The Company We Keep

“You’re no better than the company you keep.”

My grandfather used to tell that to my father, and my father occasionally passed along that wisdom to me and my siblings.

As an adult, I’ve wondered whether those words are meant mostly for kids, to keep them away from bad influences in their formative years.

But certainly grown-ups need to be surrounded by good people, too. We need friends who are better than us to help us to continue to mature and grow.

Personally, I can think of several times when others made me a better person because of their influence.

In college, I was randomly assigned a multi-talented roommate. As a sophomore, she was advanced enough to be a teaching assistant in chemistry, her major. She also played the piano and minored in music. On a lark, she tried out for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln speech team, earned a spot at nationals, and was writing speeches for the governor the following summer. Also during summer break, she spent time in Spain, becoming fluent in Spanish.

My roommate’s talent didn’t rub off on me, but she motivated me. She was upbeat and happy, and I had my best grades when I roomed with her.

I never set out to surround myself with people of strong faith, but God seems to have taken care of that for me. He knows my needs – and weaknesses – and has given me good examples to follow, especially here at St. Columbkille, in priests and parishioners that I would call “scary holy,” with an astounding presence of God in them.

Sometimes those influences, those friends, come and go in our lives. We wish we could hang on to them because they showed us how to live and helped us grow, but we have to trust in God’s providence. He has greater plans for us and them.

One friend, the late Susan Koeppe, taught me the value of words. She chose hers carefully. She often paused before she spoke, and I could sense that she was looking for just the right words – the kindest, most effective way to get her point across.

When she was dying and after her death, I learned so much about Susan. I realized I never really knew her. I didn’t know her favorite color was green. It was apparent she was smart, but I never knew she graduated from college with distinction from college or received a Fulbright scholarship for a year of study in New Zealand.

Susan and I occasionally shared long conversations, and I relied on her advice, especially in spiritual matters – but she rarely talked about herself.

I would do well to follow her example.

And I can still turn to her for help.

God has placed many good people in my life, including His multitude of saints in heaven.

Thank You, Lord, for the “cloud of witnesses” you give us in heaven and on earth. May we learn from them, the company you would have us keep.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Riddle of the Day

Riddle: What saint was cannonized before he died?

Answer: It was the saint with the feast day today: St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Inigo de Loyola was born in 1491 in Azpeitia in northern Spain. At the age of 30 in 1521 he was an officer defending the fortress of the town of Pamplona against the French, who claimed the territory as their own. The Spaniards were outnumbered and the commander wanted to surrender, but Ignatius convinced him to fight on for the honor of Spain, if not for victory. During the battle a cannon ball struck Ignatius, [Get it – “cannonized”] wounding one leg and breaking the other. Because they admired his courage, the French soldiers carried him back to recuperate at his home, the castle of Loyola, rather than to prison.

His leg was set but didn’t heal, so it was broken again and reset, all without anesthesia. Ignatius grew worse and was told by the doctors that he should prepare for death. On the feast of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), he took an unexpected turn for the better. The leg healed.

During the long weeks of recuperation, he was extremely bored and asked for some romance novels to pass the time. There were none in the castle of Loyola, but there was a copy of the life of Christ and a book on the saints. Desperate, Ignatius began to read them. The more he read, the more he considered the exploits of the saints worth imitating. At the same time he continued to have daydreams of fame and glory, along with fantasies of winning the love of a noble lady of the court. He noticed, however, that after reading and thinking of the saints and Christ he was at peace and satisfied. Yet when he finished his long daydreams of his noble lady, he would feel restless and unsatisfied. Not only was this experience the beginning of his conversion, it was also the beginning of spiritual discernment, or discernment of spirits, which is associated with Ignatius and described in his Spiritual Exercises.

He went not only went on to become a priest, but he is the founder of the Jesuits. Today is his Feast Day.

Immigration Information

Bishop Flores wrote:

A few days ago, July 22, to be exact, I was happy to join a visiting delegation of the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention for a tour of the newly opened facility for processing unaccompanied minors, operated by Immigration Enforcement. It is important for religious leaders to see for themselves the extent of the human tragedy unfolding in our time here in the Western Hemisphere.

I am particularly fond of this picture to the side. Not because I am speaking, but because I am really happy to have these gentlemen of faith covering my back!

 

While inside, we had a chance to see the children and speak briefly with them. We also spoke with law enforcement personnel who assist in interviewing the children.  I think the common witness of the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention, calling for a humanitarian response to the current influx of unaccompanied minors from Central American, is a singularly important witness. We call on our political leadership to recognize that we as a nation have the resources to respond calmly and effectively to women and children who are fleeing violence and extreme poverty. After we visited the new detention center in McAllen, we traveled together to San Antonio, Texas, where we visited the detention center located at Lackland Airforce Base. Again, we had a chance to speak to officials from the Department of Health and Human Services, who oversee the operation at Lackland. We also had a chance to talk to some of the young people.

 

I think this would be a good moment to answer some basic questions I have heard asked by ordinary folks. Many tell me that the media reports they hear do not necessarily clarify what is happening. 

 

For more click here

Last week many of our parish staff attended a presentation on Immigration Reform led by Jossy Rogers from Catholic Charities and Omar Gutierrez from the Archdiocesan Office of Missions and Justice.

We are delighted that they will be leading a session at our parish. It will be:

Immigration Reform and the Catholic Church

Tuesday, August 26th

7:30 to 9:30

Social Level of the church

Our Lips are Sealed

A pop song from '80s has been replaying in my head since I heard it on the radio about a week ago.

