"Just Thoughts" for January 10, 2015. Poverty Awareness Month

Krista and Ed Zivkovich have written the following "Just Thoughts" article for next Sunday's bulletin:

Just Thoughts

Poverty Awareness Month

January 2016

The United States Catholic Bishops have again designated the month of January as

Poverty Awareness Month.  An initiative of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Poverty Awareness Month calls attention to the many problems associated with poverty in the United States. In the richest country on our earth, 1 in 7 American households were food insecure in 2015, 47 million people live in poverty. 

What can we do to help eradicate poverty?  "Two Feet of Love in Action" based on two of Pope Benedict's reflections (USCCB.org/Two Feet of Love in Action), is a tool to remind us that there are two different but complementary ways to put faith into action.  First, in Christian charity we must respond to the immediate needs of people. These are the Corporal Works of Mercy that Fr. Steve wrote about last week in his Pastor column.  In our parish we have several programs that target the problem of hunger and food insecurity and other ministries that help people in need.  These programs are generously supported by our parishioners.

The second of the "Two Feet of Love" is to do what we can to address the root causes of poverty.  To travel on a path toward social justice.  It involves taking action to change the social institutions that perpetuate those circumstances which prevent people from lifting themselves out of poverty.  Such things as working to improve the educational system, advocating for a living wage, or supporting environmental protection laws would all help those struggling to break the grip of poverty on their lives.  We are called to plant both feet firmly as we walk together, putting faith and love in action, as we focus on our destination, the Kingdom of God.

"We are pilgrims on a journey, we are brothers on the road; we are here to help each other, walk the mile and bear the load."  (Excerpt from The Servant Song, Richard Gillard, 1977)

"Just Thoughts" for December 6, 2015

Krista and Ed Zivkovich have submitted this "Just thoughts" essay for the December 6, 2015 bulletin of St. Mary's parish in Painesville, Ohio:

Just Thoughts

"We must be the change we wish to see in the world."  Gandhi

In his encyclical, Laudato Si, Pope Francis called for a global effort to combat climate change.  This week and next, representatives from over 190 countries are attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris to discuss actions which could ultimately result in less greenhouse gas emissions that harm our planet, causing rising sea levels and temperatures with potentially devastating effects around the world.  Pope Francis wrote,"A global consensus is essential for confronting the deeper problems, which cannot be resolved by unilateral actions on the part of individual countries."

While heads of state, representatives of nations, scientists and others address this critical issue, Pope Francis reminds us,"Living our vocation to be protectors of God's handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience." (217).  We all have a stake in and responsibility to care for our planet Earth. Following are 4 challenges from Pope Francis' encyclical prepared by the Archdiocese of Washington that are especially appropriate during this Advent season of waiting and reflecting.

1.     Celebrate Beauty - "See nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness...The world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise."  Action: Take time to be outside! Find the natural beauty in your community, and in doing so offer thanks to God for the beauty of all created things, including one another."

2.     Live in a Global Community - "We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it." (229).  Action: Make a commitment this week to serve the needs of the poor in a concrete way."

3.     Slow Down & Unplug - "Inner peace is closely related to care for ecology and for the common good because, lived out authentically, it is reflected in a balanced lifestyle together with a capacity for wonder which takes us to a deeper understanding of life. Nature is filled with words of love, but how can we listen to them amid constant noise..." (225). Action: Find time each day, especially on Sunday's, for quiet moments to talk with and listen to God.

4.     Practice Small Acts of Love - "St. Therese of Lisieux invites us to practice the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship. An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness." (230).  Action: Practice a new small act of love as a way of living solidarity with those most in need and being a more responsible steward of God's gifts. For example, reuse & recycle, reduce water consumption & electricity use, avoid using plastic bottles and bags.                          

                                                       

Source: Archdiocese of Washington, www.adw.org/creation

Serving the Needy, Giving Food to the Hungry at St. Mary's Painesville ("Just Thoughts" article)

[Ed and Krista Zivkovich write about what we are doing at St. Mary's in Painesville, Ohio.]

A Year of Helping Generously

In March of this year St. Mary's began its 4th year of hosting a monthly "Mobile Pantry" for local

persons and families in need.  This was done in partnership with the Greater Cleveland

Foodbank and under the sponsorship of our St. Vincent de Paul Organization.  Once a month

the Foodbank delivered a truckload of fresh fruits and vegetables and additional foods such as

yogurt, breads, and pastries at no charge.  Upon delivery, a band of hard-working volunteers

then went to work dividing up and often bagging these various food items into household-sized

Another group handled the registrations, assisted invaluably by our bi-lingual volunteers.  This

year, with help from Greater Cleveland Foodbank staff and thanks to our church's generous

extension of wi-fi coverage over to the Fr. Hanzo Family Center, we were able to switch to a

computerized registration system.  This change greatly increased the accuracy and efficiency of

our record keeping and reduced the time it takes to register those who received food.

