Some Things Never Change

Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was assasinated a few hours ago. Unfortunately, many people around the world will see this event as "par for the course" for that part of the world.

It takes special people to bring about major societal changes. Look at what Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela did for South Africa. Look at what Martin Luther King, Jr. did for the United States. Where do these people come from? If we knew, there would be no opposition to human cloning.

Rather than view the assasination of Benazir Bhutto as nothing unusual, we should hope and pray that someone arises from the ashes of Pakistan to bring about positive change in the country. Stability in the region benefits all of us.

How ironic that such an event happens two days after Christmas.

Cardinal Lorscheider

On December 23, 2007, Cardinal Aloisio Lorsheider, the Archbishop Emeritus of Aparecida, Brazil, met his eternal reward.

Cardinal Lorscheider's life was filled with pretty amazing events. When his fellow Franciscan, Leonardo Boff, was called to the Vatican red carpet for promoting liberation theology, Lorsheider accomanied him.

In 1978, Cardinal Lorscheider was the "Popemaker" in the first conclave. When the vote was deadlocked between conservative Cardinal Siri of Genoa and progressive Cardinal Benelli of Florence, Lorscheider actively promoted Cardinal Luciani of Venice as a compromise. Luciani went on to become Pope John Paul I. Because of his leadership, Lorsheider received several votes in both the 1978 conclaves. Pope John Paul I claimed to have voted for Lorsheider.

In 1994, Lorsheider was held hostage for several days by a group of government protesters. He negotiated a peaceful resolution.

Lorscheider was the spiritual leader of the most Catholic and one of the poorest countries in the world. May he rest in peace.

Eye in the Sky

We all know what the Catholic Church did to poor Galileo. How dare he have the audacity to claim the the earth might not be the center of the universe. Pope John Paul II publicly forgave Galileo and apologized for the Church's treatment of the poor guy. Well, better late than never.

Ironically, the Vatican has one of the most active astronomy labs in the world. Until now, the main lab, run by those crazy Jesuits, has been located in an old building on the grounds of Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of the Pope. The lab will be moving to another location at Castel Gandolfo - in a large and revamped building that was previously used as a convent. It will still be run by the Jesuits.

The Vatican astronomy lab is considered one of the best in the world and has working relationships with numerous other labs, including one in Arizona.

Thanks, Galileo!

The Gun is Pointed At Your Head

By now, most of us have had at least some exposure to the candidates for U.S. President. As I have mentioned before, I am not really happy with the pool of candidates. Bishop John McCormack of Manchester, NH, has publicly stated that it is our moral obligation to vote. Bishop McCormack's statement is one of the best that I have seen coming from the hierarchy. He recognizes that the choices are very difficult. He does not state how to vote. However, he clearly indicates that we must vote - as difficult as the choices might be. His statement is an excellent and quick lesson in civics and morality. His statement, courtesy of Catholic News Service, is below.

Despite hard choices, Catholics must vote, New Hampshire bishop saysMANCHESTER, N.H. (CNS) -- Catholics must not seek to avoid difficult decisions about political candidates by choosing not to vote, Bishop John B. McCormack of Manchester said in a new document on "Conscience and Your Vote." The bishop's diocese covers the entire state of New Hampshire, where the first primary in the 2008 presidential campaign is to take place Jan. 8. The Iowa caucuses are to take place five days earlier. "Some candidates advance proposals that fail to mirror the commitment of the church to the protection of all human life," he wrote. "In many cases, these same candidates advance other policies and proposals that can be supported in light of church teaching. "This frequent mixture of laudable and unacceptable positions causes great perplexity," Bishop McCormack said. But "in order to sustain a healthy democracy, all citizens have a moral obligation to vote," he added. "Deciding not to vote therefore is an unacceptable solution, even to this difficult situation." The bishop's five-page document is based largely on "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," approved by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in November.

Death Penalty for the Death Penalty

On Monday, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine signed into law a proposal that would replace the death penalty with life in prison without parole. This marked the first time in 40 years that a state has abolished the death penalty. See the AP story at:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gYppYSKRwPNEaUjbxFuUGpS_iouQD8TJV44O2

As expected, many people are lamenting the abolition of the death penalty. If somebody killed someone close to me, I would want that person to die a horrible death. My desire, however, would be based on passion and not on reason or ethics. Many killings are described as crimes of passion. Passion is an extemely volatile emotion and not one on which justice should be based.

Also, there is no reason for the death penalty. It is no more a deterrent than is life in prison without parole. People will argue that society should not pay to keep murderers in prison. Well then, we shouldn't pay for the prescriptions of old people - they are going to die soon.

Ah, but the old people in need of the medications are innocent. The murderers are not. This stream of logic (or lack thereof) brings me to ethics. The argument against abortion and euthanasia is that all life should be allowed to proceed until natural death. Abortion and the death penalty are not natural deaths. Ah, but those murderers are guilty!!!! Who are we to be the ultimate life arbiter? Don't pro-life people say that only God can play this role? Yes, we can determine whether or not someone committed a crime, but we cannot and should not determine whether or not someone is to live or die. Leave that role to God.

They Aren't All Bad

Major league baseball has been rocked by the Mitchell Report indicating that numerous baseball players, including mega-stars, have used performance enhancing substances. This shouldn't be too surprising. Many professional athletes are very selfish and greedy. They have learned that their athletic gifts have resulted in a lifelstyle where they don't need to worry about the consequences of their actions on and off the field.

However, not all professional athletes fit the standard category. Professional basketball player Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets has given millions of dollars to programs in the Baltimore area that target at-risk youth. Professional football player Warrick Dunn of the Atlanta Falcons has a foundation that has enabled over 50 single mothers to own their own homes. After learning that his contract would not be renewed, professional baseball player Geoff Jenkins of the Milwaukee Brewers paid for a full-page ad in the Milwaukee paper thanking the fans for making it possible for him to enjoy many years playing for the Brewers.

So, we shouldn't make the mistake of assuming that all professional athletes are selfish cheaters. There are some very decent people in professional sports.

Does God Have a Sense of Humor?

A funny thing happened to me on the way to church. Actually, I am not kidding. Three of the funniest situations I have been in have happened in preparation for religious services, including two funerals.

Earlier in the week, our parish hosted a communal penance service that included the opportunity for individual confessions. I like to go to these services - they really tend to be quiet and prayerful. Anyway, when I arrived about twenty minutes early, our pastor was greeting people in the gathering space. When he saw me, he blurted out "Oh, look who is here. Now we will be here all night!" I think some of the people in the gathering space were waiting for me to express shock. However, I chuckled. Some people might have been offended by being the target of such a comment. However, the pastor and I have a pretty good relationship that involves kidding each other. The key to such humor is for the people involved to be on the same wavelength.

That event reminded me of another situation that took place many years ago during the wake (yes, and Irish wake) for the father of a college friend. Right in front of the open coffin, I ran into another college friend whom I hadn't seen for many years. This guy was pretty crazy in college. Much had changed in our respective lives. He first told me that he got married. Then he told me he had a daughter and was expecting another child. He then looked at me, sighed and said "Hell, I ought to crawl in there (the coffin) with Jack!"

The third event happened at the funeral for my grandmother (100% German, so no Irish wake). My grandmother pre-planned her funeral. For some reason, my grandmother always seemed to work with businesses that might not have always been on the "up and up". For example, the attorney that drafted her will was kicked out of the bar between writing her will and the time she died. The funeral home she chose was run by two Italian brothers. Yes, they seemed to have many connections. When we didn't know what to do with my grandmother's car, they took care of it without having to do anything with the state division of motor vehicles. Anyway, the funeral plans were fairly elaborate for a simple old widow. They included a limosine for the family. However, there was not enough room in the limosine for all of us to ride together from the church to the cemetary. Thus, I offered to ride with Vince in the hearse. As soon as I sat down in the passenger seat of the hearse and buckled up, I mentioned to Vince that it was my first time in a hearse. Vince looked at me and replied "And it won't be your last." I laughed all the way to the cemetary.

Not only does God have a sense of humor, but He shares it with us - even during difficult times.

Blue Hawaii

Today marks the 66th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

My wife and I had the opportunity to vacation in Hawaii a few years ago. We had a very good travel agent that figured out a way to have us visit two islands for less then it would have cost to stay on one island.

On our first day in Hawaii, we went on a tour of Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. It was very moving and eerie. When you see how the hills and the harbor are laid out, it is clear that the majority of ships in the harbor at the time of the attack were sitting ducks. Any torpedo dropped into the harbor had a very high probability of hitting a ship.

Two things stuck me when visitng the USS Arizona Memorial. First, the ship is still leaking oil. That is amazing after all of these years. Second, there is a list of all of the sailors entombed in the sunken Arizona. One could see that some of the names on the wall were recently added. These were USS Arizona crewmen that survived the attack. They expressed a desire to be buried with their fellow USS Arizona crewmen upon death. The Navy has honored the requests.

My wife and I enjoyed the trip to Hawaii, but we would not go back. The trip is too far. If someone is going to spend that much time in a plane, it makes more sense to us to go to Europe. However, everyone should try to visit Hawaii once. If you do, a trip to Pearl Harbor is a must.

Winter Wonderland

Well, I finally figured out how to upload photographs. The photographs above are about an hour old. What you see is my driveway after about 3 inches of overnight show. We have gotten about 12 inches in the last 5 days.

