The Start of Advent Season

© Mark M. Hancock

I can't believe we're already talking about Advent. This year is going too fast for me.

American Catholic put some good ideas for Advent activities:

Make a paper chain to count the days before Christmas. Write a task on the inside of each link, for example: "Offer the birds a piece of bread or some seed," or "Send a Christmas card to a lonely person." As family members remove links, this not only marks the days but also prepares our hearts for Christmas.

Send a Christmas card. I really need to do that since I didn't send any Christmas cards last year. Let's see how well I do this Advent.
 

Beaumont's Christmas Tree

As most of you know, Beaumont was hit by Hurricane Rita last September. Since we lost too many trees due to the hurricane, finding a proper Christmas tree wasn't an easy task. But, the end of the search for a special Christmas tree had a happy ending.

The Beaumont Enterprise reported:

"As decorating chairman, I was in hopes of seeing downtown really lit up as a thank you to the first responders of our city during Hurricane Rita. We wanted to present the city with a beautiful tree," Neild [chairman of the decorating committee for the Winter Wonderland Parade in Beaumont] said.

She initially looked for a live tree from a tree farm, but the storm had damaged them. Then she started searching for an artificial tree, in the 24- to 30-foot range.

Much to her shock, the bids she received were close to $20,000.

Neild, who then started looking at rentals, found a company in Houston, Party Prop, Inc. She told a sales rep what she needed.

[...]

Neild inquired about a 24-30 foot tree. They didn't have any.

We do, however, the sales rep said, have a 55-foot tree.

Neild was concerned that they'd never be able to afford it, but told her to get additional details.

"The next day she called me back and said, 'We would like to make that tree available to you.' I asked for ballpark figure. Would it be $40,000? No. $30,000. No, no, she said. I'll get back with you. I thought, well, maybe we can raise the money," Neild said.

The sales rep called the next day and said they wanted to make the tree a gift to the city.

Read more...

Thank you Houston for making Beaumont's Christmas a better one.
 

Better Luck Next Time

Here's an example of someone who is really unlucky:

A fugitive being chased by police in southern Italy gave them the slip by running into a church - only to find it occupied by police officers who let him join the service before taking him to jail.

Gilberto Antonio Carnoale, 48, had been wanted for escaping from house arrest.

Read more...

What are the odds of similar arrest circumstances? I guess it depends on someone's luck.
 

Discovery of The Oldest Church

I meant to post this story after I read it two weeks ago. But, things got busy here and I totally forgot about it.

The Associated Press reported:

MEGIDDO PRISON, Israel - Israeli prisoner Ramil Razilo was removing rubble from the planned site of a new prison ward when his shovel uncovered the edge of an elaborate mosaic, unveiling what Israeli archaeologists said Sunday may be the Holy Land’s oldest church.

The discovery of the church in the northern Israeli town of Megiddo, near the biblical Armageddon, was hailed by experts as an important discovery that could reveal details about the development of the early church in the region. Archaeologists said the church dated from the third century, decades before Constantine legalized Christianity across the Byzantine Empire.

[...]

Two mosaics inside the church — one covered with fish, an ancient Christian symbol that predated the widespread use of the cross symbol — tell the story of a Roman officer and a woman named Aketous who donated money to build the church in the memory “of the god, Jesus Christ.”

Pottery remnants from the third century, the style of Greek writing used in the inscriptions, ancient geometric patterns in the mosaics and the depiction of fish rather than the cross indicate that the church was no longer used by the fourth century, Tepper said.

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This must be an interesting discovery to historians and other folks.
 

To Forgive Someone

Today, the Christian Science Monitor published a good article about forgiveness. Here's an excerpt from the article:

When people don't behave as you'd like or don't come to the same conclusions that you do, or when they actually do something damaging to you, how can you find peace? To me, forgiveness is the only way.

Dr. Fred Luskin of the Forgive for Good project at Stanford University characterizes forgiveness not as condoning what the other person has done, but as releasing resentment from within ourselves. It's only when we are free from resentment and anger that we can determine the next steps - does the person need correction, do we need to leave the relationship, etc.

I find this true with my kids and friends and fellow motorists. It's only when I'm free from anger or hurt that I can effectively decide what to do. And I try to take responsibility for my hurt, rather than blame the other person. They may have taken an action that I didn't like, but I'm the one that let it become a hurt to me. Even in the worst cases, I believe, the person who feels hurt or damaged can deflect those emotions through forgiveness.

Sometimes when I'm gritting my teeth in anger or smarting heartily from hurt feelings, I remember what Jesus said as he was hanging on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." I sometimes translate this in my thought to, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." This Christian standard of forgiveness doesn't demand that the other person change, but it helps release the resentment that eats away at us.

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Over the years, I learned that I can't change people. I learned to accept family and friends the way they are without trying to change them. Whenever I'm hurt by someone, I become angry for a short time. Then, I let go of my anger by forgiving the person who hurt me. I also learned to forgive AND forget. It's the only way I can go on with my life without much pain or anger.
 

Champion For The Homeless

It looks like we have a mini-Mother Teresa from Phily. The NBC Nightly News reports:

PHILADELPHIA - If you think one person can't really make a difference, just watch the nun who won't take “no” for an answer. Her name is Sister Mary. Twenty years ago, Sister Mary Scullion decided to find everyone living on the streets of Philadelphia a home.

“We can't walk by people on the street and think that's OK,” she says. “It’s not OK. It degrades me as well as the person who's on the street.”

