Taking yet another step

Did you know that Canadians were the first to observe the Feast of the Holy Family? Yes, that's true! If this Feast is observed in present day in other parts of the world, then Canadian Catholics are to be thanked for originating this particular observance. Yea for us!

Speaking of firsts, I made another leap into the realm of modern-day electronic communications today. Starting today, the homilies that have been podcast for the last year or so are now live!

When I began this venture last October, I wanted very much to record the spoken reflections live while they were being spoken to the congregation, however it has taken a little bit of time to get all the ducks in a row. Finally I managed to procure the necessary equipment, thanks to our established customs of exchanging gifts on the occasion of Jesus' birthday.

In addition, I conscripted the help of the lucky person who happened to be scheduled as lector at the liturgy this morning, and asked her to take charge of the recording device. Cudos for the wonderfully clear recording. I'm still learning about all the ups and downs, ins and outs of the technical world and how it's best suited to proclaiming the word to those who can't be with us in person.

Perhaps it's apropos that my reflection for this weekend focused on family, since we are all part of God's family, even those who aren't with us in person. If you know of someone who might be excited to try out listening to these musings on the web, or even if you think someone needs to hear these words, feel free to pass the word along. You might be surprised at the results, and people might even thank you for the suggestion.

As always, you can read the text of my reflection on the holiness of families or you can listen to the podcast. Beginning with this post, we are also including the entire Liturgy of the Word, beginning with the proclamation of the readings upon which this reflection is based, and concluding with the Prayers of the Faithful which were offered at today's Mass.

We are always looking for ways to make your on-line experience more enjoyable. If you have a suggestion about an improvement that we might consider, please send an email.

King Wensaslaus and Saint Stephen

The Christmas season which is celebrated in the Church from the Feast of the Nativity of the Lord (December 25) until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is characterized by joy and festivities of various sorts. In particular the music of this time is some of the most well known throughout the world. Various melodies have been adapted and words inserted depending on various languages and customs, but regardless, the musical traditions are among the most well known.

Take for example the English carol Good King Wesceslaus. According to one source, the words to this carol were composed in 1853 but the music has been in existence since the sixteenth century. The carol in question refers to the Feast of Saint Stephen, a deacon in the early Church who is believed to be the first Martyr. Stephen is venerated as a saint in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.

According to the account written in the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles and the early Christians appointed 7 deacons to attend to such things as the distribution of aid to elderly widows. Probably a Hellenist himself, Stephen was well known for his oratory skills. In fact the account of his martyrdom speaks of the fact that even as he was being stoned as punishment for apparently having spoken out against the Sanhedrin, for blasphemy against Moses and for speaking out against the Temple and the Law (Acts 6:13-14), he continued to teach about Jesus and the Gospel he had come to proclaim.

The first evidence of Saint Stephen being venerated in the Church dates back to the fifth century. The first mention of veneration of the Tomb of Saint Stephen appears in 415 AD. When Christian pilgrims were traveling in large numbers to Jerusalem, a priest by the name of Lucian apparently reported knowledge of Stephen's tomb existing somewhere north of Jerusalem.

In some parts of the world, Saint Stephen's Day is a public holiday but it continues to be an observance of one of the oldest recognized days consecrated to the memory of one of our own who dedicated his life to the service of the Church, to helping the poor and the abandoned of his time. The mission of the Church continues even today, and is perhaps nowhere more recognized than when we concentrate on the needs of the less fortunate among us.

As we give thanks today for the abundant blessings that are ours, let us not forget that the fortune we have is indeed very rare, and that there are many this day who still seek the most basic of comforts, the welcome and warmth which can be called home, and the acceptance of others who truly love us and who share a part of their story of faith with us.

Christmas for children

Normally, children look to adults for guidance and counselling, especially when it comes to learning the most valuable lessons of life. Parents for instance model for their children such important things as forgiveness, acceptance and love by the way that we demonstrate these traits to the little people in our lives.

Have you ever noticed how especially young children tend to soak up such experiences like human sponges? Sometimes I wonder whether adults just get lost in the heightened pace that our lives often seem to be traveling at, and seldom find the time for such reflection and learning.

Christmastime though is one of those magical times of year when adults who are lucky enough and wise enough to look to children for guidance, can learn a whole lot about trust, surrender and the power of a playful spirit to overcome many obstacles.

Charles Dickens knew this power and illustrated it in the heart of Ebenezer Scrooge, one of the most famous characters in English literature, and the source of some of the most powerful lessons about love and its power to change our hearts.

Other examples of the power that children have to change the hearts of those who consider themselves more experienced at the game of life may be found in the countless children's pagents which bring the Nativity to life.

Make some time for children in your life this Christmas. Dare to allow yourself to be taught the most important lessons of the season ... sometimes by the most unexpected of teachers.

Merry Christmas

Christmas has arrived, in some hearts like a lamb and in others like a lion.

As we spend time with family and friends in the coming days, it might not be a bad idea to pause for a moment to recognize the blessings we share. In some parts of the world, families are torn apart and cannot spend time together. In others, they choose not to because of unfortunate circumstnaces. But this is a time for family.

As clumsy and uncomfortable as the experience might be, the ideal is to recognize the gift of love that exists between siblings, parents, children and others who might knock at our door.

This Christmas, my reflection speaks of Christ and his family. They too did not necessarily have the most easy time of it, but they did manage to celebrate together because there was more than enough love. This is my wish for you ... that you will have enough, no more than enough love, laughter, joy and reasons to celebrate and give thanks.

As usual, you can choose to read the text of my homily or listen to the podcast. Whichever mode you choose, the wish is the same .... Merrry Christmas.

'Twas the night before Christmas

Here we are on the day before Christmas. If your life is anything like mine, the furthest thing from reality is the poetic imagery of not a creature stirring in the house ... not even the mice. Instead, we are often surrounded with all manner of last minute details to be attended to.

Even the decorations department might still be a bit behind. I for one only managed to get the annual village scene set up last night, where it joined the likes of the Christmas tree and the crèche. Increasing numbers of people choose to decorate the outside of their family dwellings with lights, but few have probably gone as far as to choriograph their light show with music on the side.

If this isn't enough, how about some examples of outside Christmas decorations from San Francisco? Since there is no snow, they actually create the illusion of snow and the rest of Santa's entouage ... all in lights!

Personally, I much prefer to dwell on other aspects of the Christmas season, such as the music that has been developed over the centuries. Whether it's instrumental renditions or somewhat more jazzed up vocal versions of the traditional favorites, music for the yule season has a character all its own.

As we celebrate the One who first gave us the gift of His presence, let us be thankful for the many traditions, old and young, that allow us to celebrate and give thanks for all that we have received.

Merry Christmas to all ... and to all a good night.

Joseph gets his moment in the sun

The limelight is usually focused on Mary by the time we get to the fourth Sunday of Advent, but this year, as we light all the candles around the Advent wreath, we turn our attention to the other figure in the story. What was it really like for poor Joseph to fit into this story?

