Street Singing

When I first moved into the city I was constantly amazed by how many people in my neighborhood would just sing at the top of their lungs while walking up and down the streets. This phenomenon happens regardless of what time it is; although, the sobriety of the singers is called into question late at night. Not all of them are the greatest singers in the world (in fact, none of them are). But, regardless, there is a lot of singing in Hyde Park!

I had to go to Chase Bank today to fight for my rights against The Man. I felt very righteous in my complaints and was on a crusade to get what I thought (and still think) I deserved!

The soundtrack playing in my head was the Finale of Les Miserables! This is the perfect song to march to on your crusade against The Man:

"do you hear the people sing?

lost in the valley of the night

it is the music of a people who are climbing to the light

for the wretched of the earth

there is a flame that never dies

even the darkest nights will end and the sun will rise

they will live again in freedom in the garden of the lord

they will walk behind the bloodshed

they will put away the sword

the chain will be broken and all men will have their reward!

will you join in our crusade?

who will be strong and stand with me?

somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see?

do you hear the people sing?

say, do you hear the distant drums?

it is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!"

So long story short... I lost in my crusade against Chase Bank. After catching the salesboy (nicest thing I can call him) trying to pull the wool over my eyes several times... I caved. Instead of walking out with my financial freedom... I carried out a new credit card (which I had no intention of getting, nor any intention of using now) with a ridiculous interest rate and a whole host of new aggravating problems.

Walking home, the soundtrack playing in my head was "Walk in the Reign" by Josh Blakesley. Showtunes give me courage... religious music lifts my spirits after an attack by The Man. The song goes:

"Walk in the Reign...

Showers of Love, Fall from Above...

Walk in the Reign...

oooOOOooo!"

And now the point of this story...

These sound tracks hadn't just been playing in my head. I was singing them out loud! I didn't realize it at first, I just needed the music more than I cared what the other people on the street were thinking.

What does one do when he finds that he is making a fool of himself? Obviously, he has to continue or people will judge his lack of confidence. I continued to sing.

There is something liberating about singing in public. I, like everyone else who sings in Hyde Park, have a terrible singing voice. I am sure that some people were annoyed; but they would have been annoyed anyway.

Maybe as Christians we should sing more often when we are out in public. Could there be a better way to testify to the change that has occurred in us due to God's presence in our lives?

I have to commute to class at Loyola University tonight... I am going to sing on the bus.

Peace turtles!

Frankencomputer

I work at the Help Desk of the IT Department at my school. When I took the job I had very little actual training with computers. I have always been interested in computers and have enjoyed tinkering with them numerous times, but I still had a lot to learn before I could be considered a legitimate IT worker.

In the beginning I felt so inexperienced and overwhelmed that I am sure I caused more computer problems than I was able to solve. If it hadn't been for my co-workers' ability to fix my numerous mistakes I don't know what state our department would be in currently.

But I have stuck with it and have learned the difference between a SATA and an ATA hard drive... I have learned how to install and uninstall new RAM Memory Cards... I have learned how to remove network cards from laptops and order upgrades online... I have learned how a server works and how to manage a telephone circuit room. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I am surprised at how much I now know.

Yesterday was the climax of my IT education. My boss gave me three very dysfunctional CPUs and asked that I make one functioning computer out of their. This was not going to be easy for me. I was faced with testing hard drives, swapping RAM, removing and reinstalling CD drives, disconnecting a power supply and swapping it with a new one and many other difficult obstacles.

I am sure that this task took me longer than my boss had hoped... but after many hours of tinkering I was able to push the power button on the new computer and hear it whir to life. This computer, which I have named "Frankencomputer" will always be special to me, it represents the fruit of many months of hard work.

I think that our spiritual lives are quite like trying to build a new computer. We start out with no knowledge of what we have to do... we pick up tools and advice along the way... we tinker and tinker and tinker and tinker... and then eventually we see some fruit in a new found grace or fresh outlook on life.