In fact, Project H.O.M.E., the organization she founded, has found shelter for thousands and helped reduce the city's chronic homeless population by half.

“She's unusually genuine,” says Robert Hess, Philadelphia's deputy managing director for special needs housing. “She's the real deal. She's the person who, when you look in the mirror, you want to see.”

Read more...

It's nice to hear stories like this one. It reminds me of Mother Teresa and her care for the homeless.
 

Candy Hearts

A little girl and her mother were on their way to church one Sunday. The child was planning a valentine party for some of her little friends.

She asked, “Mommy, could we stop and get the candy hearts for the party?”

“We’ll do that after Mass,” the mother replied.

At the preface the priest said the usual prayers. When he invited people to “Lift up your hearts,” the little girl cried out, “We can’t, Father, we didn’t get them yet!”


Source: Seven Shifts In The Church
 

Nuns and Motorcycle Riders

This Saturday, Houston Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and the Retreads Motorcycle Club will join forces to raise money to buy Christmas gifts for needy children.

The Galveston County Daily News reports:

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and the Retreads Motorcycle Club have teamed up to sponsor The Nun Run, a motorcycle ride from Houston to Galveston.

The fund-raiser will help buy Christmas presents for 500 children as well as gift certificates for food for their families.
...
For many of these children, the presents they get at the party are the only gifts they will receive, said Rosanne Popp, a nun who is a physician and the medical director at the clinic.

"“We wanted to do something fun and different to raise money for the presents, and the idea of a motorcycle ride seemed like a lot of fun and very, very different,"” she said.

"The sisters have really gotten behind the event and in fact, there may be some riding along with the bikers."

Read more...

If you live in the Houston-Galveston area, you may want to donate to those children. Not to mention, the event sounds fun and it's definitely different.


UPDATE 11/23/2005
The Galveston County Daily News reported:

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Bike Run found the talented Sister Deenan Hubbard doing the logo for the event. She is on the leadership team for the congregation and is big on bikes. Her brother, Ted, is a big time super biker in California and came to join in. Approximately $10,000 was raised for presents for needy children and food for more than 500 families at the Christus Southwest Community Health Center. Along with 50-ish motorcycles in the police-escorted ride from the Villa de Matel to Kathy’s Katerers (and lunch) came about a dozen sisters in sidecars and on their own bikes. Most of the sisters accompanied the bikers in cars that followed the course....

Read more...

It's good to know the fund-raiser was successful.
 

In The Beginning

In the beginning...

God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Kreme Donuts And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented 1000 Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart-healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food Cake."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good."

And Man went into cardiac arrest. God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. Then Satan created HMOs.

-- Author Unknown
 

How Catholics Teach Math

Little Zachary, a Jewish kid, was not doing very well in math. His parents had tried everything: tutors, mentors, flash cards, special learning centers -- in short, everything they could think of to help him learn math. Finally, in a last ditch effort, they took Zachary down and enrolled him in the local Catholic school. After the first day, little Zachary came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't even kiss his mother hello.

Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. His mother was amazed. This went on for some time, day after day while the mother tried to understand what made all the difference.

Finally, little Zachary brought home his report card. He quietly laid it on the table, went up to his room, and hit the books. With great trepidation, his mom looked at it, and to her great surprise, little Zachary got an "A" in math. She could no longer hold her curiosity. She went to his room and said, "Son, what was it? Was it the nuns?"

Little Zachary looked at her and shook his head, no. "Well, then," she replied, "was it the books, the discipline, the structure, the uniforms? WHAT was it?''

Little Zachary looked at her and said, ''Well, on the first day of school, when I saw that guy nailed to the plus sign, I knew they weren't messing around.''

Source: ChronWatch
 

Happy Eid Al-Fitr

Sorry for the sudden disappearance. We went to Dallas for a few days. We needed the break after riding out Hurricane Rita.

Happy Eid Al-Fitr to the Muslim world.

Wikipedia defines Eid Al-Fitr as follows:

The Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر), often abbreviated as simply Eid, marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Fitr means to break and therefore symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period and of all evil habits. On the day of the celebration, a typical Muslim family gets up very early and attends special prayers held only for the occasion in big mosques, in large open areas, stadiums or arenas. The festivities and merriment start after the prayers with visits to the homes of friends and relatives and thanking the Creator for all blessings. Eid is a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties. This is a time for peace for all Muslims in the world to devote to prayers and mutual well-being.

Read more...

I was happy to read The Vatican is following in the footsteps of late Pope John Paul II to build relationship between the Muslim and Catholic worlds. The Vanguard reports:

LAGOS - APPRECIATING the need for "a sincere, profound and constant dialogue between believing Catholics and believing Muslims, from which there can arise a strengthened mutual knowledge and trust," the Catholic Church has pledged to follow the noble footsteps of late Pope John Paul II and improve on its relation with the faith.

In his message to Muslims at the end of the Ramadan fast, the president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald on behalf of the Vatican, said the words of the late pontiff are still very relevant today.

He said that the only compensation for the loss of Pope John Paul II was to follow in his footsteps and continue to encourage Christian-Muslim relations. According to Archbishop Fitzgerald, "it is for us to strengthen our engagement in building up good relations among people of different religions, to promote cultural dialogue and to work together for greater justice and enduring peace."

He called on Christians and Muslims to show that they can "live together in true fraternity, striving always to do the will of merciful God who created humanity to be one family."

Read more...

I grew up in the Middle East. I really miss the food, sweets and excellent TV shows during the Eid.