I took our dog out for a walk at about 6:30 am. At that time, there was a smooth blanket of snow on our driveway. When we arrived back at the house about 30 minutes later, we noticed signs of activity in that blanket of snow. In upper photo, you can see that my wife left for work and that our newspaper (in the blue bag) arrived. You can also see what looks like footprints in the foreground. The lower photo shows what types of prints these are. If you have never seen them before, these are the hoof prints of at least two deer.

Many people in warmer climates wonder why crazy folks live in areas that are cold and snowy. The photographs above represent my answer. I live in a residential area with neighbors on both sides of the house. Across the street is a huge park that is owned by the city. While much of the park has shelters, basketball courts, baseball diamonds and parking lots, the portion of the park near us is on wetlands. Nothing can be built on it - it is basically a nature preserve. Many deer make their home in the park and sometimes venture outside of the park confines, especially during winter months. It isn't exactly the wolf lying down with the lamb, but it is still a wonderful experience.

Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right

According to recent reports (http://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/cns/20071205.htm#head1), Cardinal Roger Mahoney, Archbishop of Los Angeles, was physically assaulted this summer by a man that was upset with the priest sexual assault crisis.

While, I do not condone violence or vigilante "justice", I am amazed that this has not happened earlier and more often. As long as Church leaders skirt responsibility for not adequately addressing concerns related to the few priests that are serial rapists, many people will continue to be very upset. All it takes is one upset crackpot to beat up a bishop. I think we can all agree that there is no shortage of crackpots in society. While I understand the mentality that there seems to be no other way to get Church leaders to understand the magnitude of their malfeasence related to mishandling priests that are rapists, beating up bishops is not going resolve the issue.

Walking On Water

Yes, I can walk on water. I have done it the past couple of days. No, I don't live near a frozen body of water.

The midwest got several inches of slushy snow this past weekend (fortunately, I have a snowblower). It was about 32 degrees when the precipitation came on Saturday. Since then we have had sub-freezing temperatures. By the miracles of physics, there is a nice crust of ice on top of the several inches of snow.

My main concern was walking the dog. He is very much a "momma's boy" and has very tender paws that are easily irritated by cold and ice (he even has a couple of sets of boots). When I took him out for a long evening walk on Saturday, it was tough going. We both had to trudge through sloppy snow. By Sunday morning, the ice crust developed. Archie and I were able to walk on top of all of the snow as if we were walking on concrete.

During our walks, I have thought about Jesus walking on water and determined that there are no similarities between His walking on water and the experience Archie and I have enjoyed the past couple of days. Archie and I are subject to the laws of physics. Once the environmental conditions change, there goes our walking on water. Jesus didn't need to pay much attention to the laws of physics.

Sometimes It Isn't About Abortion

I was reading an article in a weekly Catholic newspaper about global warming. What started out as an article about some global warming activists being a bit on the extreme side (with which I would agree) ended up as an article arguing that the global warming movement was mainly about abortion. The simplified argument goes like this: Global warming activists feel that most of us are leaving a carbon footprint that is bad for our planet. The more people we have on the planet, the more carbon footprints we will have. More abortions would mean fewer people to leave carbon footprints. Thus, the goal of the global warming activists in to promote more abortions.

Well, there are likely a few wackos that fit into this argument from a couple of perspectives. There are some pro-abortion activists that would like to hijack the global warming movement to promote abortion. These people are wackos. There are some anti-abortion activists, like the author of the article I read, that feel that the entire global warming movement is about promoting abortion. These people are also wackos.

It is possible to have significant concerns about global warming and other enverinomental issues AND be opposed to abortion. One has to look no further than Pope Benedict XVI. He has spoken often of the need for Christians to be environmental caretakers of our planet. He has even ordered that Vatican buildings become more "green" by using solar power. Last I checked, I don't think His Holiness is too keen on abortion.

Stuck in the Middle with You

Are you a conservative or a liberal? Are you a Democrat or a Republican?

I sometimes get questions like those listed above. In nearly every case, the person that asks such questions is a very narrow-minded "my way or the highway" type of person. They assume that a person must be conservative all of the time, liberal all of the time, Democrat all of the time or Republican all of the time. People that feel they and others must fit neatly into one of these categories are extremely scary and dangerous.

Like most people, I am a "mutt" when it comes to such categories. Sometimes I am a conservative, sometimes I am a liberal, sometimes I am a Democrat and sometimes I am a Republican. While I may fall into some of the categories more than the others, I am truly an ideological and partisan "mutt". Along with my fellow "mutts", I question some of the actions of our civic and Church leaders, regardess of their party membership or orthodoxy. I wish we had additional choices when it comes to candidates for elected office. I also wish we had alternate leadership in some dioceses.

All things in moderation!

See No Evel

Robert Craig Knievel passed away earlier today. People under the age of about 35 will have no idea who he is. Those of us that are over 35 know him as Evel Knievel.

Evel Knievel rose to become the most famous daredevil of all time by jumping his motorcycle over buses, pools full of sharks and cages of tigers. His feats were regularly featured on ABC's "Wild World of Sports" (another thing unknown to people under 35). He was a one-man circus....and he played the act all the way to the bank.

Evel never made much money on his motorcycle feats. Agents and other handlers took most of the money. However, he made over $34 million on his Evel Knievel motorcycle toy (I went nuts when I got one for my birthday).

In a few years, divorces, bad investments and addictions left him bankrupt. He beat up a guy with a baseball bat and went to jail. He developed liver disease likely related to alcoholism.

In later years, he turned his life around. He told people that he was just a showman that happened to have the right gimmick at the right time. He reconciled with his son and urged him to stop jumping motorcycles. He developed several stable relationships.

In the end, he could not overcome his earlier life of addictions and injuries (he broke nearly every bone in his body during several failed motorcycle jumps). However, God is a very keen "clock manager". It would have been a shame if Evel had died during the height of his fame (which seemed likely given his stunts). However, he was given the opportunity to reconcile with family, friends and his own legend. Evel took advantage of this opportunity and died in peace.

There can be goodness in Evel.

The Rest of the Story

24 year old NFL star Sean Taylor is shot dead in what appears to be an attempted armed robbery. Trent Lott resigns from the U.S. Senate and will not fulfill his current term.

What do these events have in common? When I read a bit about each of the events, I could not help but think that there is much more going on than what has been reported. I feel badly for the friends and family of Sean Taylor. Since becoming a father, he has apparently settled down. However, the reported events surrounding his death don't seem to add up. If he plays for the Washington Redskins, what was he doing at his Miami home? Why were the phone lines to his home cut? Don't armed robbers know that people have cell phones? There is something about this situation that doesn't add up. Regardless, this is a tragedy.

The resignation of Trent Lott is not a tragedy. He has long been the model of the "good ole' boy" political hack. The only people that deserved him were the people of Tennessee that voted for him. Unfortunately, their votes ensured that all of us would have to put up with the likes of Sen. Lott. Why did he suddenly resign? Does he have a lobbyist gig lined up when the "waiting period" that prohibits former elected officials from lobbying ends? Is there a personal scandal looming? As with the situation surrounding the death of Sean Taylor, things just don't add up.

The prayers of many people have been answered with the news of Sen. Lott's resignation. Let's make sure those prayers now go to the family of Sean Taylor.

The Miracle of Snow

My wife and I drove about 125 miles to spend Thanksgiving Day with my mother. On our drive there, we experienced a fair amount of snowfall. It wasn't accumulating, but it made the drive a bit on the treacherous side. The roads weren't slick, but visibility was terrible.

When we returned home yesterday, we noticed that our hometown had a bit more snow on the ground than was the case at my mother's town. The same snow that diminished visibility on our way to my mother's had the opposite impact when I took the dog our for a walk this morning. When looking down at the snow, I saw all kinds of signs of beings - the very large boot prints of a human, rabbit tracks and even a couple of deer prints. Thanks to this snow, I could now "see" things that I would never see without any snow cover on the ground.

I always like the first snowfalls of the year - especially because of the now visible signs of so much life - life that we don't see otherwise. It reminds us that winter is not a "dead" time.

The Black Market

I visited my aging mother for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. On Friday evening, she uttered the words that I feared - "I want to go to the department store." The LAST thing I wanted to do was go to a department strore on "Black Friday".

The experience wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. My mother didn't want to go shopping. She needed a couple of items, including a new heating pad. We found them right away. There were no crowds.

However, I am always amazed that so many U.S. citiezens spend the fourth Thursday of November gearing up for the opportunity to show that we are complete gluttons and in control of the merchandising/marketing industry. Stores now open at 4:00 am on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day. Most newspapers have pictures and stories of people being nearly trampled when the doors of stores open.

Why do we do this? How foolish can we be? Why don't we just save money and time by sending a check to Walmart or Best Buy?

High In"Fidel"ity

In the spirit of Thanksgiving Day and the Feast of St. Cecilia, I want to express my gratitude to an individual from my past. As I entered high school, I was completing my 7th or 8th year of piano lessons. After so many years, the lessons can seem like somewhat of a drag. I also questioned how "cool" it was for a high schooler to take piano lessons. I was considering giving up the lessons.

I lived a fair distance from my high school and, as a result, took a school bus to and from school. For all of my four years in high school, the same man drove the bus. He was a dead ringer for Fidel Castro and he ruled the bus like a dictator.

