Fr. Bob's Corner

Here is an interesting internet hoax.

Apparently the pictures on this website

were taken with this camera. I had one

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Both Mary and Joseph were given a choice to say 'yes’ or ‘no to being the parents of Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel Mary says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). And, in Matthew’s Gospel we learn that Joseph changed his mind about dismissing Mary: “When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the Angel of the Lord commanded him, he took her as his wife” (Matthew 1:24) As we celebrate this Fourth Sunday of Advent, we might ask ourselves about saying yes to God.

Kay Warren, the wife of evangelist, Rick Warren, asked herself this very question after reading about the thousands of men, women, and children with Aids in Africa. Writing about her experience, she says: "It is the scariest, the riskiest, the most dangerous thing that anybody can ever do. We say yes to the God who made the universe. He's this powerful, almighty God. But he's a God who is good; he's a God who can be trusted. So when you say yes to him, he takes you places you never thought you would go. Not just externally, but there's a journey that happens on the inside, that is transforming. I want that for everybody. "

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Every little bit counts when loving our neighbor as ourselves. Here is a great song written and sung by Johnny Reid that is inspiring many to do just that.

I thought you might be interested in an update on Bishop Gary Gordon. Last June I posted a video, a few pictures, and an article on him: Bishop Gary Gordon: A Call to Mission. Neil MacCarthy, who looks after the Archdiocese of Toronto’s Blog,  just posted a story on him: A Bishop, a Chainsaw, and a Bear!

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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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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.

Don Justo is a Spaniard who had to leave a Trappist Monastery after eight years because of declining health. He promised Mary that he would build a cathedral in her honor, if he got well. Today, Don Justo is 83 years old, and for fifty years he has been single-handedly constructing his cathedral from a small family inheritance and private donations. His work and life are a tribute to our remarkable human spirit – and inspiring in an infinite number of ways.

It is hard to believe how much agony one little malfunctioning piece of software can cause. A little program called, “Windows 7 Firewall Control” malfunctioned, and ……!!!!! It’s surprising how much relief one can find in a few strategic clicks, and Voila, no more problem.

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