Christian tradition speaks very little of the role of Joseph, and yet there are some important lessons here about commitment and caring for one another, if we have the patience and pondering hearts to consider the situation.

Brother André, c.s.c., of Saint Joseph's Oratory fame was one of the Canadians who probably worked most ardently to promote Joseph's cause. André was convinced that poor Joseph is often forgotten by many since he was a quiet figure in the story of Christianity. Like many others in our society who are often forgotten, he took it upon himself to never leave Joseph out, to pray to him each day, to do his part so that Joseph wouldn't fall into obscurity.

In the final days of Advent, as the world seems in some ways to be passing by us at a frantic pace and many are under great stress to make sure that all things are in place in time for the great festival of gift giving, perhaps we would do well to pause for a moment to consider some of the first gifts given, prayer, love, concern and care on the part of the young couple of Nazareth.

As always, you can read the text of my reflections on this matter, or if you prefer, you can listen to the podcast. I hope that these few thoughts might help to add a new understanding of the season and to enrich your experience of this holy season.

Simple acts

People spend their entire lives building relationships. From the time we are children, some of us put enormous amounts of time into developing friendships, and if we're really lucky, we come to appreciate the blessing of siblings and other members of our immediate families.

In former days, the family unit was so central to everything we did that we paid particular attention to our elders - grandparents and others who could no longer care for themselves. In some cases today, due to various reasons, the elderly among us are no longer able to stay in their own homes, and children are so busy with careers and other obligations that it is difficult if not impossible for them to care for their aging parents.

Unfortunately, this means that at least in some cases, the elderly among us suffer most from loneliness and depression. These realities are all the more prevelant as we near the celebration of Christmas, because this holiday is traditionally associated with family gatherings, with enjoying the company of good friends and with giving thanks for our abundant blessings.

It only takes a moment to visit with or call someone who is elderly or shut in due to illness. A kind word shared today can go a long way to mending bridges or to reinforcing the ties that bind us. Why not make someone's day today by reaching out to someone who you haven't spoken with for a while, or someone who you've been meaning to contact, or someone who'se been in the back of your mind? You might be surprised by the result, and the reward may just possibly be two fold.

The Annunciation

More than five hundred teenaged girls arrived at my place this morning. Some brought various musical instruments, others brought prepared texts, and some brought their senses of wonder and excitement. What was the occasion you ask?

For the first time in a number of years, students from Marymount Academy, one of the neighboring High Schools came to the church to celebrate an Advent Mass with the Bishop of the diocese.

The divine irony about this was that the gospel passage proper for today speaks of the apparition of the angel Gabriel to Mary of Nazareth. Conscious of the fact that we were in the presence of five hundred other young ladies, each of which could have been that young girl who met an angel so many years ago, I started to wonder. How would a young woman greet such an occurence today? Would it be much different from Mary's encounter? Would there still be questioning and wondering? Would such a recipient still ponder such a happening in the same way?

Then I went on ... perhaps there are many among this very group who do indeed wonder, ponder, muse and yes even pray about the decisions they must make in life. They may not be willing to show this vulnerable part of themselves to too many others, but at times a hardened exterior hides a lot.

In his homily, the bishop referred to his annual message to the faithful of the diocese and invited those present to ponder the gift that is given this Christmas, and how they in turn are called to be gifts to one another and to others they meet. In this way, he touched on a common call that is given to all of us: God never gives a gift without asking that we use it to proclaim his presence.

How is Christ calling us to make a difference in the world today? What are the risks involved? Are we willing to accept His invitation or is there still something holding us back?

Out of the mouths of babes

'Hello. This is Matthew. Can you come to my Christmas concert today? It's at 1:00 o'clock.'

With these words, I received a personal invitation from a grade 3 student today to attend the annual Christmas concert. Of course that meant that I needed to re-arrange a few things, but I just couldn't turn down the inviation. I really wasn't too surprised when I arrived at the school to find that there were cars all over the place, and it seemed that every parent was also there to watch as their child(ren) sang, acted and led a series of celebratory moments recalling the innocence of youth, and the blessedness of the season of giving.

Every time I get to visit at the neighbourhood school, I know that I will be surprised by the complete trust and openness of the children. They ask some tough questions at times, but when all is said and done, they just love.

Isn't this the most valuable lesson to be learned in life? Perhaps that's why we focus so much on Christmastime as a reminder of the divine love that was and is shared with us each day. Have you ever noticed how at times this Yule time is an occasion for children of all ages to allow the season to return us to a time when we all were children? when we trusted absolutely and dared to believe that the impossible could truly come true? Why does this have to change when we grow up?

Let a child teach you this Christmas. Listen to the invitation that is offered - to come to a Christmas concert, to play for just a moment, to love without limits, to experience God's grace and the miracle of a child who comes to bring peace.

Who is my neighbour?

Today, the local United Way office distributed $30,000 worth of funding for community based programs that help women in this city to improve their lives. Among the recipients of funds was the Beech Street Community Kitchen, an outreach program which was begun by the parishioners of Christ the King parish to help people in Sudbury who are food insecure to provide nutritious meals for their families.

Since its inception in mid-October of this year, the Beech Street Community Kitchen has been meeting twice a month for three hours at a time. Participants prepare meals together and then take them home to be shared with their respective families. Besides the physical reward of taking home some food for their families (something which is provided free of charge to qualifying participants), there are a number of other benefits (blessings if you will) that have already been identified.

Perhaps first among those who have already been rewarded are the parishioners who volunteer their time to assist participants who come to cook at the Beech Street Community Kitchen. News about this initiative has already begun to spread throughout this community and beyond, and the responses are all good.

Overcoming the challenge of food insecurity might seem to be insurmountable when one considers the fact that there are 1 million families in Canada who face this challenge, but every proverbial journey begins with one step. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta also faced such a daunting prospect when she realized the myriads of poor and dying in the streets of that city, but she chose to love one at a time, and that has made all the difference.

Love is the key, to serving one another and to making a difference in the world. As we prepare for the festival of Christmas, perhaps we would do well to back away from the frenzy of shopping malls and the often self-imposed pressure of getting everything ready. Instead, spend some time reflecting on the importance of love. How has love made a difference in our lives? How do I too pass on the invaluable lessons of love to others?

Exceding joy

There's a funny dichotomy going on between the historical importance of this day in the liturgical calendar and the images presented in the gospel for today's liturgy. The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known (in Latin circles) as Gaudete Sunday - the Sunday of great joy.

I don't quite remember where I learned about the meaning of this day, but somewhere in the recesses of grey matter, I seem to recall that the thinking goes something like this: Advent is a season of joyful anticipation as we prepare for the birthday of our Saviour. Like the joy of anticipating a major party, birthday or other celebration, the excitement about the approaching festival of Christmas continues to build until we burst into song with the Christmas antiphon Gloria in Excelsis Deo. But we're not quite at Christmas Day yet.

In the meanwhile, the liturgy takes a little turn today, and we add the light of the pink candle in the Advent wreath to the two other purple ones as a sign that the joy of anticipation is about to bust out all over.

