THE PASSING OF A GREAT MAN: CARDINAL POLYCARY PENGO

 

Readers of this blog might recognize this man's name. The primary school in Tanzania (Cardinal Polycarp Pengo Primary School)  that we have helped complete is named after this former first bishop of the Diocese of Tunduru-Masasi of which our friend, Bishop Filbert Mhasi, is now bishop. Even before his death, Cardinal Pengo knew that the new primary school named after him (at which he had blessed its foundation- see below) had restarted by gifts from Louisville, Kentucky.

              

We are still accepting gifts to help furnish the inside of the school so it can open soon. We are so close - just $15,750 short of finishing this project. Double desks with two seats are $200.00 each.  If you are moved to make a Lenten donation, you can write your tax-deductible checks out to: Father John Judie Ministries and send them to: Father Ronald Knott, 1271 Parkway Gardens Court, #106, Louisville, KY 40217 for deposit. 

Cardinal Pengo (retired Archbishop of Dar es Salaam) was loved and respected throughout Tanzania. Bishop Mhasi said this about his funeral, "There were a lot of people! Three Cardinals, many bishops, a lot of priests and religious! Yes, it was emotional for many who admired him, loved him. I am one of them."

Cardinal Pengo died February 19 of this year at age 81 and will be buried at the Pugu Pilgrimage Center, where the archdiocese is building a new cathedral.

Cardinal Pengo died while undergoing treatment at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiology Institute in the Tanzanian capital, hours after arriving in the country from India. The cardinal had sought treatment in the Asian country since late December, according to Church officials, but had requested he be brought back to Tanzania after his health deteriorated.

Condolences have continued to pour in for the prominent prelate, considered a leading spiritual, moral and national voice in the East African country. He spoke strongly on social justice, advocated for the marginalized, the poor, and against corruption. He also advocated for the coexistence of Christians and Muslims.

ONE OF MY HEROES FOR "CHOOSING TO STAY"

Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin S.J.

1881-1955

BORN IN FRANCE

DIED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

There seems to be a lot of discouragement going around, not only about the leadership of our country, but also about the leadership of our Church in this country. What discourages me most is that the leadership of our Church in this country helped elect the present political leadership of our country. 

Because of their "failure to convince" people of our moral position on one issue, they have turned to our political system as a way to "force" people to accept our moral position. It seems to me that they may have been entrapped by the third temptation in the story of Jesus in the desert as he was discerning the direction of his ministry. Jesus rejected cozying up political power, but rather called for radical personal conversion! For that reason, I accept our moral position, but I simply reject their means to reach it! Consequentialism, a perennial favorite moral heresy, for anyone not fully up to speed on basic principles of Catholic moral teaching, is the belief that good ends justify evil means. Despite the fact that this notion has been condemned ever since Paul wrote Romans 3:8, some Catholics, deeply believe it anyway. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is clear:(#1789) "One may never do evil so that good may result from it." My only hope is that Pope Leo will be able to find more truly effective spiritual leaders, people able to convince others of our moral positions without having to cozy up to politicians who seek to use our faith for their political ends. 

Even though it is tempting some days to leave our Church and even our country, I have decided to stay with both, to the bitter end if necessary! One of my heroes, in this area of my life, is Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit and a scientist. Because of his new ideas, he was silenced by Rome in 1926. He was urged by many to leave, not only the Jesuits, but also the Church. He decided rather to "go on to the end and with a smile if possible." Why? He said, "When I took my vows I committed myself. To break them would be an offense against honor." "One must work from within," he said. "Those who leave no longer have any influence."

I am a Christian - a Catholic Christian! As a Catholic Christian, I am committed to the Catholic Church, warts and all, but I roundly reject "Christian Nationalism!" As an American Catholic, I can proudly say that "I am consciously Christian, deliberately Catholic and unapologetically ecumenical and interfaith!" As one Baptist Minister said recently, “I’m greatly concerned about uniting church and state because it has never gone well for the church. It turns faith into just a political tool and ultimately drives people away.” When will we ever learn from history? As the American philosopher George Santayana, said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!"

DO YOU HAVE A HEARSAY OR A FIRSTHAND FAITH?

 

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of your word;

for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the

savior of the world.”

John 4:42

On the first Sunday of Lent, Jesus invited us to conversion of life by going to the desert. The desert is a place devoid of distractions, a place to gain insight. On the second Sunday of Lent, Jesus invited us to go up the mountain with him.  Mountains are places where you can go to gain perspective, to get the big picture. From a mountaintop you can see into the distance – where you’ve been and where you are headed. On the third Sunday of Lent, Jesus invites us to go to the well, a place one goes to quench one’s thirst.

In many ways, people today are thirsty, restless and looking for meaning. The Prophet Haggai, about 520 years before Christ, described our culture quite well when he wrote, “You have sown much, but have brought in little; you have eaten, but have not been satisfied; you have drunk, but not been exhilarated; have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed; and you have earned wages for a bag with holes in it.” We “have it all” on one hand and yet we are still not satisfied on the other. We are “cravers for more!”

