michal's musings

In the reflection for today Richard Rohr, ofm challenged me with this idea: “Since these desert monks were often formally uneducated, they told stories instead of using formal theology, much like Jesus did, to teach about essential issues of ego, love, virtue, surrender, peace, divine union, and inner freedom. But later, they also became much more formalized and argumentative, just like the Church in the West. ” I do like to say stories, so this is not the point that I want to emphasize. The point that I need to focus on is to tell stories to myself about my ego or lack of ego, love or lack of love, virtue or lack of virtue, peace and lack of peace, divine union or lack of divine union, inner freedom or lack of inner freedom. Sometimes I put myself so much into different boxes that it is hard to think, feel, desire and be alive. I need to learn about myself. I need to be aware of myself. I need to allow myself to be open and keep myself open to life.   

Thomas Nair, OFM at the Quincy University Commencement Address quoted St. Francis: “Who we are before God; who we are in the very deepest part of our being, that is who we are and nothing more.” Honesty, this is the key of knowing ourselves.  We always have to be honest before ourselves. If we lie to ourselves and pretend to be something or somebody different that who we are, then we don’t live the life but the lie.  To be honest is the key of being able to live the life on this earth without any regrets.  

Fr. Thomas Nairn, OFM gives an interesting view on the Franciscan perspective of economics. His fellow Franciscan brother Jason Welle, OFM summarizes this perspective this way:   “In modern terms, the Franciscan viewpoint is neither capitalist nor socialist, but does contain elements of both.  Similar to capitalism, the Franciscan tradition takes individual responsibility and productivity seriously.  Gratitude for God’s gifts demands that one take personal responsibility in using those gifts prudently.  Like socialism, the Franciscan vision is communitarian in orientation and follows an ethic of sharing.  God intends all persons to be free and equal; human beings have a duty to respond by treating each other as such.  St. Augustine held that God did not wish human beings to have dominion over each other.  Bonaventure and others combined this with the relationality they perceived in the Trinity.  As the   imago Dei , human beings are m...

Anthony de Mello was a Jesuit that helped me to look at a sin from a different perspective. He said something like this: to know sin is a grace and experience of God.  Why?  Because I know my weakness and now I can do something with it and improve my life and if I improve than the world will become a better place because I will be better person.  It is such a positive view of something that is negative.  Our sins/mistakes should motivate us to live a better life and not to put us down.  

One of the reasons why I am being fascinated by the Ignatius spirituality is its desire to find the way how we can discover, learn, embrace and accept the will of God. This is one of the things that are very important to me.  Why? Because I want to experience the harmony in my life and in the way how I relate to others and especially to the Higher Power.  Recently I learned that the will of God is the 24 hours that I have.  This is the will of God.  I got that perspective from the book: “He leadeth Me” by the Jesuit by the name of Walter Ciszek.  He discovered that during his time of imprisonment in Siberia during Soviet time.  I took this definition to my heart.  If some theologians and philosopher are correct that God works outside of time and everything is a present time to him than the way how we discover and experience his will is in the present time. So, Ciszek is correct. The 24 hours that I have is his will.  Now, I need to lea...

Cardinal George is dead.  I don’t feel bad about it.  I think for a priests death is like a wedding.  He is with the One whom he served and imitated. He is with the One who had given meaning into his life and work.  He is with the one whom he represented.  I can only write/say to Cardinal George: Good for you! Congratulations! You stayed faithful to your promises!    There are two things I am grateful to Cardinal George: 1)       He ordained me a priest 2)       He taught me that in the religious life charism and spirituality is more important than community life. Cardinal George, thank you, thank you and thank you! 

"UK church dedicates space for Muslim prayer because mosque too small" This is the Gospel - the Good News: In Scotland there is a Church where Christians and Muslims are able to pray in this same building.  Read this article...  The Rev Isaac Poobalan said: “’I saw people from all religions praying in the hospital chapel,’ he said. ‘It taught me that prayer transcends religion. We all pray to essentially the same God.’ He said Secular India, an ‘educational resource’ devoted to the pledge in the Indian constitution that all faiths are equal, also had a hand in teaching him ‘to look at every religion with equal respect.’ Poobalan trained as a nurse specializing in mental health and worked in Abu Dhabi before studying for the Episcopalian priesthood in Edinburgh, Scotland.” The link to the website:  http://muslimvillage.com/2013/04/11/38194/uk-church-dedicates-space-for-muslim-prayer-because-mosque-too-small/