Sunday Homily, May 28, 2017, 7th Easter

 

 

Bona Responds at work.

 

 

Readings:

 2 Chronicles 36, 14-16, 19-23, Cyrus, king of Persia, builds a temple in Jerusalem.

Psalm 137, Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you.

Ephesians 2, 4-10,  God raised us up.

John  3,  14-21, Jesus and Nicodemus converse

 

 

 

Some of The Team.

 

 

Today's Homily, Shared

 

On February 23 a group of 10-15 of our community went to Dickinson, TX to help people cleaning up from Hurricane & flood Harvey.  Our group met up with about 50 students, faculty, and alumni from St. Bonaventure U., near Buffalo.   Professor Jim Mahar regularly leads these groups to crisis areas mostly in our country.  He titles the group Bona Responds.

 

Today the community has invited the members of our group to share with us what touched their hearts during their stay in Dickinson.  Our group includes John & Connie Bresson, David Dinsmore, Bill Hammond who coordinates us with Bona Responds, and Mike Moran.

 

 

 

 Bona does ceilings.

 

 

John started by saying how emotional and humbling it was to work along these college kids who were giving up their Spring Break to clean up trash, to tear down dry wall, to wade through filthy flood water left in houses, to crawl back out of holes when the rotten flooring in a house or trailer home collapsed.  

 

Connie described working in the black mold trailer home of an elderly lady who could hardly do anything.  They cleared out moldy dry wall, insulation, and even flooring.  

 

 

 

 

Clean up.

 

There was one house that had 10 family members and relatives during the flood which brought in 4 feet of water inside the house/trailer.  A tree fell on the house.  Everyone, including a 94 year old grandmother and a dog had to climb to the attic for 10 hours to escape the flood water.  

 

They were finally rescued when they hailed a passing boat, everybody, including the dog.  Except one beloved family treasure, a Cockatiel bird.   They were broken hearted.  They finally were able to return a week later.  And what did they find, the pet Cockatiel, his cage half way filled with water, but alive and still loving everyone.

 

 

 

Some of our Community who made the trip to Dickinson. 

 

 

The family was blessed in that they had friends and family out of state who came to the rescue, cleaning, gutting, repairing, and even repainting.  Our group helped with some of the final steps, removing old insulation and installing new.

 

There was a trailer park, a complete disaster.  The first lady our people went to work for was named Theresa, very feeble with MS.  Her shower was broken so our people fixed it.  Theresa took her first shower in 6 months.Theresa was so grateful to the group that she gave the only gift she had other than love.  Theresa handed to each person a hand made artificial flower, gifts more touching than any kind of monetary gift.

 

 

 

Mike shares some of his memories and blessings.

 

 

Another elderly lady was living with her 5 dogs in a trailer home that was in like a bowl, a bowl with 3 feet of water.  Our people were able to pump out the water, which housed various water creatures like crawdads.  In the middle of the process three volunteers crashed through the lady's mobile home floor, uninjured fortunately.  Our team gutted the ceiling, walls, and floor.  Finally plywood was put back on the lady's floor.

 

Mike described how he was touched and impressed with Jim Mahar's practice of delegation and inclusion.  Some of the students had never held a hammer or done any of this kind of work.   They were still valuable.  Every morning and every evening all would gather.  In the evening the stories came pouring out in response to Jim's question, What touched you today?

 

What has touched you today?

 

 

 

Dona reporting on the Community's continued generosity in raising over $200 to help furnish the volunteer barrack with a large coffee maker and a 4 slice toaster (something important missing on the last visit).

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," says Cody with Olivia and Ben.

 

Readings:

Job 7, 1-4, 6-7,  Is not man’s life on earth a drudgery?

Psalm 147,  Praise the Lord who heals the broken hearted.

 Corinthians 9, 16-19. 22-23,   I have become all things to all.

Mark 1, 29-39, They brought to him all who were ill.

 

 

 

And, Welcome in to you, Judy.  So nice to see you.  You look beautiful.

 

 

Job 0bservations:

What: A comment on The Universe.  No book in the OT or NT has less known about it.  Called the most profound book of the OT.    It deals with the problem of evil, personal justification, and why bad things happen to good people.   Job himself could be historical, a literary creation, or a combination of the first two.

Author: Unknown. 

