What's Your Atlantic?

                     Coos Bay Sunset, Oregon by Fr. Matt
           

Hikers climb Everest. When asked, “were you afraid?” The hikers said “we wanted to see if we could do it.” Storm chasers drive into a tornado were asked “if they were afraid.” They responded “we wanted to see if we could do it.” When Amelia Earhart became the first to fly over the Atlantic, the press asked "Were you afraid?" She said, "Yeah." They said, "Why'd you do it?" She said, "I wanted to see if I could. That's all. The desire was nothing new to me. I'd flown Atlantics before. Everybody has his own Atlantics to fly. When I was asked by Bishop Pep to come to North Java and serve as pastor of a reborn Holy Family Parish, my response: “God’s will be done.”

Everybody has his own Atlantics to fly. Whatever you want to do against the opposition of fear, tradition, neighborhood opinions, so-called common sense, that's an Atlantic."

What's your Atlantic? What are you afraid of? The dominant emotion in our society today is fear. We're afraid of rejection and failure, afraid of certain parts of town, afraid of certain types of people, afraid of criticism, afraid of suffering, afraid of change, afraid to tell people how we really feel, afraid of losing the things that we've worked so hard to buy, afraid of what society will think. Maybe you're afraid of the past, no matter how hard you try, you just keep reliving it. Or perhaps you fear change. We all have that. Change is scary and we'd rather not risk anything, prefer just to leave things as they are.

The Gospel is an invitation to get beyond the comfortable center and explore the margins. The parts of life we avoid or ignore are the very parts of life Jesus is probably the most interested in. The type of people we avoid and ignore were the types of people Jesus was most interested in. What does that say about our lives? How does that invite us to change? What prevents us from changing? And what are we afraid of? And have we ever even considered the other side of the question? Rather than always framing it negatively, what are the possibilities that might come about if we open ourselves to more fully embrace the gospel?

What phrase did Jesus repeat more often than any other throughout the gospels? Be not afraid. In fact, it's in today's Gospel reading three times. Be not afraid. Why? Because Jesus knew more than anybody else that the measure of your life will be the measure of your courage.

Following Jesus requires incredible courage, it will take incredible courage to be counter-cultural. Incredible courage to pursue the dreams God gives you and shares for your life.

A deep, genuine relationship with God banishes our fears and fills us with the courage to live a great life. Faith overcomes fear. We worry about the future. God says, "I hold the future." We worry about failure. God says, "Walk in my ways and I will bless you."

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and ask youself, what's your Atlantic? What are you afraid of? What's preventing you from being who God intends you to be? Because deep down, you know that God's power is greater than your fear.

 

 

Help Wanted

  

So Jesus sounds the call for volunteers. Up to this point in the Gospel story he’s been the only one curing the sick and casting out the demons, but he figures it’s time to call up some reserve troops. He deputizes his disciples—a motley assortment of working stiffs, none of whom have seminary degrees—and sends them out to do some work. You’ll notice he doesn’t send them out to save souls for Heaven. Instead, he sends them out to address the needs the people have in the moment and to tell them that the Kingdom of Heaven is already near them. 

I have a hunch that if the Church is to survive in 21^st Century America the message won’t be about saving souls but about expressing love and compassion for all souls. The Church which I see emerging is going to be about mission, not about doctrine. It will be about seeking out the “harassed and helpless” and bringing love and healing to them in whatever capacity we’re able to do it.

Last weekend, I had the privilege of traveling with Bishop Mack to San Antonio Texas to ordain two men into the Priesthood. Father Val a PhD and director of community housing for the poor and Fr Stephen a PhD retired military chaplain who leads retreats for active military and retired veterans.

 

 

These men will help Fr. Robert, administrator of the newly established St. Jude Catholic parish in San Antonio, to grow the Hispanic community and continue their specialized ministries.  

 

I believe the emerging Church of the future will focus on healing the neighborhood and the world, loving God and loving neighbors.

