! Happy Birthday, my friend!

A Shepherd Goes Home

A couple of weeks ago, we lost a pastor. This pastor had been active in the community for many years as a teacher, directing pastoral activities at parishes and even serving as associate vocation director for a fairly large diocese. A couple of months ago, this pastor was diagnosed with cancer and passed away six weeks later.

This pastor was a Franciscan.....nun. She was well known by many people around the nation due to her natural pastoral and leadership abilities. When I spoke to a friend that heads a major male religious order based in a northeastern state, he repeated what I have heard from many other people who knew this nun: She would have been an incredible bishop (not a priest, but a bishop). I never knew if this nun aspired to be an ordained minister. However, I concur that she would have been a wonderful bishop. All she wanted to do was to help people.

She was a feminist, but not the type of feminist that seeks attention simply because she is a woman and all men are evil. She recognized that pastoral and leadership skills are gifts given to all regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, etc.

May Sister Mary Jo rest in peace.

How to Celebrate Memorial Day

Memorial Day Weekend! Have a cookout...Watch the Indianapolis 500...Go to the parade...Spend time with family.

All are great things to do. However, I suggest that we remember the reason for the holiday and think a bit "outside of the box" in terms of how to celebrate. Like most of us, I did give some brief thoughts of thanksgiving for the many men and women of the military that have passed away - either due to combat injuries or as veterans. I remember the 21 gun salute that took place at the tomb of an unknown soldier across the street from the house in which I grew up.

This year, I celebrated in a slightly new way. I made a small donation to The Archdiocese of the Military Services. Think about the parishes that you know. They have a pretty stable membership and most still have a priest. Most of the parishoners give some type of financial support to the parish. Compare that to the Archdiocese of the Military Services. Their parishioners are coming and going constantly. Many of them are in foreign lands and face tremendous spiritual challenges. Due to a severe shortage of military chaplain priests, many members of the armed forces go for months without having the opportunity to have personal contact with a priest. If we don't pitch in a little and help support the Archdiocese of the Military Services, who will? Most soldiers earn little pay. High-ranking officers that do earn more money are usually members of traditional diocesan parishes.

Please consider supporting the Archdiocese of the Military Services. Their website can be found at: http://www.milarch.org/.

Minnesota: Land of 10,000 Flakes

Only in Bertha, Minnesota. A teenager with autsim attends church services with his family. His autism causes him to act in a manner that those without knowledge of his condition might perceive as threatening. He makes loud noises. He leans up against people. This is very threatening to people that chose not to get to know someone with such a disability.

The young man and his family have been attending services at a Catholic church for many years. He had never attacked or physically harmed anyone (although it was alleged that he stuck a girl - an allegation denied by the family). However, he has grown into a very tall and husky young man. People in the church went to the pastor to express concerns. His presence was threatening to them.

Happy Mother's Day, Carol Race. After the church requested and was granted a restraining order against the young man, Adam, the Race's defied the order and brought Adam to services on Mother's Day. A few days later, a law enforcement officer showed up at their home to give Carol a ticket for violating the order. Fortunately, Carol has decided to make an issue of the events.

This situation provided many teaching opportunities. Is Adam any worse than some of the young children that scream during Mass? Do people complain about that? Could some of Adam's peers offer to play cards with him in the "cry room"? Could the priest consider having a short Mass for just the Race's? Could there be an agreement that the Race's would attend a particular Mass every weekend and those with concerns about Adam could attend another Mass?

Also, while I am no lawyer, I do know that a restraining order is issued for two reasons: 1) that there is good reason to believe that a person will likely harm other people or property (not the case with Adam); or 2) a person is a nuisance. Obviously, the reason the restraining order was issued is because some of the parishoners view Adam as a nuisance.

There are many instances in Scripture where Jesus has direct contact with people that have some type of disability. I don't recall any instance where Jesus viewed a person with a disability as a nuisance. In fact, Jesus embraced the person and most often healed them. One would think that the parish might want to consider embracing Adam and his family - a family that faces the many chances of trying to help a member with special needs live a fulfilled life.

For the Minneapolis StarTribune article, go t0:

http://www.startribune.com/local/19085694.html?page=2&c=y

Go Fish!

Last week, I attended a staff meeting for Randall, a person whom I serve as legal guardian. Randall has three strikes against him: he is black, he has a developmental disability and he is a sexual offender. Without going into much detail, his sexual offense was a single incident that took place 15 years ago (no such incidents before or since). There was no predation or violence involved. In fact, the few people with knowledge of the details feel that Randall was actually the victim in the incident.

