Inspired by Scholastica

During the last few months, we  have had terrible catastrophes, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and forest fires. Newspapers are filled with depressing news of mass shootings, corruption,  and sexual harrassment. We are bombarded with attacks on a free press and nasty political  battlegrounds. Yet during this Advent season we are supposed to rejoice and be glad for our Savior  has come. Where will we find the joy we want to experience during this holy season? Here are a few suggestions: !. Spend time with people who are optimistic and hopeful; avoid those who are pessimistic and negative. 2. Surprise neighbors with a homemade pie or cookies and enjoy their surprise and delight. 3. Start laughing in a group for no reason at all and others will join you. A good laugh relieves stress. 4. Watch children playing on a playground and let their spontaneous antics warm your heart. 5. Stop watching the news or reading the newspaper for one or two days a w...

Many families gather for a festive meal at Thanksgiving. Aunts and uncles and cousins come from near and far to celebrate this special day. We usually eat too much but who can resist turkey and gravy and cranberries and pumpkin pie? All usually goes well until the subject of politics comes up. It is better to avoid the topic, but someone always seems to bemoan the party in charge or disagree vehemently on  some current issue. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when a brave soul deftly changes the subject. It is far better to focus on people  we are grateful for during this Thanksgiving season, especially those who we take for granted, like the newspaper carrier, the one who makes the morning coffee, the one who empties the trash, the one who takes care of the recycling. We often fail to thank the one who brings a fragile elderly aunt or an uncle who has dementia to enjoy the festivities, or perhaps we fail to notice the extra effort someone contributes to the gathering...

A man came into the Catholic Charities food pantry recently and asked about joining a church. He said he was a sinner and wanted to “get right with God.” His big motivation seemed to be that his mother had recently died and he wanted to see her again in heaven. I thought of the many ways God draws people to repentance. St. Paul was knocked off a horse and many responded to John the Baptist's call to epent and be baptized. People often ask for a priest or minister on their death bed and some who receive a diagnosis of a terminal illness decide to make peace with God. Joining a church might provide the support and inspiration a person needs to turn his/her life around. But it’s not a sure thing. The person may need to be reconciled with a family member, or they may require help to learn self-control or to heal past traumas,  or they may have to sever a relationship that is leading them astray. Humans are very complicated individuals and making changes is one of the bigge...

Another mass shooting occurred last Sunday at a church in Texas. Twenty-six people were killed.  Last month a shooter killed 58 people at a music festival  in Las Vegas. According to an  FBI study in 2014 there has been an increase in mass shootings in recent years. Three hundred seven mass shootings have occurred so far in 2017. How many more people have to die before laws will be enacted that will ban automatic assault weapons?  In 2012, at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., 26 people were killed, 20 of them were young children. Everyone thought that this would be the horror story that would get gun laws changed. But after a few days of outrage, nothing happened. The National Rifle Association has too much money and too much control over lawmakers that nothing was done. Mental illness plays a role in these tragic events. Certainly we need more mental health facilities to help angry people  before they lose control and resort to violence. If the...