1. We have a garden in the backyard. We've planted beans. The shoots have grown tall, lovely, full of beautiful red flowers. They tower over the rest of the garden, and create a fantastic visual display. However, there are no beans, only blossoms. It takes a special sort of bee to visit and pollinate these flowers, and that one is not anywhere to be seen. I've thought about taking a q-tip and trying to cross pollinate the bean plants, but it might damage the flowers, meaning that even if the right bee were to show up, they would be unable to make the plant germinate and bear fruit. The plants remain a showcase of the garden, and yet, they cannot feed us. They will wither and die because they were made for a symbiotic relationship that for whatever reason, isn't happening. (Sigh).
2. We cleaned out three laundry bags full of not fitting anyone clothing, just from the upstairs! Now I have to hit the main floor and it's rather like trying to take a spiritual inventory. You discover your sins if you start to look. It's possible to work really hard, and discover you engage in systemic sloth. I don't want to will to do something, so it waits until it is a galactic project. Why do I like galactic projects?
3. The sacred and luminous surround us, if only we look.
I read Facebook, I follow the news, there are people everywhere declaring their despair; over Encyclicals, over Supreme Court decisions, over actions past and present, over riots, shootings, debt, the rage and outrage, the roar and gnashing and wailing of teeth is visible.
Being a peacemaker, means seeing both sides of the issue, not proclaiming a single victor and telling the other side, "Suck it." Being merciful means extending charity where it is not deserved, because we would want it given when we have failed to live up to expectations, or to being what is good, true and beautiful. Being humble, means not demanding my will, but Thy will be done.
It's not easy, because even when a soul is in a state of grace, that "my will" will show up and say....But God didn't mean that...or God couldn't want this...and seek some form of rationalization for whatever it is to be my will, rather than "thy." If we want a peaceful, merciful, charitable nation, we will have to start being more peaceful, (which does not mean flaccid or mellow). If we want a more merciful nation, we will have to practice being more merciful (not chortling when our opinion is affirmed at those disappointed), and not taking glee in others' pain or comeuppance.
It isn't easy to be charitable (giving, and being cheerful about it), but it is what we're called to be in all things and at all times. If Saint Maximilian Kolbe can sing songs of praise in isolation in the concentration camps at Auschwitz, then we can sing with full hearts no matter what vexes us. So we don't have an excuse. We'll have to will it. That means, yes, another galactic project.
4. Which brings me to this song from our wedding. I'm busy trying to find someone to transfer everything to a digital copy from our video (VHS) cassette for our 25th Anniversary. Watching the movie brings back a lot of memories. It also stuns the children to see their father and me young. We were...I will scan photos of us when I get done with getting a digital copy of everything...in the meantime, this is my favorite song from our wedding, even if it's not sung by those who sang it for us.
So sing. Sing loud. Sing full.
5. But back to the mood of the nation. What can we do? To mend the nation? To heal the wounds of our society that seem to be constantly picked open, rather than dressed and made clean? To make the public discourse of life, whether on the internet or in real life, a source of peace, joy and hope?
1) "Jesus if you will it, you can make me clean." (We need to ask).
2) Prayer and fasting. (because some wrongs can only be cast off with such penance).
3) Almsgiving. (Redress for all the wrongs we've inflicted, past and present).
(I confess, I'm not very good at fasting if diets are any indication, nor am I a great almsgiver, and even prayer life has sluffed off with the summer). Will work on it...all of it
6. I'm really glad I'm an adult now. I'm not sure I could take being a teenager now, with everything digitalized and immortalized. I was stupid as a teen, so I'm glad my stupidity is not as well known as it would be if I were a teen now.
Also, none of my teens have held part time jobs, because all jobs are done through the main office, and they want only adults, never teens. They also want full time, never part. To me, holding a job was part of being a teen, learning about working a job. I'm sorry the first three haven't had the opportunity.
7. What am I reading? The House of Brede! It's taking a bit of discipline not to run through the pages because I like it so much. I tend to gobble a book I like, but it shouldn't be done with this one, or I'll miss something important.
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