Inspired by Scholastica

Every day / I see or hear/ something/ that more or less/kills me/with delight. ( Mary Oliver) Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets. She makes ordinary things come alive and brings a spiritual dimension to nature. She has only to take a walk in the woods and she sees a grasshopper or a bee or a flower and is transported into ecstasy. Her poems are very accessible, no elaborate words or elongated terminology. Her poetry is meditative and calming, often like a prayer. Even people who think they don’t like poetry, like Mary Oliver. One reviewer wrote, “Mary Oliver’s poetry is an excellent antidote for the excesses of civilization…she is a poet of wisdom and generosity whose vision allows us to look intimately at a world not of our making.”   This 20th century poet has received many honors for her poetry including the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Although Mary Oliver died last year, she left behind a treasury of poetry to nourish and delight her readers. O

The extremely high temperatures in India and Pakistan recently are a foretaste of what may happen in other parts of the world. They were having 120-130 degree temperatures with little relief in sight. These places depend on good weather to raise the crops they need for survival. This is only one sign of climate change. There are many others such as melting glaciers that endanger animals who live in the far north. Coastal erosion which can wash away land near shore line. Oceans which are losing fish and other life due to waste products thrown into the water.  Coal mines that  emit poisonous gases that pollute the air. Cattle that cause more pollution through their poop? Automobiles that give off fumes that also pollute the air.  

I had never heard of the Replacement Theory until last week when an 18-year-old killed 10, mostly Black people, at a supermarket  in Buffalo, New York. This teenager evidently was motivated by the white supremacist theory that Blacks and other races are replacing whites in our society. Those who believe this theory are afraid that whites will no longer be able to control the laws and the economy of this country.  Now this individual - from Conklin, New York - may have mental or psychological problems, but how did he get an assault rifle? How come no one picked up clues about his intent? The evidence shows he had been plotting this action for months.   My heart grieves for the families who lost loved ones. They leave a hole which cannot be filled. And these shootings cause anger and fear among all their neighbors and friends. The whole country should be so outraged that they would change our gun laws. But, of course, we had Columbine, Sandy Hook, Orlando, and similar mass shootings and

“God is always given, incarnate in every moment and present to those who know how to be present themselves. It is that simple and that difficult.” Richard Rohr The Benedictine motto is, “Seek God.” Yet, if God is always given, we do not need to seek. It’s we who have to learn to be present.   God is always reaching out to us but, most of the time, we seem to have other things on our minds. Even when we are at prayer, we are often thinking about what we have to do later. God is present in every moment, loving us and caring about each of us, as if we are the only person in the world. That’s what the great teachers tell us. It’s we who have to be open and learn to see God in all the events of our lives.   It is we who have to learn to find God in whatever happens. It’s easy to do this when good things happen. But, what about the hard things? We might think God is not there, but he is.   He is loving us in the cancer diagnosis, in the car accident, in the unexpected deaths of family

"I love you Lord, my strength, Lord, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer."  Ps. 18:2 Psalm 18 contains many names for God. For example: rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, saving horn, stronghold.  It is reassuring to think of God with these names, especially if we are experiencing some hardship or threat. God, our protector, provides us with courage in times of trouble.  Joyce Rupp encourages us to use fresh images for God based on our relationship with the Divine. If we see God as our companion, we might address him as soul-friend. If we think of God as our refuge, we might call him our safe-haven. If we look on God as our sustenance, we could think of him as our life-giver.   Whatever emotion we are feeling, God is with us. He wants us to call on him in times of trouble, as well as times of joy. He desires to be our beloved companion when we are lonely, our safe sanctuary when we are fearful.  He accompanies us in the deserts of our lives, to provide refreshment. He is with