It has been suggested that our consumer culture has spawned a new climate of thirstiness and restlessness. The experts call it ‘churn,’ using the word to describe our short attention span and our ‘what’s next’ attitude. This restlessness is seen in a consuming lust for endless distractions and amusements. This restlessness is being fed, some believe, by the overstimulation and excessive exposure to violent movies, fast-paced videos, computers and cell-phones, loud hard-wired music and over-scheduling. All these together exacerbate agitation, restlessness and hyperactivity. 

What the world seems to be craving right now is what Jesus called “rest for one’s soul.” He said on one occasion, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus offers “rest” to those who are “worn out” in their search for “meaning.”

In this gospel, we meet a wonderful woman who is an example of all that!  Jesus meets this woman at a well. She is tired - tired to the bone. She is physically tired - tired of being thirsty and having to constantly draw water and carry it long distances. She lived a half mile away and the well was over 100 feet deep. She was emotionally tired - tired of trying to find satisfying relationships in her life. She had been “looking for love in all the wrong places,” as the country song goes. She had been married five times. She was tired of being discriminated against by others. Jews hated Samaritans like her, and women in general were considered socially inferior. She was spiritually tired – tired of a burdensome religion that was not really satisfying. At the well, she meets Jesus and pours out her heart to him and he, in turn, gives her “living water” and “rest for her soul.”

Fellow seekers, all of us are like this woman in some degree. We all have a void in our lives that we try to fill. Some of us strive frantically our whole lives to fill that void by gaining material things, gaining stature, gaining status, gaining fame, finding the perfect relationship and much more. The fact of the matter is we will never fill that void with “things or stuff” because that void was put there for a specific purpose. We have a built-in missing piece – given to us by God himself.

What is the purpose of that void? What is that missing piece? It is the place where God belongs! Only God can fill that hole. Saint Augustine of Hippo described it best when he said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you!”

It’s as if we all running around with a hole in our souls that we are desperately trying to fill. The truth of the matter is that only God can fill it, and yet we try our best to fill it with unsatisfying distractions and amusements, objects and things. Lent is a time to stop by the “well” for “living waters” and find “rest” in God.   

The best meditation for this gospel could be Francis Thompson’s “The Hound of Heaven.” “I fled Him, down the nights and down the days; I fled Him, down the arches of the years; I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways of my own mind; and in the midst of tears I hid from Him…”

I have always loved the words of Celie in the movie “The Color Purple.” Celie feels a hole in her life. She is more than a bit aggravated by the feeling of God’s absence in her life – what she refers to as God “just sitting up there glorifying in being deef (deaf).” She speaks for many people today when she says, “It ain’t easy trying to do without God. Even if you know he ain’t there, trying to do without him is a strain.”   Those who experience the strain of trying to “do without God” will no doubt feel a hole in their souls, a hunger and thirst that nothing seems to satisfy. Lent is time to re-connect with God after ‘trying to do without him.”

Jesus has taken us to the desert, to the mountain and to the well so that he might lead us to conversion of life, a life that is full and satisfying.

 

 

 

 

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CHURCH CHAT #18

 THE HAZARDS OF PREACHING

an interesting passage about falling asleep during a sermon from

The Acts of the Apostles 

20: 7-12

"On the first day of the week when we gathered to break bread, Paul spoke to them because he was going to leave on the next day, and he kept on speaking until midnight.

There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered, and a young man named Eutychus who was sitting on the window sill was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. Once overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and when he was picked up, he was dead.

Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and said as he embraced him, “Don’t be alarmed; there is life in him.”

Then he returned upstairs, broke the bread, and ate; after a long conversation that lasted until daybreak, he departed.

And they took the boy away alive and were immeasurably comforted."

THE VISION LOSS THAT COMES FROM LIVING IN A BUBBLE

"Living in a bubble" is a slang term that refers to someone who is ignorant or unaware of the outside world and its issues. It implies that the person is isolated from reality, living in their own little world, and not exposed to different opinions or perspectives.

People who "live in a bubble" are often seen as privileged or sheltered, lacking the experience and knowledge necessary to understand the struggles of others. They may be dismissive of social issues, believing that they do not affect them personally, or they may have a narrow-minded view of the world.

This term can be used to criticize people who are out of touch with reality, particularly those who hold positions of power or influence. It suggests that their decisions are based on limited information and biased perspectives, rather than a comprehensive understanding of the world around them.

The phrase "living in a bubble" can also refer to a group of people who share similar beliefs and values, and who are unwilling or unable to engage with those who hold different views. This can lead to an echo chamber effect, where people only hear opinions that reinforce their own, and are shielded from dissenting voices.

In some cases, "living in a bubble" can be a deliberate choice, such as when someone chooses to live in a gated community or only associate with people of a certain social class. However, it is often used as a criticism of those who are unaware of their privilege and the impact it has on their worldview.