In contrast with this excessive joy, the portrait painted by the words of John the Baptist in the gospel for this day is one of doubt and questioning. To be sure, doubt is at the heart of all questions of faith, and the questions posed by the Baptist might very well be not far from our own musings at times.

My reflection for this weekend is entitled Is this all there is? As always, you can read the text on our parish website or you can listen to the podcast.

Oh, while I'm on the subject, greetings and wishes for joy are abounding these days. Check out the Christmas message issued by the Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie and the one issued this week by the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

For those who are already looking ahead to the New Year, the Holy Father's message for the 41st World Day of Peace, customarily observed on January 1 each year has also been published this week. As far as I know, none of these messages is available in podcast format yet, so maybe there is something to hope for ....

Happy reading!

Angels among us

A few months ago, I got to know a man named Derek. He now lives in another city, but sent me a very interesting email yesterday. First let me give you some background so you will understand where he's coming from.

Derek is Roman Catholic but has not completed all the Sacraments of Initiation, so he asked me one day what he would have to do to be Confirmed. I explained that normally, adults who wish to be Confirmed or to complete other Sacraments of Initiation are invited to follow a series of adult faith formation gatherings which we refer to as the Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults (or RCIA for short).

A few months have now passed, and Derek finally made it to his first RCIA class ... almost. What he did experience that evening though is just as valid in terms of God moments: the opportunities and expereiences that come our way from time to time that allow us to see, touch and appreciate the face of God. Here's his story:

It was a dark and very snowy night ... last night in Ottawa!! I had returned home from work. (After having supper), I cleaned the snow off of my car while it warmed up and made my way to my first adult initiation meeting.

The roads were slippery, but I come from Sudbury and know how to drive ... hehe! I arrived at Good Shepherd parish shortly before the meeting (was scheduled to) begin. To my surprise the only thing in the parking lot was snow!! No other car could be seen. I got out of my car because there was a young woman standing near a door, and I thought to go ask her about the meeting. She said that she had been talking to the parish secretary and was told that someone would be around that would be able to allow her access to the food stores so that she could feed herself and her daughter. She told me her story - that she had to pay her hydro bill and had nothing left, and that it felt horrible to be in this situation at Christmas, especially thinking of her daughter!!

We waited in the snow for about 10 or 15 minutes. No cars came, so I went to call at the rectory/office. The lights were on, but their was no one home. I returned to the young woman and she stated that she would not be able to wait much longer because she had walked 20 minutes to get there and that her ex-boyfriend/husband was supposed to bring her daughter at 8pm.

I asked if there was somewhere close where she could get some groceries. She stated that there was a Loeb's two minutes from her home. I immediately offered to drive her home and buy her some the groceries. She was shocked and said "are you sure....you don't even know me"! I introduced myself and we got into the car. We made it to the grocery store safely and we gathered the basics that she would need to get her through a couple of days, milk, eggs, butter, bread, and I decided to throw in bananas too! She thanked me very much as I thanked her, and we parted ways after this as she was comfortable walking the short distance home.

I felt like GOD allowed me to be an angel, and for this young woman and her daughter I guess I was!!! To be honest I felt like crying, because I was touched by HIS grace allowing me and calling on me to be there for her in her time of need!

Thanks Derek for sharing this wonderful story. We never know when angels may appear on our road, or when we ourselves will be invited to be angels for someone else, so be on the lookout.

Renaming the season

Some of the more organized among us are probably ready for Christmas. The decorations are up, the baking is done, the shopping is complete and the presents are wrapped. Some of us are also finished decorating our places of residence and have sent the annual greetings, letters and cards.

Every year, I keep telling myself that by the time I actually hit the second week of Advent, I want to have all the fussing complete so that I can actually take some time to enjoy the beauty of the season. In fact, this is usually only a dream which rarely if ever comes to fruition. Many if not all of us do indeed manage to get some of the preparations done, but very few of us ever are finished the planning until the very last minute, and then there is always something forgotten or not done because we just ran out of time.

In the words of a very good friend, we should perhaps rename this liturgical season and call it Madvent because many of us seem to be driven well beyond the limits of our normal patience as we get swept up in the ever-increasing pace of the season.

Was it that much different when the Son of God actually came to the earth? What was that night really like - the one we refer to as O Holy Night? Was it quiet and peaceful, with just a faint breeze blowing? or was it more likely a warm night where the smells and sounds of animals and nightlife spoke more about the need for crowd control and some ear plugs?

God didn't come to the earth in a postcard world, so why do we even dream of the possibility of such an existence? We might be much further ahead to try finding him in the ordinary events of life. He is present, bringing peace to the world which is at war, bringing forgiveness to the world that has become ever so competitive, bringing love to the world that has lost sight of the strength that is found when we rely on one another.

If we even began to appreciate these miracles, perhaps we might be able to truly appreciate the liturgical season of waiting, and Advent might truly be re-discovered as the season of promise.

Setting the tone

Permit me a bit of a diversion from the routine of interpreting literature for our times - in the strict sense of the term at least. Just as good literature has the power to stir the soul, so does good music sometimes conjure images and deep emotion.

As we prepare for the festival of Christmas, opportunities to appreciate the music of the season seem to abound. Whether one is inclined to partake in the annual participatory renditions of Georg Handel's masterpiece The Messiah, or the various orchestral and choral renditions of tratidional and not-so-traditional carols which have been composed throughout the centuries, the music of Advent and Christmas are a genre unto themselves.

Sometimes we happen upon some new renditions of the old classics which seem to awaken us once again to the simple but true beauty of this season of light. Thus was my fortune yesterday. We had just completed the celebration of a parish penitential service at one of the neighbouring churches when I noticed a poster which had been placed near the entrance of the church. A group known as Strada were to perform a concert entitled Kadou: Noels d'ici et d'ailleurs within a few hours' time. I knew nothing of them, but had heard that this was to be a concert using 'period instruments'. I departed with visions of harpsicords dancing in my head.

A few hours later, the concert began: the five members of the troupe arrived on stage donning various manner of simple dress which conjured images of the shepherds of yore and began to recount the history of the mid-winter festival which has been celebrated throughout the world for more than two centuries. The recounting of story captured the attention of the waiting crowd and the interweaving of words and music to masterfully maintain the attention of children of all ages made for an evening of true magic.

In the coming weeks, as we continue our preparations for the celebration of Christmas, may you too have the opportunity to explore the magic, music and story of the season. Return to the innocence of childhood and dare to dream of a time of miracles, peace, joy and love.

Times, they are a changin'

Have you ever noticed that there are times in our lives, especially when we are under pressure, or put to the test, that we wish with all our hearts that things would change, become better, and the faster the change the better thank you very much?

At other times, when we are enjoying life, when things seem to be going well, we long for time to stand still.

The wisdom of the ages tells us that change is constant, and whether we wish it or not, change always affects us, whether we ourselves effect the changes in our own lives, or whether they are imposed upon us. The difference in how they are handled depends on whether or not they are accepted or rebuked.

