Does This Bother Anybody Else?

"Where Books Come To Life!"

Painting by Christine Kornacki

Isn't this a great picture?  The story the young boy is reading has literally come to life!  This is what happens when a child (or an adult) becomes engrossed in a book.  You can imagine yourself right there with the hero or the heroine.  Your mind drifts away from the daily problems we all face and you find yourself falling into a reverie with words that tell a story.

My bookshop has a couple of sections of children's books.  The best ones are in a bookcase directly on the aisle.  The other books are in a smaller area and I have a sign that lets you know that those books are only 50-cents each.  I want to sell them off and just concentrate on the better ones.

Unfortunately, there are few children who stand there looking at the books.  The children are there with their parents who are shopping for something in particular and are in a hurry.  Though the children are looking at the books, they can't stay because their parents call them away.  "Come on... I don't have all day," they say as they move on down the aisle to check out other shops.  It's a pity.

I don't think the parents even realize that they are teaching the child that books aren't important.  Instead, they stop at the shop further down the aisle and let their children buy some inexpensive toy instead.  I guess the parents are not readers themselves so the bookshop doesn't entice them.

Both parents and children are thereby missing out on one of the joys of life.  Sure, these children can go on to read books electronically...  but it's not the same as holding a hard bound or a softcover book in your hands and using your imagination to bring its story to life.


 

Post-election Analysis - Voting them back in!

Remember these?

Remember these card catalogs?  I surely do.  Of course, anything remotely having to do with books is going to be on my agenda!

If you were in school before the computer age, you knew about card catalogs.  Every library had them.  How else would you know what books the library had in its collection.  Did it have books on the subject you had selected or been given to write about?  Was the book located in the main body of the library?  Or did you have to ask someone to go to the Stacks to get the book you needed.

Each card contained all the pertinent information about a particular book.  Title, author, ISBN number, etc.  How many times did you have to copy this info down, so that you could complete a footnote or a reference paper for your assignment?  You had to copy it down just right too.

The card also provided you with the information about where the book was located in the library.  Which section... which shelf.  You had to know the basics of the Dewey Decimal system while you were at it.  Each book had a magical signature consisting of letters and numbers.  If you followed directions that the letters and numbers gave, you soon found your book; or discovered that someone else had beaten you to it.  Then you would have to wait for the book to be returned or find out from the librarian if a branch library had a copy.

Nowadays, of course, with the advent of the computer, all this has changed.  Locating a book is probably faster now, but we may have lost something by it.  Life has sped up... There's no more lingering in the card catalog to discover a book that you hadn't even been looking for; but that would lead to another avenue for a reading adventure.

  

Things I've Learned!

This was sent to me in a bulk mailing from a friend.  It's worth passing on to you.  Supposedly it was written by Andy Rooney...  You know that lovable curmudgeon who was such an important part of the TV show, Sixty Minutes.  Here is what he learned:


I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of
an elderly person.

I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.

I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, 'You've made my
day!' makes my day.

I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of
the most peaceful feelings in the world.

I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.

I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.

I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have
the strength to help him in some other way.

I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to
be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.

I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold
and a heart to understand.

I've learned.... That simple walks with my father around the block on
summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.

I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer
it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything
we ask for.

I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.

I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life
so spectacular.

I've learned... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants
to be appreciated and loved.

I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are
only letting that person continue to hurt you.

I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.

I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to
surround myself with people smarter than I am.

I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a
smile.

I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with
them.

I've learned... That life is tough, but I'm tougher.

I've learned.... That opportunities are never lost; someone will take
the ones you miss.

I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock
elsewhere.

I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her
one more time before she passed away.

I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender,
because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your
looks.

I've learned.... That when your newly born grandchild holds your little
finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain,
but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.

I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more
things I get done.

Looking for a Positive New Year's Resolution?

How about this one!  We tend to forget the good things that happen!  I've got a little jar all ready!

Image Source

Thinking outside of the box...