Date: It is guessed to be before the time of Moses and Egypt, i.e., earlier than 1300 before Christ.

Structure: 3 poetic dialogues preceded by a prose introduction and ending with a prose conclusion, an epilogue judged to have been added sometime later by another person or group of persons.

 

 

 

 

Emma, your smile makes my day.  Thanks to you and your little friend.   By the way, your other little friend that you loaned us still rides in our car above the mirror.

 

 

Psalm 147 observations:

 

The message is beautifully optimistic.   Is it naive?   We all die.  What about the Jews who entered Auschwitz?   My JCC friend from Poland?  85 members of his family liquidated.  

 

 

 

 

Want to go to communion?  See Jan, she will fix you up.

 

 

The Story of Job

I would like to tell you this morning the story of Job.

Once upon a time there was a good man named Job who lived in the land of Uz.  He had 7 sons and 3 daughters, a sign that he was especially blessed.  He not only had sons, but he had the special number of 7. 

One day Yahweh was walking around heaven talking with his buddies when he ran into the devil.  "What have you been doing?" he asked.  "I have been walking around here and there," the devil responded. 

"Have you noticed how good my man Job is?"  "Yes,' says the devil, "but I bet he will curse you to your face if you stop protecting him and take away all his goodies."  "It's a bet," says Yahweh, "Just don't hurt him."

 

 

 

 

Leo, our Candle Man of the Week, at work.

 

 

So a few days later while all of Job's 7 sons and 3 daughters where having a feast with their families, a storm blew up killed them all.  A messenger runs to tell Job of the horrible news. 

Another messenger had raced in and saying lightening has just killed all his sheep and the shepherds.   Other messengers likewise run in saying Job's livestock have been rustled by robbers who killed all the farm hands.

Job is devastated, of course, but responds with the famous statement: "I was born with nothing, and I will die with nothing.  The Lord gave, and now he has taken away.  May his name be praised." 

 

 

 

 

Jackie reading the Blessing of the Candles.

 

 

So Yahweh wins his bet.  But, when Yahweh and the devil meet up to settle their bet, the devil raises the stakes by saying that he bets Job will curse Yahweh if the devil is allowed to hurt his body.  Not death, just hurt.  "Bet," says Yahweh.

The next day Job comes down with sores all over his body, like leprosy, and he has to go outside of town where the lepers go.  He sits in the town dump.  His wife now comes and his friends.  They all grieve. They also encourage Job to see what he has done bad.  Has he cursed Yahweh?  Confess and repent.  Job proclaims his innocence.  But he is depressed and discouraged. 

Note the cosmic vision here: God punishes the evil and blesses the good.  So, Job, what bad thing is God punishing?

 

 

 

 

So sorry, Brent, not even a cupcake for you this week.

 

(In East Africa I used to celebrate Mass for a small community of lepers

Finally, while not cursing Yahweh, he cries out his anguish saying (chapter 3): 

"Oh, God, put a curse on the day I was born; put a curse on the night when I was conceived!  Turn that day into darkness, God." (verses  2-4) 

"I wish I had died in my mother's womb or died the moment I was born.  Why did my mother hold me on her knees?" (verses 11-12) 

"Why let men go on living in misery?  Why give light to men in grief?" (verse 20) 

"Everything I fear and dread comes true.  I have no peace, no rest, and my troubles never end." (verses 25-26)

 

 

 

The Offertory Team, Nina & Kerry, Judy & Mike.

 

 

After some time in this situation, Yahweh comes along and speaks with him:

"Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant, empty words?  Stand up now like a man and answer the questions I ask you.  Were you there when I made the world?" (verses 2-3)

"Job, have you ever in all you life commanded a day to dawn?" (verse 12)

"Have you been to the springs in the depths of the sea?  Have you walked on the floor of the ocean? "(verse 16)

"Have you been to the place where the sun comes up or the place where the east wind blows?" (verse 24)

 

 

 

Communion Team ready to begin.

 

 

After hearing all the numerous ways Yahweh reminds him of how insignificant he is, Job apologizes to Yahweh and promises to be a good boy and not complain from now on. 

In an epilogue, which is considered a late addition, Yahweh restores his wealth and gives him 7 more sons and 3 more beautiful daughters.  He lives another 140 years a prosperous and happy man.

Ever feel like Job?  How do you handle the feeling?

