Sunday, November 14, 2010

The Bells of St. Lads ring again

The Bells of St. Lads are ringing again

Sadly, the bells of St. Ladislas Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio had been silent for several years. After more than fifty years of calling folks to prayer, ...as well as announcing the hours of the day to the neighborhood from dawn till dark... the bells just wore out ... probably from sheer exhaustion. The recently-retired pastor of St. Ladislas (Fr. John Stattmiller) had obviously set a new record for officiating at the most funerals over the past several years.  So, the bells of St. Lads had quite a workout over the last dozen years or so ...thanks to lots of new members in the Communion of Saints and one very dedicated priest. 
The absence of the sound of these bells was  sorely felt..., not only by the parishioners of St. Lads ...but also by many  in the neighborhood who appreciated this witness of the faith to this part of the city. Unfortunately, the possibility  of immediately fixing or replacing these bells could not be a high priority item for the parish when there were so many other economic challenges to be addressed. Thankfully, a generous benefactor recently came forward with the remaining funds (originally raised during the parish's Centennial celebration in 2008) necessary to bring the bells back to St. Lads and the South Side of Columbus. 

Absence must truly make the heart grow fonder ...since the sound of the bells never sounded clearer or sweeter. The pealing of church bells can evoke precious memories. One remembers the sound of church bells announcing that a couple had been joined together through the Sacrament of Matrimony. Also brought to mind, are those days when the bells rang out notes of farewell ...or, better yet... “till we meet again” after we celebrated the Mass of Resurrection for one of the faithfully departed. In days before cellphones, the bells also served as a makeshift alarm clock to advise the young folks when it was time to head home for dinner and homework.

In days of old... most church bells operated without electrical assistance of any kind. The bells were rung by young altar servers who would undergo rigorous training, memorizing paragraph after paragraph of prayers in Latin and learning the exact timing of each reverential gesture of the Mass ...just to have the honor of assisting at Mass *and* to have the privilege of ringing the church bells. Though not an easy task for someone who weighed far less than a hundred pounds in those days... it was a job that was sheer joy. To operate those bells, the youngster would have to have to jump as high as he could and with his  "oh, too-small hands” ...grab the thick, knotted rope and yank it and his body back down toward the ground. When done properly, the bells rewarded the bell ringer with a ride of a lifetime as he sailed up … up … up towards the rafters of the belfry. One can only imagine the thoughts of the altar boy as he repeatedly soared in the air and tried to make these bells heard in the next county. Of course,  there was not as much joy in the task when these same church bells had to be slowly tolled at  the end of a funeral Mass.  Besides the somber tolling at funerals there was the standard version of bell-ringing reserved to call people to daily Mass and to other key times when the community was called to prayer.  A third variation of the bell-ringing theme  was for celebrating at Christmas, at Easter ...and whenever there was a wedding. Those events produced more fun for the altar boy that any "E ticket" ride at Disneyland. Though most altar servers today never have the opportunity to take a running leap to clutch the church bell rope... the ringing of church bells still plays a important role in  solidifying the presence of the church in the neighborhood.  

Without the bells, many parishioners began questioning the future of their church building. Our minds know that "church" is not just a building  but rather "church" equates to people gathered together to praise and worship  God. Nevertheless hearts still identify with and have strong attachments to the building where we introduced our newborns to our extended family, said our final farewells to family and friends, joined in the ceremonies of many weddings as well as weekly gatherings as a faith community to offer our praise and worship to God. Without the beloved church bells proudly witnessing to the presence of the building and the faith community in this part of the world... it seemed for many that symbolically the lights had been turned off ...or at least dimmed. Those fears of a possible closure of the parish in the near future have now been significantly diminished with the sounds of the bells of St. Lads ringing again.

The video clip (shown below) captures the ringing of the new bells at St. Lads during the noon hour "Angelus”. This call-to-prayer bell-event also occurs at 6:00 p.m. each day. Here are the words to the "Angelus" prayer as it is said during this melody of the bells:

V. The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
V. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
R. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord:
R. Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
ALL:  Hail Mary . . .
V. And the Word was made Flesh:
R. And dwelt among us.
ALL: Hail Mary . . .
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
R. that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

V. Let us pray: 
ALL:  Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

 

So, the bells of St. Lads are now back ...and once again signaling to the neighborhood, the city and the world that our parish, our church is still here in Columbus serving our neighbor and our God.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Lunch time stroll from City Hall to Confluence and back

