The Evening

Sometimes the onset of the night brings moments of lucid thought, of inventiveness and the deepness that characterizes the work of the great philosophers, but sometimes it does not. And I fear that this is one of those moments. However I today read how Velásquez' "Las Meninas" was a work of art for art's sake, and I wonder whether we can live life this way. Can we live life, only for life's sake? What does this mean? Immediately to my mind comes the often atheist approach that there is nothing beyond this life and hence we better get our butts moving on the things that are important. Then again I wonder about the atheists who do less than those of us who believe in some form of afterlife, because aren't they in some fashion relying on the fact that we believe in something more, something greater? If I truly believed that there was no God, that we have only the moments here on Earth, then I would have complete disregard for anything else than to get mine and move on. However, thanks to God, that He came to earth and showed us His will for us, we know what we are called to live. That we are called to love one another and help others who do not understand the Truth that underlies all things in this world. For it is in our relationships that we achieve the highest levels of human contentment and satisfaction. Yes we can achieve great things materially, but aren't they all as nothing following death? How many people do you know that died and were able to take any physical objects with them, or honors, Nobel Peace Prizes, multiple degrees and doctorates, awards, trophies, etc.? Life is about love. And it is good and refreshing to remember this...The Lord came to this earth to save us from ourselves, by showing us the way to Him is through one another. By loving one another more deeply we will draw ever closer to Him and his all-encompassing love. I could not live a life without this hope, but I must also admit the final part of Paul's message, the crux upon which everything theological rests, and that is faith. I love the quote that states that faith is like the board that a drowning man clings to in an open sea of doubt. Yes it is hard, not only to believe, but even more to live! Please recognize that it takes courage to have faith, and that faith is not something blindly accepted, but chosen from the depths of the heart, mind, body and soul, from the very essences that make us metaphysically and real-ly individuals.

God will show you His love no matter what, He only asks that you love Him back. Develop a relationship with Him. Ask Him any question you can think of...because no matter where else you look in the world or even in the universe, you will find no more satisfying answers than you will find in a relationship with our God and Father.

I pray that you will find your way home.

A Sluggish Day...

It is amazing how quickly life can change, how new challenges and opportunities can arise in a moment and be gone the next. Friends come and go from your life, and acquaintances become friends and friends, strangers once again. This can be a sad evolution, but the truth is that some will never leave. Some will stay. Some will be there for you in your time of deepest need. Some will hold you in their hearts no matter where you are, how far, nor long out of touch. Love reigns at the heart of these persons, and rains upon you in their presence. I love the reading from St. Paul that expresses so concisely what I falter in saying here; "That in the end three things remain: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love". We yearn for it, we seek it in many different places; forces within the world try to tell us that we may find it in places that end in bottomless pits that swallow our lives and shackle us to habits, addictions, and obligations we never bargained for.

I praise the Lord for the ways in which He has protected me from these, and I believe it my calling to explain these freeing truths to others. Yet, not everyone is open to hearing the truth. They have their own truths, their own modi operandi, that may or may not be consistent with that which runs through all things. In these moments I wonder at the challenge of a greater love that condemns the action of the loved one, and yet shows a great love for him in that his understanding that it is a false truth he follows, will set him free to live life in a way that will be so much more fulfilling. But in the moment, it is painful. Arguments may arise because the other feels threatened. Ad hominem threats may be thrown at you because you believe different things. Why is it that I can walk into a room and show only love toward others and come away having been insulted and disrespected for who I am? Why is it so threatening to others that I seek to live a greater life? I desire to be a part of a greater story, to change this world for the better. I refuse to accept that this world is going to "hell in a handbasket", or that recession or some form of global warming will somehow kill us all. This world is temporal anyway, and our lives upon it are not our own. So why do we insist on taking the wrong approach on so many different levels and then wonder why we are so depressed and cannot comprehend why anyone would go to Church, or ascribe to any form of religion besides that of narcissism. I want mine, and that is all. This will take us nowhere. Would that we would all reach out to those around us, starving for love and attention and show them what Christ's love is really about, and hence what life is really about. Other paths that we follow in this life, like career, vocation, hobbies, jobs, volunteer experiences, should all serve as a means to sharpening our work toward this greater goal.

Jesus is present in this world, but if we do not truly live for Him, how can he reach out of our hearts to touch others'?

Today's Readings

I was blown away to hear today the very verse that I quoted the other night in regard to my presence here at Kent State University. In any new situation I am quick to question my ability to adapt, my sense of belonging, and my ability to establish myself in all aspects of my life. I thought at that point of the verse from Paul that is colloquially rendered, "When in Rome, do as the Romans; interesting that Paul did write letters to the Romans, but that this particular quote actually comes from his letters to the Corinthians. My love for the Bible is growing and I owe no small gift of thanks to Elise for this. Though it is not the definitive source for answers on faith issues, there is so much to learn from what the writers have put down. At times I feel I am at such a distance from my faith, but then the Gospel brings me back to reality by making the simple statement that we must be willing to remove the log from our own eye first, in order to later help our brother remove his splinter. I ponder the logs in my life; the things that I must cast out of my daily existence, and prevent from ever returning. At the same time I am reminded of the reading from last week that encourages us to confront our brothers when we are at odds with them for any reason. The deeper truth is that no one of us is ever perfect, but even in our imperfection, we can help one another to recognize and expel evils and sin from our lives. We must work together and act out of love, and all these things that we are taught as Christians and Catholics are possible!

Know that I am well here at Kent State; I have found a church that I enjoy attending by the name of St. Patrick's including attached school and hence opportunities to officiate. I play volleyball one night a week at a local bar/bowling alley/sand volleyball court place. I love it and have actually hooked up with a team comprised of largely Army recruiters. Guess I'm pretty close to "Army strong". Beyond this, classes and teaching are going well. I enjoy everything I'm doing and look forward to what the future will bring, that is beyond the snow, wind and rain!

My life in Kent, OH

Today...I met with the Kent State University women's volleyball coach, and learned that there is a possibility that I could help out with the team. Also, my first class went very well, and I learned some new strategies to try in my own classroom. I have a couple hours between the observation class and my own, and so I prepped some new activities to add to the mix of what I already had and ran for it! The class went well, I am starting to see the chatty side of my class, but I think that they respect me highly.

I have enjoyed teaching, and have done it every day thus far in a shirt and tie. I am used to the sensation, it reminds me of the Boylan days!!! You know you all miss them too! This afternoon I attended my own class on translation theory, which I find very intriguing, and the professor very challenging, both aspects that add to my enjoyment.

This evening I went to Kent Lanes, a place recommended by my roommate, and a place where we all went bowling this past weekend. It was a blast! The people playing were extremely cool and invited me to play on their team on a regular basis. So I guess I am involved in a volleyball league after all, and may not pursue intramurals since these games will go for the next six weeks yet.

Other than these, I am starting to feel tired. I guess all that running and diving, teaching and learning, really does take something out of you. But I wanted to share, and as our translation practice prof recommends: we must maintain those elements in our life apart from whatever our major pursuit may be, otherwise even that major pursuit can become dull and boring, and then life is not at all fun!

I hope you all are well...