Anyway, Randall moved to a new community a month ago in order to have more employement opportunities. His team expected to deal with the usual concerns from neighbors about his status as a sex offender. Word always seems to travel quickly! One of the inconveniences is that Randall was required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. The team decided on this for two reasons: It might help his neighbors that might learn of his sexual offender status to feel a bit more comfortable and open to him and wearing the bracelet would help protect him against any false accusations of things like peering in windows, etc. Recognizing that wearing the bracelet was somewhat demeaning to Randall, our intention was to use it for a few weeks and have it removed if there were no concerns expressed by neighbors.

Our meeting was on Thursday. The parole agent that supervises Randall (a unique situation since Randall is not on parole, he is on conditional release) planned to remove the bracelet after the meeting. On Wednesday, the parole agent got a call from a sexual assault victims' advocate that learned about Randall and expressed strong concerns about having him living in the neighborhood where her teenage daughter lives. The parole agent explained the situation to the woman without going into details that might breach Randall's privacy. The woman seemed to settle down a bit. However, because of the call, we felt it best to keep the bracelet on for a few more weeks.

After the staffing, I noticed that parole agent talking with a man in front of the house where Randall lives. I went out to see what was going on. I learned that the man is Randall's next door neighbor and the son-in-law of the woman that called the parole agent the day before. He expressed concerns about having someone like Randall in the neighborhood, especially since he has five children. We explained that Randall is not a predator and was involved in one incident 15 years ago. We explained that he has 24 hour supervision, the electronic monitoring bracelet and alarms on the doors and windows of his house. I told the man that I would be concerned, too. The man, Louis, said that he could sort of understand Randall's situation. Louis said that he had been involved in gang activity 15 years ago, but gave it up completely. When he shared that, I mentioneded that Louis must have some understanding for Randall's situation. Louis said he did, but that it would be tough to warm up to Randall. I have regular contact with thousands of people. Randall is in the top five of the nicest people I know. I mentioned that to Louis, but he still seemed to have doubts.

I went back into Randall's house and explained the conversation that I had with Louis to Randall and his staff. Within a minute, Louis came to the door. He introduced himself to Randall and gave him a bag filled with walleyes (a fish delicacy in these parts). Louis said that he noticed Randall going fishing and coming back empty-handed. He wanted to make sure Randall had some fish. Randall responded by offering a plate full of cookies he had just baked to Louis.

Go fish!

Saint Benedict: Monastic Father and Campaign Advisor

I just finished reading a short book about The Rule of Benedict, a summary of portions of the Rule for Monks, a monastic code developed by Saint Benedict in the early 6th century. Near the end of the code, Saint Benedict mentions that "the art of beginning and the are of quitting presuppose one another".

Now that I have finished the book, I may just pass it on the Hillary Clinton's campaign. Sen. Clinton has run a very effective campaign. However, now is the time for her to give serious consideration to practicing "the art of quitting", knowing that doing so will lead to several opportunities for her and her supporters to practice "the art of beginning". We do not yet know exactly what those opportunities will be, but they will present themselves.

Let's see if any of the campaign experts will quote Saint Benedict during Meet the Press on Sunday.

Out Of Africa

Cardinal Bernardin Gantin passed away on May 13. During the past several generations, nobody did more than Cardinal Gantin to keep Africa on the "Vatican radar screen". He was the first black African in numerous Church positions, including being the first black African archbishop, the first black African to head a major Vatican department (the Congregation for Bishops) and the first black African to be chosen as Dean of the College of Cardinals. When he stepped away from that position in 2002, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, succeeded him.

Cardinal Gantin served as a strong voice for the Third World within the Vatican. Because of his influence, especially in recommending prelates to serve as bishops, the Vatican has developed an ever-increasing recognition of the gifts the Third World can provide. Without Cardinal Gantin, there would be very little talk of the possibility of a Pope from Africa or Latin America. In fact, his name was often included in the list of Cardinals that are papabile.

While his name may not be very familiar to those with little knowledge or interest in Vatican affairs, Cardinal Gantin was a "giant" in the Roman Catholic Church. His influence will be missed. May he rest in Peace.

For a report from Catholic News Service, go to: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0802630.htm

Giving Thanks for Thankful Givers

Last evening, I had the opportunity to hear Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See's Permanent Observer to the United Nations, present a speech. The speech was pretty good. However, I was struck by his response to a fairly simple question. Someone asked for the Archbishop's impressions on the things that make people in the United State's unique. Having worked extensively in many parts of the world, the Archbishop is in a strong position to provide some insights. Many in the audience, like me, were thinking that His Excellency might refer to people in the United States stressing individualism, freedom, etc. However, Archbishop Migliore said the primary difference is how people in the United States view generosity. He said that in the articles he reads about people in the United States making a significant donation of resources to worthy causes, the donor(s) almost always mention that they are "giving back". They are responding out of gratitude for gifts that were given to them. Archbishop Migliore said this perspective rarely comes up in other countries. Donor(s) in other countries rarely mention that they are supporting a cause out of gratitude. I think the Archbishop's response caught many in the audience by surprise.

