The Holy Spirit Throws a Knuckler

After a year off, maybe it is time to fire up the neurons and get back to blogging on a regular basis. This morning, shortly after waking up, I learned that Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will be resigning at the end of the month. While I am surprised, I am not shocked. I do not sense that he is resigning simply because he is tired and wants to fulfill his dream of returning to Bavaria to read books, write books and play the piano. I would not fault him if that were the case. However, in recent months, it has become noticeable that his health is declining. Pope Benedict is in the best position to determine if he can continue to serve as the successor to St. Peter. He announced that decision a few hours ago. We now enter enter into a situation that hasn't been experienced for centuries. We will have 2 popes. It will be interesting to see how accessible Pope Benedict will be after his successor is elected. It will be interesting to see who his successor will be. Even after throwing us a major curve ball, it is always best to trust in the Holy Spirit.

A Fowl Order

My oldest sibling came to visit for Christmas. We had the opportunity to spend some time at our small family cottage near a lake and forests.

Knowing my sibling is an avid bird watcher, I had hopes that one or two of the wild turkeys we had seen in recent weeks would make an appearance. Sure enough, I spotted two of them passing through the back yard. When I got up to get a better view, I discovered that the two turkeys brought some friends - about 60 of them! Ugly as wild turkeys are, they are still God's creatures. Speaking of God, this experience made me grateful to God that "Animal Farm" is fiction.

Campaigning For Change

Wisconsin just endured 9 recall elections of state senators.  Over $40 million was spent on these elections.  That same amount would provide comprehensive long-term care services to over 600 people with special needs for a year.

Perhaps we should considering giving to God what we give to Ceasar.

I'm All In

For over a decade, I have been discerning a call to be a permanent deacon.  In fact, I have been ready to apply to a formation program for several years.  However, there has been a significant challenge:  the diocese in which I live is not actively recruiting and forming new permanent deacons.  Thus, my discernment journey has been long and often frustrating.

Yesterday, I was informed that my bishop signed that last document that paves the way for me to begin permanent diaconate formation in a neighboring diocese with the intention of being ordained and serving in my home diocese.  So, I am now official...which is good - the formation program begins in a little over a week!

I remain grateful to the many people that have been and continue to be part of this discernment journey. 

Recalling Being Born and Bred in Wisconsin

I am a moderate and I am lost.  Tomorrow, there will be six recall elections targeting Republican State Senators in Wisconsin.  Next week, there will be two more elections targeting Democratic State Senators.  Unless your last name is Van Winkel, you are probably aware of the damage that extreme partisanship has brought upon Wisconsin.  We now only know how to campaign.  We no longer know how to govern.  This is a major problem during any period, especially a period of severe economic challenges.  So, the Blues and the Reds are ready to bash each others heads in for the next week. 

Most of the time, I am part Blue and part Red - I am Bred.  I don't know if I have ever voted straight ticket in any election.  However, in the current political climate, that is not acceptable.  I have to choose one or the other.  It seems that there are a growing number of people like me - people that look for leaders to govern, rather than campaign.  Maybe we are the actual silent majority that so many people talk about.

Good Grief?

For the past several months, I have witnessed a Facebook friend grieve the loss of a spouse.  During that time, this friend has posted numerous photos of the spouse that died.  There were also numerous reflections about how much the spouse was missed.  Overall, there must have been over 50 related posts in a few months.

I don't know if this is a good thing.  It is certainly a good thing for people that are grieving to share their thoughts.  But on Facebook?  I have had numerous opportunities to grieve the loss of a close family member.  I really don't think I would be comfortable grieving on my Facebook wall.  I could be wrong, but I think it would be best to seek out specific people with whom to personally share grief and be personally supported by them.  That personal contact seems more like a continuous stream of balm to help heal the grief, whereas the Facebook contact seems like random drops of balm - some hitting the mark and others...who knows? 

I Am, At Long Last, An Eagle Scout

No, I have not earned any merit badges.  In fact, I was kicked out of Cub Scouts for cheating in the Pinewood Derby.  I intentially added weights to my car so that it would move faster down the track.  It worked, but it did not conform to the regulations.

However, I am now an eagle scout.  While kayaking on a nearby lake a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a very beautiful American bald eagle - quite majestic with a bright white head and tail.  It was obvious that I rousted him from his usual perch.  A few days later, I noticed the same eagle taking off from about the same location.

Yesterday, I was ready.  I knew where the eagle lived and I had the camera ready.  As I approached his usual perch, he took off.  Of course, I could not quite get the camera operating.  However, I saw that he appeared to land in a secondary perch near another part of the lake.  I paddled to where I thought he would be.  There he was, majestically perched on a tall tree, but still too far away for a good photo or video.  Again, he took off just before I got close enough to get a good photo or video.