Since I was often the last person to be dropped of after school, I had the chance to talk with "Fidel". In addition to driving the bus, Lee (his real name)was a fairly well-known piano player at local dinner clubs. After learning that I took piano lessons, he constantly encouraged me to continue. I sensed that he knew I was thinking about discontinuing the lessons. He told me stories about famous pianists ranging from Beethoven to Liberace. He always reminded me of how music played such a significant positive role in his life. He also insisted on dropping me off at the home of my piano teacher on my lesson days (her home was a significant distance from my home).

Although he never gave me an instrumental music lesson, Lee certainly gave me many lessons about music. Given the significance of this particular day, it is only appropriate that I express gratitude that Lee encouraged me to continue my music studies over 30 years ago. If not for Lee, I would have given up my music lessons. I would have never been in the position to have been taken under the wing of an incredible organist, teacher and friend a few years later. I would not have played a bombastic organ piece prior to my wedding. I wouldn't be playing the piano and organ at the two churches to which I belong. I would not have been able to play Christmas music for my family this morning.

Where is Bangladesh?

I recently searched for a map of Bangladesh. I knew it was near India. I found out it is virtually surrounded by India.

A cyclone ripped through Bangladesh last week and killed at least 3,100 people that we know of. Hurricane Katrina killed at least 1,800 people that we know of. The cyclone in Bangladesh made front page news for a day or two. Hurricane Katrina made front page news for months. Sure, one can argue that Hurrican Katrina happened in the U.S. - not on the other side of the world. Thus, Katrina deserved front page news in the U.S. media for months.

However, how often does a ferry capsize in New Orleans and several hundred people lose their lives? Fortunately, not too often. If it happened once, it would be huge news for weeks. Ferries capsize in Bangladesh on a regular basis. Hundreds of people lose their lives. Sometimes, I find a paragraph about such incidents near the back of the second section of our state's main newspaper.

Why should we care about the people of Bangladesh? They live on the other side of the world. There are millions and millions of people living in Bangladesh. What is the big deal about a few hundred or even a few thousand perishing? The people of Bangladesh are poor. Dying young will save them from a life a struggles.

We should care because they are our brother and sisters in humanity. We should care because Jesus provided us with His example and command to care for them.

Giving Thanks

When I was five years old, a sibling passed away after a lengthy and difficult battle with cancer. This sibling and I were close to being twins - the sibling was 13 months older than me. As one might imaging, there aren't many, if any, events that are more difficult for a family. My parents and older siblings were completely devastated.

It would have been easy for our neighbors to pretend that nothing happened to our family. They knew what happened and they knew it was difficult for the family, including me. Most of our neighbors were getting up in years. They had other things to do than worry about the chatty little neighbor kid. However, the Clarks always made sure that whenever they got a toy with their cereal, they gave it to me. Mr. Clark was an expert woodcrafter and would make me various toys. Mr. and Mrs. Rich would always make sure to invite me over for special events when their grandchildren visited. Dr. and Mrs. O'Reilly did the same. Mrs. Euless taught me how to golf at an exclusive country club and would invite me to sit with big shots and NFL games.

These neighbors took an interest in making sure that a devastating and tragic incident in early life would not lead me down erroneous paths. If they saw me doing something wrong, they yelled at me and told me to stop. They didn't tell my parents - they didn't have to. I respected them as authorities just as I repected my parents. I did not want to disappoint any of them.

I am eternally grateful that these people were part of my life.

Patch of Red in the Desert

Later this month, Pope Benedict XVI will create 23 new Cardinals. This group consists of 20 archbishops, two priests from religious orders and one other individial, Chaldean Patriarch Emmanuel-Karim Delly.

The elevation of Patriarch Delly sends a strong message across the world. For nearly 20 years, he served as an auxiliary bishop in Baghdad, Iraq. He had a brief retirement beginning in 2002 until he was elected patriarch in 2003.

For many years, Patriarch Delly has been the voice of the suffering of the entire Iraqi nation, not just the small Christian community. He has vocally advocated that all nations embrace fleeing Iraqi citizens and not force them to return to Iraq.

Patriarch Delly has already turned 80 and won't be eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. However, his being elevated to the College of Cardinals is a clear indication that the Vatican recognizes not only the ongoing struggles of Christians in the Middle East, but recognizes the entities that have created the obstacles that have led to such struggles.

As Patriarch Delly receives the red hat, let us all pray for our brothers and sisters struggling in the Middle East.

Politics as Usual

A couple of weeks ago, Christian Broadcasting Network founder and chairman Pat Robertson announced that he would support Rudy Guliani's campaign to become the next U.S. president. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,308997,00.html)

This event reminded me of a conversation I had many years ago with a fellow novice. He claimed that the Republican Party was far more moral than the Democratic Party because the Republican Party platform included a strong stand against abortion. I argued that neither party was more moral than the other and that either party would sell-out on any issue if it meant the party gaining or maintaining political power.

Well, the cash register is ringing loudly for the Republican Party. This supposedly moral and family-friendly party may very well nominate an adulterer that supports abortion, gay rights and contraception. Why this support? Because they feel that Rudy, regardless of his positions, may offer the best chance for the Republicans to keep control of the White House.

Lest you think of me as a liberal hack, the Democratic Party is no better - as I argued with my fellow novice a generation ago. In politics, power trumps morality.

The East-West Connection

I have several close friends that are Greek Orthodox. They own and operate a couple of restaurants. I regularly stop by for a meal and the chance to talk with them. We often talk about our families, sports, jobs, etc.

They are very active in their church and I am very active in mine. We often talk about the differences and similarities between the our various rites and celebrations. My friends and I recognize that we won't see reunification in our lifetimes. However, we pray for the time when I can attend services at an Orthodox church and they can attend services at a Roman Catholic church and our attendance will be recognized by our respective churches as attending Mass and receiving the Eucharist.

A few week ago, a very critical meeting was held in Ravenna, Italy. http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0706519.htm Orthodox and Roman Catholic leaders went so far as to discuss church authority. This is a huge breakthrough in the dialogue. Authority remains the main issue in the 1000 year separation of the churches. In the past, conversations would focus on nearly everything but authority. It appears that leaders of both churches have recognized the need to finally get to "the meat of the matter".

While these events represent significant progress, it would be foolish to think that the two churches, after 1000 years of differing histories, experiences and cultural developments, can work out all of the differences in a few years. It will take time. It won't happen in our lifetime. However, reunification no longer seems to be an impossible dream.

By George I Think He's Got It

Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, was recently elected president of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops. This has the potential to be a very big deal.

During the conclave of 2005, may Vatican insiders suggested that there were only three Cardinals that were truly qualified to be elected Pope. One of those Cardinals, Joseph Ratzinger, was elected Pope. The other two Cardinals were Cardinal George and Cardinal Martini, Archbishop Emeritus of Milan. Supposedly, Cardinal Martini received some votes in the conclave and may have been the only other candidate, other than Cardinal Ratzinger, to receive a fair number of votes. However, Cardinal Martini suffers from Parkinsons and will not receive any further consideration if a conclave takes place in the next few years.

Cardinal George is 71 years old - about the prime age to become a Pope. He speaks 6 languages and holds two doctorate degrees. He leads one of the largest and most influential archdioceses in the U.S. - an archdiocese that gives a ton of money to the Vatican. Given his election as president of the USCCB, his name will be in the headlines. He will likely take the lead in coordinating Pope Benedict's visit to the U.S. next year.

What does this mean? Cardinal George is now in position to be the United States prelate that has the best chance ever to become Pope. He will likely receive a fair number of votes if a conclave takes place in the next five years. However, huge obstacles to an American Pope remain. To many Vatican insiders, the U.S. is seen as a moral cesspool that those same insiders would like to jettison if it weren't for all of the money that comes to the Vatican from the U.S. Also, there is an increasing interest in the possibility of the next Pope being from Latin America, where a tremendous number of Catholics live.

Keep an eye on how Cardinal George does in this new leadership position. His performance could make the next conclave extremely interesting.

Papa to Come

The Vatican recently confirmed that Pope Benedict will visit the U.S. in April of 2008. Tentative plans are for the Pope to address the United Nations, visit Ground Zero and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the U.S. policies and involvement in the Middle East between now and April of 2008. If the U.S. is gearing up for a preemptive strike against Iran, the Pope's message to the United Nations could be very critical. White House and Pentagon officials may be somewhat cool to the Pope's visit.

Hopefully, His Holiness will have some time to celebrate His 81st birthday and third anniversary of His election as Successor to Peter.

Although the visit to the U.S. is scheduled to be very short, it may turn out to be the most influential trip by Benedict XVI.

Iran So Far Away

Bishop Thomas Wenski, Bishop of the Diocese of Orlando and chair of the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee on International Policy, recently sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Rice urging that the U.S. exhaust all possible diplomatic means to resolve the nuclear threat in Iran prior to initiating military action. You can read a report from Catholic News Service at http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0706411.htm

The letter recognizes that the prospect of Iran having nuclear weapon capabilities is unacceptable. This shouldn't be an earth-shattering idea since the Vatican feels that it is unacceptable for any nation, including the U.S., to have nuclear weapon capabilities.

The most fearful message is that the Vatican, through the United States bishops, has a huge concern that the U.S. is in the planning of another preemptive strike against a Middle East nation. In terms of knowing what is going on in the world, there are few other entities that are in a better position than the Vatican. This seems like "deja vu all over again". In thinking about the U.S. action in Iraq, I wonder how our nation's leaders would respond if Dr. Phil asked "And how did that work out for you?".