Once everyone was registered, some volunteers helped distribute the food while others helped

those needing assistance to get food and load it into their cars.  A big thank you also goes to

our local Giant Eagle store for providing bags and loaning us the grocery carts we used each

month.  Additional thanks to the Perry IGA store for also donating grocery bags.

In keeping with Pope Francis' call to be better stewards of the gift of creation, and as part of our

parish's efforts to recycle as much as possible, all cardboard boxes which were left were broken

down and taken to a recycling station, along with recyclable plastics and paper.  Discarded fruit

and vegetable matter was collected and taken to be composted thanks to parishioner Bill

At our nine monthly Mobile Pantries beginning in March and ending this month, November, we

distributed a total of 102,956 pounds (that's 51 tons!) of fresh, healthy foods to an average of

591 people living in 162 households each month.  51% were either children or seniors.

While most of our volunteers were St. Mary's parishioners, we had help at various times from

members of St. Gabriel's, St. Mary's Chardon, and St. Mary Magdalene, as well as several folks

who came to receive food but then pitched right in to do the work that was needed. We can't say

thank you enough to all the volunteers who made this possible.

Jesus said, "The poor you will always have with you" and challenged us in the Gospels to help

and support them.  Thanks to our parishioners, our other volunteers, and the Foodbank and its

contributors, the poor are being fed, and will continue to be fed, here at St. Mary's.

Just Thoughts: Pope Francis' Encyclical--on Healing the Earth (on Laudato Si')

Here is the J"ust Thoughts" piece I composed for next Sunday's bulletin (for November 1, 2015). Many ideas for this came from last night's Laudato Si' study group at St. Mary's, in Painesville, Ohio.

Just Thoughts: Pope Francis’ Call for Healing in the Encyclical Laudato Si’

A study group has now met twice at St. Mary’s contemplating Pope Francis’s great encyclical Laudato Si’.  This group will meet once more, on Sunday, November 1, at 3 PM in the Father Hanzo Center, focusing on Chapters 5 and 6. The encyclical is available to read at this website: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html. Everyone is welcome to come to the study group!

There are certain themes heavily stressed in the encyclical: the responsibility of human beings to take care of the earth and its environment; the biblical and theological basis for this responsibility; the heavy price the poor pay for our ecological recklessness; the dignity of work and the right that all humans have to meaningful and fairly compensated jobs. Many of these themes are not new to Catholic social doctrine. They go back at least to the encyclical Rerum Novarum that Pope Leo XIII wrote in 1891.

There are, however, some new themes addressed by the Holy Father concerning the most modern forms of technology. He doesn’t see them as in themselves evil, as long as they are controlled and put to work for human beings. Here, in poetic language, he states his hopes:

“We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology; we can put it at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral. Liberation from the dominant technocratic paradigm does in fact happen sometimes, for example, when cooperatives of small producers adopt less polluting means of production, and opt for a non-consumerist model of life, recreation and community. Or when technology is directed primarily to resolving people’s concrete problems, truly helping them live with more dignity and less suffering. Or indeed when the desire to create and contemplate beauty manages to overcome reductionism through a kind of salvation which occurs in beauty and in those who behold it. An authentic humanity, calling for a new synthesis, seems to dwell in the midst of our technological culture, almost unnoticed, like a mist seeping gently beneath a closed door. Will the promise last, in spite of everything, with all that is authentic rising up in stubborn resistance?” (Par. 112).

The Pope doesn’t exactly say it, but maybe we can think of this “mist seeping gently beneath a closed door” as the action of the Holy Spirit.

Once we understand the nature of these problems addressed in Laudato Si’, with a solid biblical and theological footing, we can begin the urgent work of healing our Earth and all who live there.

* * *

Last week’s “Just Thoughts” had a minor error. If you want to see the petition of the Lake/Geauga Diocesan Social Action Commission calling for gun safety measures, go to this address: http://cqrcengage.com/ccdocle/app/sign-petition?2&engagementld=124658

Just Thoughts--A Call for Common-Sense Gun Safety Measures

[Krista Zivkovich wrote this "Just Thoughts" column; it will appear in the October 25th bulletin of St. Mary's in Painesville, Ohio.]

