Weave and Sew Dust

On the Beatitudes-JBB

As part of my new position as Coordinator of Social Justice Ministries at Sacred Heart Cathedral, I write a column called "Justice Bulletin Board" (JBB)  for the parish weekly bulletin. These also get sent to other ministers working in this field. I thought I would share my thoughts with those of you that follow my blog. Hopefully, they will be both inspirational and a good resource to learn more of the Catholic Church's teachings.

                                             Blessed are the. . . Matthew 5:1-12A

I have heard this litany so frequently that sometimes I think that it just washes over me. So I decided to re-read what the Church teaches about this scripture in order to have some fresh understanding from a social justice perspective. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) provides an opening reflection in its very title about this subject, “Our Vocation to Beatitude.” That’s right, the word, beatitude, is singular. . .and we have a vocation to it. “The Beatitudes reveal the goal of human existence, the ultimate end of human acts: God calls us to his own beatitude” (CCC 1719). And what is God’s own beatitude to which we are called? To be “blessed” (from the Latin beatus) means to be happy, not in a self-serving way but, in a joyful contentedness knowing that we are loved. Here in lies the challenge and this scripture tells us how we are to respond in order to be blessed, to be happy. . .right here. . .right now.

In the Jubilee Year 2000, the U.S. Catholic Bishops write eloquently in their message titled, Because God Loves You,

“Because God loves you, you can care for the weak, remove injustices, alleviate poverty, annihilate oppression, and restore righteousness in our world. The love of God in you gives you strength to defend the unborn, support the elderly, and lift the hearts of those without hope. God's grace in you helps you to see that in every person beats a heart yearning to be loved. Because God loves you, you have the power to touch hearts with compassion, heal wounds in those around you, and act selflessly.” http://www.sjnews.org/because.htm

“The beatitude we are promised, confronts us with decisive moral choices” (CCC 1723).

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness                                                            Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake

“The Beatitudes constitute a ‘countercultural truth.’ But when this truth has been followed, it has ‘changed our world.’” http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/stoptorture/stoptorture_ch3.shtml

Be the change. Be blessed. Be happy. Beatitude.

For numbers people

Just a thought that came through an e-mail--

1/1/11. . .1/11/11. . .11/1/11. . .11/11/11

Now go figure this out...

Take the last two digits of the year you were born plus the age you will be this year and...

it will equal...                     111 !

Never doubt that you are number 1, just remain humble about it 'cuz so is everyone else--Nonna's knowings

 

1/11/11

Had to write something today, all those ones in today's date have to be auspicious! Because of the ice patch that has settled over Raleigh, I have some time to have a little creative fun. So, after writing awhile for work, I think I will start a new painting that I have been commissioned to paint and one that has been marinating around in my head for a bit.

All together, a wonderful day to be indoors, though I do find myself saying a prayer for the homeless of Raleigh. Hope you have a good day too.

The Power of the Apron

We had some friends over for dinner last night and I decided to fix lasagna for our meal. Over the Christmas holidays, I had been telling my daughter that, unlike her, I really didn't enjoy cooking all that much.I grew up in a house where my mom could stand at the sink and touch every kitchen appliance including the hot water heater.Consequently, she was always shooing us out of the kitchen. The most fun with cooking I ever had as a child was making flat circles from the dough that Mom would roll out on the dining room table in order to make ravioli. I would use an inverted drinking glass to accomplish the miracle of perfect circles.Then, as she stuffed the raviolis, I would crimp their edges with my little fingers. In the early days of my marriage, I did experiment with recipes, but as children came along my cooking evolved into what everyone would eat, had the least amount of waste, and was most efficient to prepare. 

Yesterday afternoon as I started preparing the evening meal, I decided to put on a new apron that I have had for awhile and not ever worn, a big black thing with the words,"La Cucina Italiana" emblazoned across the front. Who would have thought that the mere act of putting on that apron would make me feel like such a chef!! I actually had fun tasting and slicing and tasting and dicing. Add to this "recipe," our excellent conversation with our guests later in the evening and we had a most wonderful meal. 

The power of the apron is a well-kept secret--Nonna's knowings