 

 

 

 

Lynda & Tom getting ready to run Hilton Head next week end and Jan is blessing them on their way.   I am envious.

 

Says Harper, "Welcome in, Everybody."

 

Readings:

Zacheriah 9, 9-10,   He shall proclaim peace to the nations.

 Psalm 145,   I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.  

Here it is again, The Terrific Line: "The Lord is gracious & merciful, slow to anger and abounding in love."  Watch for it.

Romans 8,  9, 11-13,  You are not in the flesh, you are in the spirit.  (?)

 Matthew 11, 25-30,  All creation is groaning in labor pains.

 

 

Likewise, Gil, too, says, "Come on in, Folks."

 

Zechariah:  Zechariah is the 11th of the 12 Minor Prophets and lived just when the Hebrews were released from the 70 year long Babylonian Captivity, in other words around 555 B.C. He is in Jerusalem and encourages the people to rebuild the temple.

He is called a minor prophet only because his little work has simply 14 chapters, unlike the Big 3, Isaiah, Jeremiah, & Ezekiel, who have many chapters, in fact 66 for Isaiah.

He was a favorite of the N.T. writers because he is rich in messiah predictions.  Today we have one of those visions.   You might picture how this message is coming across.  The people have been crushed, they have been slaves in Babylon, and the Jerusalem they have returned to is nothing but disaster. 

 

 

 

Tori, what happened to your tooth?  Are you a rich girl now?

 

The Lord is Gracious and Merciful, never gets Angry, and is abounding in Love

I was asking myself, how did this line come to say so much to me about the nature of our God.  Here is what I found.

I can tell you the time of day it first hit me, a sunny morning.  I can tell you exactly where I was, Nairobi, Kenya, in the little chapel of a house run by a small group of American religious teaching brothers.    

 

 

 

 

Zoe, did you snatch Tori's tooth?  You got beautiful teeth.

 

It was my second year working in East Africa.  I was taking a day off at this American brothers’ place because it was just around the corner from a really nice arboretum and because they were Americans.  The Jesuits in Nairobi were mostly Indians with a few Quebecois.  I liked to hang out once in a while with fellow Americans. 

So why at this time and place?  Two reasons.

 

 

 

 

Emma, just seeing you & your mom here today makes my day.

 

One, education and Jesuit formation.  I had some good, progressive professors when I studied theology in Toronto, like David Michael Stanley in New Testament.

Secondly, people who showed me compassion and sensitivity, intellectual curiosity and acceptance, like the novice master, Tony Mangiaracina, about whom I talked once.  He is the priest I told you I saw cigarette smoke coming out of his desk drawer when I went in to get permission to drink water for that month.

 

 

 

The Offertory Gang, Paul & Carrie & Diane.

 

Another priest I never have talked about is the assistant novice master, Bobby Rimes, another of the numerous New Orleans guys who made up our province.

Three reasons why Bobby influenced me to perceive the significance of the line, The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

 

 

Where did you get that megawatt smile, Olivia?   It lights up the room.

 

First, he was disappointed but accepting of his assignment to be assistance novice master.  Bobby really wanted to be a missionary like Francis Xavier.  He wanted to be The Best.  Assistance novice master was not very romantic.  He did not ever complain, but simply shared he would prefer to be in the missions. 

And here I, never dreamed of going to the missions, I end up in East Africa.  I did not yearn to work in the missions because I did not like the cultural imperialism I read about, which played a role in my getting asked to leave.

 

 

 

You, too, Ben, your personality warms the whole room.

 

Secondly, Bobby was an excellent athlete and probably could have been a pitcher in the big leagues.  Wow, could he pitch.  I got to know this athleticism up close & personal because the second 3 years I spent in Grand Coteau, the noviciate, I spent many afternoons in titanic 2 on 2 handball games.  I never won a game, though we came oh so close  numerous times. 

I had a partner who was quite strong.  He was one of those who did 10 one armed pushups.  He was Mexican from Juarez.  Bobby,  he probably could have asked one of the nuns from the Sacred Heart Academy down the street.  We never won a game in three years, but it was so fun and moving.

 

 

 

So good to have you back, Leo.  The place is not right without you.

 

Thirdly, Bobby was always a friend, supportive and accepting.  He had every gift, not only a great athlete, but really a nice looking guy.  