Just Thoughts:

Faith Communities Calling for Common-Sense Gun Safety Measures

Our Catholic Bishops have long called on Congress to pass basic laws that would almost certainly cut down on the amount of gun violence in our country. The life of each  person God has created is precious to Him, and as individuals living in community with each other, we have a duty to respect the dignity and value of each life and to do what is within our power to protect the lives of His beloved people.

Many people have said, and rightly so, that laws alone will not prevent the kind of mass shootings to which our country is becoming all too accustomed.  However, many reasonable people agree that some common-sense measures will help to curb this plague of gun violence.

As you have probably heard or read often, the United States has more incidences of gun violence than any other developed country in the world. Following the December 2012 killing of 27 first graders and teachers in their classroom in Newtown, Connecticut, many Americans believed that Congress would act to pass basic gun safety measures.  In June another mass killing took place in Charleston, SC as members of AME Emanuel church gathered to pray and study Scripture in their church. Gun violence resulting in multiple deaths continued this summer around the country in a movie theater, an Army recruiting station and on live television. Gun violence touched our own parish family and last month took the life of a 5 year old Cleveland child while he played in his yard.

The Catholic Bishops have sent statements and letters to Congress urging them to pass gun safety measures. But has each of us made that same demand of our elected representatives?   Let us, members of the St. Mary faith community, join our voices together and call for changes in the gun safety laws. The Lake/Geauga Diocesan Social Action Commission has written a petition calling for the same 4 gun safety measures called for by the U.S. Bishops.  This weekend after each Mass, the petition will be available to sign in the Good Shepherd entrance. The petitions will be forwarded to our representatives in Congress and in Columbus.

The petition can also be found on the Catholic Charities website: Link to the petition. Or cut and past this address into your browser:

http://cqrcengage.com/ccdocle/app/sign-petition?2&engagementId=124658

Just Thoughts: Stop the Murders!

Just Thoughts: We Must Act to End This Violence

The world was stunned these past days by the cold-blooded murder of nine people (eight students and their 67-year-old teacher) at Umpquah Community College in Roseburg, Oregon and the wounding of about ten others. The killer brought six guns to the college, five handguns and a semiautomatic rifle, and had seven more guns back at his apartment. Reports say that these guns were purchased legally. This past month in the city of Cleveland, three little children, including a six-month-old baby, were killed in crossfire from gang shootings. And who can forget that three years ago in Chardon, three students were murdered and three wounded in their high school cafeteria. The sorrow is almost unbearable.

The world weeps for these students and these babies--and wonders how this could happen in the richest, most privileged country in the world. Some politicians have said what amounts to “stuff happens” or “there’s nothing we can do about it.” But that is clearly false because murders like this almost never happen in most of the world’s developed countries.

The environment in which such murders can happen is the result of poor social and political and legal structures. We can make laws and rules and procedures that both allow us our constitutional rights yet make this level of violence and murder far less likely.

Surely a problem like this calls out for action on many fronts: scholars and experts must come up with good sociological and psychological analyses; we need to better understand the biological factors behind violence. We must enact laws and procedures that make such violence much less possible. That last point is our responsibility: we are the voters; we have to elect leaders who will act and not continually roadblock progress on this front.

We have great models in the power of nonviolence. Mahatma Gandhi taught us the effectiveness of truth-force without the use of violence. Martin Luther King used nonviolent techniques in America in the fight for civil rights. And of course Jesus is the great teacher in the rejection of violence to achieve justice.

Failing to act can be nothing but a sin. We must start right away. A good beginning would be to teach our children to reject violence to achieve one’s goals. We are the hands and feet of the Lord. We need to pray to the Lord--and then get busy with our hands and feet and mind, creating a more peaceful world.

People Who Shine Their Light Into the Darkness ("Just Thoughts" Essay)

Just Thoughts: A Light Shines in the Darkness

"A light shines in the darkness . . . and the darkness has not overcome it." These words of St. John the Evangelist perfectly describe the works and actions of certain people in the world. Some of these people are known only to friends and family. Think of your mother or father, maybe. Or somebody like Kay Coughlin. of St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Willowick. At age 88, tethered to oxygen, she has recently crocheted 130 scarves for the Homeless, 30 of which will be given to the Homeless in Painesville (Our Church is very involved in ministering to these folks).

Many of the people shining a light into the darkness and chaos are not Catholic, and some aren't Christian. One great servant of peace and light is the Dalai Lama, who came to the attention of the great Trappist Monk Thomas Merton as early as 1968. The Dalai Lama is a Tibetan Buddhist, and spreads the words and ways of peace throughout the world. He is a Peace Hero.

