Here's a short video about our festivities:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4glJcARsD8
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Another Video
One of the brothers in the Sodalicium came to the Andes and filmed us for a few days. He's working on documentary and has produced this trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKxu2PiVlKA
Today, I'm writing a speech on teaching economics using a case study method in South America for an international teachers conference. I'll post the speech when I'm finished. Only 3 out of 10 pages done so far...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKxu2PiVlKA
Today, I'm writing a speech on teaching economics using a case study method in South America for an international teachers conference. I'll post the speech when I'm finished. Only 3 out of 10 pages done so far...
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Back in Peru...
So, it's been a long time since I've blogged. I've been back in Peru for 3 weeks, but only back with a computer for the last week. Please take a look at a video we made for our mission trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xYFFyELBw8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xYFFyELBw8
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A trip back to the shanty towns...
Yesterday I spent the day in San Juan where the poorest of the poor live. We traveled to the clinics, the schools, and the rehabilitation center. I went with a new friend that I met on Sunday. It's kind of a strange story of how we got connected:
A friend of mine from my freshmen year of college sent me an email a couple months ago when he saw that I was living in Peru. He told me his sister had a friend that was traveling in South America and would be making her way to Lima and that I should meet up with her and show her around. So after a few emails back in February, I kind of forgot about her until last week when another email populated in my inbox.
We decided to meet and grab some ice cream. We ended up finding out that we had quite a bit in common. She told me some interesting stories about how she had lived in East Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, Germany, and for the last 4 months traveling all around South America.
She was hoping to find some work doing something internationally in the health field. So, I immediately thought of the work that the CLM is doing in San Juan. In the past, she said, that she had worked with organizations that had ideological agendas that were hard for her to reconcile, even despite the good work that they were doing.
So I made a few phone calls and we arranged a trip with a Fraterna (a woman that takes a vow of celibacy and obedience and lives in a community of women) to go with us. She turned out to be one of the sweetest women I have every met. From time-to-time you come across people that just glow of joy and happiness, this was one of those women. Our faces hurt at the end of the day because of how much smiling and laughing we had done!
Anyway, so we spent the day with the poorest of the poor. We stopped in at some daycare centers and schools and played with the kids and had a ball. They teased me that I was a rock star because the kids loved me so much. I should have brought my camera, but I forgot.
We went around and saw all the projects that the CLM is doing, everything from preventative health care, to providing psychological care for families, to rehabilitation, to teaching them how to provide for themselves and learn new skills. With all of these projects, there’s a very strong sense of taking care of the entire person, a focus on the dignity and worth of each human life, from conception until natural death.
My new friend Alexis, I think, was quite impressed with how authentic this work was, without concern about ideology, or even about religion. Of course, there are icons, and we uphold the teaching of the Catholic Church, but we treat without question.
There were points on our trip where even I was overwhelmed by the incredible love and concern for people that the volunteers had, and how authentic and complete the spirituality driving the projects were, even though I had been there before.
At the end of the day, I came back to my room physically and emotionally exhausted. It’s amazing how seeing so much poverty can be overwhelming, but at the same time, so much hope for the good and love that is being sown.
A friend of mine from my freshmen year of college sent me an email a couple months ago when he saw that I was living in Peru. He told me his sister had a friend that was traveling in South America and would be making her way to Lima and that I should meet up with her and show her around. So after a few emails back in February, I kind of forgot about her until last week when another email populated in my inbox.
We decided to meet and grab some ice cream. We ended up finding out that we had quite a bit in common. She told me some interesting stories about how she had lived in East Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, Germany, and for the last 4 months traveling all around South America.
She was hoping to find some work doing something internationally in the health field. So, I immediately thought of the work that the CLM is doing in San Juan. In the past, she said, that she had worked with organizations that had ideological agendas that were hard for her to reconcile, even despite the good work that they were doing.
So I made a few phone calls and we arranged a trip with a Fraterna (a woman that takes a vow of celibacy and obedience and lives in a community of women) to go with us. She turned out to be one of the sweetest women I have every met. From time-to-time you come across people that just glow of joy and happiness, this was one of those women. Our faces hurt at the end of the day because of how much smiling and laughing we had done!
Anyway, so we spent the day with the poorest of the poor. We stopped in at some daycare centers and schools and played with the kids and had a ball. They teased me that I was a rock star because the kids loved me so much. I should have brought my camera, but I forgot.