Because of the influence of Bobby Rimes, somehow or other, I suddenly saw that  The Lord is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

How does the line strike you?

 

 

Readings: Acts 4, 32-35; Psalm 118, Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good, His Love is Everlasting; 1 John 5, 1-6; Luke 24, 35-48.

Acts:  Just a reminder–

Author: Luke who is writing a continuation of his Gospel.  Much of his Gospel material is copied from Mark's Gospel.

Date: maybe 40 years after the death of Christ, or ca. 70-100 A.D.

Subject:     

•    First, the spread of the Christian movement in Jerusalem

•    Second, the spread of the movement through Palestine, i.e., the Holy Land

•    Third, the spread of the movement throughout the known world

Our selection:  Peter & John have just healed a cripple at the temple door.  Peter has told the gathered Jews that he did not do it.  Jesus gives them the power.   And, moreover, Jesus has risen from the dead.  Peter & John get arrested for this talk and then are released with a warning to not go around talking about Jesus Christ as risen from the dead.  The men return to the local group of believers where they share their adventures.  At this point Luke sets aside a couple of paragraphs to describe the local group of believers. 

You will note that the believers live a communal life.  This is what I lived as a Jesuit and it was comfortable.  It is also why I knew I was taken care of as long as I was a member.  Leave and I depart with nothing.

To Obtain that Peace, Face that Fear

A couple of years ago when I did the wedding in Scotland, I was hosted graciously by Katie McGrath, Bob & Jackie's daughter, who lives with her Scotch husband in Edinburgh.  I arrived a couple days early so I could look around a bit.  One beautiful day Katie took me to a huge book fair in the center of town.  While there we took in a couple lectures.

In one of these lectures there were three people discussing something which I have no memory of.  However, during the course of the lecture one of the people quoted one line from a poem that I had noticed and started to memorize.  As the lecture wound down I got this crazy idea.  I could show my appreciation for what these three people had done so well.  I might stand during the question time and recite the whole poem. 

Folks, I hate to get these ideas.  Where do they come from?  They can come up as questions, too. 

I'm sitting there thinking to myself, I don't want to get up in front of all these people and recite a poem, which I may not even remember.  I was pretty fearful.  At the same time, I am thinking, "Stack, you will be disappointed in yourself if you do not do this."  I have been in this place often.

Guess what I did.  Yes, I stuck my hand up, was called upon, stood, and recited the poem, stumbling a bit on only a couple of words.  People even helped me when I stumbled, which showed me that I was not the only person who appreciated the poem.  I told the panel I dedicated it to them and they seemed appreciative.  Even more grateful was I, however, that I could overcome my initial fear.

Which leads me to our Gospel story today.  Here we have the followers of Jesus, 8 or 10 of them, petrified and hiding behind locked doors.  Jesus comes in and says, "Peace."  I would like to say a couple of things about fear and peace and their relation.

I would propose that there are three types of fear.  One is therapeutic, one is non therapeutic or unhealthy, and the third sort of hits in the middle.  Therapeutic fear is when I meet a bear in Yosemite.  The adrenalin pumps and I want to run rather than getting mauled.  Good idea.  The apostles had this fear in that room, because if they went out maybe they too would get crucified. 

Another type of fear is of the ultimate, the fear of dying.  The response to this is just the opposite.  I may take numerous appropriate measures to cure myself, but in the long run we all will walk the path.  The response to the walk is acceptance. 

My little hero, a Dominican monk whose statue is in the Campo di Fiori in the heart of Rome, Giordano Bruno, seems to have accepted his fate to be burned at the stake one winter morning in 1600.  This was despite the fact that he spent 8 years in two inquisition prisons, Venice & Rome, defending his thinking and writing, fighting for his life.  He was brilliant little man ahead of his time by a few centuries.

The third type of fear was what I experienced when that crazy thought entered my mind.  Fear of humiliating myself, fear of looking like an idiot in front of those people, the old fear of talking in public which fortunately I seldom am cursed with any more.  The reason why Thomas in this gospel is a hero of mine is that he had the courage to say I don't believe this until I see with my own eyes.  He questioned. 

How do you deal with these types of fears.  Sorry to tell you for those who have it, face it and overcome it.  Join toastmasters like a number of people I know, including Rosemary's sister, Claire, volunteer to talk or read before people, ask questions at lectures. 