The best thing to do when going the wrong way down a one-way street is to get off the street.

Chasing Amy

In the early 1960s, a girl was born to a family in Indiana. The girl was born with significant health issues, including developmental disabilities. Her family was offered a choice: send her to an institution and forget about her or take her home and try to raise her with no help. Although this wasn't much of a choice, the family took her home.

The birth of this girl started a tremendous movement. The family moved to another state. Based on their experience in the struggles to provide a decent life for their daughter/sister with special needs, the family reached out to other families that had members with special needs. The family fought for public school special education programs in which their daughter and thousands of other children with special needs could attend. The family fought for community-based services so that people without special needs could live and work outside of large institutions. This girl's mother went on to head the state agency that advocates for people with developmental disabilities. Almost ten years ago, the mother resigned her position to spend more thime with the daughter that was near death.

Obviously, the daughter rallied. She had an incredibly sharp wit and a permanent mischievious smirk. She was pals with nationally known politicians, including Hilary Clinton. National, state and local officials knew her personally. In short, she was a true inspiration to a large circle of people.

Amy died last week. She kept claiming that she was "going to check out" on Halloween. She passed away at about 2:30 am on November 1. There is now a huge void in the life of many people. I attended the visitation. I saw pictures of Amy with many famous politicians and actors. I noticed flowers from a well-known U.S. Senator. While saying a prayer at the side of her coffin, I had to laugh. The smirk was still on her face.

Amy provided tremendous lessons to many people, including me. I hope to meet this teacher again.

Beyond the Bishops

Well, just when one thinks we have heard just about everything related to the priest sexual assault issue, along comes a situation with a different twist.

Recently, a fairly well-known priest from a religious order was kicked out of the order. This priest was one of Mother Teresa's spiritual directors. He would often travel around the world to give presentations on spiritual direction. He often travelled with adolescent boys. Several of these now young men have made allegations that the priest abused them. The allegations have been substantiated.

Most of the allegations related to incidents that took place in the 1990s. This priest's religious superiors claim that they didn't know of his actions. However, several copies of letters from parents of this priest's victims to the order's leadership have turned up. Many of the letters are dated prior to the dates of many of the sexual assaults. Obviously, the leadership of the order had a pretty good idea of what was going on and did not do enough to stop it. As a result, this priest was allowed the opportunities to victimize numerous boys.

The victims of these crimes are numerous: the boys that were assaulted, their families, those that trusted the priest, those that trusted the order and the order's superiors, etc. I feel sorry for the many incredible Roman Catholic priests I know. Many have made sacrifices for me that have greatly improved my life and made me a better person. There are many such priests that have done the same for millions of people around the world. While I maintain that far too much focus on sexual assaults of children has been placed on priests, the terrible actions of very few priests and their leaders have tarnished the reputation of the priesthood in general.

The bottom line: the priest and the order's leaders that knew what was going on should go to prison and pay restitution to the victims. If religious leaders do not want to "air their dirty laundry" in public, then they should clean the laundry in prison.

It's About The People

In the summer prior to entering the novitiate of a religious order, I worked in a well-known resort area. The owners of the resort where I worked were very fundamentalist when it came to religious beliefs. I believe they were Baptists. They knew of my desire to enter a religious order.

On morning, one of the owners, in an attempt to "needle" me, informed me that the Catholic Church had completely screwed up his family. I told him that, if his family was as screwed up as he claimed, the Catholic Church had nothing to do with it. The actions of screwed up people, some of whom may have been Catholic, led to his screwed up family. Did the Baptist church screw up Jimmy Swaggart's family? No - Jimmy Swaggart screwed up his family. I told the owner in no uncertain terms that actions of his own family members likely led to his family being so screwed up.

The Catholic Church isn't perfect. Never has been and never will be. The Catholic Church is comprised of imperfect humans. Some of these same imperfect humans fight civil authorities in an effort to serve the homeless in Green Bay. Some of these same imperfect humans publicly assail our government's use of torture and targeting innocent civilians.

It's all about the people.

Having No Connections

I just went through the wonderful experience of moving a small office. We only moved about two miles away. However, we still had to pack everything up.

As with every move, I knew there would be glitches. As expected, we had problems with our phones and internet. At first, I viewed the situation as a major headache. However, after a couple of days, I rather enjoyed not having to figure out how I was going to work my way through the well over 100 voice-mail and e-mail messages I receive daily.

My feelings were bittersweet when I figured out how to fix the phone problems. Our technology guy has me connected to the internet, but my e-mail isn't quite working. I can receive messages, but can't send any.

This experience reminds me of those one or two winter storms we get in the midwest each year. Everything shuts down. Nobody can go anywhere. Once people get over the inconvenience, they simple learn to deal with it. What are the options?

So, I will be fully connected in a day. I have enjoyed the break and highly recommend that everyone become disconnected for a couple of days each year.

Remembering Lou

I had the opportunity to grow up in a pretty close-knit neighborhood. Even though it was a pretty nice area, there were remnants of some goofy informal neighborhood policies. For example, the man that owned most of the lots in previous years was "open minded". He sold some of the lots to Jewish families. However, those lots were limited to a small part of the subdivision - a part that was off to the side.

Like many Catholic kids, I grew up thinking everyone was Catholic. I was a very social little kid and spent a tremendous amount of time walking around and talking with neighbors, including Lou and his family. Lou and his wife were extremely nice to me, as was their son, Tom. I think I remember someone telling me that they were Jewish, but I thought that must have been a "sub-group" of Catholics.

In second grade, one of the teachers informed me that Jewish people did not believe in Jesus and were going to hell. I was crushed. How could this be? My Jewish friends were so nice. Tom even gave me rides in his hot rod car and on his mini-bike.

Little did I know that Lou was a very prominent and wealthy businessman. Yet he and his family always took the time to talk with the young neighbor kid that never seemed to keep quiet. Lou always waved and smiled whenever I saw him drive by in his car.

Lou passed away last week after a long and fruitful life. Although my second grade teacher might disagree, I have no doubt that Lou has met his eternal reward.

A Personal Conversion

I try not to reveal to much personal information or experiences in this blog. However, I really need to share an amazing story of conversion.

Readers of this blog may recall the following from previous blogs: I am Catholic and my wife is Lutheran, my wife and I went to Rome earlier this year and that close family members were in a motorcycle crash this summer. Those seemingly unrelated things have lined up to form a marvelous situation.

My wife is not only Lutheran, she is a WELS Lutheran. When we were married, we wanted an ecumenical service, but her pastor would have nothing to do with it. We were married in a Catholic ceremony over eight years ago.

Skip ahead to early June of this year. While in Rome, we visited the tombs of the Popes beneath St. Peter's Basilica. When we approached the tomb of Pope John Paul II, there was a woman kneeling on the tomb, crying loudly and dropping flower petals. She was obviously a family member or close friend - nobody else would have been allowed past security. My wife was really struck by this scene.

Skip ahead a few days. On our last day in Rome, I bought about a dozen Pope Benedict XVI mini-rosaries (the ones that are one decade) as small gifts for Catholic friends back home. I bought them at my wife's suggestion.

Skip ahead a few more days. Shortly after returning from Rome, my wife's parents were in a freak motorcycle crash hundreds of miles away. My wife's mother was not expected to live. My wife drove out to be with her mother. On a quiet evening when she was alone at her mother's bedside, my wife took out one of the Pope Benedict mini-rosaries. For some reason, she felt compelled to bring it with her. She didn't even know what to do with the rosary. Even though it was a Pope Benedict rosary, my wife, recalling the scene at his tomb in Rome, prayed for the intercession of Pope John Paul II on behalf of her mother. Although she did not make a "prayer deal", she asked that her mother survive and, should that happen, my wife would take that as a clear sign that she should convert.

Skip ahead to the present. Within the next week or two, my mother-in-law will be returning home after over four months in various hospitals and rehabilitation centers . Two days ago, my wife completed her second RCIA class.

A Home in Green Bay

Here is yet another good story about a parish doing the right thing. St. John the Evangelist Church in Green Bay has planning to open a COTS program for homeless people. I do not know what COTS stands for, but I assume it as a somewhat standardized program to serve homeless people. Well, the "good" neighbors of the church expressed concerns to the City of Green Bay. The city said that the parish could not open the church for such a program. The "good" neighbors of the church didn't want those "undesireable" homeless people in their neighborhood.

The City of Green Bay stated that, if the church opens the program, the city could fine the church $600 per day. The church and the Diocese of Green Bay replied with a rousing "So what?!" The director of administration for the Diocese of Green Bay went so far as to publicly state that it is unconstitutional for the City of Green Bay to deny the diocese and/or any parish from working to fulfill its mission. The church plans to implement the COTS program with or without city approval.

Obviously, the leaders of the City of Green Bay and the "good" neighbors of St. John the Evangelist Church missed the sermon on compassion.

Out of Bloggy Experience

Will technological marvels never cease? This is the first post I have made from a remote wireless location. I just feel so enabled. I have yet to determine whether this experience is positive, negative or a bit of both. While it is certainly wonderful to be able to make a post while waiting in a hotel lobby to give a presentation, I now sense a new level of pressure to make regular posts to the blog.

This does represent an opportunity to do something creative, such as a "Where in the world is Joe Lunch Box?" contest. Here are some clues to my current location: fairly large city, Great Lakes, fermented malt beverage and Mile.