Well, it appears that I will have to work on this.  I need to "butter up" this bird - not to eat, but to get him a bit less uncomfortable with my presence.  When I get the photo and or video, I will post it on this blog.

Where are you, St. Francis of Assisi?

A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Jim Jones did many good things in San Francisco when he began his ministry.  He helped many downtrodden people.  He then pushed things in a very uncomfortable direction.  He isolated his followers.  He established his own environment in another country.  When authorities questioned him, he responded by killing many people.

David Koresh followed a similar path.  However, he didn't do so much good early in his ministry.  He isolated himself and his followers.  When questioned, he escalated.  When threatened, he responded with force, leading to the deaths of many.

Both Jones and Koresh were seemingly brilliant men that went awry.  They became so deluded that much of what they said and did was very difficult to piece together.

Will we soon be able to include Father John Corapi in the same group as Jones and Koresh?  For many years, Corapi was one of the darlings of EWTN (most likely because most of the EWTN crowd is getting up in years and have difficulty hearing - Corapi has a booming bass voice).  He railed against liberalism in the Roman Catholic Church and expounded on the virtues of being obedient to Church authority.  This weekend, Corapi exposed himself for who he really is:  a self-indulged charlatan.  Rather than showing true faith by placing his destiny in the hands of God, Corapi has decided that he is back in control.  If he is going to go down, he is going to take a few people with him.  For a bit of context to the Father Corapi saga, visit the Huffington Post.  Also, if you have the time (8 minutes) and stomach, listen to his recent rant that he posted on his website.  Pay attention to the visuals. 

Did Heaven Gain Another Soul?

Late last week, I was called to play the piano and organ at a funeral Mass.  I was perhaps plan B or even plan C, since our parish director of music was on vacation.  Because I had the benefit of very capable and effective music teacher, I had no problem preparing and playing the music for this funeral - even though I had to learn two unfamiliar hymns.  One of the hymns was a contemporary hymn called "Saints of God" that was for the Commendation near the end of the funeral Mass. 

Saints of God, come to his aid!

Hasten to meet him, angels of the Lord!

Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

As I was learning this hymn, I could not help but thinking of the possibility and hope that Osama bin Laden's soul somehow made its way to Heaven.  Given the choices he made during life, saving bin Laden's soul might require a few extra angels.  However, nothing is impossible with God!

The Greatest Shall Be The Least

Nearly a generation ago, I worked for an organization that served physicians.  One of the physician leaders at the time would sometimes describe several physician colleagues as being, "a mile wide and a millimeter deep".

Fast forward a generation.  Whenever scanning across the hundreds of cable television channels and coming across EWTN, a Catholic television network, there was more than a 50% chance that I would see the friar in the gray habit with the booming voice.  This friar is Father John Corapi.  For many years, Father Corapi has been the darling of what many might refer to as conservative Catholics.  The former Green Beret/media mogul/drug user/womanizer/etc. pulled himself up by his bootstraps, embraced the faith and became a priest.  If anyone ever had any doubt about this remaarkable transformation, all they had to do was ask Father Corapi.  He would tell anyone with a willing ear how HE served admirable in the military, how HE associated with the famous and wealthy, how HE had enough money to buy beach homes, yachts, fancy cars, how HE somehow managed to turn his life around, how HE shares the true faith of the Church, how well-known HE has become.  One can find all of this on Father Corapi's website.

A click on the website will show that Father Corapi must now embrace a core element of our faith - that we are not in control.  As high of a being as Father Corapi thinks he is, there is a higher being. 

It is somewhat ironic that Father Corapi made significant amounts of money writing several books, giving thousands of presentations, producing numerous CDs and DVDs, appearing on countless television and radio programs, etc.  He has spent thousands of hours and earned millions expounding on a simple theme:  pray for all concerned. Those are the final words of his statement related to his current situation.

The Watchman Cometh

I got to know Paul through a mutual friend.  I haven't seen much of Paul in recent years.  In fact, the last time I saw him was at the retirement party for the mutual friend.  In past years, I spent New Year's Eve at Paul's apartment in another city.  We would go to a local establishment to watch the indoor barstool races.  Yes, these were actual races with gas powered barstools going around an indoor track.

All of us worried a bit about Paul.  He drank a fair amount.  He was overweight and didn't take the best care of himself, even though he was an emergency medical technician.  He battled diabetes.  He was always somewhat of a loner.

