Tollhouse

The pope used a great image of how we too often treat the sacraments in my church.  We act like a tollhouse.  You don't get through the toll until you pay the fee.  Sacraments become a reward for living a good life, following the right rule, having the catechism faith.  Sacraments rather are supposed to be for those who need the grace to live a better life, or who feel that they just need grace to get through the day.  Sacraments are not rewards.  They are food for us who are starving for some of God in our life.

Dad-ness

What makes a good Dad?  I know a fellow who was not a good student, does not have much of a job or prospects, a bit of a partier and somewhat stupid sex.  He got a girl pregnant.  No marriage.  Turns out he is a great Dad!  Go figure.  Another fellow did well in a good school, has good job, got married before having a baby, but turns out to be clueless about Dad-ness.  Maybe Dad-ness is passed down from father to son.  I am not sure.  Jesus seems to be at ease around children, but that is not the same thing.  I do know that from what I see in guys who are good Dads, Grace is everywhere.  School diplomas and money sure does not teach it.  Maybe it is a gift?

Do As I Say

When the pope in 1968 put out Humane Vitae, he said no to artificial contraception. Many Catholics simply did not follow his orders.  Such Catholics were condemned for their disobedience.  Bishops always do what the pope says, and so should the laity, right?  When JPII and B16 said something, the bishops all lined up to follow.  Then came Francis I.  He called a meeting of hierarchy for next Fall on the topic of the Family, which of course will include sex stuff.  He wants a survey to be done of what the laity think.  Now our bishops decided that each bishop will decide what to do.  Say what?  Could it be that when bishops don't like what the pope says, they drag their feet or just ignore it?  Dissent seems to run in all levels of my church.  Time for chocolate.

Plating

I am stuck in the past!  I serve food the same way my Mom did.  Each item has its separate place on the plate.  This way, I can eat all the potato/rice, and then all the other veggie, and then the meat.  Or I can eat some of one and then some of the other, but never combined.  Plating says, "get over it."  The new way is to serve food combined.  The plate used to be stacked, but that is out now too.  Yet, new, simpler ways are being presented in which foods are combined on the same plate.  This way you eat things together instead of separately.  Now I have to teach my sister, Jane, and my friend, Mary, both good cooks, how to get with the new ways.  No family style either, as that would tend to go toward food separation.  "Presentation" is the focus.

Institutions might learn from this.  "Old" or as it is sometimes covered up with the word, "tradition" might not be the best focus if you want to reach out to the modern person.  If you are only into maintenance, doing the same old thing for the same old people, soon you will be feeding no one.

JFK

I look back on the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination.  In his honor, I went to mass that day.  In Jackie's honor I went shopping.  God and sales are hard for me to resist.  I can pray anywhere, but San Francisco is a great shopping town.  I don't want to spend too much time living in "what might have been," because that includes my past as well.  JFK never had a day past November 22, 1963.  I did.  I still have today.  How can I be of service?  How do I recognize the miracle of my life given one more day by God?  I try to keep the past in perspective, in memory and respect, but not so its energy controls the present.  Even my past successes guarantee nothing today.  Live in the now and destiny will take care of itself.

Incomprehensible

A group of Catholic theologians, PhD types, said that my Church's teaching on marriage and sexuality was incomprehensible and outdated.  Whew!  I thought I was just stupid because I could not make heads or tails out of our reasoning and method in this teaching.  Maybe I am not so dumb.  Incomprehensible.  Some people say the teaching is just fine, but I have found such people don't really read how the conclusions are arrived at.  They just agree with the conclusions.  Prejudice always takes shortcuts, and often lives in a past when we did not know better.

Lulu

There is a web site called "Lulu," I think.  It is for women to rate guys they dated, so that other women can check it out.  Apparently, it gives women some power over jerks, as well as helps get the word out about really worthwhile guys.  Some guys say that they have changed so as to get a better rating on Lulu.  Thank God there is not one to rate priests.  It would ruin the fantasy that we are all so wonderful and gifted.  Would a lousy rating make us change?  One can only hope.