The bible and other books of philosophy and religion speak constantly of change, usually indicating the possibility for growth in the persons affected, but the human heart is a creature of habit so it resists change, preferring the comfort of the known world rather than the unknown. Yet, there is also a strange intrigue with the unknown, especially in the hearts of the adventurous types among us.

The readings proper to the second Sunday of Advent (Year A) present the figure of the Baptist who calls for change and speaks of better things to come. In my reflection entitled Time for change, I muse over the fact that we have already experienced much change in our lives, and yet we doubt that the things that still seem impossible might actually come about if we have the faith to believe John's predictions. As always, you can read the text of this reflection on the website of Christ the King parish (Sudbury), or you can choose to listen to the vocal score which is podcast every week.

Other musings about this week in parish life are also available in my regular epistle to the flock.

Two more weeks to go ... got your Christmas preparations all under control yet?

Call it what it is

We began the season of Advent a few days ago. This is a four week period of preparation for the Solemnity of Christmas which we celebrate on December 25.

Some of those who will read these words are probably wondering why I've taken the time to write out these details. Doesn't everyone know that Christmas is celebrated on December 25th? Doesn't every Christian know about the celebration of the Advent season?

Well, I've noticed in the past couple of years that the retail sector of our society is seeming to take over. Christmas appears less and less to be about a miracle that has been celebrated for more than two thousand years, and more and more about consumerism. The story of God's act of love, the birth of His Son in a manger in Bethlehem seems to be relegated to the telling of stories in a church, but outside the places of worship where people may gather in the coming weeks, there is very little evidence of the story being told.

Last year at this time, I went shopping at my friendly neighbourhood bookstore, looking for books that would explain the Christmas story to small children. Imagine the surprise of the clerk when I asked for a book that would tell the REAL story of Christmas. We had to look for quite some time to find one.

Even as early as mid-November of this year, people in stores started wishing their customers 'Happy Holidays'. Whenever I hear this greeting, I want to ask the greeter which holiday they are referring to. Were they perhaps thinking of American Thanksgiving (celebrated on November 22 this year)? or were they just afraid to insult someone because they might be celebrating Hanukkah rather than Christmas?

To be fair, there is actually a small ground swell which seems to be making a name for itself because some people are actually daring to speak out against the tide. Among those of note there is an email circulating these days with a printed version of a reflection by Ben Stein which explains that he is Jewish but is quite OK with the fact that not everyone is, and that we celebrate different festivals in our faiths, and that's OK. Why do so many people fall under the pressure of political correctness and fail to appreciate the beauty of celebrating our differences?

Even the on-line world of YouTube has sprouted a few challenges to this societal trend. Check out for instance the video entitled Christmas with a Capital C or go even another step further and check out the music video entitled It's about the Cross which is a contemporary rendering of the Christmas story as it fits into the entire salvation story.

It takes courage to live faith, and living faith each day means being ready to make a difference by standing up for what we have learned. How else will children learn the lessons that some of us take for granted? How else will the message be heard? In some parts of the world, people are persecuted on the grounds of faith. Throughout history, Christianity has flourished whenever it is challenged. Are you willing to make a difference? Are you willing to stand up for what you believe?

Where your heart is

Have you ever had one of those experiences that makes you stop and think, or truly give thanks for the blessings you have? One of the most precious blessings is that of family; they are always willing to support us when we are in need, and they are often the source of the first lessons we learn about how to live life.

A few months ago, I met a woman who is the youngest of fifteen children, all of whom lived in a two-bedroom house while they were growning up. The funny thing is that they grew up next door to my father! The two families lost touch with one another until this past summer, and partly through my chance meeting with Paula, our families have now been reunited.

Paula's brother Michael Walcott wrote a book a few years ago (ISBN 1-4196-1084-8) entitled A Cathedral Inside. Recounting the stories of growing up in a family of fifteen, who had very little in the way of worldly possessions but had an overabundance of love and concern for one another which has continued even to this day, the reader is actually encouraged to recognize the many blessings that we often overlook in daily life.

Throughout the book, Mr. Walcott reminises about the valuable lessons he learned while growing up: about valuing relationships, the simple and innocent pleasure of children at play and the not so innocent meanderings of teenagers and young adults who are living the normal experiences of life.

Physical poverty robs us of many opportunities but it often also rewards us by opening new doors and providing expereinces which teach us to seize every opportunity to live life to the full. Remember that wherever your riches are, there will your heart also be (Mt 6:21).

On hope

This past weekend, His Holiness, Benedict XVI published his second encyclical letter entitled Spe salvi. Based on the advise offered by Saint Paul to the Church at Rome (Rom 8:24), Benedict's latest publication encourages us to remember that 'in hope we were saved'.

Who ever said that the Vatican think tanks were out of touch with modern marketing smarts? Having published his first encyclical Deus caritas est (God is love) on Christmas Day 2005, echoing the fact that God came among us in the form of a child to teach us love, Spe salvi, which focuses on the virtue of hope, was published just in time for the first Sunday of Advent - the season when we are reminded of God's hope for all people.

Just before repeating the traditional Angelus after the Sunday Mass celebrated in Saint Peter's Square yesterday, the Pope said that 'the world needs God, otherwise it remains without hope'.

Watch the commentaries that will now be published ... that have already begun to be written about this newest publication:

An initial commentary published by ZENIT is only the beginning. The now well-known blog Whispers in the Loggia quickly provided a link to the text, and in the coming days will doubtless publish at least one commentary about it.

Perhaps the contemplatives among us have gotten it right for years. In the midst of a world that seems to be chasing its tail at times in search of hope, the answer has been right in front of our eyes all along. God himself is the source of hope, and Advent calls us to rediscover the simple truth of (re)turning to Him who is the remedy for cultural despair.

For whom the bell tolls

For more than seven decades, the towers which contain the bell at Christ the King here in Sudbury have stood as landmarks for all those who know the downtown area of this city. Like all things mortal, even the bell towers are in need of repair, maintenance and tender loving care from time to time.

At present, there are signs of major wear and tear, just normal ravages of time, but signs nonetheless of some repairs which will need to be done. It is our hope that with the help and generosity of parishioners as well as others who know the history of these towers, the necessary repairs can be made in a timely fashion.

The first signs that a fundraising campaign to facilitate these repairs is on the horizon appear in my Lines from the reading chair this weekend. Tune in often for updates as the project continues to take shape.

Signs of hope

This has been a crazy week! In the midst of trying to get prepared for the beginning of Advent, we have also had a number of other divine interruptions to the schedule which I have learned is anything but tranquil on the best of days.

Today, the Church celebrates the first Sunday of Advent. This four-week period of immediate preparation for Christmas invites us to recognize our dependence on God - something which seems to be increasingly left by the wayside by those who put their trust in other realities with which the more fortunate among us have become accustomed.

Faced with the rather insidious belief that all will be well if we just work hard and invest wisely, many eventually discover that no amount of planning or hoping will guarantee such wealth. By contrast, the scripture passages for this first Sunday of Advent call God's people to renewed hope in the promise of life that has been proclaimed since Jesus himself walked this earth.

