Fr. Bob's Corner

Best- selling author, Mary Karr, was recently interviewed by Fr. Dave Dwyer, CSP (Host of the Busted Halo Show on Sirius XM). The interview took place  May 11th, 2011 from the Church of St. Paul the Apostle in New York City. The interview was entitled, “From Busted to Believer: the Journey of an Unlikely Catholic.” Quoting Pope John XXIII, Mary Karr points out that the church is a Hospital for Sinners, not a Hotel for Saints” – and everything she says resonates with this. If you watch the video of the interview, I guarantee that she is going to touch a few nerves – maybe inspire, anger, frustrate, edify….. One thing about the video, it is real! The interview was recorded as part of the 10th anniversary  celebration of http://www.bustedhalo.com.

As I was driving into the Cornwall a few days ago, one of the local radio stations was reporting on the percentage of Canadians that exercise their democratic right to vote. The numbers they were quoting were rather disturbing. It appears that many of us no longer think that voting is that important. The morning after our last election(Oct. 14, 2008) our National Post reported:

“Nearly 10 million eligible voters took a pass on casting a ballot Tuesday, plunging election day turnout to a historical low, according to preliminary Election Canada figures.

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Our Loving God has gone and done it again – massacred thousands of people this time in Japan. Wow! (Watch the Video at the end of this post. As it turns out, it is probably a spoof or satire, but many are happy with it, and preach-believe this vindictive nonsense. That’s why it was posted! Just Google terms like, “Earthquake Tsunami God Punishment,” and you will see what I mean. Even the major networks have commentators mischievously supporting this kind of vengeful thinking: Glenn Beck said on his radio show on Monday: “I’m not saying God is causing earthquakes – well I’m not not saying that either!" He continued, "There’s a message being sent. And that is, ‘Hey, you know that stuff we’re doing? Not really working out real well. Maybe we should stop doing some of it.’"

What was the cross and death of Jesus all about, Christians should ask themselves?  I encourage those that believe in this kind of vengeful Christian God to meditate on the Cross of Jesus this lent, and relive in a very personal way the mocking taunts at the foot of the Cross. Jesus you saved others, now come down from that cross and save your self.  Hopefully, they will include in their meditation Jesus’ command to Peter to replace the soldier’s ear and to put down his sword. I pray that millions of people this lent will personally experience deep in their hearts the forgiving heart of Jesus as revealed in his gasping last breaths: “Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Yes there is sin in every country, city, town, village, church, synagogue, mosque, office, factory, school…, home, and heart around the world, but the Christian God is not sitting on high getting ready to pounce with vengeance and destruction. (Remember the father of the prodigal son.) The Cross of Christ is about redemption, mercy, forgiveness, and love. God does not rejoice in human suffering, God weeps, as Jesus wept over Jerusalem. The Incarnation and the Cross are God’s loving answer to the reality and mystery of pain and suffering in this mortal world.

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It’s absolutely amazing how fast news and information travels and its almost immediate availability. Shortly, after the earth quake in Japan this video was posted within minutes of the horrifying event: (Read full article by clicking title)

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(A Parishioner sent me this little story. I’m passing it on here. I think you might find it inspiring and insightful.)

A young and successful

executive was traveling down a neighbourhood street,

going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar.

He was watching for kids darting out from

between parked cars and slowed down

when he thought he saw something.

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Does God really matter? For some, God not only does not matter – God is superstition – God is rules – God is ……….

QUOTE: “Why God Matters-How to Recognize Him in Daily Life by Karina Lumbert Fabian and Deacon Steven Lumbert is a Catholic living story filled with life journeys shared by this daughter and father duo. Why God Matters reminds us to draw faith from the ordinary daily life and through shared family experiences.”(Blog Review: Simply Stacy)

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I just came across this fascinating and entertaining video – a rich combination of seriousness and humor. It is a talk given at the University of California by Douglas Adams just before his death. Adams didn’t believe in God, but he certainly had a profound appreciation for our beautiful planet, and how we are unwittingly destroying  ourselves. Maybe, if Douglas Adams had lived a little longer, he would have come to appreciate that human beings were not only created from the earth*, but in God’s own image. And, I believe,  it is this most extraordinary revelation that will help save us from our destructive selves.  He once wrote: "I love to keep poking and prodding at it (religion). I’ve thought about it so much over the years that that fascination is bound to spill over into my writing.** Maybe, he was almost there, because he was obviously trying to awaken us. View the video, and you’ll see what I mean. (This is a longer YouTube video than usual, but it is well worth watching.)

 Note: Just because we are behaving like a puddle doesn’t mean we are one. (my comment-you have to watch the video to know what I mean- Fr.Bob)

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Cardinal Marc Ouellet is longtime Communio editorial board member and author. Some of you might be interested in reading some of his articles.  Communio has made a number of them available as downloadable pdfs.

Paradox and/or Supernatural Existential (1991)

The New Catechism: An Event of the Faith (1994)

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This weekend we celebrate Trinity Sunday. It can become every preachers nightmare, If it is approached from the point of view of doctrine and theology. Ultimately, no matter how hard we try, we always fall short when we try to explain and make sense of  ‘three persons in one God.” Preachers and meditators might consider approaching this feast from the point of view of spirituality. Trinity Sunday can be a time to explore the mystery of God, being human, and  something that Fr. Ronald Rolheiser calls, ‘the divine fire within’. He states: "We humans are infinite spirits in a finite situation, and that’s a sure formula for restlessness. You want to make love to the whole world, you want to consume the planet but you’re confined to one person, one place. … These energies — this divine fire —make up our spirit. How we direct that spirit is spirituality. Our spirit is restless because it’s divine and insatiable."

I haven’t totally figured out my homily for this Sunday, but after listening to Fr. Rolheiser interview on the NCR website, I think that with a little thought, prayer and meditation, his words and insights will be a great help. Anyway, I hope many of you will find this two part interview to be insightful and spiritually inspiring.

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A little over a month ago, the “Deepwater Horizon” drilling rig blew up in the Gulf of Mexico. Since that date The New York Times reports that 210,000  Gallons of crude oil have been gushing into the gulf each and every day. I don’t think there has ever been a more catastrophic environmental disaster – and it just keeps gushing! Last Sunday night (May 16th, 2010) CBS reporter Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes interviewed a fellow by the name of Mike Williams. Mike was the chief electronics technician aboard the drilling rig who narrowly escaped with his life and some horrific memories.

Just seven months before Mike Williams had been part of a team that had drilled the deepest under water well in history (35,000 feet). On that day I am sure that Mike and the team had felt a great pride in their human achievement, but a few months later he tells a humbling, courageous, and revealing story of individual human survival amidst death and destruction. It is also a story that I believe reflects these three adjectives: mistaken, greedy, and stupid. It is a story that hopefully will remind the human race that co-creation is serious business, and can not to be taken lightly.