Testing the EasyTrail for Droid App and trying to incorporate it into the blog.  It may be necessary to click on the title above to link to the interactive map.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

I Will Keep Faith - Always Faithful

I WILL KEEP FAITH 
~ ALWAYS FAITHFUL
 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Faith is putting all your eggs in God’s basket, 
then counting your blessings before they hatch.”
~
Ramona C. Carroll


It has recently become a fairly regular nightly ritual for me to prepare for sleep by tuning into one of the various old time radio programs (podcasts) that have been previously downloaded onto my IPOD. Each night, a different podcast (episodes of Gunsmoke, Fibber McGee and Molly , Dragnet, Superman or The Lone Ranger) is softly played through a pillow speaker so as to help drown-out the noises of the urban neighborhood and the snoring of a Chocolate Lab. Most of the podcasts of the old radio programs are less than than a half hour in duration but it should be acknowledged that the great majority of the time this tired mind has drifted off to “Sleepy Town” before the selected radio program actually reaches its mid-way point.

A couple of nights ago it was decided to treat myself to a re-presentation of one of downloaded episodes from “The Lone Ranger” radio program. In retrospect, this particular choice might not have been the best for encouraging sleep since it is one of the more action-packed series ...and sleep can be suddenly interrupted by the sound of gunfire, even if the sound is only coming through the pillow speakers. Anyway, my eyes were closing and my brain was shifted into neutral... anticipating sleep in short order.

Cue the music: ♪ ♫ ♪“The William Tell Overture♫ ♫ ♪”.

Narrator speaks:Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear! From out of the past come the thundering hoof-beats of the great horse Silver! The Lone Ranger rides again! ...A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty `Hi Yo Silver!'"

Assuming that the rest of the episode would be less-stimulating that the introduction, the program was allowed to continue. My eyelids started to get heavy again and my breathing became more rhythmical, and the words of the radio announcer started to morph into something that sounded somewhat similar to Charley Brown's teacher saying, “Wah, Wah, ...Wah, wah, wah, wah... Blah, Blah, Blah ...Yada, Yada,Yada". The body was quickly going deeper and deeper asleep until (suddenly) the ears tuned-into the voice of a young actor slowly uttering the Latin phrase, “Servabo Fidem”. That might not have grabbed every listener's attention ...but it got this Latin student's to thinking.

The radio play personality was none other than young Dan Reid, nephew to the Lone Ranger. He was starring in this particular episode of “The Lone Ranger”. This episode was titled “The Crested Ring”. At this point in the program, Dan Reid was admiring the ornate ring of a fellow passenger on the stagecoach. He was especially taken by the cryptic writing on the ring. The readers now might be pondering the phrase, “Servabo Fidem” and either ...wishes that they had chosen Latin in high school as their foreign language ...or regrets that they had not paid better attention in their first year Latin class ... or simply hopes that someone would be merciful and shed some light by providing a quick translation of this phrase. In short order it was explained to Dan (and the radio audience) that “Servabo Fidem” is a Latin motto which means, “I Will Keep Faith”. This is not the proper forum to discuss how this particular motto is incorporated into this specific story ...but let's just say that this expression was a key element in this modern day morality play.

Anyone growing up in the household of a U.S. Marine is usually more than a little familiar with the USMC motto “Semper Fidelis”. Again, if you had paid attention in Latin class, you would know that these two simple words translates as “Always Faithful”. Translation might be too easy since to “know” the deep, rich meaning of these two phrases, “Servabo Fidem” and “Semper Fidelis” and (“I Will Keep Faith” and “Always Faithful”) should require some further meditation.

In my California college days...especially during the “Summer of Love”, we often exchanged the salutation “Keep the Faith, Baby” with one another whenever we parted company. Quite possibly, we did not fully understand the mandate that we frequently gave to one another.

Each one of us is encouraged to be a person of faith and to remain faithful. God has given us every reason to have faith ... and to “keep the faith” (always) but our human nature tends to have us trust ourselves more than the Almighty. We are called to faithfulness, ...no matter the circumstances.

It does not take a Rhodes Scholar to know that it is not too difficult to maintain your faith when all is well with you and the world. The challenge of retaining your faith comes as you encounter bumps and snags along life's way.

Some of you may remember the television program in the 80's known as M*A*S*H*. In the episode titled “A Holy Mess”, Father Mulcahy opined, “A faith of convenience is a hollow faith.