Another great Peace Hero is Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. He has been a key figure in the transition of South Africa from a racist state, dominated by a small majority, into the nation it is today.

Another Peace Hero is only 18 years old. She is Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani Muslim who has bravely stood up for the rights of women and children. For her stance, she was targeted by those claiming to be Taliban. Luckily she survived the assassination attempt and has recovered. Malala was the 2014 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Finally, one of the key examples of light shining into the darkness is the witness of our beloved Pope Francis. Our Pope is a Jesuit, in that great tradition of scholarship, education, and service. He took on the name and style of Francis of Assisi, which is so apparent in his peacemaking efforts, his environmentalism, and his welcoming style.

We have these great models before us. Let us try to imitate them and bring our own light and grace to bear upon the World.

[Written for St. Mary's Painesville Bulletin--for September 6, 2015]

Just Thoughts: "I was a Stranger in a Strange Land . . . ."

Just Thoughts: "I Was a Stranger in a Strange Land . . ." 

Unless you are of Native American heritage, your family has an immigration story. This puts you in good company, because both the Old and New Testaments are full of immigration and exile stories. We hear of the Hebrews in exile in Egypt or in Babylon, where they are "strangers in a strange land." The hymn sung years ago by Linda Ronstadt captures it: "By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down, and there he wept, when we remembered Zion . . . Carry us away captivity, require from us a song, but how can we sing . . . in a strange land?" Immigration and exile are full of tears and loneliness. That is why the Bible honors the tradition of hospitality and kindness toward strangers and immigrants.

Jesus, scripture tells us, was in exile in Egypt as a little baby. And growing up in Galilee, he was far away from the centers of power in Jerusalem or Rome. Even when he was acknowledged as a great preacher and prophet in Jerusalem, he was recognized by his accent and ways as an outsider (same was true for his disciples, as we see in the Passion and Death narratives). Many of the stories about Jesus depict him treating outsiders, Samaritans, fallen women, sinners, tax collectors, lepers, with the greatest respect, kindness, and love.

So the kind treatment of immigrants and outsiders and minorities is a central them of Judaeo-Christian scripture and tradition. It is not optional. All our families have immigration stories. That's why the phrase "the stone that the builder rejected has become the cornerstone" is repeated so often in our readings at mass. We were (or maybe are) that rejected stone--and we will be the cornerstone of the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God that we are trying to build. 

Be kind to immigrants. Like them, we were once strangers in a strange land.

[This essay was written for St. Mary's Painesville--for the August 30, 2015 bulletin.]

Linda Ronstadt singing "Rivers of Babylon"

"Be the Church!" Just Thoughts Essay

"Be the Church"--Just Thoughts

A banner in front of the Church of Christ in Chagrin Falls proclaims:

BE THE CHURCH

Protect the environment. Care for the poor.

Forgive often. Reject racism.

Fight for the powerless.

Share earthly and spiritual resources.

Embrace diversity. Love God. Enjoy this life.

At the bottom right, the banner proclaimed, "God is still speaking. United Church of Christ." A tear came to the eye because this is exactly what we Catholics ask of the Church. Pope Francis has spoken repeatedly, loud and clear, on exactly these issues. His apostolic exhortation, Evangelii gaudium, and his great encyclical, Laudato Si', are emphatic and powerful writings asking all humans to "protect the environment, " "care for the poor," and "share earthly and spiritual resources." 

The Holy Father radiates great joy, and even with the heavy burdens of the papacy, teaches us to "enjoy this life." The Holy Father, the great advocate of the environment and defender of the poor, walks the walk!

Is it such a surprise that the United Church of Christ is in such agreement with the Catholic Church? It shouldn't be. Remember that our creed says, "We confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins." We share the same DNA! We have many of the same beliefs and goals. Both traditions ask us to BE THE CHURCH!

[This essay was written for St. Mary's Painesville--for the bulletin for Sunday, August 23, 2015.]

"No Closed Doors! No Closed Doors!" (Pope Francis, August 5 2015)

Just Thoughts: “No Closed Doors! No Closed Doors!” (Pope Francis, August 5, 2015)

Last  week Pope Francis, speaking about Catholics who divorced and then remarried, said, “These persons are not by any means excommunicated.” The pontiff then repeated: “They are not excommunicated.” This is indeed good news to the thousands of divorced people who love the Church and want to remain in communion with the Church.