My homily, entitled Choose hope, speaks of the power of hope to overcome even the greatest of barriers imposed by fear or despair. It's available, as always in text format as well as in podcast format.

With straight and crooked lines

More than a year ago, one of my cousins asked whether I would be wiling to preside at her wedding. The wedding finally took place this past week. Lo and behold, it gave me the seed for this week's homily.

As promised in my blog entry from Monday of this past week, here is the link to this week's reflection which was shared with parishioners at Christ the King in Sudbury. It's available in a number of different formats, so you choose whether you want to read the text or listen to the podcast.

On the parish website, you'll also find a copy of my musings for this coming week. The column, which is published in our weekly bulletin is entitled Lines from my reading chair. I hope you enjoy them.

Will one thing

Young people and old today look for guidance when they are in trouble. When they are seeking guidance, they turn to those who they perceive to be wise, but what is it that makes heroes? What does it take to be idolized? I dare say that no person sees him-herself as one to be idolized, or to be emulated; this honour is bestowed by those who see good in us, who look to us for direction and who come to us for advise.

Saint Theresa of Lisieux, Blessed Theresa of Calcutta and the Servant of God John Paul II are three examples, from different times in history who have all lived lives of commitment to be devoted servants. Whether within the walls of a convent in Northwestern France, from the streets of one of the most populated cities in India, or from the window of his private apartment in the Vatican, these three people all strove to remain commited each day to doing the will of God.

What makes their example even more poignant is the fact that the world around them seemed to be characterized by many individuals who chose to ignore the fact that God loves each of us into existence and encourages us to share the good news of this love and acceptance with others. By contrast, many people's lives are characterized by individualism and a concern for enjoying the good things of life.

What is it that makes saints and people of commitment renounce the comforts of this world and choose instead to seek comfort and consolation in the quiet of prayer and contemplation? Perhaps we would all do well to examine the ramifications of our decisions and to devote ourselves one day at a time to living lives of radical commitment. It all begins with an act of will, and to remaining focused on willing one thing.

Connecting the dots

A few months ago, I spoke with the people who come to pray at the church where I serve as pastor. I told them that in addition to the updates that are made regularly to our parish website and the printed versions and podcasts of my homily that are available each week after the last Mass is complete, I have also been posting commentary on current literature here on this blog.

The more that I get used to the world of communication on the web, the more I am convinced that all the loops need to be closed, and all the various pieces need to be connected so that different readers who might consult different tools can also have access to other parts of the story.

Beginning this coming Sunday, I will therefore post a link here on the blog so that readers can access the weekly homilies that are preached here at Christ the King in Sudbury. In addition, I'll post a link to the weekly column that is printed in our parish bulletin. It's entitled Lines from my reading chair. You'll find 'back issues' of the homilies, podcasts and Lines, including those which were posted yesterday, on our parish website.

Shelter from the storm

George Orwell once observed, “It is curious how people take it for granted that they have the right to preach to you and pray over you as soon as your income falls below a certain level” (Down and Out in Paris and London).

The women in All Our Sisters are remarkably resourceful. They have found their own ways to live in a constantly changing world. Without an address, they cannot get a social insurance number or a job. Without a home they risk loosing their children. Our social security system has forced many to hide or to stretch the truth to maintain the few things they have. Each of the women has learned to cope in some way with what life has brought them. Most are grateful for the charity that they have found.

Some shelters are run by faith based groups doing outreach work in their communities. These groups do not pride themselves in being there to save the world, but rather in being a safe place. Many shelters offer not only a roof and a meal, but a listening ear and a caring heart. It is through the work of these shelter workers that many lives have been changed. In story after story, many women recount how they have found salvation. Many recall the moment they found God in their lives. Some have turned their lives into living examples of God’s work in this world. They themselves are now working in the missions where they sought refuge.

In these instances women were not preached over or prayed over, but rather listened to and cared for.

While we may often wonder why some lives are so difficult, perhaps these should be seen as our challenge put forward by God. How can we offer support that is more than prayers and preaching? Next time you see someone without shelter, think of what you can do to be God’s living example, to reach out and lend a hand.

Love one another

Substance use is at the heart of many stories told by the women in All Our Sisters. For some, life at home became too difficult due to the substance misuse of a parent or a loved one. For others, the substance use of their pregnant mother may have lead to a life of mental impairment, making it hard to cope with situations many of us take for granted. Yet for other women their own addiction, a physical and chemical need for substances, may have lead to the loss of home and family.

No one comes into the world or wakes up one morning and plans to become addicted. No one leaves their current surroundings with the plan of living life on the street. No woman gives birth in hopes of having her children torn from her life because a person in authority deems that she in unfit.

The homeless are people. People with dreams and with plans for a better life. They are people who need to be viewed as equals in our eyes just as they are equals in God’s eyes.

The stories told in All Our Sisters point to a need for all of society to view homelessness as an opportunity to help others in this earthly journey. We have been instructed by Jesus Christ to “love one another”. We are each gifted by God in ways that can offer support to the homeless. We have been given a great love by our God to share with others.

Visit a soup kitchen, offer to help or simply take time to sit and listen to the stories of the homeless. By sharing your time or volunteering your talents you can be a living example of God’s love in this world. You can make a difference in someone’s life.

Finding a place for everyone

Home: a place to be yourself; a place to hang pictures on the wall, to read your favorite books, to listen to music that moves your soul, or your body, when no one is watching. Some homes are huge, others tiny apartments. Some are filled with light, others need the help of a few well placed light bulbs. Some homes are full of love, some not so much.

Imagine life without a home. Picture yourself trying to fall asleep on the streets, or maybe in an alley with the noise of a big city for ambience and streetlights as night lights. If you are “lucky” you may have shelter; the couch in a friend’s apartment or a charitable shelter, sharing your sleeping quarters with strangers. Imagine needing to search nightly for a place to sleep.

Who would chose to give up the sanctuary of “home” for the life of the “homeless”?

Now imagine being homeless and being a woman. It is a societal expectation that women be the “homemaker”. Many women feel judged by how clean they keep their lodgings and how well they can prepare a meal. Women without a place to call home are doubly judged…judged that they have chosen to be homeless and that they cannot live up to expectations, not even their own dreams. Some women are made more vulnerable by histories of physical violence, drug or alcohol abuse or mental illness. For many, all three have played a role in leading to a life without a home.

In Susan Scott’s All Our Sisters: Stories of Homeless Women in Canada, we are privileged to hear the stories of Canadian women, living on the streets or in shelters, with no place to call “home”. Scott spoke with and recorded the stories of women in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. Along with statistics and background information about homelessness and related issues, we are invited briefly into to lives of these women, to learn their histories, and share their dreams.

Many stories in scripture speak about the poor. The last shall be first in the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps in taking a little time to learn more about the homeless, we can be moved into action to bring some Kingdom of Heaven to the homeless on earth.

What's the fuss

A few months ago, I made reference to some summer reading I had done. One of the books was the final installment in the Harry Potter series. Since that time, there has been not a little hullaballoo going on over the revelation by the author J.K. Rowling that the character Dumbledore, a wizard who is head master at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry is gay.