We went around and saw all the projects that the CLM is doing, everything from preventative health care, to providing psychological care for families, to rehabilitation, to teaching them how to provide for themselves and learn new skills. With all of these projects, there’s a very strong sense of taking care of the entire person, a focus on the dignity and worth of each human life, from conception until natural death.
My new friend Alexis, I think, was quite impressed with how authentic this work was, without concern about ideology, or even about religion. Of course, there are icons, and we uphold the teaching of the Catholic Church, but we treat without question.
There were points on our trip where even I was overwhelmed by the incredible love and concern for people that the volunteers had, and how authentic and complete the spirituality driving the projects were, even though I had been there before.
At the end of the day, I came back to my room physically and emotionally exhausted. It’s amazing how seeing so much poverty can be overwhelming, but at the same time, so much hope for the good and love that is being sown.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Weekly Update
So, it's been 5 days since I've returned from Ayaviri and I have to say I'm a little depressed. I really enjoyed that place. There was something almost mystical about being there. I guess, I would describe it like being in a time machine and going back several hundred years.
You're in a small down, with a plaza and constant music. All the woman are dressed in traditional clothing and there are only a very few cars in the town. Most people ride bikes and a few have motorcycles. There's an open air market on Wednesday where people bring their lamb and cattle meat to be sold. Sunday is the day to do your shopping for other supplies, and there's constant huslte and bustle in the plaza.
Sunday also is the day where they parade in with several hundred people, organized by different groups (ie. schools, bands, organziations that care for the poor, and semi-professional organziations). The band plays the national anthem and they raise the Peruvian and Ayarviri flags.
The children of the town attend school, but have very little as far as supplies. Luckily, I was able to travel with Father Miguel and bring new backpacks filled with school supplies to 4 different schools. At the school that the community runs, I stopped into their English class and gave an im-promp-tu English lesson. Very few of them had ever met a Northern American, so it was quite exciting for them to see and hear my native English. At the conclusion of the lesson, I asked who wanted to come with me to the U.S. and they all raised their hands and a few of them ran up to me and hugged me not wanting to let go. It was a cute moment, but also one that made me thing about the differences in opportunity that we have just because of the place we were born and the family that we were born into. Which made me really think about the responsibility as Christians that we have to the entire human race to promote the dignity and worth of all human beings regardless of class or ethnicity.
Now I'm back in Lima, and I'm starting to look forward to going back home in 2 weeks. I haven't thought about home too much because everyday has been somethig new, but now that the time is approaching, I've started to get a little homesick...
You're in a small down, with a plaza and constant music. All the woman are dressed in traditional clothing and there are only a very few cars in the town. Most people ride bikes and a few have motorcycles. There's an open air market on Wednesday where people bring their lamb and cattle meat to be sold. Sunday is the day to do your shopping for other supplies, and there's constant huslte and bustle in the plaza.
Sunday also is the day where they parade in with several hundred people, organized by different groups (ie. schools, bands, organziations that care for the poor, and semi-professional organziations). The band plays the national anthem and they raise the Peruvian and Ayarviri flags.
The children of the town attend school, but have very little as far as supplies. Luckily, I was able to travel with Father Miguel and bring new backpacks filled with school supplies to 4 different schools. At the school that the community runs, I stopped into their English class and gave an im-promp-tu English lesson. Very few of them had ever met a Northern American, so it was quite exciting for them to see and hear my native English. At the conclusion of the lesson, I asked who wanted to come with me to the U.S. and they all raised their hands and a few of them ran up to me and hugged me not wanting to let go. It was a cute moment, but also one that made me thing about the differences in opportunity that we have just because of the place we were born and the family that we were born into. Which made me really think about the responsibility as Christians that we have to the entire human race to promote the dignity and worth of all human beings regardless of class or ethnicity.
Now I'm back in Lima, and I'm starting to look forward to going back home in 2 weeks. I haven't thought about home too much because everyday has been somethig new, but now that the time is approaching, I've started to get a little homesick...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Some Easter pics and a school update
Here are some other pictures from the Easter celebration:
Inca Kola...when 2 liters just isn't enough...
My pal David:
So I started playing basketball with some of my students about 2 weeks ago. It was surprising how excited they were to have me out there. It was depressing to think that I'm 10 years older than them though!
Inca Kola...when 2 liters just isn't enough...