We are never really perfect at living a spiritual life. I will never know enough about computers to be Steve Jobs or Bill Gates... similarly, I will never be Mother Theresa or John of the Cross... but that is no excuse not to dedicate ourselves to continually learning more and more about becoming saints!

Peace turtles!

X-Men

I got the X-Men Trilogy movies from my dad for Christmas; what a great story! I'll admit it... I often find myself day dreaming that I have mutant powers (of course, I have all of their powers combined). In my daydreams: I fight bad guys; rescue people; complete death defying stunts; and even cause a little bit of mischief! Marvel should offer to pay me for my day dreams, I find them very amusing!

However, as a person of faith, I understand that:

I don't have to be Wolverine to heal people.

I don't have to be Charles Xavier to see deep into peoples hearts.

I don't have to be Rouge to connect with people in a powerful way.

I don't have to be Gambit to energize my friends and family.

I have a very charismatic spirituality and one thing that I firmly believe is that God enables each and every one of us to do His work.... to build the Kingdom. All of the gifts and powers that we will need to accomplish this task will be provided, we can be assured. St. Paul writes, "I can do anything through [God] who gives me strength." (Phil 4:13).

I still think it would be cool to be Cyclops and shoot laser beams out of my eyes... or to be Storm and control the weather. But compared to our God and those He has called to serve Him throughout the ages... the X-Men just look like party performers. The Holy Spirit is so much cooler!

Peace Turtles!

New Year's Resolutions

It's not to late to make a New Year's Resolution if you haven't done so already. For those of you who have already made them- you have 360 more days to work on them! Good luck!

A friend of mine once complained that he always needed to make the same resolutions and commitments to improve himself. "Why aren't I getting better at this? Why do I always struggle with the same things?!" he fretted.

What he failed to see (if I can use the turtle analogy again) is that we carry around the same hard shell on our back all of the time. While we can find ways to reduce its size and make carrying it easier, few of us can ever get rid of it completely (and those who do find yet another shell to carry soon after).

Let's use an extreme example to illustrate my point... Nobody would think twice if a recovering alcoholic said that his or her New Year's resolution was to stay sober all year. In fact, because the alcoholic's addiction never really goes away, it would be smart if he or she made this same New Year's resolution year after year as a way to keep this commitment always at the forefront of their mind. The resolution may never change.

Further, even if someone's resolution does change, often the new one will focus on the same issue. Someone struggling with their weight may resolve to lose 30 pounds in 2010. Because their struggle with weight will never magically disappear, their 2011 resolution may have to include not gaining the 30 pounds back. Two resolutions... same issue.

The personal issue that I always have to work on is not becoming so overextended that I abandon my prayer life. My resolutions, whether for the New Year or a retreat, always focus on: simplifying my life; reducing stress; taking deep breaths; recognizing God's presence in my life; and finding new ways to pray. I have to keep making fresh commitments to these activities because if I neglect them- even for just a week- I get lost in a sea of confusion and have to work twice as hard to get my life back on track!

Of course, I am not advocating that anyone approach their resolutions with the attitude, "I don't have to work to hard on this, because I can always make the same resolution next year." Anyone who says that is cheap- and obviously not serious about improving themselves. The goal is always to accept our resolutions with a full COMMITMENT, our complete ATTENTION and every EXPECTATION that we will be successful.

So if you have not already, spend some time this week reflecting on the areas of your life that you need to focus on this year. Don't get discouraged if you find yourself dealing with the same problems and issues that you have dealt with in the past. Accept yourself for who you are and simply resolve to become the best person that you possibly can.

Blessings in 2010! Peace turtles!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas turtles! I wish you all the best this holiday season!

Two quick things...

The Holy Father extended Christmas greetings in 65 different languages today. In English, he gave the following blessing: "May the birth of the Prince of Peace remind the world where its true happiness lies; and may your hearts be filled with hope and joy, for the Savior has been born for us." Great words to meditate upon today!

