Saint Paul

As reported in the comments section of my previous post, "Lovin' & Huggin'" I discovered two new poems on the 11th, including one titled "Saint Paul" by one of our lifelong faith formation students, who, we'll call, for the sake of protecting the innocent, Aquila. His age is unknown, but estimated to be somewhere between 8 and 10. The original is decorated with numerous colored foam hearts, circles, triangles and squares. In a review of the poem for the BBC, Pauline scholar Jerome Murphy-O'Connor called the work "an outstanding example of 21st-century Christian poetry. Inspired stuff. And historically sound. Ahhhh?" Enjoy. (Capitalization, spelling, and punctuation left in orginal form.)

Saint paul, Saint paul how do you do.
Do you miss being a jew?
Saint paul, Saint paul
On your first mission you brought alms to the christians.
Saint paul, Saint paul
on your missionary journey
You built churches in Asian minorities
Saint paul, Saint paul
On your second missionary journey
You revisited the churches in Asian minorities
Then passing through Galatia
You had a vision that led you to mecadonia
Saint paul, Saint paul
On your third journey you visited nearly the same regions
Saint paul, Saint paul
On that same journey you were prosecuted by Jews
For two years in chains
Saint paul, Saint paul
After two years of ball and chain
You were sentenced for same punishment as Spain
Saint paul, Saint paul
Released at last but for your life It has ended,
With a glorius past.

Who Said Rap/Hip-Hop Isn't Catechetical?

This weekend at Immaculate Heart of Mary, we had a Confirmation gathering of all the 8th graders (school, CRE, Academy, homeschool) and their parents and sponsors. The kiddies break off into groups and one group is "fortunate" to have me as their "leader". Anyway, we got to talking about what Confirmation is and what it is not.

It is not 1)graduation from being Catholic 2) a get-out-of-jail card 3)a reason to be on Super 16th bday party.

We got to a point in the conversation where it was like "What's the point in Confirmation then?"

And I said, "To help you 'Live Your Life...hey hey hey.'" while doing the fist pump. In Class. The kids laughed. I got to quote T.I. & Rihanna and be bada$$ for another day.

Speaking of bada$$, i caught a girl text messaging in class and called her out by simply saying, "Caitlin. Stop text messaging" while looking the other way. The class was stunned. Legendary. For Sure.

Celebrating a Legend

Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of Thomas Jackson: gentlemen, role model, scholar, and dear friend.

I thought it appropriate for us to remember him tonight as we wait in vigil to celebrate his birth.

Appropriate memories are appreciated.

Parable of the Talents

I wrote another reflection for the St. James Christian Formation blog. Thought I'd share it with you too. It's for this upcoming weekend.
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At the center of this parable are three servants and a journeying man. Two of the servants are praised as “good and faithful” while the other servant gets labeled “wicked” and “lazy”. The man, who leaves on a journey, leaves no instructions for his servants, but simply entrusts them with everything. At the end of the parable we find out that he is demanding, maybe even a little unfair. He wants results from places where he gives no expectations. He “harvests where he doesn’t plant and gathers where he doesn’t scatter”. It’s unreasonable to expect these things, and maybe the man’s unreasonableness is the reason why he gets angry when the third servant fails to double his allotment.

Why in the world is Jesus telling us this story of a man with unreasonable expectations? Because God is unreasonable. It seems unreasonable for God to send us His Son here to earth and even more unreasonable that Jesus would die for us. It seems unreasonable for there to be a Church that exists for two thousand years despite corruption and abundance of sin. It seems unreasonable for a parent to wake up at three in the morning to care for a crying baby.

Love is unreasonable.

Jesus coming into the world seems unreasonable, but Jesus is the ultimate example of love. A two thousand year old Church seems unreasonable, but despite the corruption and sin, the Church has been an instrument of love in the world. Anyone waking up at three in the morning seems unreasonable, but a parent’s love for the child trumps sleep sometimes.

God is the unreasonable person who entrusts us with everything. We have the earth, we have our family, we have our friends, and we have our lives. Of course, God does give us some instruction unlike the journeying man. But these gifts from God are all freely given to us out of God’s love for us. It is up to us to multiply this love by our thoughts, words, and actions. Doing so could result in being called a “good and faithful servant” of God. (Perhaps coincidently, the title “Servant of God” is the first title give to a person on their way to sainthood).