O'Brien Speaks Out

Archbishop Edward O'Brien, formerly the Archbishop of The U.S. Armed Forces and recently named as Archbishop of Baltimore, recently gave a speach in which he stated that military chaplains should do all that they can to advocate against using torture and targeting civilians. Archbishop O'Brien was particularly concerned about the documented torture by U.S. forces against detainees in Iraqi prisons.

While I continue to have significant concerns about the hierarchy of the Catholic Church (concerns that are no greater or less than those I have with civil leaders), I must give Archbishop O'Brian a significant amount of credit for publicly stating his feelings on a very controversial issue. Given that he is no longer Archbishop of the U.S. Armed Forces, he might have felt a bit more freedom to question some of the policies of the White House and the Pentagon that relate to how our forces treat (or mistreat) prisoners of war and other war detainees.

Archbishop O'Brien is right on this issue. However, most of the members of the Conservative Right will argue that he is wrong.

Lemonade from Lemons

For the first time in many years, I went through the application and interview process for a new job. I have a pretty good job, but the demands are increasingly difficult for a 'baby boomer" to handle. In addition to at least 40 hours a week in the office, I spend 30-40 hours a week travelling throughout the state to give presentations.

The position I applied for was located right in my hometown. It seemed to be a good match for my experience and skills. Fortunately, I was one of a handful of people that was invited for an interview. I handled the difficult interview process very well and thought that I had a good chance of being one of the two finalists called for a second and final interview.

Three days after my interview, the phone rang. Caller ID indicated that it was the individual in charge of the recruitment process for the position. I was very please that they the person was calling - I had kept the date for the second interview open. Tons of disappointment came crushing down on me when the individual stated that I was not selected to continue in the interview process. While I was stunned, I politely thanked him and the other people involved in the process for giving me the consideration they did and wished them the best in their recruitment efforts.

I felt sick for about a day. I did not think I had the job wrapped up, but I thought I would be one of the two finalists. Some friends knew that I was applying for the position and offered some support. After a day, I felt much better and had the belief that the people in the interview felt that, while my skills and experience may have been strong, I was not the best match for the position. A couple of days later, a couple of people with knowledge of the entity shared some insights with me that confirmed, from my perspective, that I would not have been the right match for the position.

So, all turns out well. Perhaps a guardian angel, with much more comprensive vision than I have, is keeping an eye on me.

The Place Between a Rock and a Hard Place

A couple of weeks ago, I read about a legislator that was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. Fortunately, his injuries are healing well. Ironically, his accident happened while he was riding his motorcycle back from a rally against mandatory motorcycle helmet laws. Of course, he was not wearing a helmet when he was struck by another vehicle. After the accident, the legislator vowed to maintain his strong opposition to mandatory helmet laws. All I can say is this: Some people have more to protect than others.

Ironic situations such as this sometimes get me thinking in very imaginative ways. Given the irony of the legislator's accident while coming from an anti-helmet rally, I tried to imagine situations that might be more ironic. Here is one I came up with - and it is a bit disturbing. Imagine that there is a huge pro-life event of some type. Some kook wants to get some publicity and storms the event and kills several of the participants. He then shoots himself. Will anyone connected to the victims of such a tragic event wish that this kook was aborted? This situation demonstrates how easy it is for events that are beyond our control to transpire that place us on very ethically slippery slopes.

Just Say No

Media outlets in the U.S. have had virtually no coverage of a major incident that took place in late summer. U.S. Secretary of State made a request to the Vatican to meet personally with Pope Benedict XVI. She claimed to have an urgent need to speak with him prior to her meeting with officials regarding the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. The Vatican replied to her request with a resounding NO. Secretary Rice did have the chance to speak with Cardinal Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State.

Several European media outlets have given extensive coverage of the Vatican's refusal to arrange a meeting between Secretary Rice and Pope Benedict. Most of the coverage portrays the refusal as a flat out snub. The reports insinuate that the Vatican remains furious with the U.S. for ignoring pleas to not invade Iraq and to reassess it's strong support for Israel in the Middle East conflicts.

Make no mistake - this is a big deal. Given the reach of the Roman Catholic Church throughout most of the world, the Vatican may very well be the most influential entity in the world when it comes to diplomacy. Strong speculation was that Pope Benedict spent about 30 minutes chiding President Bush for U.S. policies in Iraq and the Middle East when the two met at the Vatican earlier in the summer.

No means no!

It's Just Lunch

Every so often, a talk-show host like Larry King will ask a guest, "Who is the one person in history that you would really like to talk with over lunch?" Some of the guests, usually ones that wear their Christianity on their sleeve, reply that they would like to meet with Jesus.

I would argue that such a response indicates that the person is a Christian in name only and not in the way they live their life. Those who claim to be fundamentalist Christians will say that Jesus should be the focus of their lives. Those who don't must repent and develop a personal relationship with our Savior or risk eternal damnation. Well, if these people have a personal relationship with Jesus, why would they need to meet with Him over lunch?

"Nature Boy" - A Model Christian

One of my very few vices in the past was a love for professional wrestling. I don't follow it too much anymore since I don't find it very entertaining.

I liked wrestling for what it is - a soap opera in a ring. While the current storylines last about 5 minutes, sorylines in the past were developed and played out over months. I have seen hundreds of live matches and thousands more on television. I have seen thousands of wrestlers. The best wrestler in my mind is Ric Flair.

"Nature Boy" Ric Flair attended my alma mater, the University of Minnesota. Yes, he was a member of the wrestling team. He was noticed by Verne Gagne, one of the most famous amateur and professional wrestlers of all-time and owner of the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association, a professional wrestling company.

Very early in his professional wrestling career, Ric Flair was critically injured in the crash of a small plane. Several other people in the plane died in the crash. Perhaps that incident helped Ric put some important things in perspective.

Ric Flair worked very hard to get back to professional wrestling. He was a pretty good athlete. However, he was an excellent entertainer that knew how to connect with fans. He could be an effective fan favorite or fan enemy. He knew how to "play" the fans. Eventually, the leaders of the wrestling promotions knew that they would make the most money by having Ric Flair as their champion.

So, where does Christianity fit in? Professional wrestling is a very selfish enterprise full of politics. Wrestlers will take steroids and other drugs, marry the boss' daughter, sleep with whomever, etc. in an effort to maintain their top position in the company. Ric Flair was different. At one point near the peak of his career, the company he wrestled for at the time wanted Ric to wrestle on the same day his son was in a championship amateur wrestling match. Ric chose to attend his son's match. As a result, Ric was stripped of his championship and effectively banished from the wrestling company.

Also, no other wrestler has given so many boosts to young wrestlers. Ric Flair is a master of ring tactics and fan psychology. Whenever a wrestling company had a young wrestler with a ton of potential that they wanted to push to the next level, they put that young wrester in a big match with the champion Ric Flair. Where other wrestling "superstars" would make sure that the young wrestler was forced to pay his dues, Ric Flair would go out of his way to make a nervous young wrestler look like a world beater in the ring. Ric Flair had a near magical way of making an unathletic and undynamic young man look like a true superstar in the wrestlign ring. Many of these young stars have gone on to huge careers thanks to Ric Flair's unselfishness.

Ric Flair is no longer the wrestler he once was - he is about 60 years old. He doesn't have the golden mane of hair or the fairly athletic body that he had in his peak during the 80s and early 90s. Still, he is the person that has had the biggest impact on professional wrestling in the past 30 years because of his willingness to share the spotlight with young stars with huge potential.

Why I Am a Vatican Geek

I was crestfallen when I recently learned that Archbishop Piero Marini is moving on to a new position.

Who is Archbishop Marini? You would probably recognize him. He served as master of ceremonies and Papal liturgist for Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. If you saw the Pope at Mass, you saw Archbishop Marini. He is the priest that was always at the Pope's right hand at every official liturgical function.

As a church musician with an interest in liturgical functions and protocals, I was almost as excited to see Archbishop Marini as I was to see Pope Benedict XVI when I was in Rome this past summer.

Well, Archbishop Marini is now President of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses - whatever that office is. The Pope named a successor to Archbishop Marini - some young whippersnapper of a priest. I suppose I'll give him a chance, but he has some bigh shoes to fill.

Am I a total Vatican geek or what?

A Golden Oldie

I always marvel at the many conspiracy theories that surround the murder of President Kennedy. I have seen many shows and read many books that promote various plots to kill the President: the Mafia did it, the CIA did it, etc. Some of the theories seem to have a fairly sound basis and claim that there were numerous shooters (e.g. "the grassy knoll" theory).

However, I remain a believer that there was a single killer and that killer was Lee Harvey Oswald. My belief is based on the fact that, after over 40 years, not one person involved in any of the theories has come forward. Whenever a crime is committed and the criminal is at large, it is usually only a manner of time until the criminal and/or someone with knowledge of the criminal and the crime talks about the crime. The may think they are talking in confidence. However, the person they talk to will talk to others. Eventually, someone in law enforcement gets word and a suspect is identified.

Let's apply this situation to the Catholic Church. It has been around for about 2000 years. It has been the subject of persecution by civil authorities. It has been a persecutor (the Crusades). It has survived the Reformation (albeit not unchanged). After 2000 years, the Catholic Church, for good or for bad, remains on of the strongest institutions and influences in the world.

Something that has survived that long cannot be completely wrong.