Reaction to this news has ranged from the cheers of some to the calls for boycotting of the series by others. See for instance the articles published in the November 10, 2007 issue of ZENIT.

I'm just not so sure what all the fuss is about. Sure in former generations, the issue of sexual orientation was something to be discussed only within the walls of one's home and only with those who were most to be trusted. In fact if such news was to be laundered in public it was almost certainly an automatic sentence of death - or at least severe chastisement.

Among the younger generations of today however, sexual orientation is just another facet of getting to know someone. Regardless of which side of the fence you sit on, the values of family, respect and love are the same. If everyone was so obsessed with faithfulness to commitments and living with integrity, I wonder whether the world would not be a much different place where we could actually get along with each other and dare to love.

Seek first

Only a few decades ago, parents worked hard to make sure that their children would have a better life than they themselves had enjoyed. Better is often defined as more opportunities but also as more possessions.

The result, at least in many parts of the theologically advanced nations, is that we now have an overabundance of material wealth, but we also have a consequent abject poverty in many cases when it comes to spirituality. The mere act of entering into prayer seems to be foreign to many who we meet today, and yet there seems to be an unquenchable thirst for things spiritual today.

It's almost as though we have a good idea about what we want, but we have no idea about how to attain it - especially when it comes to values other than material, tangible and visible riches. The answer is really very simple. In the words of a wise one who once walked in my life, 'You must begin each day by admitting that you are not God - that there is only one God, and you are not it'.

With a healthy relationship of coming to God with an understanding that all we have is a gift, and that our only response is to say thanks, we might well be on the way to understanding that we are not in control, and that despite our greatest wealth, we are still poor, for we are always in need of forgiveness, love, acceptance and happiness - things we cannot touch, smell, hear or see but things that make all the difference.

There is none so blind as those who will not see, so let's set aside the clutter and set out on a quest to truly seek the answer to our every need. Then perhaps, out of the darkness of abundance, we will begin to see with new eyes, and appreciate with renewed fervour the gifts that really matter.

Wake up

At one point early in the film, Luke is cleaning the robot R2-D2 when a fragment breaks loose from R2 and Luke finds himself staring at the image of Princess Leia who is pleading, 'Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi. You're my only hope'.

Similar cries for help have been heard throughout time. Even in the scriptures, there are many examples of people who come to Jesus and cry out for help because they are desperate and in need of help. Curiously though, Jesus is not always able to help. There are episodes in the scriptures that speak of his inability to perform miracles.

Miracles and curing are for Jesus, moments to reveal the plan of the Father, and to invite the pilgrim to embark on a journey, but the sick must first want to be healed - to wake up and realize that they are in need of help. The same is true for us. We must first be aware that we are asleep, blind, spiritually dead or in bondage before we can even ask to be healed.

To what must we become aware today? How are we being invited to 'wake up' and realize the great love that awaits us, and the precious gift that is being offered by our God? Are we willing to realize our need for God? Are we willing to call out for help, and to trust that he can heal us?

Do, or do not. There is no try.

As part of Luke Skywalker's training, Yoda challenges him to lift an X-wing fighter from the swamp by 'using the Force'. Faced with what he perceives as an impossible task, Luke is more than skeptical, but Yoda encourages him saying, '... try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.'

Life provides us with many opportunities to try things, without committing ourselves wholeheartedly: we try on clothes, we try a new shampoo, we test drive a car - in all these cases, if we are not satisfied with the results, we don't have to commit to them; we can just leave them behind and move on to the next opportunity.

But some things in life are not ours just for the trying. In some cases, we truly must be committed in order to get the full benefit of the experience. I remember once speaking with a pastoral supervisor about my own tentativeness to leave the comfort of the rectory and to meet people who were complete strangers to me. He agreed that for some people, this can be a stressful experience, but the reality is that if we face our fears, sometimes the source of fear can also end up being the source of greatest blessings and riches.

Jesus himself found many interested bystanders who welcomed the opportunity to receive the food he offered when he fed the five thousand, but shortly afterward when he called them to follow him even unto death, many bystanders fled the scene. He then turned to the disciples and asked them too if they were about to leave him - or were they committed to 'doing' rather than 'trying' this life of service to which he had called them.

On the day of our baptism, we too were invited to 'do' and not to merely stay on the periphery, 'trying out' our faith. The question is, are you willing to do faith, or do you want to stay on the surface and continue trying it until you find the best fit?

Believe

When someone wants to improve his-her life and is provided with an opportunity to learn something new, there is a thirst for knowledge that can seem at times to be ravenous. The character Luke Skywalker is no exception to this rule. Faced with the possibility of moving beyond his sleepy existence and learning about the possibility that there may be much more out there, he is eager to learn about the Force, but when he has to face the discipline of learning how to harness the Force, he becomes discouraged because there is much work to do, and little sign of progress, at least in the initial stages.

Every opportunity for growth in life brings with it a certain degree of commitment on our part, and the fact is that at times the work is sheer drudgery and downright uninteresting. In fact there can be and often are moments along the way that are disheartening: moments when we may be convinced that all our hard work is not bearing much fruit at all, but the secret is to stick with it, to remain committed to developing the skills and to believe that at some point, all the hard work will pay off.

Artists all know the moment at which a water colour painting looks like a mass of colour which is hopelessly more like a giant smudge than the beautiful result of patience required to let the colours blend and set. Linguists know the frustration of endless practice needed to get the pronounciations just right, and musicians know the dedication necessary in order to achieve the breakthrough that comes when they seem to finally stop playing notes and begin making music.

When we begin the journey of faith, the same is true: we may very well begin with the rote prayers we have been taught as children, and these can become boring at times, when we think of them simply as a repetition of words. If however we are persistent enough to reach the moment when we finally discover that words repeated give way to a conversation that takes place between us and God, we discover the true meaning of prayer. Like Luke Skywalker who watches in disbelief as Yoda raises the X-wing fighter out of the swamp, like the piano student who listens in awe to the concert given by his-her favorite virtuoso, each young aprentice in the art of prayer can eventually achieve the satisfaction of divine communication which has the potential to draw us ever closer to our ultimate goal of union with the One who has first created us and who awaits our eventual return.

The Lost Sayings

As the episodes of Star Wars unfold, we learn that Darth Vader was a master in the ways of the Jedi. This mastery should have been transmitted to his children, as would be expected between a parent and his-her offspring, but in the case of Luke Skywalker, he was isolated from his father for so long that he had no idea that the Jedi even existed, much less that he himself possessed the potential to be one of its masters.

Faith is also transmitted one generation at a time, but it risks being 'lost' if it is not practiced or taught, and the parents who neglect to teach it are eventually faced with the reality of children who are indifferent to it or curious about establishing even the most superfluous understanding of the role of faith in their lives.

