Both One

Full sun this morning found a bit of autumn glory.
By telling us that loving God and loving our neighbor is the greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-34), Jesus makes the point that we cannot love God if we do not love other people.  The author of the First Letter of John is even more to the point: Anyone who says, "I love God" and hates his brother, is a liar, since whoever does not love the brother whom he can see cannot love God whom he has not seen.  Indeed this is the commandment that we have received from him, that whoever loves God must also love his brother." (4:20-21)

The Least Loved

Someone told me once that I loved God only as much as the person I love the least.  I really hope that is not so, but it's enough to scare me into asking myself who I love the least, or even who do I not love at all. 

Absolutely Gratuitous

Wednesday night's full moon-Hunter's Moon, Blackberry Moon? Harvest Moon?

Thanks to a friend I found out today that Thomas Keating died.  He was a Trappist monk who has been very influential in the centering prayer movement.  In this quote he helps us understand:
"The gift of God is absolutely gratuitous.  It's not something you earn.  It's something that's there.  It's something you just have to accept.  This is the gift that has been given.  There's no place to go to get it.  There is no place you can go to avoid it.  It just is.  It's part of our very existence.  And so the purpose of all the great religions is to bring us into this relationship with reality that is so intimate that no words can describe it."

Why stay?

Again this morning the sun's rays managed to find a little fall color.
Gordon Zahn wrote to Dorothy Day, considering leaving the Church because the bishops as a group would not condemn the Vietnam War.  Day answered that she didn't remain Catholic because of the bishops.  "It is the saints," she wrote, "who keep appearing throughout history who keep things going."  We cherish a Church that has inspired such outstanding examples of holiness.

An Encouraging Surprise

This morning's bright sun managed to highlight a little autumn color.
As I finished my two hours volunteering this cold, beautiful afternoon to help get out the vote, the people working the next shift who relieved me turned out to be a boy and girl, high school juniors, not yet old enough to vote, who want to make things better. 

Harsh and Dreadful

"Love is a hash and dreadful thing to ask of us, 

  but it is the only answer."

       -Dorothy Day

Clericalism

Frost on the ground this morning did not deter this lone fisherman.
Pope Francis points to clericalism as the root cause of sex abuse.  Bishops, priests, and deacons expect special treatment because of their office.  They use their position to take advantage of others.  We see signs of it already in this weekend's Gospel when James and John ask Jesus to treat them special (Mark 10:35-45.)  It has continued to corrupt church leaders down through the centuries.  Lay members of the Church cooperate by something as simple as letting father go first in line for food at a party and by something as huge as parents scolding their children for telling them that "Father" mistreated them.