I don’t know the lyrics very well, so interiorly I hum a few bars and sing the one line I know: “Our Lips Are Sealed,” which is also the name of the song, sung by the Go-Gos.

"Our lips are sealed" usually means a promise to keep quiet, but the phrase has taken on new meaning for me as it's been repeated in my brain. This week, at the same time I've been thinking about the song, I've had the blessing of being able to go to Mass several times and receive the Eucharist in both the Sacred Host and the Precious Blood.

When I receive Jesus' Precious Blood, I try to drink as little as possible, just a drop, because I know that's sufficient – for me and the whole world. And something strikes my heart in that initial encounter, when the Precious Blood touches my lips.

It makes me feel unworthy as I'm aware of its touch. It reminds me of how I've used my mouth to hurt others with my words. And its bittersweet taste on my tongue seems appropriate: the bitterness for our Lord's suffering and death because of our sins, and the sweetness of the very essence of pure Love, His blood poured out for us.

Now – particularly in the month of July, traditionally dedicated to the Precious Blood – when I think of "Our Lips Are Sealed," I think of them being sealed in the sense of an anointing, through our Lord's precious blood. And what a blessing that is!

In Wednesday's Mass readings, we heard of God appearing to the prophet Jeremiah: “Then the Lord extended His hand and touched my mouth, saying, ‘See, I place my words in your mouth! This day I set you over nations and kingdoms, to root up and to tear down, to destroy and demolish, to build and to plant.’”

If God sanctified Jeremiah with His touch and sent him forth with a holy purpose, how much more has he blessed us with the touch of His Precious Blood on our mouths. We also are called to “root up and tear down, to destroy and demolish” whatever is not of God, sometimes using our mouths for that purpose.

And we also are to use our mouths “to build up” the Kingdom of God and “to plant” His word, like the sower in Jesus' parable in Wednesday’s Gospel reading.

When we receive Jesus' Precious Blood, our lips truly are sealed. We have been given an anointing, a calling. Our mouths are sacred and should be used to build others up, to kiss their wounds, to admonish their sins.

This month and always, let us adore and pray:

“O Sacrament Most Holy! O Sacrament Divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!”

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Cleaning It Up

A lot of things had to be moved so we 

can get the carpets cleaned today.

Amazingly, it will be done and ready for Mass at 5:30.

Treasure Hunt

Over the past week my family went on vacation, and we enjoyed some long, meandering walks.

As we roamed and explored we’d stop to take pictures, peer across distances through binoculars or a telescope and collect all sorts of “treasures:” rocks, seashells, acorns, flowers and leaves.

We also had the chance to do a lot of shopping, including some at thrift stores and rummage and garage sales, finding many treasures there, too.

After returning home with a carload of stuff, I've come to a conclusion. I think we’re all born with a desire to find a treasure.

I've had dreams in which I visit a beach and look zealously for seashells, as if they were worth a fortune. And I've also had a dream common to many: finding a hidden room in a home. I connect these dreams with a desire for treasure, finding a hidden surprise.

I think the desire is innate because even the tiniest of us seem to like to uncover something precious. On vacation, my family watched at a fair as toddlers and preschoolers combed through sand to find buried toys, coins and knick-knacks.

Treasure hunting can amount to greed, an inordinate desire for material things. But I think God planted a desire for treasure in hearts, so that we would find Him, the ultimate treasure, as described in St. Matthew’s Gospel:

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.”

We all long for treasure. Let us pray we find the true treasure, the “pearl of great price,” and that we would be willing to part with everything to obtain Him.

Happy hunting, treasure-seekers.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Replacing Some Stairs

We'd had some trouble with some of the stairs, so those were torn out and replaced this week.

Doesn't it look nice now?

Feast of St Benedict

Mary Magdalene at the Cross

"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala."

(John 19:25)

Twenty-two years ago, I spent much of July at Children's Hospital.

My husband, Tim, and I had a newborn daughter home from another hospital for just a day, when we noticed her arm and leg twitching on one side of her body -- a seizure, it turned out.

We took her to Children's and learned she'd had bleeding in her brain -- likely from her delivery a few days earlier -- and the blood had clotted and was blocking spinal fluid in her brain and creating pressure there.

My parents met us at the hospital that evening. After learning the diagnosis but before returning home exhausted and without our baby, I remember my mother saying:  "I hate to tell you this, but welcome to parenthood."

Tim and I had a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old at home with their other grandmother, so we weren't completely new to parenting. But my mom knew all parents eventually face moments like these.

Looking back, I realize those times aren't reserved for parents alone. All love eventually takes us to the cross. Sooner or later our beloved ones will suffer, and we will be there with them.

Our daughter, Mary Therese, received three sacraments during her hospital stay: baptism, anointing of the sick and confirmation. Unlike most people who are confirmed, she wasn't able to choose her confirmation name. Tim and I made a quick choice, a well-known saint whom the church remembers every July: Mary Magdalene.

Now, more than ever, that choice seems appropriate. St. Mary Magdalene knew how to love, and she was faithful in that love even at the cross and the tomb.

Jesus rewarded her by showing her the glory of the Resurrection, as one of the first people to see Him on Easter and as one of our great saints.

A lot of time has passed since our daughter's birth, and now we probably take her good health for granted. During that early hospitalization one doctor told us: "She might be able to walk, but she'll never be a track athlete." (So of course I enjoyed a particular satisfaction when Mary was on St. Columbkille's track team while in school there.☺

Our family has so much to celebrate in remembering Mary's birth.

Jesus showed us the love of the cross -- and the glory of new life.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

2014 Heartland Family Festival

The Heartland Family Festival is Saturday, August 2nd. More information can be found here.