Finally, one of my favorite Christmas/Advent prayer activities is to meditate upon the many ways that the birth of Jesus is portrayed in diverse cultures. Simply do a Google image search for "nativity" and see all of the wonderful pieces that are pulled up. Here is one from Africa:

Peace turtles!

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas Eve turtles! I hope that everyone is able to be with family and friends this holiday season. Know that I will be praying for all of you and am relying on you to pray for me as well!

Let's take a moment to talk about Christmas Eve, a very Holy Day that is easy to miss as we prepare for Christmas Day.

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First, we have a lot to pray for:

According to the Infancy Traditions about Jesus, Mary and Joseph were traveling far from home to participate in the census... please pray today for all travelers.

Upon entering Bethlehem there was no place for them to stay, so they had to stay in a manger (or a cave)... please pray today for the homeless and also for immigrants.

Mary goes into labor and gives birth to our savior (I spoke about the Incarnation a few weeks ago, please see that post)... please pray today for all mothers, especially teenage mothers and mothers who will give birth this coming year.

Shepherds hear Angels proclaiming the coming of the Lord and they come to the manger to see Jesus... please pray today for all laborers, especially those without work this Christmas Season.

There is so much to remember and pray for on this very holy day!

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In popular Catholicism it is often believed that the Virgin Mother petitions the release of many souls from purgatory on Christmas Eve. Of course, this is a popular belief, we don't think that Purgatory is a length of time with a release date, but if you know of anyone who has died this year, Christmas Eve is still a wonderful time to remember them!

For those interested in learning more... I believe this belief has been re-popularized by the revelations of the Virgin Mother to the Medjugorje Visionaries. You'll have to do some research on your own!

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For the last seven years I have been part of a group who gathers to pray at noon on Christmas Eve. During our prayer time together we hold all of these intentions, as well as those who could not be with us, up to the Virgin Mother through the Rosary. I encourage all of you to pray the Joyful Mysteries tonight alone or with your families as a way to celebrate this holy feast.

When I was little I liked Christmas Eve (conveniently also my mother's birthday) because we could use it to go to Mass early and have more time to open presents on Christmas Day... I now know that it is so much more.

Peace turtles!

Avatar

I recently went to see the movie Avatar. I had no idea what it was going to be about but I ended up really enjoying it! Behind all of the 3D effects and stunning graphics is a great movie. However, hit a little too close to home for me...

(The following will not give away the ending, I promise!)

Avatar chronicles the story of Jake Sully, a paralyzed ex-marine who is recruited to be an "avatar-driver" for a mining colony on a distant planet. An avatar is a human-indigenous hybrid that the driver has full control over through a remote connection at the mining colony. Sully's mission is to infiltrate an indigenous community, learn their ways and ultimately convince them to leave their homeland so that the mining company can remove precious minerals from beneath their colony.

The miners don't understand the deep interconnection of all the life forms on the planet. They don't believe that the indigenous community has any dignity- and don't even try to appreciate their rich traditions.

In the end, Sully becomes one of the indigenous people and leads them in a fight for their survival. I'll let you see the movie and fill in the rest of the details for yourself.

Here is why this movie hit a little too close to home for me...

When I was in El Salvador I had the opportunity to visit a community that had been ravaged by the Coca Cola Company. Coke had: built a factory in their community; pumped all of the ground water out of the region; and then closed the factory leaving behind- what had once been a lush forest- an uninhabitable wasteland.

Avatar isn't a completely fictional movie. Multinational Companies are committing the same crimes against indigenous communities here on planet Earth, and they are destroying our planet to make a profit.

In Avatar, Sully stands up to the mining company and helps to organize the indigenous communities in their struggle. Who is going to stand up in the REAL world and do the same thing? Maybe you? Do you have the courage to put your life and reputation on the line for the oppressed?

I hope that everyone gets a chance to see this movie. My prayer is that you can see past the amazing special effects and let the struggle portrayed in the film inspire you to make a difference in THIS world.

Peace turtles!