I once participated in a conference on the subject of catechesis where one of the invited guests compared the effect of the cultural revolution of the 1960s to the devastation of the Hiroshima bomb - at least in terms of transmitting faith. The argument goes something like this: the 1960s were characterised by a spirit of free choice where many of the teenagers and young adults chose to rebel totally against all that their parents had taught them. Consequently, they rejected all the wisdom and lessons that their families had held as sacred up to then, including faith, family values etc. As they in turn matured, were married and had families, the time came for them to teach their own children about the important lessons of life, but since they had rejected the lessons that they themselves had been taught, they had nothing upon which to base the lessons they would teach their own children. Since that time, at least two or three other generations have passed, and the challenge of transmitting faith has been compounded with the passing of each generation.

One of the results is that we currently find some young people who are thirsting for meaning in their lives, for answers to the most basic questions about higher powers, about God, about faith. Particularly among teenagers and adults who are now in their thirties and forties, questions abound about the validity of various methods of spirituality. One might say that many have lost the sayings which were part of the Catholic faith traditionally transmitted by parents to their children.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of questions and yearnings for answers, especially in the realm of faith. Various groups such as Catholic Christian Outreach and even the Legionaries of Christ and others like them have sprung up as possible sources of answers and providers of the catechesis which has been missing for so many years.

Some nominal Catholics - those who have been baptised and raised as Catholic but who for various reasons do not practice the traditions of the Catholic Church may actually be surprised to learn that the bible actually speaks many truths which have hitherto been unknown. In a sense, you might say that the bible is the list of 'sayings' which for many lapsed Catholics, have been lost. As these 'sayings' are rediscovered, the faith which was not previously transmitted has the possibility of coming back to life.

Can we define God?

A young child once asked, 'Who created God?' In the mind of a child, if we can trace everything back to a moment at which it was created, then God too, must have been created. The logic is sound, except that creation assumes that there is a prime mover.

Philosophers such as René Descartes would argue that this prime mover is God, but the quest to understand who God is represents a journey that each of us must undertake in the context of faith.

Catholic tradition has always defined God as the author of good, and classically pits good agains evil, which it defines as the absence of God. Modern-day theatre such as J.R.R. Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings and George Lucas' Star Wars both deal with the age-old questions of good and evil.

In the case of Star Wars, what some refer to as the 'spiritual rhelm' is defined as 'the Force'. The Jedi seeks to harness the Force and to draw energy from that which 'surrounds us and penetrates us ... (and) binds the galaxy together' but unlike the Christian understanding of goodness and blessing which are gifts from God, the Force also has a dark side. In the words of the Jedi master Yoda, 'Anger ... fear ... agression. The dark side of the Force are they. Easily they flow, quick to join ou in a fight. If once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your desitny, consume you it will ...'

Like the Jedi who is in search of harnessing the Force to do good, Christians also are on a quest to identify good and evil - blessing and curse. This divine mystery, properly understood, leads the believer to realize that all human beings reach a point on the journey when we appreciate the importance of the virtue of humility. When humans meet God in prayer, one of the first lessons we learn is humility - that we are not in charge: of our own lives, of our own destiny.

The Church father Augustine believed that 'if you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility and the third is still humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts are fruitless.'

Being strong in the Force, like Yoda, Obi-Wan and even Darth Vader is therefore akin to the Christian understanding that the purpose of our being is to seek, know and serve God. The further we are along this journey of discovery, knowledge and service, the more we grow in our understanding of the One who created all things.

Questions of faith for today's generation

Ever since the days of my youth, I have been facinated with the world of Hollywood blockbusters - isn't everyone? Every now and then, the worlds of modern-day pop culture and questions of faith cross paths, and the result makes for interesting speculation.

In the latter part of the 1970s the first of the Star Wars films made its début and people like George Lucas and others have been rocketed into the media limelight ever since. Two years ago, Dick Staub, an award-winniing broadcaster, writer and speaker, whose work focuses on interpreting faith and culture wrote Christian Wisdom for the Jedi Masters. In the next series of posts, I'd like to take a look at some of Staub's reflections as they pertain to modern-day life.

In the jacket notes which accompany this volume, the editors explain:

"Star Wars, one of the most enduring pop cultural phenomena of our day, is a spiritual mythology built around a universal energy called 'the Force' and a Jedi's ability to use it. The overt spiritual themes in the Star Wars films convey remarkable theological truths to a younger generation that is dissatisfied with religion but hungry for a spiritual quest ..."

Wisdom issues to be discussed in this volume include Jedi understandings about seeking, knowing, fighting and serving. In the words of the Jedi master Yoda, "for the adventure that awaits us, prepare yourself and for the ride, come along".

Nurturing, love and caring

Ever had one of “those days”: A day where you seem to have left your brain somewhere else ... A day when the slightest upset can have much bigger consequences? These are called frazzles. Little stressors in our lives may pile up to create bigger stressors because our brain’s ability to think and to act has been hampered by the little things. Taking a little time to slow down, evaluate your situation and assess what changes need to be made can help “de-frazzle” those days.

There is a story told of a professor performing a demonstration in front of his class. First he takes larger rocks and places them in a jar. He asks the class, “Is this jar full?” The eager students answer in the affirmative. Next he adds medium sized stones to fill in spaces left by the larger rocks and again he asks, “Is the jar full?” Again the students confirm that it is. The wise professor then adds smaller stones filling more spaces. When asked, “Is this jar full?” again the students respond that it is. Finally the professor fills the remaining spaces with sand. “What lesson can you learn from this demonstration?” asks the professor. The students sit in silence until the professor explains, “The truth in this illustration is, first make room for the big things, for family, friends, spiritual life, what ever is important to you and then fit the other things around them. Because if you do not fit the big things in first, you will never get them in at all.”

In Daniel Goleman’s final chapter Social Consequence we are reminded of the need for security or a safe environment in which mistakes can be made and corrected. We need the freedom to feel safe as we are corrected. These corrections can be found in positive personal connections.

In our Catholic experience we are called into the sacrament of reconciliation with our God. This is our safe environment in which we can explain to God and our confessor the nature of our sins and to be forgiven. We leave the confessional absolved of our sins and free to live as a reflection of God’s love in this world. It is beneficial to go to the same confessor because our continued confessions enable him to see more clearly the true inner state of our soul and to understand better the occasions of our sin. A consistent confessor can be essential to “de-frazzle” our spiritual lives.

The scientific world has made many amazing discoveries about the inner workings of the human mind and the effect of nurturing, love, and caring on health and society. These issues have each been addressed in the teachings of Jesus Christ. The centuries-old wisdom of the Church is now up-held by modern science. “Love one another”, reach out to someone else, connect with them and the world will benefit. As science and Christianity have proven, our social brains were made for this purpose.

Healthy Consequences

“…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” (Mt 25: 35 – 36)

If stress is social, relieving the stress of others will relieve stress for all. The better we connect with others the better our health and their health will become. Jesus’s words spoke to caring for others as keys to the kingdom of Heaven. In the chapter entitled Healthy Consequences, Daniel Goleman’s book Social Intelligence speaks of how twenty-first century science can now demonstrate that caring for others will indeed bring a little bit of heaven down to earth for all of us.

