February 2009

The Family Foundation School Catholic Community Bulletin

Pauca Verba (a few words)

When my dogs Jack, Willie and Miss go outside, their noses are immediately up, testing the air for scents that humans are either slow to or incapable of detecting. Humans in many places are losing their ability to test the cultural or moral “air” – failing to detect wrong-doing, evil or sin. Have a think on the following:

In Afghanistan, so torn by unceasing war, the country so devasted and poor, a man sold his prosthetic leg for cash to feed his family. In the face of that kind of desperation, am I wasting money here? Day after day of doing nothing? Let someone else pay, with nothing to show for their investment in me? Perhaps using the excuse, “I didn’t ask anyone to send me here.” This attitude is sinful and the older I am, the more culpable I am. Look up culpable in the dictionary.

Hurricane Katrina occurred several years ago. But there is still 3.9 BILLION dollars of emergency money not used, though massive work remains to be done in reclaiming and restoring large parts of the state. Why can’t people get it, if the money is available? Turns out, the money is hard to access because stealing is so widespread – phony contracts, inflated prices, etc. How honest am I?

The Weather Channel, while useful in many ways, also gets people anxious with dire predictions and calamitous forecasts of one kind or another. Recently there was a special spot titled: “It Could Happen Tomorrow” in which the program foretold the most nightmarish possibilities for unimaginably horrific earthquakes originating in the Carolinas and spreading throughout the east coast. Scary stuff, portending huge death tolls, injury, destruction, property loss, etc. Question: Am I an agent of bad news around here? Scary forecasts (I’m not talking about the weather)? A’s the use mentality? A cynic’s view (“You can’t please a cynic” Bob Dylan sang.)

One sociologist claims that the eroding civility of our culture is largely due to blogs which invite totally open “conversation” but which really just allow people to say whatever is on their minds, however unsubstantiated. Indeed, to say to the air, what they might never say to people face to face. A priest-friend, who is an intelligent and sophisticated man, contributes periodically to a Catholic academic blog. Looking to see what my friend contributes I notice that more often than not, his intelligent reflections are followed by low-end opinating by other contributors – a kind of mind-barfing. There are some people who think, “If I think it, it’s true.” “If I think it, it must be said.” “And if you doubt me, I’ll say it again, or louder, or more violently, or with insults and filthy words for emphasis.” A cultural nightmare. Does this sound like you in any way?

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So there’s this Japanese doctor/engineer/researcher who has investigated the impact of energy waves upon water. Everything produces energy waves. And he can photograph water in the exact micro-moment of crystallizing. Water that’s been exposed to heavy metal and Rapp music does not crystallize; it blobs. Water that’s been exposed to curses and insults, doesn’t crystallize. Water that’s exposed to long cell phone ringing doesn’t crystallize. Water that is microwaved – nothing but an ugly blob. While water (from the same sources) that is complemented and thanked forms stunning crystals. Water that is prayed over forms delicate and light crystals. Water that is exposed to beautiful music forms elegant patterns. Here’s the deal: Human beings are 70% water! What are we doing to ourselves and others with our insults, nasty music, threats, dirty mouth, dirty thoughts, lies, snarly looks, growly voices,  hate energy, resentment, judgments???!!!

Tangent: I wonder what sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour on Sunday does for me. My prayers for others while in front of the Sacrament?  Jesus, radiating me! WOW!

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What’s uncool-unnecessary-even regrettable about tattoos? (At least for the Catholic) Because when you were baptized you were anointed with CHRISM – the fragrant oil that covered you and which SAYS IT ALL: I BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST.  No tattoo can add anything defining to that. Even a religious tattoo: tattooed rosary, tattooed cross, tattooed Virgin Mary – says nothing compared to the CHRISM – which is invisible and for all of my life. Catholics believe radically in an invisible world!!! You might blast a stupid or passé tattoo off your body – but once the chrism cross is on you – there’s no getting it off. Even were I to abandon or vilify the Catholic experience and the ownership of Christ. The Chrism of Baptism is what marks me. WHOA!!