Weave and Sew Dust

A little thanks to America's generosity to immigrants

I read an interesting statistic the other day. In 1920, 75 % of Catholics in the United States were immigrants. Both sets of my grandparents were part of this number. My maternal grandmother, Wladyslawa Buciak, came to America as a teenager. Her brother, who was accompanying her, was turned back in England due to his health. What courage she must have had to make the journey alone and what a blessing she gave all her descendants, who would grow up in a land full of hope.

She saw the Statue of Liberty from a boat filled with immigrants; the statue that proclaims "Give me your tired, your poor..." America is blessed and is meant to be a blessing always.

Thank you, Babcia, Dziadzia, Nonna, and Nonna. Thank you, America.

A Lump of Clay JBB

The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground Genesis 2: 7

I recently attended a retreat at the Avila Center in Durham. Our topic was about using art as a form of prayer. One of our exercises was to take a lump of potter’s clay and see what emerged as we kneaded the clay in our hands. One of the participants remarked how cold, clammy and heavy the clay was and she wondered if God viewed us like that.

Are we cold, clammy and heavy in God’s hands OR are we pliable and warming to God’s promptings to form us in the image of the Son?

I have often thought that in my many years of participating with Habitat for Humanity, my soul and my heart has been stretched and formed, much like the lump of clay on a potter’s wheel. How so much of my life has morphed and changed from my very first encounter with the working poor until today. How it wasn’t until I really got to know a truly poor person that I could see they were just like me in their hopes, dreams, and aspirations.

In their pastoral letter on Catholic social teaching and the U.S. economy titled, Economic Justice for All (#88, 1986), the U.S. Catholic Bishops teach the following: the option for the poor “states that the deprivation and powerlessness of the poor wounds the whole community. The extent of their suffering is a measure of how far we are from being a true community of persons. These wounds will be healed only by greater solidarity with the poor and among the poor themselves.” Solidarity—clay that has been properly prepared so that the air bubbles are removed (in a process called “wedging”) will not fall apart when it is put in the heat of the kiln. How much stronger is a community that stands with its weakest links.

By the way, my lump of clay became a butterfly!

Build your house on rock JBB

Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.   Mt. 7: 24

Are you listening? Just as important, are you acting on Jesus’ words? In today’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us what the difference is between those who listen to his words and act and those who listen and do not act.

Are you listening?

Created in the image of God. . .everyday 16,000 children die from hunger. . .that’s about 1 child every 5 seconds (Bread for the World)

Created in the image of God. . .more than 60% of chronically hungry people are women (World Food Program)

Created in the image of God. . .101 million children are NOT enrolled in primary school. More than half of these are girls (UNICEF)

How do we make sense of this human tragedy? Perhaps, such injustice will always be beyond our comprehension, but it is not beyond our compassion. Compassion, as Moses says in Deuteronomy 11:18, is to, “take these words of mine into your heart and soul.”

TO ACT: We have a compassionate responsibility to care for our brothers and sisters in all nations. Pick a cause that pulls at your heartstrings and help lift someone out of their dire circumstances. It is said that if you change one life, you change the world. Change yours, get involved.