While it is easy to care for our loved ones and those close to us, the true challenge lies in reaching out to others, connecting with them and demonstrating true Christian ideals.

Consider the plight of those around us. A walk down inner city streets will reveal the plight of the hungry, the thirsty and the homeless. While many of us may be afraid to reach out to these marginalized people, we can still find many people around us in need. Do you know of a sick person alone in a hospital bed waiting and hoping for a friendly visit, a smile or a few kind words? How about a new mother frazzled by the new challenges of parenthood? In your neighbourhood is there a recently widowed person who now spends many hours alone, longing for the company of their loved one called Home before them?

As a Christian living in the increasingly disconnected twenty-first century, consider taking some time to reach out to someone you sense may be in need. Challenge yourself to find the hungry, the thirsty, the strangers, the sick or the imprisoned who share this world with us and to become living examples of God’s love. Not only will you be fulfilling God’s call, you may also be benefiting your own health.

Love's Varieties

In ancient times people believed that the liver was the seat of emotion in the body. Later civilizations came to believe that the heart ruled our emotions. In the chapter entitled Love's Varieties of his book Social Intelligence, Daniel Goleman reveals that it is in fact the brain that drives emotion, particularly love.

Goleman clinically dissects love into three categories:

• attachment,
• care giving, and
• sex,

each of which is controlled by brain chemistry and wiring.

Attachment is the type of love that brings us together and causes us to miss someone when they are absent. Care giving love gives us the desire to nurture people for whom we have concern. Sexual love involves physical togetherness. To further complicate the already complex emotion called love, the male and female brains respond differently to the same stimuli. In new relationships the male brain responds to physical attributes in a would-be partner, while the female brain responds to the partner’s ability to provide.

Research has shown that relationships offering a secure base from which one can venture out into the world also provides the most healthy benefits. The more positive moments that a couple shares and the more opportunities that they have for togetherness, the stronger their relationship will be. As partners spend time together their brains wire in similar patterns. Partners may mimic each others facial expressions to the point where as they age partners begin to wrinkle in similar patterns causing them to look alike.

This talk of love calls to mind the advise offered by Saint Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 4 -8) “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Patience and kindness are both attributes of care giving. The ability to demonstrate concern for the needs of your partner, agreeing to do things together without resentment or anger and remaining truthful to each other are all signs of attuning to the needs of your partner. Science now shows that these attributes spoken about by Saint Paul will contribute to a long martial union that will bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things. These ancient words spoken at many wedding ceremonies are truly the keys to a long and lasting relationship.

Nurturing nature

The gospel of Matthew (19: 13-15) recounts moments when Jesus welcomed children with warmth and love saying “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs”. In the chapter of Daniel Goleman’s book Social Intelligence entitled Nurturing Nature, we are reminded of the importance of nurturing the growing brain so that the kingdom of heaven here on earth will be theirs.

There was a time when science believed a child’s brain stopped growing early in life and that the time to impact personality occurred in that small window of time while a child was less than five years old. Recent medical technology now shows that the human brain continues to grow and develop into young adulthood. As a child interacts with people the brain responds. With every interaction a child’s brain forms connections and the wiring in the brain grows like branches on a tree. As connections are made and nurtured these connections strengthen. Unused connections are pruned.

For adults, this knowledge is a call to attune to the needs of children and to support environments for positive brain growth and wiring. Some may mistakenly believe that this means we need to protect children from all of the harms in this world. Children need to learn to deal with the good and the bad in a secure environment where mistakes can be learned from. Adults can model appropriate reactions to stressful situations and disappointment so that children learn how to deal with such situations. As children learn from these situations their brains adapt and build resiliency: the ability to bounce back in stressful times.

An African proverb enlightens us saying “It takes a village to raise a child”. The Christian village will reflect God’s love and help our children to grow in a nurturing environment. We may never know the full effect of our relationships with children. We may not understand what our words - or a hug or a smile - may change for a child. But as living examples of God’s love in this world it is important that we demonstrate to children how important they are to each of us.

Take up the challenge and become God’s light in the world of a child, today.

Living examples

Yesterday we considered the basis of Golemans’s Social Intelligence, the “wiring” of the human brain to connect with others, which in turn reflects what Christians have been taught for centuries, to “Love one another”.

As Goleman discusses in his chapter Broken Bonds, a variety of maladjusted personality types may be formed by genetic or environmental forces that create disconnections in the brain wiring of some people.

There are instances in which a person may be born lacking the brain chemistry to read emotions as displayed by others and thus be unable to connect or to bond. In other situations the people in our lives may have a negative effect on our ability to connect. Absent or emotionally cold caretakers may impact the brain circuitry of their charges leaving them feeling disconnected with the world and people in it.

This calls forth the need for compassion for all. As people living in this world it is easy to connect to people who respond in socially accepted or expected ways. But what about those who through no fault of their own may lack this ability. As living examples of Christ’s work in this world it becomes our responsibility to model Christ’s love as an example for disconnected people. We need to offer compassionate connections to all people, whether they connect to us in return or not. As Christ often chose to interact with people in his world who may have been considered less favourably by society, it is important for us to reach out to those less “favourable” people in our society. Will you chose to be a living example of Christ to the world? Perhaps your example of love will help reshape another persons brain wiring.

The incredible brain

Social Intelligence, a sequel to Daniel Goleman’s best selling Emotional Intelligence enlightens the reader about the most recent advances in neuroscience, the study of the brain. While the inner workings of the human mind illustrate a marvelous gift from the Creator, consider the greater purpose of these workings.

Advances in medical technology have allowed scientists to view the brain and its workings under a variety of conditions. Our brains not only think, but also control emotions and thus in turn can set the tone for relationships in our lives. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology has shown that the chemistry and neuro connections in our brains change when we interact with others. In essence we are “wired” to connect with other people.

Our brains will react to people in two ways. The “low road” very quickly senses or takes in information about another person and responds on a “gut” level. The “high road” or thinking brain takes longer to respond and measures reactions against previous knowledge and experience. Most of us have the ability to suppress those first gut instincts and take time to respond in socially acceptable ways. I'm sure we have all encountered instances in our lives when our gut reaction to an event is strong but we catch ourselves in time to measure our response.

Social intelligence, Goleman concludes, consists of social awareness, the ability to instantly sense someone else’s emotional state and social faculty which allows a person to build on that awareness and effectively interact with others.

It seems to me that Jesus Christ had this in mind when he instructed us to “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15:12). It is through the teachings of Christ that we as Christians see others as reflections of God and learn to connect to them. By taking time to get to know another person we are building and enhancing social connections in our brains which in turn is a benefit to all of us. In an increasingly disconnected world filled with many “anti-social” devices, including cellphones and MP3 players, many are left with the feeling of being left out of society. Next time you have the opportunity to connect with someone new or turn on your personal music player, consider taking the time to reach out and find the reflection of God in that other person.

Over the next couple days we will look deeper into the theories and science presented in Social Intelligence and we will learn how the teaching of Christ are well supported by modern scientific discoveries.