A popular axiom that floats around in times of war is, “There are no atheists in foxholes." The theory is that all will embrace God and believe in Him given the right circumstances.  It should be unequivocally asserted that this (unfortunately) is not always true.  Some, even when faced with imminent disaster (and possibly death), lose all hope and thus too... any faith that they may have had in more convenient circumstances.

Some folks, facing any given crisis, might fall into despair and begin to lose faith in the Almighty. It is times like this that some will even reject the God of the Universe since they might be led to believe that God has lost faith in them. Obviously, God has not given us any reason to lose hope or faith in Him ... it is just the weakness of our nature which confuses some to believe that our loving Father has abandoned them. Not only are we called to “keep the faith” but we are directed to share that faith with others.

The first sentence of Article IV of the Military Code of Conduct states, “If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners.” Difficult times actually dictate that we be strong in our own faith but also directs that in such circumstances that we need to lead others through our example. Tough orders!

All of us are called to be leaders of faith. We have a God-given vocation to be faith role models. It may be that we have a calling to share this faith in our capacity of parents ...or simply as a faithful friend. It is not that others are to look-up-to us but we should recognize that people will look-to us as a person of faith. The “light of faith” needs to emanate from us in all that we do... in good times... in bad times … in challenging times... in every crisis we encounter.

How do I strengthen myself to be ready to maintain my faith in God for the sake of my very soul and the souls of others that look me? Scriptures, in Paul's letter to the Romans (Romans 12:12) gives us the answer, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Servabo Fidem”, “Semper Fidelis

So, you can see that in order to “Keep the Faith” and to be “Always Faithful” it is important that we maintain and nourish our own prayer life. A well-developed, mature spirituality requires consistent, open communication lines with our Father, the Creator. It should be reiterated that we cannot be effective in leading others in faith unless we ourselves are first fed and nourished through prayer.

Noticing that this episode of “The Lone Ranger” radio program had come to its conclusion while I was meditating on the phrase “Servabo Fidem”, it was time to try to get a few hours sleep before morning sprang upon me. Again, the head sank into the pillow ... this time without any voices whispering from my pillow.

My eyelids started to get heavy again and my breathing once again became more rhythmical. As I started to slide into my slumber, my mind kept repeating the phrase, “Servabo Fidem”, "I Will Keep Faith”, “Servabo Fidem”, "I Will Keep Faith”, “Faith”, “Faithful”, ...Oh well... there's no time like the present...
"Our Father, who art in Heaven...."

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Coffee, Tea, or ...Jokes


Coffee, Tea, or … Jokes?”


When most folks take their first few rides in an airplane, they usually sit-up straight and listen rather carefully to the safety instructions relayed to them by the flight attendants. A few non-catastrophic flights later, you might find that a number of these same passengers have become “more-casual” listeners... and, as such, are now less-attentive to the memorized spiel delivered by non-enthusiastic, non-engaging flight attendants. Slumped in their seats, (though everyone's trays are stowed and locked ...and everyone's chairs are properly in the “full, upright position”), the all-too-typical passengers can be seen with their eyes glued to the tattered in-flight magazine or thumbing their way through the dog-eared gift catalog... doing anything (and everything) to avoid being attentive to the worthy words of warning. Such is the *perfect setup* for a potential tragedy.


Part of the problem here just might lie with the presenter ...or, at least, with the method of delivering this extremely important message. These highly-trained, highly-skilled flight attendants have probably given the same ole sing-song demonstration hundreds of times (...this month) but *today* they look around the cabin and they note that only a few passengers are actually listening to the instructions that could save their lives ...or the life of a loved one sitting near them. These must be the first-time fliers. Apathy is the basic ingredient in the formula for a catastrophe waiting to happen. So, how does one get them to listen? How do you wake them to realize that this is important?

Airlines have noted this critical problem and have tried various ways to try to deal with the issue of effectively communicating these vital directions to their clients, the customers... the passengers. One approach taken by certain airlines is to do nothing more than to play a pre-recorded monologue of these same government required instructions while a mute flight attendant demonstrates how to fasten a seat belt above their heads and then pretends to don and inflate a life vest inside the cabin. This might be the cheapest solution and this approach might have been designed probably just to save someone from stumbling on any one word or to take all emotion out of the approach. Such an approach or attempted solution is horribly insulting to most passengers and evidently is nothing more than a lazy approach by the airline trying to deal with a Federal mandate. What kind of message does *that* convey? Those particular airlines must think that this information is not really important after all. One can only wonder what the offending airlines were thinking when they developed ...and embraced …this approach to critical education. Give their attempt at dealing with the issue a solid “F” ...for “FAIL”. If you happen to think that this particular grade might be harsh or unfair... scan the seats during the monologue and try to detect the number of active listeners (if any). Unfortunately, our current grading scale doesn't go lower than “F”.