Two days ago, a family member found Paul dead in his condo.  Paul was just 44.  However, heart disease and diabetes don't always recognize youth.  It appears both played a role in Paul's death.

The primary prayer and hope is that Paul's somewhat wayward soul has finally returned home and that his family can take comfort in knowing that such a return has taken place.

Chiller Theater

I am getting old and my body is not what it once was.  Several years ago, I came down with bacterial pneumonia.  It wasn't too bad.  I went to the doctor, got checked out and was given some antibiotics.  The doctor said that this malady will likely return in the future.  In my case, it has.  Just like the swallows at San Juan Capistrano.  Every year in late January or early February, I get sick, sometimes very sick.  This year was the worst.  Last night, I had a case of the chills.  They were coming and they were going.  At one point, they came and did not leave for about 30 minutes.  My wife was on the verge of calling 911 based on her fear that I was having some sort of siezure.  I have to admit that I was getting close to the point of worry.  Due to the uncontrollable shaking, I could not communicate well.  I didn't have religious thoughts.  My primary goal during this uncontrollable shaking was to inform my wife about the location of my life insurance policies. 

Fortunately, no claims on the policies needed to be made.  However, the event was a reminder of the need to have some things in order - just in case.

What Do We Do Now?

It is the day after the day after the election.  In my state, a change in partisan control took place in the Governor's office and both chambers of the state legislature.  An incumbent U.S. Senator lost.  Those that support the party that will soon control most of the elected offices in my state are quite gleeful.  Their mantra is:  The people want change. 

Those that support the party that lost control of most elected offices in my state are saying they are happy.  They argue that the other party will now have the responsibility of cleaning up the mess they created.

I have always argued that campaigning and governing are two different animals.  One party ran a system of campaigns that was effective.  However, the supporters of this party now have to hold the feet of the newly elected officials to the fire.  The electoral courtship is over - the campaign to get the newly empowered party to the altar has been successful.  We will soon get a more accurate picture of the party we "married" - warts and all.  If the new spouse doesn't do what they promised (aka:  to govern), we can count on another divorce in two years.

Spring Break In October

Earlier this week, we had frost every night.  However, we are now entering into a very mild stretch of weather with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s (far above the average for this region at this time of the year). 

Unfortunately, I am not able to fully enjoy this wonderful weather environment.  I am stranded in my own home.  Earlier this morning, after my wife left for work, I heard and felt a thud in the house.  My initial assumption was that the beloved canine knocked something over.  I did some investigating and found a sleeping dog and no signs of mischief.

All was going as usual until I pressed the button for the garage door opener and nothing happened.  I pressed it again and still nothing.  Then I noticed that the spring that makes it possible to lift the door had snapped in two.  That was the thud I felt and heard earlier.  This has happened before.  The garage door is down and is not moving.  My car is inside and is not moving, either.

So, here I sit.  Fortunately, I am able to connect to the computer server at work and can accomplish quite a bit.  However, it is a strange feeling to know that I just cannot go get into the car and drive somewhere.  While I don't have to face such challenges very often, many people with disabilities face the challenge of being "stranded" at home every day of their lives.  They cannot come up with the idea of going to a movie and then just go.  They have to make arrangements to find transporation.  If transportation is available at all, it is often difficult to coordinate and is very expensive - even in the large university city where I live.

A Foxy Challenge

A friend that is a priest of St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, WI, was recently playing a bit of tennis for some exercise.  Lo and behold, his tennis match was "crashed" by one of the residents of the abbey property.  Father Andrew was able to snap a photo of the "crasher".

A Good Batting Average

My sister-in-law, Jane, passed away last month.  Jane was a free-spirit.  She left her husband and two small sons many years ago to pursue the party life that she thought would make her happy.  She never did find much happiness.  She passed away after a pretty tough battle with cancer.

Yesterday, the family got together to fulfill Jane's wishes regarding her mortal remains.  It was a pretty tough family reunion, as many of the members still harbor bitter feelings toward Jane for turning her back on her husband and two small sons.  We can all question why Jane did some things she did and whe she didn't do things she should have done.  Thirteen family members were at the informal memorial service.  If it weren't for Jane, five of those people - her former husband, her two sons, her daughter-in-law, and her young grandson (whom Jane was able to hold two weeks before she died) would not be part of our family. 

In spite of many questionable things Jane did and didn't do during her earthly journey, she made it possible for five wonderful people to be part of our family (and made it possible for three of those five people to exist).  That's a pretty good batting average.

