I wholeheartedly praise the President of Notre Dame University in having President Obama speak at today's commencement. Who else would speak to those students who have had abortions or are presently contemplating and struggling with having an abortion? Those young women as well as the father's of their unborn child) need support. They are a part of an ever growing poor in our country.
This isn't meant to be an anti Catholic post today, yet I must admit that I can barely listen to what the Pope has to say without outrage and disgust! He continues to laud "natural family planning" despite the reality that the sexual urge doesn't always conform to one particular time in a woman's cycle. He has forbidden the use of condoms in a country that has been devastated by HIV/AIDS. Rather than present sex as a natural part of relationship, the pontiff has reduced these actions to base and often sinful.
Have you ever actually risked walking past a women's health clinic when "good" Roman Catholics are gathered with their signs and praying the rosary? Last week, I drove past a clinic in St. Paul, MN and through the crowd of protesters, I could see two women, huddled along side of the building. One woman seemed to be attempting to enter the building but seemed fearful of the crowd. I have no idea what happened; I have great empathy for that woman.
Poverty is far greater than loss of income and possessions. Poverty includes the loss of personal choice, and the right to freely receive health care where it is desired. Those who shamelessly protest and psychologically and spiritually torment those women are sinful. We know what their intentions are; we do not know why a woman is entering a women's health clinic yet the protests are there for all.
Blessed are the women who suffer the pain and humiliation at women's health clinics.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Do We Really See the Poor?
This past winter I stopped in the local SAVERS discount store. As I walked from my warm car, I passed a young Native American man sitting out in the cold wearing only a long sleeve shirt and light weight sweatshirt. I sat with him and we had a nice visit. He too, is Lakota and we had much in common. I wished him well and contined on into the store. I found that I couldn't focus on the several items I had come to purchase because this young man kept appearing before me. Finally, I went over to the sweatshirt aisle and I found four heavy sweatshirts with hoods and each marked down to $1.00. I purchased them and immediately took them outside to my new friend. He couldn't believe his good fortune. He put two of them on and said that it was the first time he had been warm in many days. As I walked away from "Ken" I wondered if I had just purchased sweatshirts for Jesus!!!
Why do we put so much energy in avoiding interaction with the poor? Are we concerned that we aren't far from being in their position? Are our standards of living so high that we simply can't comprehend the situations of each of these folks we meet? Does each poor person we pass by remind us how much we don't know about the poor? Does the Christ tug at our hearts and remind us of his words, "when I was thirsty, you gave me a drink; when I was hungry, you gave me in food. When I was lonely, you visited me and when I was sick, you cared for me."
When we truly recognize Jesus in the poor, we will find that he is everywhere. We will stop and visit more often and more easily with those we meet outside of stores. We will be moved to bring something out of those stores for the poor. We'll be able to look past their tattered clothing and embrace them.
Once we recognize Jesus in the visibly poor, we will begin to realize that every day we meet those who are poor and who show no outward signs of poverty. They might be experiencing broken relationships, or difficulties at work. A parent may be ill or being moved to a nursing home. A smile and a "hello" can make a huge difference in someone's life.
Why do we put so much energy in avoiding interaction with the poor? Are we concerned that we aren't far from being in their position? Are our standards of living so high that we simply can't comprehend the situations of each of these folks we meet? Does each poor person we pass by remind us how much we don't know about the poor? Does the Christ tug at our hearts and remind us of his words, "when I was thirsty, you gave me a drink; when I was hungry, you gave me in food. When I was lonely, you visited me and when I was sick, you cared for me."
When we truly recognize Jesus in the poor, we will find that he is everywhere. We will stop and visit more often and more easily with those we meet outside of stores. We will be moved to bring something out of those stores for the poor. We'll be able to look past their tattered clothing and embrace them.
Once we recognize Jesus in the visibly poor, we will begin to realize that every day we meet those who are poor and who show no outward signs of poverty. They might be experiencing broken relationships, or difficulties at work. A parent may be ill or being moved to a nursing home. A smile and a "hello" can make a huge difference in someone's life.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
What Does the Christ Teach Us About the Poor?
This is a question that can neither be dismissed by followers of the Christ, nor can it easily answered (not missing a teaching). In the earliest days of his ministry, Jesus is said to have called a group of fishermen to walk and teach with him. They appear in scripture as "religious" Jews; those who adhered to dietary laws, worshiped in the synagogue, and followed the letter of the law of orthodox Judaism. They knew what they were to do and when they were to do it and found it difficult to contradict their religious tradition.