Maybe we citizens of the United States aren't all bad!

Hanging On For Dear Death

Yesterday, during the early morning walk with my dog, I noticed that my hands were feeling a bit raw from the low temperature. I wished I had worn gloves. Then, I looked on the ground and noticed frost....ON MAY 8TH! It seemed like Winter was making one last stand before the green and growth of Spring takes over.

How often are our lives in a similar position? We have all likely used the phase "I was hanging on for dear life". However, all of us have likely been in situations where the phase "I was hanging on for dear death" is more appropriate. We cling to things with which we are familiar and comfortable - even when we know that leaving the a safe nest will lead to growth and wonderful experiences. This applies to relationships and vocations. In such situations, we don't fear failure, we fear success.

Sometimes, it takes courage to let go of Winter so that Spring can arrive.

Myanmar

I live in a small city with a population of about 25,000 people. I cannot imagine nearly all of the residents of the city being killed in a natural disaster. Yet, that is what Myanmar is dealing with. According to the most recent news reports, at least 22,000 people are known to have perished as a result of last week's cyclone. That number may increase dramatically.

The loss of life is horrific. Equally horrific are the conditions after the cyclone. Things weren't that rosey before the disaster. When I think of Myanmar and Burma, I almost always think of the seemingly regular floods in that part of the world. I just read a report on the web that stated that a primary problem is the lack of clean water. One woman mentioned that she was so pleased that her local market reopened after the disaster. When she went to the market, she had to nearly fight her way in. The market was advertising fresh fish. The woman wondered what good fresh fish is when there is no water in which to cook it.

To say that the situation in Myanmar is devastating is quite an understatement. The situation is incomprehensible to those of us in the United States. When Katrina hit, many entities were immediately dispatched to help. Myanmar is cut off from the majority of the world due to geographic and political issues. The U.S. Navy is positioned to provide assistance, but Myanmar leaders are unwilling to allow a U.S. military presence in their country.

Please keep all of the victims of the Myanmar disaster in your prayers. If you come across an agency that you feel comfortable can provide assistance, send them a few bucks.

Up On The Roof

What is on the roof? Shingles. Where else are shingles? For the past few weeks, they were on my back. Several years ago, I had a bout with shingles. I thought this was an illness for old people. Lo and behold, after going to my doctor to have him check out what I thought was a pulled muscle in my back, I learned that I had shingles.

A few weeks ago while walking our dog, I felt a "ping" in my back. I thought it was just a muscle going a bit out of whack. However, the pain got worse. I recalled that when I had shingles many years earlier, I had the exact same type of pain in the exact location. I asked my wife to look on my back to see if she could see a rash. Sure enough, she noticed a red blotch with little pimples on it. Of all of the people that have experience shingles once, I was one of the lucky 4% to get it again.

It was pretty painful for a few days. However, it could have been worse. I could have been one of the more than 10,000 people killed in the recent cyclone. I could have been the abused and captive daughter of the crazy Austrian man. I'll take the shingles - they eventually go away.

The Dancing Queen

The millions of long-time readers of this blog know that my favorite rock/pop music group is ABBA. I have nearly all of their songs downloaded on my MP3 player. Their most popular song and their biggest hit is "Dancing Queen". I was never particularly fond of this song. There are many other ABBA songs that I would prefer to listen to.

However, millions of long-time readers of this blog know that I also have some music keyboard skills. Well, I have taken up the task of learning how to play several ABBA songs on the piano. Much to my surprise, "Dancing Queen" is one of my favorite ABBA songs to play. Yes, I know this sounds strange - I don't really like to listen to "Dancing Queen", but I like to play it on the piano (much to my wife's chagrin). I have come to the point where I play along with the song while listening to it on my MP3 player. Thanks to some of the skills I learned from musical mentors (see the post from May 4th), I can play the melody with some of the harmony that Benny Andersson (one of the Bs from ABBA) played on the original "Dancing Queen" recording. When I do this, I have a completely different perspective of "Dancing Queen" than I do when just listening to it. I am amazed at the energy of the original music and the vocal performances of Agnetha and Anni-frid (the two As of ABBA, Bjorn is the other B). It is almost as if the musical notes are secondary to everything else going on in the song. The instrumental and vocal performances and their relationship to each other are extraordinary. I think that it what likely made "Dancing Queen" a timelessly popular song.

Election Predictions

On the eve of the Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina, I still see a tight race between Scola and Ravasi.

In spite of reports in the French media that Pope Benedict XVI is ill, my guess is that His Holiness might have a few years left. He certainly seemed pretty physically and mentally spry during his recent visit to the U.S.

