Pumpkins, Poverty and Practice

Visiting the U.S. Census Bureaus website one can find a wide variety of information some useful and some not... For example they estimated “the potential number of trick-or-treaters in 2009 to be 36 million.” They also estimate that the “total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin producing states to be 931 million pounds in 2009.” While this is good information I am fairly certain that not all those trick-or-treaters will come by my house tomorrow night and am sure that I won’t have to carve all those pumpkins myself.

Even more interesting or relevant to me was the U.S. Census Bureau’s recent release of the results of the 2009 American Community Survey (ACS). This information, among other things, shows the poverty rates across the country. This year’s findings demonstrate that “no state had a statistically significant decline in either the number in poverty or the poverty rate.” It also showed that the majority of states saw increases in both the number and percentage of people in poverty between 2008 and 2009.

One conclusion from the report is the disparity in poverty rates on a regional and state level. The group Poverty Insights posted an insightful map on their website which clearly demonstrates that disparity: “Looking at the poverty rates by state we can see that high poverty is concentrated in the Southern parts of the country...” These are the same parts of the country where Glenmary Home Missioners has and continues to serve. The letter of St. James says; “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Glenmary Home Missioners ministry along with the assistance many others will continue to be in these rural impoverished areas of the U.S. where the Catholic Church is not yet fully present. Judging by the statistics, we have a lot of work ahead of us, anyone want to come along to lend a hand?

Daydreaming About Turkey

I realize that Thanksgiving is still a little over a month away but I have already begun to daydream about the day. For my family Thanksgiving has always been about food, family and fun but not necessarily in that order. And now that I have been in Glenmary for a number of years I have also been a regular participant in our longstanding tradition of the students gathering for Thanksgiving weekend. For the students it can be hectic time of the year to get away because they are nearing the end of the semester and usually have a backlog of papers to write, projects to finish and preparations for final exams. But it can also be the perfect time for them to get away from it all and spend some time with their brothers in the community in order to relax and find support. This year the students from St Meinrad Seminary, Divine Word College as well as all those in their year of apostolic ministry will be gathering at a quiet retreat like center in western, Kentucky. Their formators, the vocation director, a few prospects for Glenmary and some other invited guests will also be there. We will have some quality time together, share lots of laughs and plenty of good meals (I'm the cook this year). I know the menu will include turkey but may also include ugali and tamales. An odd assortment of items on one menu but we in Glenmary are a diverse group, one might even say an odd assortment of men. Gives true meaning to what my mom use to tell me "You are what you eat." For more information check out this link and watch for pictures on facebook (Hermano David Henley) afterwards.

http://glenmary.org/vocations/news/Thanks_trip.htm

Letter from Pope Benedict XVI

Just read the letter that Pope Benedict XVI recently wrote to all Seminarians. I hope that they all have a chance to read his inspiring words, to reflect on them and to know that they are meant for each one of them individually. Every day I give thanks to God for those men who have responded yes and I know that the people in the missions where Glenmary serves do too.

I also share the link to the letter here for those who are discerning their call to religious life so that they might be inspired as well to continue pursuing their call to serve.

"...You, dear friends, have decided to enter the seminary and to prepare for priestly ministry in the Catholic Church in spite of such opinions and objections. You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalization: they will always need the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the God who gathers us together in the universal Church in order to learn with him and through him life’s true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity. Where people no longer perceive God, life grows empty; nothing is ever enough. People then seek escape in euphoria and violence; these are the very things that increasingly threaten young people. God is alive. He has created every one of us and he knows us all. He is so great that he has time for the little things in our lives: “Every hair of your head is numbered”. God is alive, and he needs people to serve him and bring him to others. It does makes sense to become a priest: the world needs priests, pastors, today, tomorrow and always, until the end of time..."

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20101018_seminaristi_en.html

Nairobi, Kenya

The travels seem to be taking me all over the world. I woke up this morning in Fairfield, Ohio. Tomorrow I will be in the Amsterdam Airport and finally the next day at Tangaza College in Nairobi, Kenya. I will only be in Kenya for one week and have lots to do while I am there. Mainly though visiting the three aspirants who are there and hoping to come to the U.S. in order to join with us soon. I will also be making arrangements for our February retreat in which we will be meeting new prospects. Looking forward to all the surprises traveling brings. If I am unable to blog for a few days while I am out of the country I will try to make up for it with lots of details after I return. Blessings to all.

Unstable St. Meinrad

I just spent a superb time in St. Meinrad, Indiana visiting with the Glenmary students who are studying there. Mondays are community nights for the Glenmary students at St. Meinrad Seminary. The students gather at the Glenmary House which is just off the hill from the seminary. Close enough to walk to but far enough to put the seminary behind them for a brief spell. Gathering there gives them a chance to get away from their busy class schedule and put off the mountains of homework. It is a time for them to relax with one another as they gather for prayer, a meal and socializing.

My stopping in was an opportunity for me to update them on the happenings in the vocations office and to hear from them what is new in their lives and the classroom. This night's gathering was topped off with a visit to "The Unstable," the local seminary pub with good pizza and libations. I hope the road winds back through St. Meinrad more often in order for me gain more wisdom from the students and to share in their camaraderie.

Hurry up and Wait

I once had a job in which I was told required a lot of "Hurry up and wait.” I was never quite sure I knew what that phrase meant but I still used it as an answer when someone would ask me what I did, “A lot of hurry up and wait.” As I was thinking about that phrase the other day I am still not sure I understand what it means but it did occur to me that it could be a perfect phrase for discerning Religious Life. To often in this day and age we’re told to “just do it” without taking the time to reflect and prepare. Instead we need to be counter-cultural and actually take time to pray and ask God where are we being called, or how we are we to live out our call. Now is the time to discern, to spend some quiet time in prayer, to ask and discern if God is calling you to be a priest or a brother. But often times when we get to that spot of asking the question we have to wait for the answer. “Hurry up and wait” is what Elijah had to do. He journeyed 40 days to Mount Horeb, and then had to wait until the wind, the earthquake and fire passed before he heard the voice of God whispering to him, “Why are you here?”

Hurry up to find a quiet spot and wait to listen. Take the time to slow down and be present with God. It is then that we can hear God's voice in the whispering... “Why are you here? Are you called to be a missioner?