Viral Infections

Well, it finally happened. A computer virus appeared on my home PC. Fortunately, it didn't do much damage. However, it was incredibly irritating! Every 5 seconds or so, a screen would pop up stating that there was a particular program that had to close. In order to continue working, that pop-up screen had to be closed. You can imagine how difficult it was to type a sentence. After consulting with family members with some knowledge of computers, I figured out that the virus' home was in the anti-virus software that is provided free of charge from my internet service provider! Once I removed that software, the problems went away. I did have to install another anti-virus software program.

I am no expert in infectious disease. Still, it seems odd that as soon as the virus left my computer, I came down with a fever, cough and congestion! Could it be that a computer virus can be transmitted to a human?

Now that my computer is functioning properly, I will get back to posting a new blog on a daily basis.

The Days of Our Lives

Every so often, I hear a phase that is truly quotable. I recently heard someone talk about their perspective on working at a facility that serves people with Alzheimer's. Their motto is: "If you can't add days to their lives, then add life to their days."

None of us can really add days to the lives of anyone. Sure, there are physicians that can use their skills to keep people from dying. However, are they really adding days to someone's life or just making sure they stay alive? Although it isn't the best of analogies, a criminal does not add days to the life of a person he could have killed but didn't. I know it may sound like a fine line, but I really do believe that no human can add days to the life of any other human.

So, while we can't add days to the lives of anyone, we sure can add life to they remaining days of everyone we meet. Start with the little things: Say hello to people, look them in the eye, wish them well, thank people, reply with "your welcome" when thanked, etc.

Juice Free Diet

Oh no! O.J. is back!

Here is what I know: O.J. and several other armed men broke into a Las Vegas hotel room. The room was occupied by some men that deal with sports memorabilia. They had possession of several items that once belonged to O.J. The football hall-of-famer took the items back. Several days later, he was arrested, jailed and is now awaiting arraignment.

I don't like to fast. I am one of those rather thin people that eats a ton of food - I need to do so to maintain weight. However, I am now on a "juice" free diet. Whenever coverage of the O.J. situation is on TV, I turn the channel. I don't read any reports related to O.J. in the newspaper or in magazines. I just don't care.

WWJD....We see merchandise with these four letters that signify the question "What Would Jesus Do?" My guess is that he would pray for O.J.'s soul - and that would be about it.

The Daze of Wino and Roses

Can you believe it? Britney Spears is in trouble again. How do I know? Well, "news" about Britney's misteps is a dealy feature of television "news" shows.

Don't get me wrong - I feel sorry for Britney and those other people of her ilk. Paris Hilton and Nichole Ritchie have virtually no talent. Britney has a small amount of talent. Lindsay Lohan has some talent, especially when it comes to acting. However, all of the above have the misfortune of dealing with an insatiable appetite for being the center of attention. When they discovered that the limits of their talent could not maintain their place in the spotlight, they turned to other means such as neglecting children, getting drunk and driving, etc. I truly wish someone had the ability to set them on the right path. Unfortunately, they are surrounded by family members and handlers that wish to bask in the secondary light from the spotlights.

Although I pick on my wife for being out out it when it comes to modern culture, she does have moments of being way ahead of the popular culture curve. Several months ago, she told me about a singer of whom I had never heard. My wife heard one of her songs on a commercial. The singer's name is Amy Winehouse. She is a twenty-three year old English singer. Her voice is a remarkable combination of Ella Fitzgerald, Barbara Streisand (young version) and Martha (from Martha and The Vandelles). Amy writes her own songs and has become quite a sensation in Europe. Unfortunately, Amy is addicted to drugs and alcohol. She often performs on stage while under the influence (hence, the "Wino" nickname). She has more talent than Britney, Lindsay, Nichole and Paris combined. She likely uses drugs in an effort to get away from the growing spotlight - not to garner additional media attention. If she continues her current lifestyle, she won't live much longer.

My only hope is that a higher power can straighten out these young women. Even the ones with no talent deserve the opportunity to enjoy true happiness for themselves. Hopefully, Amy can get her life together and we will have the opportunity to enjoy her talents for years to come.

The Best Pop Band of All Time

Being the youngest of five children, I grew up in a house that always had a radio on. I won't give away my age, but I barely remember The Beatles when they were still together. I grew up in a golden era of popular rock music - The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Billy Joel, etc. The 70s and 80s were full of very good and very bad music.

Although I am not trained in musical theory, I think I understand music pretty well. From the time I was very young, I had a good sense of what was good popular music and bad popular music. I also understood that there could be a huge demand for a bad song and little demand for a good song.

My experience growing up led me to study piano and, eventually, the organ (thanks to memories of "A Whiter Shade or Pale" while growing up). I have performed music in public for well over 20 years.

So, here it is. A gun is pointed at my head. If I don't reveal what I feel is the best pop/rock band of all time, the trigger will be pulled. I don't have to think for more than a millisecond. Quite obviously, the best pop/rock band of all time is ABBA. All four of the members were very good musicians prior to forming the group. Benny, the keyboard player, remains a musical genius as evidenced by his many musical successes after ABBA broke up. Bjorn, the guitar player, was and is a very good musician. Anni-frid, the brunette singer, was a well-known opera and stage vocalist in Sweden. Agnetha, the blonde singer, had a tremendous stage presence and wrote many songs.

Although each member of ABBA was a very good musician prior to forming the group, their collaboration produced an experience that was far greater than the sum of their parts. When you hear an ABBA song, you know it is ABBA. Part of the allure of ABBA is that we watched the group professionally and personally disintegrate. The progressive disintegration was reflected in some of their music. What started with "Waterloo" ended with "Should I Laugh or Cry" seven years and two divorces later. Over twenty years later, one doesn't listen to an ABBA song - one experiences an ABBA song.

The Beatles come close, but nobody compares to ABBA.

Deja Vu All Over Again

A few times a year, I experience situations and events that I feel I have experienced before. I know of many people who, like me, have had experiences with deja vu.

While walking my dog earlier this week, I noticed a fair amount of frost on the ground. I live in a very low part of a midwestern city. While the first frost was earlier than usual, we usually get it in September. The frost got me thinking about the various cycles of life. The temperatures will drop. Trees will lose their leaves. Snow will come. The outdoors will be seemingly dead for three months. Then we will see buds on trees and plants. Robins will return. The snow will melt. Trees and plants will become lush for several months while waiting for the first frost.

If you think about it, one could become really bored with this ongoing cycle. However, each cycle is always at least slightly different than all of the previous cycles. Even in warm weather areas, there are weather cycles. Tropical areas have rainy seasons and dry seasons. Each season is always different than all prior seasons.

Now, think about how this plays into Christianity. Christians believe that our time on earth is part of a cycle. We will then move to eternal life. Sometimes I question whether or not I want to be around forever - it could be very monotonous and tiresome. Then I think about the various cycles and seasons that I have experienced. Even though winter is cold, I always look forward to it. When I start getting sick of the cold and darkness, a strong hint of spring comes around. Something attractive is always right in front of us. When we reach it and experience it for some time, something else that attracts us pops up. Why would we expect the afterlife to be different?

Is God a Packer Fan?

The mighty Packers of Green Bay are preparing to re-enact the story of David and Goliath. This weekend, they play the New York football Giants. Howard Cosell hated the Packers because they beat his beloved Giants in an NFL championship game many years ago.

The Packers are a remarkable sports story. Green Bay is, by far, the smallest city to have a major sports franchise. During training camp, Packer players "adopt" children. This "adoption" involves the Packer player riding the "adopted" child's bike from the locker room to the practice field each day of training camp. Every day, the players wait for their respective children to arrive with their two-wheeled limo. The player rides a bike that is several times to small for him. The child runs at his side, carrying his helmet. At the end of training camp, the player gives some type of gift to his child. How can God not love such a situation?

My guess is that God does not care about the Vegas sports line. God does not have a favorite team, not even the Packers. However, God will use athletes as a means to bring joy to people's lives - not by their actions on the field, but by their actions during the daily bike rides from Lambeau Field to the Ray Nitschke practice field during July and August of each year.

Moral Limbo: How Low Can One Go?

I just read a newspaper report describing an incident where a man sexually assaulted a cognitively disabled woman. The man approached the woman at a public bus stop while she was waiting for a bus to take her to work. It was mid-morning on a sunny weekday. He talked her into walking with him. She told police that she feared he would harm her if she did not go with him. She went with him and he harmed her, anyway. In addition to the psychological damage the man did to this woman, her physical injuries required surgical repairs.

As always happens is cases like this, many people question why a cognitively disabled woman is allowed to be in the community on her own. They argue that the "system" is at fault for allowing this woman to be out in public and open to predators.

Unfortunately, we live in a society filled with various predators. The rapist described above was going to assault someone. Unfortunately, he happened to come across the cognitively disabled woman. If he had not come across her, he would have found another vulnerable person on which to prey. The problem is not with the "system". They problem is a society that enables various types of predators (rapists, dicators, greedy corporations) to prey on our most vulnerable people - the poor, the elderly, the disabled.

Your Cheatin' Heart

One of the highlights of my life was having the opportunity to attend Super Bowl XXXI, the NFL championship game in which the mighty Packers of Green Bay stomped the New England Patriots. While the Packers won, that game proved to be a spring board to the revitalization of the New England Patriots. They were the last dynasty in the NFL. They were pure. It was difficult not to like them.