When you get as old as I am, you are generally pretty set in your ways, as far as thinking is concerned. It's really hard to look at a problem and not approach it in a similar way you have approached it for most of your adult life. It's hard to think outside the box!

But one sometimes has to do just that in order to grow in your relationship with God. What??!!

Okay, so I had an appointment with my SD this week and I was bringing a problem of mine that I haven't been able to work out. It concerns a parish situation that is really frustrating to me... and to many others... When I get frustrated, I also become angry about the situation... because what I want to happen, doesn't... and I know others feel the same way and they are frustrated and angry too.

I am well aware that my frustration and anger has as its basis, my nemesis, PRIDE! Yikes! Lord, I need help! I'm not doing too well on my own.

Without going into details about the parish situation, I asked my SD for help in changing something in this equation of frustration, anger and pride... I wanted to break the cycle of how I was looking at the situation. I couldn't do it myself because I didn't know how to think out of the box that I had created because of my approach to other situations in the past...

My SD apparently understood something I didn't... or couldn't see... Something very simple that has now been a great help in how I look at the parish situation and my response to it...

"Have you ever thought that maybe by not allowing the situation to be resolved, that God is trying to teach you something?"

Do you see the light bulb that just came on? Habits of how one responds to things are so deeply ingrained they are very hard to break. My SD showed me there are other ways of looking at a problem. Of course, I know that... BUT I couldn't apply it to myself until he made the connection!

Lord, you send me your graces in so many ways...

The Mirror Image - A Reflection

Recently my parish Gospel Choir was invited to sing at a Baptist Church Revival. We have sung at this church before since our choir director's mother is a member there. Our choir has been together for a long time and we enjoy these kinds of invitations. We are invited to sing at several different events each year.

I was struck by a story that the preacher leading the revival told the congregation. I want to share this story with you because what he said made a deep impression on me.

His story was about a man who was watching a silversmith refining silver. The silversmith had a quantity of silver that he was working with. He grasped a lump of silver with his tongs and aimed the tongs into the fire at its hottest point. The man watching the silversmith asked him what he was doing.

The silversmith replied that this fire was so hot that it would burn away all the impurities in the silver. When the impurities were gone, the silver would be refined and perfect; a thing of beauty. The man questioned the silversmith further and asked: "How do you know when the silver is purified and refined?"

"When I can see my face in it!" replied the silversmith.

The preacher then explained how similar this refining process is to what happens to us when God allows us to experience the sorrows, temptations, tragedies and challenges of our daily lives. We are tested and often given more than we believe we can bear; but through our belief and trust in God, we know that we are being purified and refined so that one day, when God looks at our souls, He will see His Face looking back at Him.

I had never thought of our God refining and purifying us in just this way... Maybe you haven't either. That's why I wanted to share this story with you.

Ways That Lead Nowhere; and the Awareness of Sin

From Psalm 139:

"Look into me, God, and know my heart;
Examine me and know my paths.
See if I am wandering on ways that lead nowhere,
And set my feet on the path to eternity."


Lord, you showed me very painfully that I had wandered on a way that leads nowhere...

That what I was mentally accusing others of, was precisely my own sin. The arrogance and pride that I attributed to others also resided in my own soul. That the anger and disgust I felt for the persons involved was my judgement of them - something I have no right to do.

Oh, my sin hit me like a rock! I was humbled. I was shocked... because I saw so clearly that I was no better than what I was attributing to others. And that sin was eroding and destroying my soul.

Have mercy on me, Lord... and forgive me. The Lord heard my plea.

As I was deciding what to do about the situation, the phone rang. It was my priest. After our conversation, I said I had something to ask of him: "After our parish meeting tonight, will you hear my confession?"

God is good...

How to Ruin a Good Thing - A Cautionary Tale

As I was praying the OOR this morning, I was struck by a line from Psalm 69: "Idlers at the gate speak against me."

Can't you picture these folks at the entrance of a city or a courtyard gate anywhere, having nothing better to do than to spread gossip and rumors about other people? I can...