Shouldn't there be a “No Passenger Left Behind” program? *Everyone* needs to “get" IT. This is serious stuff!

Another couple of airlines thought they would go one-step beyond the pre-recorded audio file (complete with the demonstrating mute flight attendants) and simply play a pre-recorded video message, ...having shiny-faced actors demonstrate how to perform these life-saving acts while the theme song of the airline “du jour” plays in the background. The next time that you have to sit through one of these pre-recorded video messages... finish the training by giving everyone in the cabin a closed-book test, examining the content of the video to which they were just exposed. Some passengers just might be able to tell you about freckled face boy struggling to put his backpack in the overhead compartment or how they noticed the pixie-looking red-headed girl grabbing the oxygen mask ...but these students would probably not be able to tell you how many rows from their seat till the nearest exit. That just might be pretty important information if you and your loved ones are crawling on your hands and knees trying to maneuver out of a smoke-filled plane. The students just might remember that an MP3 player is one of those electronic devices that cannot be operated until the pilot announces that they have arrived at the prescribed height. Test to see who is really listening to the message. Egad! Is anyone really listening? Does anybody really care? “This plane doesn't take off till everyone gets 100% correct.” “...and No Fair looking at your neighbor's answers!”

Folks... automation is not always the answer. This probably includes all aforementioned audio recordings and video playbacks. In fact, it is my strong belief is that automation like this tends to consistently engender a spirit of public rudeness. Such a philosophy clearly relates that it is not really very “efficient” to personally interact with humans. At all cost... avoid looking in the human's eyes! These automated depersonalizing devices (though seen by some as the path to efficiency) ...can lead to dehumanization. (Oh... and do *not* even get me started on automated-attendant phone systems, “…Press pound sign 666 to speak to a human”.) It is time to Stand up and demand to always speak to a human, ...and not just a disembodied voice from a far-off foreign country. Look in our eyes and communicate with us because we are the Customer. Remember: That the job you save ... and the *soul* you save … just may be your own. Service … “NOW THAT'S A CONCEPT!”



Lest we digress...

These instructional videos of hyper-critical, highly-sensitive airline safety information too often serve to be little more than shamelessly-disguised commercials for the sponsoring airline. Nice acting... nice voice-over, lots of smiling, photogenic faces ...but the packaged media still fails to adequately capture everyone's attention.  What we need now is a NEW approach. We have a problem and now we need a hero!

It seems so utterly rude ...how some seasoned airline passengers completely and consistently ignore these vital safety instructions. Maybe these folks are thinking, “Yada, Yada, … none of this pertains to me”. “Same ole … Same ole...”. “We are *not* going to have a sudden drop in cabin pressure today and we are not going to do an emergency landing in the water ...today.” These down-right rude individuals just might be right... for THIS flight ...or they might be ... dead wrong!  Whenever Mr., Mrs., or Miss “Know-It-All” completely ignores the instructions ...or (...worse yet) talks so loud to their neighbor that surrounding passengers cannot hear these vital instructions ...the life they jeopardize might be their own … or one of those closest to them. These inconsiderately rude slobs prove that they are nothing more than common, ill-bred, uneducated, uncouth boors who only care about themselves. Please move to the back of the plane.

Nevertheless, in this atmosphere of apathetic and rude clients, the senior flight attendant  still must make every effort to effectively communicate the essential safety message so that their captive audience will attentively listen to the presentation ...for their own life ...and their *very* soul just might depend on it. What a powerful concept!

Every last soul on-board just might need to know where the nearest exit is located. They might need to know that it is truly important to put the oxygen mask on the child only after they have secured their own mask. These souls just might need to know how to use the airline-provided parachute. Oh, you missed THAT part? But seriously folks... just wanted to see if you were paying attention to these musings. (For the record.. only the pilot and the rest of the flight crew get to use the parachutes... so the rest of us better “listen up”).
 