Until now. Coach Bill Belichek has admitted to having his staff film the defensive signals of other teams. At a recent game against the New York Jets, the video camera of a Patriot photographer was confiscated. The film in the camera contained images of the Jet coaches giving defensive play signals. The Patriots were caught red-handed. They are cheaters.

While many will suggest that the NFL is only a game and this is not a big deal (everyone must do it), it really does set a bad example. The Patriots are still a favorite to win the Super Bowl. They sell plenty of merchandise. Bill Belichek is seen as a coaching genius. Quarterback Tom Brady is the all-American boy. And they cheat. They take the shortcuts. It is a big deal not because of the impact cheating could have in the NFL, but because of the impact that not caring cheating has on society. Cheat on school tests. Cheat on your taxes. Cheat on your spouse. Who cares?

It's a Groove Thing

In sports, when an athlete is going through a very successful period, such as a baseball player getting several hits in a row, we say that he or she is in a groove. When that same player strikes out eight times in a row, we say that he or she is in a rut.

So, what is the difference between a groove and a rut? When I see a long mark left behind in a dirt road by a bicycle, is that a groove or a rut? Grooves and ruts seem to be the same thing. We call this same thing different names depending on whether ot not we perceive them as positive or negative.

We always have to classify things and people in the same way. How often do we hear completely different things about the same person from different people. Prior to meeting someone for the first time, someone who has already met them may inform us that we will not like the person because they are too stuck-up. Then when we meet the person, they seem to be very down-to-earth. It is all a matter of perspective.

It seems that the most influential people in history are difficult to classify. Sure, one can argue that Hitler was a crazy madman. He was certainly influential, but only for a short period of time. It will be interesting to see how people view his historical influence 100 years from now. What about someone like Jesus? Was he a knee-jerk liberal? Was he a conservative? Was he crazy? As a Christian, I find it very difficult to classify Jesus in the same way we classify other people. I think it is difficult for non-Christians to do the same in regards to Jesus. The normal rules we use to classify people don't seem to work when it comes to classifying Jesus.

Let's Be Careful Out There

I work extensively with people that have special needs. It is very tough work. Although I do not have any family members with special needs such as a physical or cognitive disability, I have tremendous repsect for the many families that struggle to provide the highest quality of life possible for their family member with special needs.

When I talk with many people about what I do for a living, they usually make some comment that it is wonderful that people with special needs have people like me who care for them. I know that is is critical that people with special needs have someone, either a family member, a close friend or some other advocate, to continually look out for their best interests. Individuals and society often prey on vulnerable people.

However, the biggest contribution that I make to improve the lives of the people with whom I work is to be someone for whom they can care. Whenever we have severe weather, many of the special needs people with whom I work ask if I had any damage. If I sneeze or cough while talking on the phone, many will ask about my health. We all seek a general purpose in our lives. People with special needs are no different. If for no other reason, people with special needs are deserving of quality lives because they can and do care about other people.

Let The Election Begin

Who will it be? Hilary? Rudy? Barack? Fred?

Who cares about THAT election! Last month, several Cardinals that have been on the various lists of papabile made lengthy trips to the United States. Secretary of State Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone spoke to the Knights of Columbus. Franc Cardinal Rode of Slovenia made several stops in the good ol' USA, as did Oscar Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras. While these leaders may not be "campaigning" to be the next Pope, it is helpful to have your name be familiar to the English language media. Karol Cardinal Wojtila made trips to the USA in the mid 70s.

With that background, here is my short list, in no particular order, of papabile Cardinals:

Secretary of State Tarcisio Cardianl Bertone - he is the #2 man at the Vatican. He is about the right age, 72, if a conclave is held in the next few years. The fact that he does not speak English could work against him.

Christoph Cardinal Schonborn - he is the Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna. He comes from an aristocratic family. At 62, he may be a bit young right now. However, if the next conclave is a few years away, he should be a strong contender. He has made headlines with his comments on intelligent design. The fact that he is from old Europe could work against him given that the current Pope is German.

Oscar Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga - he is from Honduras. He speaks several languages, is very dynamic and is a pilot. For those that think it is time for a Pope from Latin America, he could be the prime candidate. At 64, he is close to the right age. He has been in the headlines recently for being the object of some of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez's scorn.

Angelo Cardinal Scola - is the Patriarch of Venice. Two recent Popes, John XXIII and John Paul I serve in Venice. He gets a significant amount of press coverage in the European media. He travels extensively in Europe and gives many interviews. He is 65.

Daria Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos - is from Columbia. He has served in several curial positions, including the Congregation for the Clergy. He is well-known and resepected by the clergy world-wide. While a curial insider, he has maintained stong ties with South America. He is 78 years old. He may not be a strong candidate for much longer.

Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio - is the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He can serve as the standard bearer of those that want an Italian Pope and those that want a South American Pope. He was given consideration at the last conclave. He could be a compromise candidate as he is neither a conservative nor a progressive. He is a 70-year old Jesuit.

Although he will not receive any, Audrys Cardinal Backis (pronounced botch-kiss) of Vilnius should be given serious consideration. He has extensive experience in the Vatican diplomatic corps and know the world wide Church very well. In his role as a pastor, including as a bishop and archbishop, he has worked diligently to build hospitals, schools, soup kitchens, seminaries and convents. He works well with the media and speaks several languages. He seems to have the perfect blend of adminsitrative and pastoral skills and experience. He is 70 years old.

There you have it - my early effort to handicap the next conclave. The biggest factor may be age. There will likely be some Cardinals that still believe that the best age of a newly-elected pope is around 67-73. A Pope in that age range would likely be around for a few years, but not too many.

The Tangled Web We Weave

I'm old.

How do I know? A person half my age showed me how to update the website where I work. Even though she wrote out exactly how to update the site, it took me a fair amount of time to make some simple changes. She probably could have made the changes in about 1/4th of the time it took for me to make the same changes. Nevertheless, I worked my way through the process and enjoyed a positive outcome.

Also, the fact that I feel such a huge sense of accomplishment for updating the website indicates that I am an old man. I can only imagine how may parents felt when they figured out how to use a calculator or when my grandmother figured out how to use the microwave oven.

Now that I think about it, I am not too far from being eligible to be a member of AARP. I keep getting older and they keep lowing the age for membership eligibility. My age and their age requirement are getting to be very close! Should I ever become an AARP member, perhaps I will volunteer to work on their website.

258 Steps to Reach Heaven

Last week, I had the opportunity to stop by one of my favorite places, Holy Hill (http://www.holyhill.com/). Holy Hill is located about 35 miles notheast of Milwaukee.

I have been to Holy Hill several times in recent years. I never took advantage of the opportunity to climb the stairs to the top of one of the church's towers. Since the day was very clear (and very warm), I figured I would make my way to the top of the tower. 258 steps later, I enjoyed a magnificent view of the rural area that surrounds Holy Hill. Through the light haze, I could barely make out the tall buildings in downtown Milwaukee. There was a light breeze that provided relief after the long climb.

To my surprise, it was a bit more taxing on my near middle-aged body climbing down than climbing up. After reaching the ground floor where I started, I made my way over to the friar that was greeting visitors near the main facility entrance. I proudly told him that I counted 258 steps to the top of the bell tower. He informed me that he use to make the climb on a regular basis. However, wisdom now led him to take the elevator up to the main level of the church. This saves one over 100 steps. At that point, my spirit likely resembled the Hindenburg crashing to the ground in New Jersey.

I took me an hour our so to get over the sting of the friar's comments. He certainly meant no harm. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that he was right about wisdom. Had I taken the elevator, I would have been in a better position to focus on the magnificent view at the top of the bell tower rather thinking that I was perspiring quite a bit and trying to catch my breath.

While the 258 steps up led to a magnificent view, the 258 steps down lead to a valuable morsel of wisdom.

Trust in Dogs

My wife and I enjoy the companionship of a lovable and loving dog. Our dog is an eight-year old English Cocker Spaniel. Although he is very friendly, he is definitely not the "sharpest knife in the drawer". He constantly tries to climb trees (no easy feat for a dog) in order to catch the squirrels that he thinks are in nearly every tree. Neverthess, we love our dog very much.

I just don't know how to tell him that my wife and I are not leaving him any inheritance in a trust. We have tried to keep from our dog the news of Leona Helmsley leaving $12 million in trust to her dog, Trouble. Our dog is a very jealous animal. My wife and I don't have $12 million to give to our dog. Even if we had $12 million to leave behind, various charities would get most of the money. Our dog doesn't need much - Milk Bones, water and an old steering wheel cover are all he needs.

In all seriousness, it is disturbing that someone would leave so much money to care for a dog when there are so many people going without the basic necessities of life. The dog will have an opulent home, well-paid attendants and gourmet food. Many people, including children, have no home, nobody to care for them and no food.

Hopefully, Trouble will make arrangements for any leftover funds from his trust to go to people in need. As a dog, he undoubtly has more compassion than his former human owner.

Simply Talk the Talk

I apologize for missing a day of posting. Two days ago, I lost my connection to the internet at home. Much to my dismay and surprise, the internet connection at work (from a different provider than at home) also went down. I am usually pretty even-keeled. However, I was going crazy without internet access - primarily due to not being able to send or receive e-mails at work.

I continue to be a huge fan of e-mail. While I agree that communicating by e-mail is not as personal as talking with someone in person or on the phone, it does usually require the sender to put more thought and structure into what he or she writes in an e-mail. My work position involves a significant amount of contact with people who would talk to me all day. Using e-mail dramatically reduces the number of times that I have to cut people off in person or on the phone.