However, it is always good to look ahead and be prepared for life after Benedict XVI. Two names that keep coming up as possible successors to St. Peter are Cardinal Angelo Schola, the Patriarch of Venice (the post held by Cardinal Albino Luciani when he was elected Pope and took the name John Paul), and Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, the current President of the Pontifical Council on Culture.

Cardinal Schola was on the list of papabile during the last conclave. At that time, he was just 62 years old and perhaps perceived as too young. However, he is now 65. He speaks many languages and gives presentations all over the world. For more information on Cardinal Scola, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Scola

Archbishop Gianfranco is the current "up-and comer". He is a front-runner to succeed Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi as Archbishop of Milan next year (when Tettamanzi must sibmit his resignation on his 75th birthday). Cardinal Giovanni Montini was Archbishop of Milan when he was elected Pope and took the name Paul VI. Gianfranco is still pretty young at 62. However, if Pope Benedict's tenure is relatively brief, the College of Cardinals might be looking for a younger person to lead the Church. For more information on Archbishop Ravasi, go to: http://ncrcafe.org/node/1781

Some may question the appropriateness of speculating on successors to St. Peter. Yes, Pope Benedict isn't dead, yet. However, it is important to think about the direction the Church should go in the next few years knowing that entities as large as the Church do not change directions - they drift towards directions. Schola and Gianfranco are both seen as fairly moderate. There are other candidates in the mix - Cardinal Maradiaga of Honduras, Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina and Cardinal Bertone, the current Vatican Secretary of State (he won't get much consideration since he doesn't speak English very well). I don't think one should rule out the possibility of a Pope from Latin America.

A Shift In Music

The opening hymn from the Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York this morning was Alleluia, Sing to Jesus. This is a glorious hymn that was sung by a magnificent choir accompanied by an excellent organist. I am a "sucker" for key changes in the verses of hymns. This morning, the choir sang three verses in one key. The organist provided a transitory interlude that raised the key for the final verse. Had I been standing, my knees would have buckled.

I first learned of the effect such key changes have on me many years ago. While attending Mass at St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, WI, the incredibly gifted organist displayed amazing skills in improvisation and transposition. While we sang the same chorus and verse several times, the music provided by the organist was a bit different for each verse and chorus. Prior to the final verse and chorus, the organist played a few measures that led to us singing the hymn in a slightly higher key. I have never come across an organist that can play hymns like the canon that served as organist at St. Norbert Abbey.

By the good graces of God, situations developed several years later that led to that organist taking me under his wings. While I had some musical skill, he taught me how to make music as prayerful as possible during Mass. This is much more than playing the notes. It is knowing when to use expression while making music - when to play a bit louder, when to play softer, when to back off to let choir voices and/or instruments soar and when to really "open up the stops". He taught me so much. Even now, many people that hear me play will state that, while they have heard organists that are technically superior to me, there is something really prayerful about the way I play. That is the best compliment I receive.

The same lessons the good canon taught me about music apply to life. Sometimes, we need to change things. Maybe we need to do the same things, but from a slightly different perspective. Sometimes, we need to recognize that it might be best to "tip-toe" our way through a situation. Other situations might be best handled if we are a "bull in a china shop".

Make it a point to recognize the wonderful mentors we have in our lives and make it a point to be a mentor to others.

Science and Religion

Last week, while driving to give a presentation in the northern part of the state in which I live, I drove through blizzard conditions three times. One of the cities I drove through had nearly 6" of snow on the ground - on April 28th!

Now, if I were to use the logic of Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, I should start stacking up on minnows to feed the penguins that will migrate to the area where I live (which is closer to the north pole than to the south pole - those penguins will have quite a trek to the north to reach me).

Cardinal Pell claims that since temperatures in Greenland were warmer in the 1940s than they are today, there is no need for any worry about global warming. Go to: http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/commentaries_essays/global_warming_and_pagan_empt.html

Apparently, Cardinal Pell doesn't understand the the meaning of the term "trends". The period from 1940 to today is a "blip of a blip" in history. Statisticians will tell you that basing future trends on such "blips" will result in the likelihood that related predictions will be inaccurate.

Now, I believe that Cardinal Pell is accurate in stating that some global warming activists are "over the edge". However, just as one shouldn't predict trends based on "blips", one should not judge the validity of various movements on the extremes of those movements. We should be concerned about global warming. My guess is that the world will eventually end due to reasons other than global warming, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't worry about global warming. That is like saying that, since a person will likely die from cancer rather than glaucoma, the person shouldn't worry about seeing an eye care professional. I don't think they would look forward to having a cancer-free existance while being bling.

Cardinal Pell should leave science to the scientists or become a scientist himself.