The result of dealing with these three types of fear?  Peace.  The Peace He is talking about in the Gospel.  Obviously, when I run from that bear in Yosemite, I will have peace. 

Especially I will experience peace when I accept my death, whatever form that may take.  And I will experience peace when I face my non therapeutic fears, like the fear of humiliating myself in front of others. 

I think this is what God created us to experience.  Inner peace.

The poem?  By W.H. Davies, Leisure

What is this life if, full of care, we have not time to stand and Stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs and stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see when woods we pass, where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance, and watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare.

 

How are you dealing with your fears? 

AUDIO:  http://mysite.verizon.net/reso7rjy/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2009-04-19.mp3

Picture 1:  Mass begins with T.J. & Lorynne & Lacee

Picture 2:  Emily & Lindsay bring up the bread & wine

Picture 3:  Genny Holcolm

Picture 4:  Barb Wittek, Teresa & Doug Read

 

Readings:

Exodus  34, 4-6, 8-9,  A God merciful and gracious, never gets angry, rich in kindness and fidelity.

Psalm, Daniel 3, Glory and praise for ever.  

2  Corinthians 13, 11-13, Live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you.

 John 3, 16-18,   Peace be with you; receive the Holy Spirit. 

 

 

"Welcome in, Everybody," says Harper.

 

Exodus Story: 

So the Israelite people have been wandering around in the Sinai desert for many years after escaping from old Pharaoh in Egypt.  Moses has been invited up Mt. Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments.  

He comes down all loaded with two stone tablets written on both sides and discovers that the people have become exasperated with him and the wandering in the desert.  They have created a gold bull to celebrate with and to worship. 

Old Moses, all angry, throws down the tablets and breaks them.  He calls Aaron, his lieutenant, tells him to gather the Levite tribe, the priestly tribe, and he tells them to slaughter all the rest.  They do.

 

 

Emma, too, says, "Hi, Everybody, come in."

 

At this point our reading begins.   Yahweh tells Moses to make two more tablets and to return to the top of Mt. Sinai, where he will get another set of commandments.  It is here where that marvelous line about the nature of God is mentioned again, "The Lord is gracious & merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love."

This is ancient folk tale literature at its best, like Aesop's Fables.

 

 

Ugh, oh, Tori is missing a tooth.  Are you now a rich girl, Tori?

 

 

The Lord is Gracious and Merciful, never gets Angry, and is abounding in Love.  

I want to talk about this line this morning.  For me, of course, the line says it all.  This is my understanding of who God is and how he acts.  Consequently, this is a

 

 

 

You win, Buddy.  Tori lost one, you lost  TWO.  Congratulations.

 

 

to do it talk.  How to spot these qualities.

Of course, there are big ways, like visiting my beloved Yosemite, cycling Iowa & Hotter ’N Hell, and getting together Sunday mornings with all of you. 

There are, also, smaller ways.  Two examples this morning.

Rosemary, of course, rolls her eyes when I run my ideas past her. 

 

 

Zoe, I think you are rich too.  You got all your teeth.

 

The first took place Friday at 1:00, guess where.  Yes, at Jason’s Deli.  Our Romeo get together.  There were 4 of us sitting in the very back of the bus, just in front of the doors to the restrooms, Tom & Mike & Andy Sokolowski and myself.  At my left was an extra table & chair for other regulars who had not arrived yet. 

About half way through our lunch one of the assistant managers, Patrick, a tall, nice looking guy, comes back to our area to bring food to a couple.  He is usually really busy, even to bussing tables when the place is full.  This Friday is lighter than usual.

 

 

Welcome home, Alexandra.  Declin, you are a neat kid and you got a terrific mommy.
 

 

So instead of running back to work, Patrick comes over to our table, says hi to everybody, and accepts our invitation to sit.  He is just to my left. 

In the next 5-10 minutes Patrick shares a lot about himself, 28 years old, Plano resident since birth, almost got married once, but is peaceful.  Then back to work he goes. 

 

 

The trouble makers corner.  You guys have too much fun every Sunday.

 

The second event took place in our living room Saturday morning.  A couple came to talk about their wedding in August. 

I find weddings almost always touching and beautiful happenings.  This couple was especially a joy.  First of all, the groom is Austin Goode, whom I have known since way back, since St. Mark’s days.  Tom  & Becky are his mom & dad.  I am really touched by this.