The absence of an internet connection forced me to communicate with many people over the phone for the past couple of days. Somewhat surprisingly, it was not nearly as dreadful as I thought it would be. Many people were surprised to hear my voice. It was nice to "go back in time" to where the latest technical advance was a cell phone. I was forced to communicate with people in a more personal setting where I didn't have the control that I have in an e-mail exchange. It wasn't a bad experience.

Having shared those thoughts, I am overjoyed to once again have internet access at home and work. I am once again able to communicate with a larger number of people - although in much shorter e-mail exchanges rather than phone calls. Still, every so often, it is nice to return to a simpler way of doing things.

Mama Mia

While waiting in line to check out at the grocery store earlier today, I lamented over the fact that The Weekly World News is no longer published. I had relied on that esteemed periodical to inform me about who was an alien and who was not. While looking over the magazine section by the checkout, I noticed that People has a special issue about the 10th anniversary of the death of Princess Diana and LIFE has a special issue about the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis.

I was reminded of a talk radio program I heard about a week ago. The host was discussing why people remember exactly where they were when they heard that Elvis and Princess Diana died. He wondered why none of the callers could remember where they were when Mother Teresa died. (Today is the 10th anniversary of her death.) The host seemed to imply that the priorities of society are a bit mixed up when we put so much effort into remembering the deaths of celebrities, but do very little to remember the deaths of saints.

I would argue the opposite - the fact that we put so much into remembering the deaths of people like Princess Diana, Elvis and JFK shows that we have our priorities in order. There are common elements to the lives and deaths of these three people. In spite of being very wealthy, powerful and famous, they struggled with personal demons. At times in their lives, the seemed to rise above those struggles to do some amazingly unselfish things. Then, without warning, they died at young ages.

So many people remember their deaths because they grieve for what could have been. Would Princess Diana have finally found stability and love in her life? What would JFK have accomplished in two full terms in the White House? What would have happened in Vietnam? Would Elvis still be singing in Las Vegas? We don't grieve for the loss of what these people did while they were living. We grieve for the loss of what they could have done if they did not die so young.

What more could Mother Teresa have accomplished in her life? Every fiber of her being sought to provide love and care to forgotten people. She accomplished so much in her long life. When she died, we had a sense of fulfillment.

In some strange ways, society shows glimpses of having priorities in proper order.

If I Could Be Like Mike

Those of you that have read some of the earlier posts know that I was once a novice with a religious order. As a novice, you are pretty low on the hierarchical totem pole of a religious community. We had to live an extremely austere lifestyle - we didn't even have cable television!

At that time, I was a huge fan of professional wrestling. Call it one of my vices. I liked professional wrestling for what it was - campy entertainment. The only way for me to see any wrestling was on cable TV. Not having cable television in the novitiate made it impossible for me to keep up on the storylines of the World Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance.

One night during dinner, I mentioned to one of the senior members of the community that I missed the opportunity to watch wrestling. About a week later, he approached me and said he wanted to discuss something with me after dinner. I knocked on his door and he invited me into his living area. He had two recliners in his room - both facing the TV. He sat in the bigger one and invited me to sit down in the other chair. When I sat down, he turned on the television and, lo and behold, there were the WWF gladiators battling in the squared circle! He even gave up watching some of his favorite shows. This was a very friendly gesture on the part of Father Michael.

Every Monday night, we would meet at the same time to watch wrestling. We would talk about all sorts of things during the commercials. Eventually, we would talk about all sorts of things and watching the wrestling became a secondary activity. It got to the point where having the television on disrupted our weekly visits.

Father Michael was somewhat of a lonely soul. Due to his age and declining physical health, he could no longer serve as a parish pastor (which he loved to do). He would visit area nursing homes at the same time each week to say Mass for "the ladies" - the term he used for his nursing home congregations.

I maintained a close friendship with Father Mike for several years after I left religious life. He continued to serve "the ladies" and would occasionally help out when a parish priest went on vacation. On one of his journeys to help a parish on a weekend when their pastor was gone, Father Michael lost control of his car and crashed. He died instantly. Though it was less than two miles, the drive from my home to his funeral seemed to last forever.

Several days after the funeral, the leader of the religious community asked me to stop by. He led me to Father Michael's living quarters. Knowing that Father Michael and I were close, the superior told me that I could have any one item remaining in Father Michael's room. I took a framed print of the famous scene where a young Franciscan is painting a portrait of a Cardinal. The Cardinal is asleep in a chair. The young friar is struggling to paint a portrait of a Cardinal full of vitality. That painting was right above the television set in Father Michael's room. I spent hours looking at it while visiting with Father Michael. It now hangs in my house in a prominent space. I look at it every day and think of Father Michael.

Cold Hard Proof That God Exists

Several weeks ago, after having a new water heater installed in our home, the automatic ice cube maker in our freezer stopped working. Now, I like things simple. I prefer the standard blue ice cube trays that NEVER fail to produce wonderful uniform ice cubes. However, my wife was pretty frantic about the situation.

Well, given that the ice cube maker stopped working after our water was temporarily shut off to install the water heater, I checked the water flow in the tube that goes from the water supply beneath our kitchen sink to the freezer. It looked to me like water was flowing properly. I even took apart the back of the freezer to make sure that the little water pump to the ice cube maker was functioning. It looked OK to me, but I am no mechanical expert. I then gave up for a couple of weeks.

We functioned well without the ice cube maker. In fact, we endured a heat wave. One day, my curiosity got the best of me. I shut off the freezer and removed the ice cube maker. My intention was to let it defrost and then replace it in the freezer. It sat in the kitchen sink for nearly a day. Then, while drying it off, I noticed that the device looked jammed. The part that turned to force the ice cubes out was off kilter. So, I gently bent some of the plastic parts back to where I thought they should have been. I replaced the ice cube maker in the freezer and went outside to mow the lawn in very hot and humid conditions.

About an hour later, my wife came running out of the house looking like she had just won the Megabucks lottery. She informed me that the ice cube maker was working.

I am a complete putz when it comes to mechanical aptitude. So, the fact that I was able to get the ice cube maker working without breaking it or electrocuting myself is proof that God exists.

Time In a Bottle

At Mass this weekend, the priest gave a homily that lasted six minutes. I do not carry a time piece with me during Mass and there is no clock in the church. I know the homily was six minutes because as soon as the priest ended his homily, an elderly parishoner two rows behind me "whispered" to her fellow parishoner, "That was six minutes. That's better than the fifteen minutes last week."

I wonder if this parishoner has children and grandchildren. If she does and they come to visit her, I wonder is she times their visits. If a grandchild stops by for a quick visit of, say, fifteen minutes, does she chide the grandchild for staying too long? Does she say that the goal of the next visit is six minutes?

Maybe I am too impatient with people that complain about how much time Mass takes. I am a church musician. Whenever there is a special event at Mass, such as a baptism, the priest always asks that I cut the verses short on the hymns so that the Mass will not last over sixty minutes. If it does, the priest ALWAYS hears about it. It is usually elderly parishoners that complain. One could argue that they have less time remaining than younger people and want to get the most out of their remaining time. Apperently, getting the most out of their time does not inlude attending a Mass that lasts sixty-one minutes.

Christmas in September

For some strange reason, one of my favorite Christmas songs is "Snoopy's Christmas" by the Royal Guardsmen. The song tells of the story where the Red Baron is about to shoot Snoopy down. The Red Baron motions for Snoopy to land behind enemy lines. When Snoopy lands, he and the Red Baron share a toast in honor of Christmas as the bells in the surrounding villages ring. At the end of their meeting, the wish each other a Merry Christmas and depart knowing they will likely see each other again under different circumstances.

While the song is fictional, the theme of the song is not. I just finished watching the movie "Joyeux Noel". The movie is about the World War I Christmas cease fire that takes place among French, Scottish and German regiments in 1914. When a German soldier that happens to be a famous tenor sings "Stille Nacht", the Scottish soldiers join in with their bagpipes. The French troops applaud. The German singer brings a Christmas tree and places it in the middle of "no man's land", the area between the three regiments. Nobody shoots him. The leaders of each of the regiments cautiosly walk out to meet with each other. They declare a cease fire for Christmas. All of the troops then enter "no man's land" and enjoy striking up friendships with their "enemies". I won't give away more of the story. There are some surprising twists. I would highly recommend renting the movie. It is based on a true story. If you rent the movie, make sure to watch the interview with the director that is included as a special feature.

Joe vs. Larry

Well, this post marks the first time I have carried a theme from one day to the next.

While reading a version of Butler's Lives of the Saints this morning, I learned about Joseph of Arimathea. He is the man that approached Pilate to claim and bury the body of Jesus. Joseph was a politician at the time. In public, he kept his belief in Jesus as the Messiah under wraps for fear that it might harm his political career. However, he led a very moral private life. His claiming the body of Jesus was a big deal - it represented his public profession that he was a follower of Jesus.

Contrast that with Senator Larry Craig. He represents himself in public as a God-fearing and moral person. However, his recent actions indicate that his private life is somewhat lacking in morality to say the least. His arrest represents his forced public profession that he is not the moral person he claims to be in public. I do not fault Senator Craig for being a sinner. We are all sinners. I fault him for leading the double life of publicly crusading for morality in an effort to maintain political power, but privately leading a life that includes seeking anonymous sexual partners.

Why do we wonder why politicians have a bad name?