Just another day or Is it?

 

Photo Courtesy of Bruce Thomas Witzel

Love was definitely in the air yesterday. There was the look of love in people’s eyes. Men carrying a bouquet of flowers. Cars are running in slow motion giving pedestrians a chance to cross the street.  I can’t believe that they are actually yielding to us. In turn, I gave them the peace sign instead of giving them the bird.

Valentine’s Day is now over. Yesterday’s red roses are dead. Some are feeling the effect of sugar crash from eating chocolates. I have none of these, but I still feel giddy about meeting people on the road and striking a conversation.

I meet a man on the street who lives two blocks away from me at The Poppy, a residential home for older folks. Still walking with the aid of a walker. I tell you, those walkers are the most significant invention for elderly as a means of their independence just to get around. He is so proud to say that he is 99 years old and can’t wait to reach his centennial year. He has two children. One of them came to visit him to celebrate her 73rd birthday. He proceeded to tell me that his wife died five years ago and they were married for 77 years. He’s happy having his children, grand, and great-great-grandchildren. He doesn’t appear to be that ancient. He seems to be in his 70’s.

We parted and wished me Happy St. Valentine’s Day.

It must be love that keeps him going.

To a disciple who was forever complaining about others the master said, “If  it is peace you want, seek to change yourself, not other people.  It is easier to protect your feet with slippers than to carpet the whole of the earth.”  ~ Anthony de Mello, SJ

MORSEL:    The paradox of control is simple. The more we try to control life, the less control we have.  ~ Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.

 

Photo via TWIST – Picasso, Merton, and Pathways to Peace.

 

Lost for Words

I am lost for words, so I am sharing a video of The Last Word. To watch the original 60 second The Mark is a badge of honor of The Last Word  click  here.  

Riding the line: Not today and not this week!

There will be no Murphy’s Law this week. It’s done. It’s over. No commute, No hustling with riders. No morning breath. I booked the week off to decompress. I can shift my focus from the dead weights outside to domestic dead … Continue reading →

The Last Word

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For years I dreamt of being in a company of a local news icon with strong roots in the community reporting uplifting stories of ordinary events and people from garbage to gardening, from the old and the new, from ashes … Continue reading →

Markings

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I don’t know who – or what – put the question, I don’t know when it was put. I don’t even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer yes to Someone – Or something _ and from that … Continue reading →

Not a Happy Meal

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I suppose fries are out of the question. Image from: Philip Chircop, SJ

Teach Us To Sit Still.

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Today is Ash Wednesday and nothing is more fitting than to share with you the poem of T.S. Eliot’s long poem “Ash Wednesday” written in 1927. The last three lines of this stanza struck me personally. Ash Wednesday by T. … Continue reading →

Easter based on astronomy counting backwards

Religion is a strange conversation especially when an Atheist, a Sikh, a Christian and a Catholic discuss it.  I am the Catholic.

The Atheist asked me a question how do we determine Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.  How many days are there?

Well, the Sikh is a mathematician and from the top of his head he came up with the number 45 days.  The Christian joined in, pulled out a calendar, started counting the number of days and confirmed its 45 days.

And I said: “You guys got it all wrong. Its 40 days excluding Sunday.”

A recount ensued to prove that it’s correct.  Of course, I am correct since I learnt from my error last year.  I sacrificed myself for more than 40 days and I didn’t turn “holy”.

The Atheist is still not satisfied.  Being an Atheist, she questions everything.  Fair enough since I question everything myself, too.  The next question was that these days keep on changing every year.  Sometimes Ash Wednesday is early then Easter is early, as well.

This time I’m stumped for I do not know the answer.  Being a Catholic when it comes to calendar of events, I just follow the schedule.  It’s a worthy question and this is something I really don’t have the answer.  Just like a good Catholic the answer can be found through Google.

Based on my research it all depends on:

• Spring Equinox
• Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full moon of the following month
• Ash Wednesday is counting 40 days backwards excluding Sundays

Spring was on March 21.  The first full moon the following month is on April 15. The first Sunday after the full moon is April 20 and this what we call Easter Sunday.   Back to the calendar, we all started counting backwards, excluding the Sundays and it worked. We were all filled with glee in learning new things.

The Atheist proclaimed: “Allah is good!” And I responded: “Thanks be to Google.”

This is the simplest way I can explain it to a cross cultural conversation without having to tell them about Paschal moon, Gregorian Calendar and  a conflict in the beginning between the Jewish and Christian calendar.

The Joke Is Oink Me (37)

Temptation was all over me.  I don’t understand at all.  Meatless Wednesday and Friday should have gone like a cinch.  But I was craving for bacon.  What an interesting two days of observing abstinence.  I hardly eat meat but somehow … Continue reading →

One Love, One Heart

On the way home last night, I went to Church for Lenten blessing.  It’s just like Christmas on Ash Wednesday.  It was a crowded service.  I can only assume we came to Church to be redeemed and be forgiven for all the “sins” we have committed in our thoughts, words and deeds. 

I went to be reminded that I am a mere mortal being, impermanent on this Earth and to receive the sign on my forehead.  This sign is given by the Priest.  He dipped his thumb in an ash, made a sign of the cross on my forehead and told me “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  This line is derived from the story of how God made Adam, from a pile of dirt. Then I went home with a dirt mark while people stare at me with puzzled look.  And I just smiled. 

Meditating while walking and what came up to mind is the heart.  Is the heart the most important part of the body?  How come I have only one heart?  I have two hands, feet, eyes, lungs, ears; a pair of lungs, left and right hemisphere of the brain, etc.  It must be valentines, I brush off my thoughts. 

It’s a good thing that they came up with Valentine’s Day to distract people from the history of Valentine.  Personally, it’s my father’s death anniversary.  We will have a Celebration of Life but I won’t be able to make it due to work obligations.  I know, it’s only once a year.  Father will understand.  I do keep him in my prayers. 

My offering to you for Valentines is this heart: 

St. Francis of Assisi

Peace be with you.  Seeker

Fasting or Feasting (40)

For Catholics, today is Ash Wednesday, first day of Lent.  It is a period of reflection living Lent.  It is a time of prayer.  It’s about dying to our self, all that negative attitude and thoughts. 

In one of my retreats, Lent was defined as:
L – Lets
E – Eliminate
N – Negative
T – Thoughts 

Having said that, I learned to use soft words, less on exclamation point to make a point, bite my tongue.  For those who are familiar with cognitive behaviour, this is what they teaches in the course.  It all makes sense to me. 

This period is not all about me; it’s all about God whoever you conceive him to be, from Abba to Zen.  They said God lives in us.  Can you see the reflection of God in another person?  Or let’s not even mention God.  Can you see the goodness of a person? 

You see, I believe that we are all inherently good. 

Since you told me in my post Tell me and I will tell you mine, I will tell you the title of this list: Fasting and Feasting.  I choose Feasting.  Instead of giving up, I will give in and listen to the prompting of God. 

I will leave you with something to think about, a poem: 

“I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. “   Etienne de Grellet  (1773-1855); Quaker missionary

 

 Something to read:
We can make a difference right now
A Genie in a bottle or 12 steps program
Kindness of a stranger