 

 

The Anderlicks, John & Karen & Lisa.

 

If this was not bad enough, Austin introduces Rosemary and me to this delightful, pretty, and full of personality fiance’, Vika.  Her story is so marvelous.  Born in Belaruss, brought to the States at 4 with her whole family by, get this, the Jewish Community Center, which I loved even before hearing Vika’s story.  She goes to private Jewish schools, public schools, and graduates from SMU.  On top of all this Vika has this magnetic  personality.

I can see the personality of our God in these two events.  I can see that he is gracious and merciful, never gets angry, and is abounding in love.

Where do you see the personality of God?

 

 

Vika (in blue) with Austin and her parents, Ena and Alex Kuznetsova.

 

 

 

Readings:

Acts 4,  34, 32-35  The community of believers was of one heart and mind.

Psalm 118,    Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

1 John 5, 1-6,   Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God.

 John  20, 19-31,  Thomas.

 

 

Acts reminders:

Author: Luke, the same who wrote the gospel.  He was an educated, urbane Jew.

Date: the years 75-80 

Subject: This is a travel log, detailing the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome and the Mediterranean in between.

Today: we have a passage pretty universally admittedly idealistic.  All is perfect and harmonious.   We view a community which is a commune, a utopian vision of life and the foundation of communism.

 

 

 

 

Do Not be Unbelieving, But Believe 

This week Rosemary and I will head south to Mobile, Alabama, where two events are taking place.  First, we plan another reunion of my old ’58 class Jesuits will get together.  Secondly, 50 years ago we graduated from Spring Hill College and there is a homecoming event staged by the college.

Of course, all this has me reflecting fondly on our years together.  Three memories.

 

First, there was a neat spirit among the 25 or so guys I entered with.  Most of these guys were amazingly normal, intellectually gifted, and some were amazing athletes. 

Secondly, as a group we lived a rigorous monastic life.  Silence, formal prayer times, work, study, and three recreation afternoons, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.  We wore a black cassock & cincture or we wore long sleeved shirts and long pants, even to play touch football & baseball in 100 degree heat & Gulf Coast humidity.  We took only three showers a week, a left over reflection of the old Catholic phobia about nakedness. 

 

 

There is a story funny today about the odor or sanctity.  This was how you could tell a fake Jew from a true Catholic during the time of Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain, say 1492.  Catholics did not bathe, Jews did bathe once a week.  Guess what the odor of sanctity was.

The third thing I remember is our life at Spring Hill College.  For me it was a marvelous release from a cloistered life to life on a campus with guys and girls, not that we were allowed to, as it was termed, fraternize with the college kids.

 

 

I graduated 50 years ago with a degree in secondary ed, maybe grooming myself for administration in one of our 6 regional high schools.  I also spent the three years studying Catholic philosophy in Latin.  It was totally boring to me.  We had the adversaries and we had to learn how to out argue them.  We took our finals in Latin.

 

 

It was during these three years that a lot of my classmates began to question the whole process.  It was Vatican II time, the murder of John Kennedy and Martin Luther King.  At this time I never questioned.  I just went along.  I admired the guys, but was content.  I survived because I played a lot of touch football and I took care of a fleet of boats & motors we used at a villa across Mobile Bay.  I could go there every weekend and for two marvelous weeks in the summer.  We also had three hot, excellent meals a day.

 

The overall training made me grow up quickly.  I look back now, however, am somewhat embarrassed, and ask myself how could I believe in some of those practices.  And I know.  It was believe, believe in the process, in the company, in those who have gone through this before me, and look at them, how successful they are.

Doubting Thomas, the subject of our Gospel today, is a hero of mine.  I think I would like to have been more like him in those early years.  Which would have been impossible at the time, I know. I believed.   Paradoxically, I think the training itself ultimately gave me the self-confidence and intellectual curiosity to enable me to have doubts & questions.  Want to know when I started questioning?  East Africa.

 

The danger with the "do not be unbelieving, but believe" statement is that it is a "do not think" statement.  I become a sheep following the footsteps of whoever is in front of me with a feeling of security.  Doubts can be scary, questions confusing.  Without them I am less than fully human. 

Like with Thomas, what are your doubts & questions.  What do you do about them and how do you feel about them?