Oh yes... and then I remembered an incident that happened to me a long time ago. Here is the story of how I ruined a good thing.

Maybe about 30 years ago, I was working as social minister in my parish. I would be in the parish office a couple days a week, taking calls and visits from people who needed assistance. I liked doing this kind of ministry and I learned a lot during those years.

One day, one of my parishioner friends phoned me and said: "Do you realize that there are rumors going around about you?" What!?

And she proceeded to tell me what was being said and who was spreading the rumors. I was shocked, stunned, disbelieving, hurt, angry and frightened... I immediately went to my priest and told him what was being said. He simply shrugged it off and said: "This happens all the time. If you can't stand the heat; get out of the kitchen!" Not exactly what I wanted to hear...

What to do... what to do? I certainly wasn't going to "get out of the kitchen"... I had done nothing wrong. But there were surely "idlers at the gate" who wished me harm with their gossip.

Here is what I decided to do. I thanked my friend for telling me what was happening. I decided I would not acknowledge any of the rumors. I would not confront the person either. I simply went on about my business and did my work as I always had.

The woman who was spreading the rumors was very active in the parish and was doing a lot of good and commendable work there. At every opportunity, when people gathered and happened to mention her name, I would always make sure to say something complimentary about her and to acknowledge all the good she was doing. I never spoke badly or complained about her even when I heard others do so. When our paths crossed, I always made a point to be pleasant to her.

I guess, eventually the rumors stopped... No one else ever brought them to my attention. People realized that they were untrue; and eventually, the woman left the parish.

So... you may be thinking, that I really handled that situation well, so how did I ruin a good thing?

Well... even though I recognize that I had handled it in the best possible manner, this episode is forever tainted in my mind because I fell right into the evil one's trap! Pride replaced the good decisions I had made... how happy I was because the woman had left the parish. I had my revenge for the hurt she caused me...

Look how quickly evil can replace good. How pride and ego can slip in... How vengefulness can overcome honor and honesty in dealing with others... The purity of my motives had disappeared. Sad, isn't it...

There was a concluding prayer today in the OOR:

"In your goodness Lord, fill us with your grace.
Make us draw back from our human excesses
And hold fast to the heavenly wisdom that is your gift."

In My Hands

Something quite beautiful happened today. My priest and I were planning to visit a parishioner this morning to bring her Jesus. I had just placed a Host in my pyx when my priest came into the church. I was getting ready to hand him my pyx when he said that he had come to tell me that he was ill with a fever and could not visit our parishioner. I was holding the pyx in my hand.

I had something that I wanted to speak to my priest about and asked him if we could talk for a few minutes before I left to take Jesus to our friend. He agreed. I was holding the pyx in my hand...

We talked for several minutes. As I was listening to him, I was very moved by what he was saying. I was thinking to myself, "This is truly a holy priest." I was really grateful to be his friend. I thought these things as I was holding the pyx in my hand.

As we finished our conversation, I had a strong desire to receive a blessing from him... something I had never asked of him before.

"Before I leave, would you give me your blessing?"

"No," said my priest. "You don't need my blessing... You are holding the Blessed Sacrament in your hands..."

The Empty Cross

I have a shop in a flea market near where I live. Among the variety of articles that I sell is some religious jewelry that came from a religious goods shop that closed many years ago. I have some crucifixes and also simple crosses that can be worn on a chain.

Not long ago, an elderly woman and her young grandson stopped by and were looking at my selection of crucifixes and crosses. The little boy was pointing out the crucifixes to her, noting that Jesus' body was on the cross.

Grandma explained to the boy that they did not wear crucifixes; only crosses. Their religious faith was concentrated on the Resurrection of Jesus, not His Crucifixion. I thought this was an interesting explanation of a distinction between some Christian denominations and us Catholics who cherish both the Crucifixion and the Resurrection and are not shy about wearing images of the crucified Jesus, as well as medals representing different saints.

I thought Grandma did a nice job of explaining what she believed and I doubt that the child will forget what she taught that day.