Overall, the term "living in a bubble" is a powerful way to critique ignorance, insularity, and lack of empathy. It challenges us to broaden our perspectives, seek out new experiences, and engage with the world in a more meaningful way. People who "live in a bubble" can be simple minded or highly educated.

My first experience of a person "living in a bubble" was that elderly woman in eastern Kentucky that I saw interviewed on KET several years back. She had never been more than two miles from the mountain cabin she was born in. When asked why, she answered the reporter, “I just don’t believe in goin’ places!”

A few years ago, I got a clear picture of what "living in a bubble" means today. I was in the locker room of a downtown athletic club after a racquetball game. We had an abundance of young business types as members. The TV was on. Nobody looked up or paid any attention while the newscaster reported mass starvation in India, the tragic spread of Aids through Africa or the drive by shootings in Los Angeles. Then the newscaster announced that the stock market had dropped 60 points and the whole locker room gasped and sighed collectively.

Recently, during the first few days of the Iran War, I was glued to watching the news. Amid all the destruction, devastation, death and worries of escalation, the commercials were about Botox Cosmetics, Cruise Line opportunities, premium cat food and weight loss drugs! It made me almost shake with dread and embarrassment! Do we not "live in a bubble" when our attention is constantly being drawn to Caribbean cruises, face wrinkles, premium pet food and losing weight, all while the Middle East explodes as if it is going to have little affect on us?

THERE IS NO RESCUE PARTY OUT LOOKING FOR YOU!

 The Very Place I Learned the Most Important Lesson of My Life

An Old Story Worth Repeating 

It was the spring of 1966. I was standing on that fire escape grid (outside the door in the bottom left corner) with a fellow classmate, Pat Murphy from Indianapolis. Maybe we were getting some fresh air between classes and sharing our feelings about some of the expectations of "seminary culture" in which we were living. The seminary staff was expecting me to "develop my  talents." I was no doubt, sharing something about my doubts about my having any talents.  

Back then, I was not a happy person. I was hoping that the world would change so I could be happy.  I was extremely bashful. I voided meeting new people or allowing myself from getting into unfamiliar situations. I was what George Bernard Shaw called "a feverish little clod of grievances and ailments, complaining that the world would not dedicate itself to making me happy." Yes, I was waiting for "a rescue party to come and save me!" As the leadership guru, Tom Peters, put it: "Unless you walk into the unknown, the odds of making a profound difference in your life are pretty low." 

In what had to be a great moment of grace, an impulse gift from God, I suddenly blurted out, "Pat, I am so sick and tired of being bashful, backward and scared of life that I am going to do something about it even if it kills me!" I realized then that it was up to me to "grab the bull by the horns." 

I was shocked by the words that came out of my own mouth. But from that moment on, I have been standing up to the coward in me. I have been deliberately “slaying dragons” and “confronting demons,” in my head and on my path, ever since. I would not be where I am today if that particular great “moment of grace” had not happened and if I had not responded enthusiastically. I decided that day not to indulge my resistance to personal and spiritual growth anymore. That day, on that fire escape, I made my first conscious decision to enter the world of personal growth and deliberate living. How appropriate and symbolic that the decision was made on a “fire escape.” 

That day, on that fire escape, I finally learned a fundamental principle of personal and spiritual growth – fear and pain cannot be used as excuses for backing-off from life. I have come to understand that pain serves a purpose. Pain captures our attention and lets us know that change is necessary. Pain signals that it is time to move on and learn new behaviors. Unfortunately, many of us sabotage the possibility of growth by denying, numbing or backing away from such pain. 

Some may call these turning points or pivotal moments, “luck” or “an opportunity coming from nowhere,” but as a believer, I would call them “moments of grace.” "Grace" is “unmerited divine assistance given to human beings for their regeneration.” Even so, those “moments of grace” have two parts. One part has nothing to do with us personally. It is a spontaneous gift from God that shows up when it shows up. we cannot create it, capture it or force it to happen. The second part has everything to do with us personally. It has to do with our cooperation, our ability to seize the moment and step up to the plate in doing our part to see where it takes us if we follow its invitation. 

We all have “moments of grace” when unmerited divine assistance is offered to us for our growth as human persons. In sharing my “moment of grace,” let it be known that it is not unique to me. My hope is that my sharing of it with others, it will trigger an awareness of their own “moments of grace” and how they have, or have not, cooperated with them in enriching their own lives. 

My fire escape moment was most significant for me for this reason. I was raised to believe that “life is something that happens to you and all you can do is make the most of it.” I was taught to be grateful for what I had even when it was not the best life God had to offer me. Thomas Merton was right on target when he said, “The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.” I have always wondered how my life might have unfolded if I had responded differently to that moment of grace. I realize now that I was not entirely aware of the full implications of what I was choosing in that moment. I do know, however, that I am "still working my program," a program I started with baby-steps back in 1966 and gradually took more and more courageous steps over the years!