THANK YOU!!!! 

You know why.  I don't usually get birthday presents from people who deserve the present!

One of my favorite books is Servant Leadership by Robert Greenleaf.  Sits on my nightstand, next to copies of Matthew Fox's Reinvention of Work, Frithof Capra's The Hidden Connections, Carol Adrienne's The Purpose of Your Life, and Zen Keys by Thich Nhat Hanh.

It's almost like you peered through my book collection -- and reminded me that I need to be more mindful and less obsessed on the little stuff. 

A big hug for that gift, babe.  Best wishes to you!

5:03:20 PM    comment []

Yes, little "c", catholic, as in universal.  And unexpectedly feeling the capital "C", Catholic, too.

I've left the Church for so many reasons, but decades of being Catholic don't unwind all at once.  Ask anyone else who's been Catholic for most of their adult life; it becomes reflexive, it's under the skin, in the bone.

I find myself saddened at the illness of Pope John Paul II, regretting his final hours, in spite of my frustrations with him as leader of the Catholic Church.  However aggravating his stance on women in relation to the Church, he was a positive force for improved international relationships.  He made a specific effort to improve relations between the Abrahamic faiths -- effort too sadly lacking among global leaders.  For this, I grieve his impending passing; who will follow in his shoes, to take the lead in resolving the rifts between Abraham's heirs and the rest of the world?

As a former Catholic, I've worried about the future of the faith; will the Church become more moderate or more firmly conservative, to the detriment of women around the world and to the detriment of the growth of the Church?  Not unlike current rates of American military recruitment, there is a distinct disinterest among potential candidates about priesthood.  At some point, the Church must come to terms with its denigration of women by allowing them to become full partners in the faith, by allowing them to become ordained ministers.  Without such a change in dogma, the Catholic Church will surely become extinct.

I feel the growing loss of a man who has been willing to speak truth to power; he called the war in Iraq for what it is, did not cave in to the political ploys of the Bush Administration.  Who now will do so, from a position where the world will see and hear truth?

Lastly, in the wake of the horrific debacle that surrounded Terri Schiavo, John Paul represents a real lesson about death and dying.  He is meeting it with honor and dignity, on his own terms, in a manner befitting someone of his personal spiritual stature.  Where Terri Schiavo represented everything that is the fear of death and how not to die, John Paul teaches us that it does not have to be that way, that suffering and the inevitable ending of human life can be an anticipated gateway to grace.

Go with God, Father.

4:25:38 PM    comment []