Inspired by Scholastica

  Inspired by Scholastica   Immigration History All of us are descendants of immigrants except the Native Americans who were born here. Most of our ancestors came from Europe, Ireland, or Mexico. Some of them took the land from the Native Americans and relegated them to reservations. Even worse, some of our ancestors (often religious teachers) made the native children speak English and dress like the white children. They also removed them from their families and punished them if they spoke in their native tongue. Most of us are not proud of how some of our ancestors treated Native American children. We know that some of our white forebearers were cruel and inhumane to them. We are just beginning to acknowledge the mistreatment of Native American children and are trying to make some kind of restitution. Now our government wants to banish undocumented immigrants, many of whom have lived most of their lives in the U.S. Many immigrants have come here to flee violence and...

    Inspired by Scholastica Hugging Trees Did you ever hug a tree?   Considering their value and beauty, we ought to promote tree hugging.   They provide oxygen to keep us alive and filter the poisons out of the air. They also purify our water and provide food for animals and humans.   In addition, they also provide homes for animals, wood for making houses, and shade on hot summer days. I’m sure the first farmers, fishermen, and lumbermen planted trees to provide for their livelihoods.   When they cut down too many trees, they found that they upset the balance of nature, and many trees died. Trees are essential to life, and I don’t think we could ever have too many. In the Amazon Rain Forest in South America, companies are cutting down trees and ruining the natives’ source of food and homes for the variety of animals that live there. The rain forest also provides 20 percent of the world’s oxygen and has the most biodiversity in the world. More than...

  Inspired by Scholastica     Bent-Over Woman   When [Jesus] laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. (Luke 13:13)   The synagogue leaders shun me, deem me demented, possessed by demons. Stooped in body, crushed in spirit, I hobble to the synagogue, hidden, eyes riveted to the ground. Then the Master calls me; hesitant, I shuffle toward him, dazed and fearful, unable to lift my head.   Jesus touches me and I feel my body straighten, my eyes lift to see his face. Joy floods my soul. Amazing the crowd, I can stand up again after eighteen years of being horizontal to the ground. He calls me a “daughter of Abraham,” making me part of the family of Israel .   Jesus defied Jewish law by speaking to me, a woman, in public, touching me, curing me on the Sabbath. He stood up for me and for all those bent over by injustice, hatred, fear or sickness. For when one is cru...

  Inspired by Scholastica   Courage to Face Challenges It is challenging to keep one’s peace of mind when living amidst confusion, obfuscation, and distortion of facts. We want to live peacefully and calmly in the midst of a topsy-turvy world. Here are a few things I am trying. First, to try to understand what is happening through reading and informative programs. I need to listen to people I trust and read books by authors who seem to be wiser and better informed than I. I am also lifting up my concerns to our loving God and pray that he will protect us from seemingly detrimental decisions that are being made by our leaders. I try to pray for those making the decisions that they will listen to their constituents and make laws that will help the people that are hurting in our society. Another action I am trying is listening to soothing music and TV programs that will calm my soul and help me to laugh and lift my spirit. Finally, I’m trying to write the leaders in...

    Is Unity Possible? “That all may be one as we are one.”   This week we marked the annual Prayer for Christian Unity. I don’ t know when this special week began, but it is certainly an essential concern for Christians everywhere. Christ established one Church and intended that all would follow his teachings. But in the 16 th century, the Protestant Reformation changed religious beliefs and practices when Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses as a reaction against the selling of indulgences by the Catholic Church. I grew up believing that the Catholic Church was the only true church because it was founded by Jesus Christ. Now I think most Christians believe in the essentials of faith and could become one Church. Today it is good to see many churches uniting in promoting peace and justice and joining together in special celebrations like Martin Luther King Day, the Epiphany, and even some feasts of Mary. Ministers of some churches exchange pulpits and ...

  Ordinary Time began this week in the Church calendar. After the Advent-Christmas season the liturgical prayers are less festive, more ordinary. But this is certainly no ordinary time in the United States. The horrendous and tragic fires in Los Angeles are far from ordinary. The Santa Ana winds and dry brush whipped the fire through the city and surrounding area. Over 12,000 structures were burned to the ground and at least 25 people died in the disaster. Even more extraordinary is the election of a convicted felon to the presidency. His appointments to high offices and his agenda for expelling illegal immigrants are very worrisome. Concerned leaders are trying to find ways to control this damage to our democracy. On the world sphere, the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government in Syria last December after years of atrocity crimes was another extraordinary event. The government was taken by surprise when adversaries took over.   There was evidence of grave internation...

  Inspired by Scholastica As Years Go By As I grow older, I am learning to let go of many things. Age takes its toll, and I am not able to do many of the activities I used to do. It took me a while to accept the fact that I am old and it’s okay for me not to be involved as much. I used to do some embroidery, but I can no longer see well enough to do the stitches. I have given up doing the daily New York Times crossword puzzles because of my eye problems. I still do some word games on my iPad. I have a small job to keep the cereal containers filled and counters cleaned in the dining room. And since I write the daily Chronicles, I try to attend meetings and activities so I can record what is happening in our monastery. Most of my time is spent in prayer and spiritual reading. I find solace in talking to God and listening as he speaks to me in community prayer, Mass, and in conversations with friends. I also enjoy nature, especially the birds and squirrels that come to our fe...