And, of course, like those first disciples, the disciples of today will get into trouble. They will cause controversy and say things which will aggravate people who just wish these Christians would stick to talking about the hereafter and not mention the problems of the here and now. Maybe some of them will end up in jail as Christians have in the past.

So what can I say to those of us who are harassed and helpless? There is still hope. The Kingdom of Heaven has come near, and the “help wanted” message of Jesus has been answered in the Buffalo-Pittsburg diocese with its unique vison of welcoming men from various traditions that in my past three years has welcomed, Fr. Erick, Fr. Don, Fr. Nadeem, Fr Corey, Fr. Joe, Fr. John, Fr. Richard, Fr. Marcus, Fr. Robert, Fr. Val and Fr. Steve to serve bringing that kingdom just a little bit closer to the people they serve throughout the country. We may be harassed by our vision by some, but we are not helpless, because we can still be here for each other and we can still pray “thy kingdom come” for the new work God’s people are and will be doing.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, especially my brothers in Christ who you have blessed me to serve as their mentor and guide. Bless their good work, give them, their spouse and children good health and our gratitude for the sacrifices they make in bringing the compassion and mercy to all people. Yes. our laborers may be few, but God can do a lot with them.

 

Potting New Growth

  

My wife Sue asked me for help to repot a bonsai white pine tree. A bonsai tree is a miniature living tree grown in a shallow container. Originating as an ancient Asian horticultural art form, it is not a genetically dwarfed plant, but rather a normal tree species that is meticulously trained, pruned, and wired to replicate the scale and beauty of a mature tree in nature.

I needed a dolly to move the pine tree planted ten years ago in a ten gallon plastic container that had become root bound. The tree’s roots had outgrown their container. The sign that the white pine was struggling were that its leaves were turning yellow. This tree would die if it were not repotted. Sue pointed out that two major branches needed to be sawed off. This severe pruning would help this tree to survive. I sawed the plastic pot to expose the roots and you could readily see that the roots were circling the pot and suffocating the roots from further growth. Sue carefully removed the compacted soil from the roots to allow future growth. Then we filled a twenty-gallon pot with an inorganic, coarse-draining mix that allows oxygen to reach the roots while retaining adequate moisture. This mix consists of Akadama, Pumice, and Lava Rock. I loaded the repotted pine onto the dolly and rolled it back into the bonsai garden. Sue poked the inorganic mixture with a chop stick to make sure there were no air pockets and carefully watered the tree deeply so that the roots would get the moisture it needs for healthy growth. This pine would not only survive, but thrive in years to come.

Now I had just attended a national evangelization workshop for the Polish National Catholic Church. Like our white pine bonsai tree with leaves  turning yellow, a participant shared that in his church there were no 20, 30, or 40 year olds, a sign that his faith community was failing to thrive. Their faith community’s tenacity highlights a stubborn, unyielding, and persistent dedication to their Polish tradition that mimics the root bound problem of our pine tree if left untreated would result in its death. What branches need to be cut to allow growth for its future? What teachings or doctrines need to be realigned so that Generation X would take a second look?

The transplanted roots of our pine tree reflect the faith, dedication and passion of the Polish Catholic people who reflect the love, compassion and mercy of Christ. However, roots that are compacted will rot and die. The gardener needs to prune the branches that rob the energy and open up the roots so that the tree can regain its energy for future growth. Note, the special inorganic, coarse-draining mix allows oxygen to reach the roots while retaining adequate moisture. When mixed together in equal parts, they create an optimal environment by balancing moisture retention, excellent drainage, and vital root aeration. This is the same environment that is critical to welcome Generation X. Faith teachings need to reflect an environment that is non-judgmental, accepting of differences and open to social justice issues.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that our faith flourishes rooted in prayer, compassion for our neighbors and teachings that accept all people as children of God.

Addumdum: the photo below shows our transplanted white pine with its yellow leaves. We trust our little tree will thrive with its root system feed with the tenderness and understanding of God’s mercy, compassion and love.