Spirituality for Beginners

Fr. Bede's almost-daily reflections. When it comes to the spiritual life, we're all beginners. I also send these out by email. Contact me at bcamera@anselm.edu. God bless!





Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label racism. Show all posts

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Pray that we be spared

I’ve been casting around looking for a verse from the Psalms for today’s reflection, yet here it is almost 4 pm and I’m torn about writing today, because my most fervent prayer at the moment is that God save our country from the horror that we are facing at this time in our history, and I have been determined that I would not write about current events or politics in these reflections. But I’ve been sitting here at my computer with psalm books and sources open around me, and I can’t manage to free my mind from two things I read today in the news. And so I have to wonder if this is what I’m meant to write about today.

Every day that goes by the situation gets worse, as every day Donald Trump takes one more step towards bringing us to the brink of what was happening in Germany in the 30’s last century. And the thing that is the most frightening of all to me is that by and large the people who support him so vehemently, including members of my own family, are completely ignorant of what happened in Germany in the 30’s. Who was it that said, “Those who are ignorant of history are bound to repeat it?”

And yet, in their ignorance, hundreds of thousands of Americans are bringing us to that time. Two images stand out for me today. The first is the sight of what happened the other night in Florida when Trump got his followers to raise their right arms to pledge that they would vote for him in the primaries. “Heil Trump.” Oh my God, no! Haven’t any of those people seen the images of the Hitlerian rallies? Can’t they realize that they are being duped into repeating the same images here and now?

The second item was one that was mentioned briefly in one of my news sources, claiming that Trump has declared that Muslims should be made to wear identifying badges on their clothing. Not yellow stars, but it might as well be.

Pray, my friends. Pray that our system of government will be strong enough to withstand these attacks on decency and sanity. Pray especially to mother Mary, who is the patroness of the United States.

And please forgive me from breaking my “no politics” rule, just this once.

The only scriptural passage I have to offer you today is from Psalm 12:

Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished:
truth has gone from the sons of men.

What must the psalmist been seeing when he was looking around and was inspired to write those words? I’m beginning to come closer to understanding it. One thing that really horrifies me (among many) is the knowledge that there are so many bigots and racists in this country and that in Trump they are able to float their bigotry as a badge of honor. I never realized before just how many of them there are and how virulent their hatred. God help us.


And God bless us all.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

The Agony of Paris

A terrible thing happened in Paris this weekend. Hatred, violence, the killing of innocence, unmerited pain, fanaticism, self-destruction, terror and chaos.

If you can, sit with the weight of all this evil  while gazing at a crucifix, and behold Him Who drew onto himself the entire weight of sin and evil in the world.

Hold the pain and connect it with the crucifix, and stay with it for as long as you are inspired to do.

In your prayers, let every suffering soul and every grieving person be embraced by the crucifix.

And remember this: the crucifix is the gateway to the end of all pain, all violence, all hatred, all chaos.

All death.

* * * * *
A terrible thing happened in Paris this weekend.

A terrible thing is happening in the world these days, every hour, every moment.

Terrible things are happening in our country these days, every hour, every moment.

We cannot and do not hear of all of them. Few of them make the news or attract the attention of the media.

But still they are happening. And always, it is the crucifix that provides the only point of reference that makes it possible to bear the evil.

Even though it may seem impossible, or implausible, or unimaginable,
it is within the agony of the crucifix that is found  the seed of the end of it all,
and that seed will come to life.

And there will be peace. We will see glimpses of it. It will drown the darkness for all time.

And so pray,

     grieve,

          carry the pain.

                Allow the pain to gentle you and me that we may be no part of the darkness.

Pay careful attention to anything within you that may contribute to the darkness, even the temptation to think of righteous revenge. For when you think like that, you are infected by the same evil.

Pray. Grieve. Carry the pain. And give it over to the Savior the world needs so badly.


And let it end there. And let it begin there.