It's Not What You Know, But Whom You Know

I was delivered by the Green Bay Packer team physician two days after a game.  In those days, hygiene wasn't what it is today.  I could very well have Packer blood in me.  I was born too late to remember the Packer "glory years" of the 60s.  For most of my youth, we considered a Packer loss by less than 10 points to be a victory.  Even with that factored in, the Packers still lost most of the time.  My family had (and still does have) season tickets.  I think I went to 7 games before seeing a victory.

As the years went by, I always hoped I would live long enough to experience the Packers winning a Super Bowl.   That really was one of my top hopes for life.  Along came the mid-90s.  The Packers became one of the dominant teams in the NFL.  They were on a roll.  My father and I went to many playoff games.  When it looked likely that the Packers would go to the Super Bowl, the Packer organization held a lottery.  The few winners would have the opportunity to buy tickets to the Super Bowl at face value.  My father's name was picked!  I could not believe my good fortune - I was going to the Super Bowl and might actually see the Packers return to glory!

Fast forward to the Monday after the Super Bowl.  That Packers won.  Time spent in New Orleans was amazing.  I saw more people I knew from my hometown there than I would have walking around my hometown.  I had seen the Packers win the Super Bowl!  My hope was realized. 

However, I was given much more than what I hoped for.  Yes, I saw the Packers win the Super Bowl.  What was more significant was that I saw the Packers win the Super Bowl with my father.  At that time, he was close to 70 and retired.  On the tour we took to the Super Bowl, we had to stay at a hotel that was 90 minutes away from New Orleans.  At my father's suggestion, we took the first shuttle bus into New Orleans on each of the three days we were there and the last bus back.  Yes, we left at 8:00 am every morning and returned at 3:00 am.  We experienced all that New Olreans has to offer.  Several times during the trip, my father said something like "Don't tell your mother about this." 

I saw the Packers win the Super Bowl.  More importantly, I experienced that event with my father.

I was thinking about this earlier today while attending the funeral for Sylvia, a 90 year old woman that I have gotten to know over the past year during weekly visits to bring Communion to people at a nearby assisted living and rehabilitation center.  Although suffering from dementia, Syvia became crystal clear whenever I brought her Communion.  Invariably, she would say, "Thank you so much.  You don't know what this means to me".  Sylvia experinced many things in her life.  She was very well-educated at a time when many people felt that educating women beyond high school (except for teachers and nurses) was a waste of time.  Sylvia earned a Ph.D. in English Literature and Communications.  She taught for many years as a full professor at a major university.  Given all that she achieved, one might think her obituary and eulogy would be full with a list of professional milestones.  However, at Sulvia's request, these were the words that were shared.  "I have enjoyed many highlights during my life.  My family, friends and students comprise those highlights.  Thank you all for sharing this journey with me."

It is not what you know, but whom you know.

On The Clock

I just learned that the father of a good friend passed away recently.  His mother passed away lassed year.  So, he is experiencing the feelings one has when both parents have passed away.  Two weeks ago, I attended the wake for the mother of another friend.  Her father passed away last year.  She, too, is discovering the feelings one has when both parents have passed away.

Like my friends, I am experiencing what it is like when your parents are no longer living.  Fortunately, like my friends, both of my parents lived long and productive lives.  While there remains a deep sense of loss for all of us, we share the joy knowing that our parents lived full lives and are now on another journey (and reunited with other loved ones that have passed away).

I guess I have to get ready for this.  I am of an age where most of my friends still have both parents that are living.  In a few years, that will no longer be the case.  A few years after that, most of my friends will have no parents that are still living.  A few years after that, an increasing number of my friends will pass away due to natural causes.

This does not have to be a morbid thought.  All of this is part of both the earthly and spiritual the life cycles.

Who Cares?

LeBron James is hosting a one hour special that will be aired live on ESPN to announce which NBA team he plans to join as a free agent.

Would Nelson Mandela or Mother Teresa have held a televesion special to announce the next cause(s) to which the would devote themselves? In twenty years, LeBron James will be remembered by those few people that memorize sports statistics. Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa will be remembered as being being a part of positive world history for centuries to come.

Why My Musical Tastes May Seem Strange

...and it is not because ABBA is the greatest pop/rock group of all time. That is obvious.

However, let's harken back to 1982. For that year, the #1 song of the year was "Physical" by Olivia Newton John. The #1 song at my (all male Catholic) high school was "Centerfold" by the J. Geils Band.

My number #1 song for 1982 is one of which the vast majority of people have never heard. The singers are, for the most part (especially in the U.S.) unknown. The music production in the song isn't the greatest. The lyrics are not too deep. However, the strength of the tune (of which the vast majority of people should be familiar) is the glue that brings numerous weak features together in a manner that makes the song work.