Preachers, teachers, coaches and other educators have to deal with the same challenge every day. How should critical material be presented so that everyone will sit up and take notice? How does one present the important message that may have been previously delivered numerous times so that this time everyone will hear and say to themselves “Hey, this is important ...and it applies to me!”

Southwest Airlines has a flight attendant who has obviously effectively met this challenge ...through humor and grace. Introducing … “Tony”! ...our Hero!

On a short hop last week from San Diego to Las Vegas, “Tony” served as the Senior Flight Attendant for the flight. The Senior Flight Attendant is *the* member of the flight crew (other than the pilot) that has absolute control of the microphone. From the moment the passengers first entered the cabin, “Tony”, with PA in hand, greeted passengers with words of welcome and a generous dose of humor and general levity. That approach seems to be more welcomed and more refreshing that the warm, scented wash cloths that they distribute in First Class on other airlines. (...Now how would MOST of us know THAT?)

Senior Flight Attendant “Tony” commandeered the PA system as if it was a standing microphone at a theater for stand-up-comics. In less than a minute, passengers' papers started to be put away, ...people stopped chatting with one another and all eyes became focused on “Tony”. “Now performing on Flight 1250... 'Tony' in the Lido Lounge.”

Now for the true test... how to keep everyone's attention as you gently slide, skillfully segue right into the FAA-required safety demonstration. Absolute Success! Amazing how, (given the correct personality with the correct energy) that one can keep a captive audience on the edge of their seats. Take the blase content and spice it up... yuk it up ...so you get the critical message across to everyone.  Now it just may be that “Tony” delivers the exact same shtick in the same way ...on every flight he serves ...but it appears to be an act that “works” not just for “Tony” but also for his audience. His shtick will continue to “work” as long as “Tony” continues to “read” his audience and constantly tries to “keep it fresh”. Maybe “Tony” should do some consulting work for some school systems since a number of high school educators seem to need help in getting critical data through to their audience. Additionally, any number of seminaries would be well-served to hire “Tony” in methods of preaching and persuasive speaking. Of course, Southwest Airlines should do everything in their power to retain and show appreciation to this valuable employee.

This epistle might not be the proper forum for detailing the particulars of “Tony's” act... verbatim. It just may turn out that such a disclosure would probably be a violation of some sort of copyright law. So, to fully appreciate how “Tony” can fully convey the critical safety messages while having everyone listen attentively... it might behoove you ...and also be “uplifting” for you to fly Southwest Airline as soon as possible ... if, for no other reason, than to try to catch “Tony's” act.

By the time “Tony” finished providing the valuable safety information (and simultaneously entertaining us) ...the cabin broke into spontaneous applause. No surprise! "Tony's" delivery and style of presentation absolutely did nothing to dilute the importance of the critical information. The light routine and hilarious banter continued long after that demonstration and even long after take-off. When the plane touched down in Las Vegas it was necessary for me to reluctantly change planes for Columbus. Those folks who were going to continue with “Tony” all the way to Tampa were to be envied. That might be a fun-filled flight for all. (What a wonderful concept!)

Southwest Airlines would be wise to use “Tony” ...and the other enthusiastic flight attendants of his crew in their television commercials and other forms of media advertisements. ++++++
How about...?

Flight attendants on other airlines give you little more than “Buh-bye” …“Buh-bye” ...and maybe a bag of peanuts (...or NOT) ...but here at Southwest Airlines we have flight attendants and other employees who are actually G-L-A-D when you choose to fly with us.
It shows on their faces and in everything they do. “What a wonderful concept!
Treat the customer ... like you would like to be treated.
It's Southwest Airline's GOLDEN concept!
So, now is the time to book your next flight on Southwest Airlines with “Tony” ...or with any of “Tony's” co-workers … all of whom want YOU to fly with them ...and then come back to fly with them, again and again.
...Fade to an electronic message board in the Southwest waiting area which flashes, “Now appearing on Flight 1250... 'Tony' and crew!” (LOL
..Pan to cabin full of happy smiling passengers. 
...Fade to black.

------------------------------------------

The Time Has Come To Fly the Hilarious Skies of Southwest Airlines

Kudos to “Tony”, his crew and all of Southwest Airlines!