The Pope’s remarks are right in line with his compassionate and welcoming approach to all people--like Jesus, he welcomes the flawed, those who have stumbled,  and those who have sinned. He welcomes them back to the Church.

Many of us still recall from our youth how divorced Catholics were almost shunned. Yet today, how many families have had some experience with divorce? Few have been untouched!

A Catholic news service reports it this way: “Quoting from his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (‘The Joy of the Gospel’), the pontiff said: ‘The church is called to always be the open house of the father. No closed doors,’ he told the audience, repeating: ‘No closed doors!’”

Hopefully this becomes a rallying cry for the Church in the 21st Century. It echoes Saint Pope John XXIII’s call in early 1959 to “throw open the windows of the Church.” Gather all in to this good, loving,  and nurturing community--our Church.

[Above is the "Just Thoughts" column for St. Mary's Painesville--August 16, 2015]

"Just Thoughts"--Bringing Ireland to a Very Sick Woman

Just Thoughts: Bringing Ireland to a Very Sick Woman

[Names and some facts have been changed to protect privacy]

Our lives should be guided by the corporal and spiritual Works of Mercy, which many of us learned in grade school. One of the Works is "Visit the Sick." A great example of this took place last week within shouting distance of our Church. A member of our community had wanted to visit Ireland before she died. But her family and friends realized that wasn't going to happen, she was so sick and weak. One person close to her said, "Sweetie, maybe we can bring Ireland to you!" And so they did!

Through a series of phone calls and emails, some of the fine Irish musicians in Lake, Cuyahoga, and Geauga Counties responded to the call and came to “Bridget’s” house last weekend. There were fiddle players, pennywhistle players, guitarists, a man who played the bodhran (an Irish drum), a flute player, and a button-box accordion player. “Shel” kicked off the music with the tune “Rosin the Bow,” and then all played a series of reels, jigs, and hornpipes. In the middle of the music session, “Tina” sang “Sally Garden,” the sweet sad song written by William Butler Yeats.

Following this song, a big surprise: three Irish dancers came in and danced up a storm, beginning with the slip jig “The Butterfly.” The dancing was lively and joyful.

The session ended when “Martin” sang “Danny Boy,” leaving everyone in tears. Yes, they brought Ireland to Bridget, and it was as real as if she had flown Aer Lingus to Shannon Airport.

At the end, everyone hugged and kissed Bridget as they left, giving her and her family a memory that cannot be forgotten. The same can be said for the musicians and the dancers: no one will ever forget this music session, this act of kindness and humanity.

Sometimes justice demands dramatic action on a big stage. We have seen that in the lives of Jesus, Gandhi, and King. Other times it demands a simple, neighborly gesture--playing a tune, or simply visiting, a lonely, sick, or dying neighbor.

"Just Thoughts"--What Would Jesus Do?

Just Thoughts: What Would Jesus Do?

[Here is the "Just Thoughts" column for St. Mary's bulletin--June 14, 2015]

In 1896 Charles Sheldon wrote a book entitled “In His Steps.” The subtitle of the book was “What Would Jesus Do?” This book grew out of a series of sermons Sheldon gave in his Congregational Church in Topeka, Kansas. The book, and the concept behind it, had a powerful impact on many people hoping to shape the world according to the words and actions of Jesus. Of course, it isn’t always so simple or straightforward to know what Jesus would do in a 21st Century context. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

It is very useful to try to ask what Jesus would do when justice is at stake. Sometimes the answer becomes stunningly clear:

What would Jesus do when so many people in Painesville go hungry. Well, he’d find a way to feed them! He’d work to change laws and social structures so that no one goes hungry.

What would Jesus do when 100 homeless people are out in the cold and snow on a January night  in Painesville? Why, he would find a way to give them a warm and respectable shelter! He’d find an approach to ending homelessness in the world’s richest country.

What would Jesus do when foreigners and immigrants are despised or discriminated against? Well, that one is easy. He gave us the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37). He commanded us to love our neighbors, love the foreigner, as we love ourselves. Both the Old and New Testaments call for generosity, kindness, and hospitality for the foreigner. So we know clearly what Jesus would do.

Thinking about “What Would Jesus Do” can help us build a fairer, more just society--the New Jerusalem. The Beloved Community. Many people at St. Mary’s keep “WWJD” in mind when they make and serve the Karpos meals for the homeless and hungry every Wednesday and Thursday evenings; when they open the St. Mary’s Warming Center on bitter cold winter nights; when they visit the sick, the lonely, the homebound; when they bring comfort and the Eucharist to those in the Lake County jail. These and other actions, not so public, that serve our fellow human beings the way Jesus did.