When we fail to multiply that love, when we cut ourselves off from other people, we risk being called “wicked” and “lazy”. At the heart of this failure to love is likely fear, for “there is no fear in love” (1 John 4:18). The third servant, out of fear, buried the talent. And us? Out of fear, what do we do? How does fear hinder our love for our family? For our friends? For our other brothers or sisters in Christ?

Huggin' & Lovin'

I spoke at our seniors' club luncheon today about Echo and the joys of corrupting the youths. Before my talk, I sat at a table with a number of wonderful folks, including a delightful wiseacre perfectly named Walter J. Roob. At one point, Walter handed me a 20-year old sort-of business card, which looks kind of like a Mass card. (Foreshadowing?[I'm a jerk.]) On the front is a picture advertising his former photography business, which is one of those one-picture-looks-like-two depending on how you hold it..ugly hag in one direction ("Before Roob Photography") and good-looking gal in the other ("After Roob Photography"). On the reverse side is an original Roob poem, entitled "Huggin & Lovin." Enjoy.

Ever wonder what your hug can do?
You can help someone when they're blue.
Your hug can say "I love you so,"
Or "I hate to see you go."
Your hug can say "Hi again,"
"I love you," or "How've you been?"
Your hug can heal a hurt,
When a friend's been done some dirt.
Your hug has heavenly beauty about it.
You can hardly live without it.
Your hug delights, thrills, and charms.
That's why God gave you arms.
Hug and love your father and mother.
Show God's love to sister and brother.
Huggin's great with your grandpa.
It's even warmer with your grandma.
Little puppies and kittens, too,
Love lovin' and huggin' from you.
Every human being, slave or king,
Knows that huggin' is "The thing."
Language is no barrier with huggin'.
If God is Love, huggin' is lovin'.
See 'em, touch 'em, smell 'em, feel 'em.
Love 'em, thrill 'em, show 'em, heal 'em.
The Bible even tells of Jesus,
Laying on his hands to please us.
So reach out your arms, do it each day.
Start lovin' and huggin'. You know it's O.K.

Double Blogging

For the first time in my life, I am a contributor on two blogs. This one and my newly re-launched (meaning that I finally started posting again) A Texan in Indiana Wisconsin. I just wrote a post about this weekend, and the craziness of it all. Since you have a bunch of free time, as you're looking at this blog, feel free to check it out. And then you can read all my other 600+ posts about my life, and see my journey through college to now.

But now it's time for pray pray.

Long...long...looooonggg...time no blog...lo siento...

Hello my Echo friends in other places other than Peoria...ok...Anna too. :-) It actually has not been a long time since I have blogged..now that I think about it..since this is my first time! Hope everyone is enjoying their experiences and completely letting go of themselves for the greater glory of our God. This experience has been quite a journey for me and I am sure one for you too. Everyone's is different and fits the plan that God has for our lives that will bring his beauty and be a sign of his love to the world!! Being a catechist and leader is beautifully humiliating and has drawn me closer into the depth of our God's love. Do you ever just ache to share such joy for those sitting next to you at Church or those you walk in with through the front doors at Church? I have learned that this is what I am called to do every morning and evening for every weekend Mass. I am a greeter during the beginning and closing of every Mass. My primary phrase is "goodmorning" or "goodevening" and sometimes an occasionally "how are you?" or "Go Irish!" or "Don't stop believing in the Irish...I know they can do it!" ;-) (JK)...Seriously though...sometimes I have found this simple act to be the most humiliating and least favorite tasks of my apprenticeship...until this weekend...no...there was never an "ACL moment" to bring me to the realization of how awesome this little task is...just a simple pause in thought and change of heart...realizing that the first step to catechesis and bringing God's beauty to the world is to humbly look into the eyes of every stranger and smile with authenticity...such a simple act...but something that I have faith will open hearts and doors in others not to know me soley...but to know His love first...How awesome is it to be a living light of Christ for others!!! Hope you enjoyed my rambling...

Love and Peace to All!
Kathy

Smile to let His light shine through you!!! Rely on Him always!!