++++++++++++++++++++++
...Here endeth the lesson...
Amen!! Amen!
MDJ
DISCLAIMER: Mike D. Jones is not currently employed by or materially affiliated in any way with Southwest Airline (...except that his wife might be considered a “frequent flyer”). Additionally, Mike D. Jones does not personally know “Tony” and Mike D. Jones never met “Tony” before the flight or spoken to him since... nor does “Tony” need the services of Mike D. Jones as his personal press agent or booking agent. Finally, Mike D. Jones has not received any form of compensation from Southwest Airline for writing this missive... (yet). However, if only Southwest Airline could be persuaded to add a direct (non-stop) flight from Columbus (CMH) to a quaint little resort community on the west coast of Mexico (ZLO) ...Mike D. Jones and several other long-time Southwest Airline customers (and fans) would be forever grateful. 
 

Saturday, May 29, 2010

A Rite of Passage

Certain critical events in our humble existence are so monumental, so life-changing that we refer to them as "Rites of Passage". These critical moments shape and define who ....or "what" we are to become. These events are so important that we ritualize the individual milestone and do our best to sacramentalize (i.e. "make holy") these significant turning points in our lives. A few of these life-defining moments might be; Baptism (or Christening / Naming ceremony), for some... maybe a Circumcision or Bris ritual (Ooooo ...Ouch!), First Holy Communion, Confirmation (or Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah), Sweet Sixteen (or QuinceaƱera), a Wedding, a Religious Profession, or maybe even an Ordination.
Another set of these "rites of passage" are centered around the advancement from one significant level of educational accomplishment to another. These are known as Graduations. Oftentimes, we sacramentalize (i.e. "make holy") these graduations by invoking God's blessing on those who are ending one phase of their lives and beginning another. One ritual used to invoke the divine blessing on the graduates is called a baccalaureate service (... or Baccalaureate Mass). Last night, several hundred of us gathered at a local church to celebrate a
Baccalaureate Mass asking God to share graces on one hundred and seventeen matriculating seniors from a local Catholic High School. We are proud of the accomplishments of these young adults in arriving to this point in their life but we realize that they dearly need Strength from the Almighty for the journey that lies ahead of them. God bless each and every one of our graduates.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Never Too Old To Learn

The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.
Henry Ford

On the eve of Mother's Day 2010, those who were watching late night television were treated to octogenarian Betty White hosting Saturday Night Live. Why were so many people *surprised* that this 88 1/2 year old comedienne could still perform with the best? This lovely lady is truly an inspiration to those who are a generation or two removed from her. An inspiration ... a role model... but none of us should be surprised by her talent and energy because she is only 88 and a half years old.

My own mother is only a few years younger than Betty White (...sorry, Mother for giving away your age) and this woman too is an inspiration and a worthy role model to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Years ago, after some of her children had already started college, the matriarch of our clan decided to give higher education "the old college try". She surprised some folks because she excelled in *all* of her studies. These people may have been surprised at our mother because she was one of the oldest students ...yet she had (correction... *has*) one of the sharpest minds in all academia.

This Mother's Day, some of her children went together and gifted Mother with the latest technological gadget (...an IPad). True to form, our mother embraced this new technology and once again proved that, "No one is ever too old to learn." Again, it should not surprise us that this octogenarian, ...a great-grandmother, would enthusiastically learn something new. Her genuine enthusiasm for life-long learning should inspire all of us.

A couple of years ago my Beloved began a four year journey pursuing a Master's degree. Though my wife might be a bit older than the typical grad school student she is competing with the best of them. It should come as no surprise to her friends and family that she is doing exceptionally well academically in all of her classes. Only two more years till she gets the coveted sheepskin. In the meantime ...and forevermore... she will be an inspiration to the godchildren and others, encouraging them to excel in their studies and enthusiastically pursue their dreams because... "You are Never Too Old To Learn."

 

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Mother's Day 2010

I remember my mother's prayers
and they have always followed me.
They have clung to me all my life.
 - Abraham Lincoln

A number of my siblings, nieces and nephews living in Southern California surprised my Mother this morning by joining her at Mass. Can you imagine how pleased she must have been to have them gather with her at church? That simple, unselfish act will surely be more cherished for her than dozens of bouquets of flowers and gifts of expensive perfume.


How wonderful it would be if all children would join their own mother in prayer, especially today.  Mother and child would take the opportunity to thank God for the gift of the other and then offer prayers for the well-being of each other.

As for my wife and the mother of our children, she decided to make dinner for us on her special day as a tribute to her own Mother. "Thanks for loving your own mother so much you wanted to share that love with us."