The first disciples of the Christ were poor themselves. I don't mean financially poor (which they might well have been), but poor in the sense of their blind adherence to religious law and ritual. Jesus explained that he was to proclaim and teach a new law; a law grounded in respect and compassion; equality and integrity. This confused the disciples and they questioned most of what they heard from Jesus. They feared for their spiritual well being when Jesus' and their actions went against the tradition and laws of their religion.
Despite the present recession and economic insecurity, most Americans want to do all that we can to maintain the look of confidence and economic well being. We would rather carry groceries in bags with well known names than to be seen bringing in groceries in our own re-sused bags or indicating a low cost grocery store.
During these uncertain times, there have been wonderful news stories about families working together to make ends meet. Some are sharing home garden space with one another and planting vegetables, others have turned their backs on long standing traditions of lavish proms and hundreds of dollars in formal wear for a "prom clothing" exchange and recycled prom gowns, shoes and other accessories. We have learned that together we can do better than we can do alone and that more individuals and families benefit from joint effort.
Jesus spoke with the "poor" of society. He welcomed children to gather with him and women were encouraged to speak rather than remain silent. He treated the rich tax collector and those living with leprosy, in the same manner and respect. He violated orthodox Judaism in order to make the point that caring for others is more important than ignoring them because there is a law prohibiting reaching out, feeding them, what they could be fed, or whatever.
Indeed, we are all poor in one way or another. Last weekend, I sat in a gathering of Sisters and as we began sharing about our lives since our last meeting, I was acutely aware of my poor hearing. I strained to hear, but I missed much of the conversation. I don't have the finances to go out and purchase a hearing aid at this time. Once I said something about my inability to hear well, several of the Sisters periodically looked over at me to see if I was hearing what was being said. Not having money for a hearing aid was not the source of my poverty; it was my feeling marginalized in a situation where I was a member of a group and didn't know all that was being said. Jesus was present in that group, especially in those who reached out, not to encourage me to buy a hearing aid, but who filled in the blanks created by my hearing deficit.
We don't have to look far beyond ourselves to find the poor, and we need only to remind ourselves of the example of the Christ when we encounter those who are poor and we reach out in love and embrace each of them as sisters and brothers.
The first disciples of the Christ were poor themselves. I don't mean financially poor (which they might well have been), but poor in the sense of their blind adherence to religious law and ritual. Jesus explained that he was to proclaim and teach a new law; a law grounded in respect and compassion; equality and integrity. This confused the disciples and they questioned most of what they heard from Jesus. They feared for their spiritual well being when Jesus' and their actions went against the tradition and laws of their religion.
Despite the present recession and economic insecurity, most Americans want to do all that we can to maintain the look of confidence and economic well being. We would rather carry groceries in bags with well known names than to be seen bringing in groceries in our own re-sused bags or indicating a low cost grocery store.
During these uncertain times, there have been wonderful news stories about families working together to make ends meet. Some are sharing home garden space with one another and planting vegetables, others have turned their backs on long standing traditions of lavish proms and hundreds of dollars in formal wear for a "prom clothing" exchange and recycled prom gowns, shoes and other accessories. We have learned that together we can do better than we can do alone and that more individuals and families benefit from joint effort.
Jesus spoke with the "poor" of society. He welcomed children to gather with him and women were encouraged to speak rather than remain silent. He treated the rich tax collector and those living with leprosy, in the same manner and respect. He violated orthodox Judaism in order to make the point that caring for others is more important than ignoring them because there is a law prohibiting reaching out, feeding them, what they could be fed, or whatever.
Indeed, we are all poor in one way or another. Last weekend, I sat in a gathering of Sisters and as we began sharing about our lives since our last meeting, I was acutely aware of my poor hearing. I strained to hear, but I missed much of the conversation. I don't have the finances to go out and purchase a hearing aid at this time. Once I said something about my inability to hear well, several of the Sisters periodically looked over at me to see if I was hearing what was being said. Not having money for a hearing aid was not the source of my poverty; it was my feeling marginalized in a situation where I was a member of a group and didn't know all that was being said. Jesus was present in that group, especially in those who reached out, not to encourage me to buy a hearing aid, but who filled in the blanks created by my hearing deficit.
We don't have to look far beyond ourselves to find the poor, and we need only to remind ourselves of the example of the Christ when we encounter those who are poor and we reach out in love and embrace each of them as sisters and brothers.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Poverty is more than a lack of money
I've recently been getting eight or ten calls a day on my cell phone from a number in Utah. I don't know anyone in Utah and all any of the voice mail messages tell me is to return their call. I don't respond to numbers and messages as unfriendly and mysterious as that.
When my phone rang this morning and the number showed Hawai'i, I was pretty certain that it was someone associated with the Utah callers and I didn't answer. A couple of hours later, I listened to the voice mail, and heard an anxious woman's voice asking for information on funeral assistance. I wanted to kick myself for not ignoring my aggravation at the previous calls in order to be available at the time of this call.
While dialing the number in Hawai'i, I wondered what I had to offer a family several thousand miles as well as across the Pacific ocean. A very quiet voice answered the phone. The woman explained that she needed to know what "kind of funeral help" we offer. I asked her about the circumstances of the death and she began to tell me about her several month old infant who suffocated. The infant stopped breathing and was resucitated. She is on life support (ventilator) and without mechanical ventilation, she will die; her systems have closed down and the damage is irreversible. This family has decided to let their little one die with dignity and with all of them with her as all forms of life support are removed and she peacefully passes from this life to the next.
Ten years ago, when this funeral home was not even a thought yet, an elder encouraged me to halp Native Americans transport their deceased family members home for burial. Traditional funeral home costs were far greater than most people could afford. This work continued for a number of years while the entire scope of denial of services, insensitive treatment of poor families, poor quality merchandise, and lack of respect were what many family members reported as the standard. What they could finally count on was transportation of the body with dignity and respect and a modest contribution toward the cost of that transportation when it was outside of Minnesota.
The grieving mother with whom I spoke today, did not share her financial situation with me. I know the area on the island where she lives and that's about all. I believe that she does not have much financially. I also believe that she feels the pains of poverty: the loss of a child, the need to ask for assistance, the guilt at not being able to provide without help.
In a sense, I felt as if I was hearing Mary, the mother of Jesus, as Joseph of Arimatheia offered her a tomb for Jesus' body as it was removed from the cross. Poverty, whether it comes from low income, grief, insecurity, depression, or whatever, leaves us vulnerable and often in pain. We never know when we will encounter the poor or how we might encounter them. We do know with great certainty that we don't have to look far nor seek them out, for they are in all the places that we are. They are fellow worshippers, individuals walking down the same sidewalk, taking their kids to school. They are men/women, young/old, all races and creeds.
When my phone rang this morning and the number showed Hawai'i, I was pretty certain that it was someone associated with the Utah callers and I didn't answer. A couple of hours later, I listened to the voice mail, and heard an anxious woman's voice asking for information on funeral assistance. I wanted to kick myself for not ignoring my aggravation at the previous calls in order to be available at the time of this call.
While dialing the number in Hawai'i, I wondered what I had to offer a family several thousand miles as well as across the Pacific ocean. A very quiet voice answered the phone. The woman explained that she needed to know what "kind of funeral help" we offer. I asked her about the circumstances of the death and she began to tell me about her several month old infant who suffocated. The infant stopped breathing and was resucitated. She is on life support (ventilator) and without mechanical ventilation, she will die; her systems have closed down and the damage is irreversible. This family has decided to let their little one die with dignity and with all of them with her as all forms of life support are removed and she peacefully passes from this life to the next.
Ten years ago, when this funeral home was not even a thought yet, an elder encouraged me to halp Native Americans transport their deceased family members home for burial. Traditional funeral home costs were far greater than most people could afford. This work continued for a number of years while the entire scope of denial of services, insensitive treatment of poor families, poor quality merchandise, and lack of respect were what many family members reported as the standard. What they could finally count on was transportation of the body with dignity and respect and a modest contribution toward the cost of that transportation when it was outside of Minnesota.
The grieving mother with whom I spoke today, did not share her financial situation with me. I know the area on the island where she lives and that's about all. I believe that she does not have much financially. I also believe that she feels the pains of poverty: the loss of a child, the need to ask for assistance, the guilt at not being able to provide without help.
In a sense, I felt as if I was hearing Mary, the mother of Jesus, as Joseph of Arimatheia offered her a tomb for Jesus' body as it was removed from the cross. Poverty, whether it comes from low income, grief, insecurity, depression, or whatever, leaves us vulnerable and often in pain. We never know when we will encounter the poor or how we might encounter them. We do know with great certainty that we don't have to look far nor seek them out, for they are in all the places that we are. They are fellow worshippers, individuals walking down the same sidewalk, taking their kids to school. They are men/women, young/old, all races and creeds.
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