My pal David:
So I started playing basketball with some of my students about 2 weeks ago. It was surprising how excited they were to have me out there. It was depressing to think that I'm 10 years older than them though!
On Tuesday they were doing some drill races in their PE class and the coach asked me to join them. So, of course being a high school kid, you want to race your teacher who hasn't picked up a basketball in probably 9 months. The school's best player, of course, wanted to test me. So we faced off.
The first drill was based on dribbling speed. Damn. I haven't dribbled a ball in forever, let along sprinted anyway. It was neck and neck, but he pulled away at the end and clipped me by a second or so. Instead of being domoralized, I started to talk a little trash about the next drill, which now included layups.
I got out there, and now with a little muscle remember under my belt from the up and back dribbling, my skills were a little sharper. We went back and forth, up and down the court 4 times and I just barely edged him out to win. We were now tied and the students were starting to get into the competition.
The student complained that I bumped him while shooting the last layup, which was true, but come on, this is basketball not golf. So the tie breaking match was set. Not to be outdone by his old teacher, my student knocked the ball away from me on my first layup. The students booed him for his obvious cheating, but I didn't give up. I ran and got my ball, made the layup and raced back to make the basket right before he did.
Victory.
Now I need a gatorade...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Peru wins...
The worst taxi service in South America!
POR LOS SUELOS. Servicio de taxis es el peor de Latinoamérica. A diferencia de Buenos Aires, Bogotá o México, nuestra ciudad tiene la flota más desorganizada de la región. 210 mil unidades sin taxímetros y en pésimas condiciones saturan a diario las calles.
Basically, Peru has the most disorganized transportation system in South America. There are over 210,000 taxis without meters. What that means: you have to negotiate before you get in the cab. There's a solid 30% gringo tax that you most negotiate down...every time.
This is a typical cab: average fare is about $/10 or $3 for 30 minutes
Here's a microbus that is about the length of a suburban and can fit 25-30 people: average fare is about $/1 or $0.30 for a 15 minutes ride.
Oh the motortaxi:
POR LOS SUELOS. Servicio de taxis es el peor de Latinoamérica. A diferencia de Buenos Aires, Bogotá o México, nuestra ciudad tiene la flota más desorganizada de la región. 210 mil unidades sin taxímetros y en pésimas condiciones saturan a diario las calles.
Basically, Peru has the most disorganized transportation system in South America. There are over 210,000 taxis without meters. What that means: you have to negotiate before you get in the cab. There's a solid 30% gringo tax that you most negotiate down...every time.
This is a typical cab: average fare is about $/10 or $3 for 30 minutes
Here's a microbus that is about the length of a suburban and can fit 25-30 people: average fare is about $/1 or $0.30 for a 15 minutes ride.
Oh the motortaxi:A view from inside. Spacious, safe, and luxorious...
Friday, April 10, 2009
Holy Thursday
So, I got a little taste of how Peruvains celebrate Holy Thursday tonight:
We went to Mass at a church that holds 800, but packed in around 1500! Loved it! More pictures and festivities to come over the next couple of days.
Most importantly...Jesus is coming soon...get ready and prepare your hearts!
We went to Mass at a church that holds 800, but packed in around 1500! Loved it! More pictures and festivities to come over the next couple of days.Most importantly...Jesus is coming soon...get ready and prepare your hearts!
A little Easter message from Fr. Corapi
By Fr. John Corapi
As I write this it is safe to say that there is more fear, insecurity, uncertainty, and distrust of authority than at any other time in my lifetime of over sixty years. This can be said for the United States and for most other countries in the Western world, probably the entire world.
Why?
The secular and worldly thinker will come up with a veritable flock of cackling, screeching, barking, whining and screaming excuses.
They will all be wrong.To understand our tenuous position, one must go to the order of causes rather than mere effects. The serious illness we see manifest socially, economically, and politically has its origin in the moral and spiritual realm.
To be blunt and to the point, it concerns that “dour combat with the forces of evil” that haunts the entire history of humanity.
We have divorced God in the public sphere. We have evicted the Owner of the house, forgetting that nature abhors a vacuum. If we reject the One that is Goodness and Truth, then it is guaranteed that He will be replaced by the one who is the “father of lies and murderer from the beginning,” as Jesus referred to the ancient adversary of man—Satan or the devil.
If you don’t believe that you don’t believe in the existence of either the enemy or the war…You will have little chance to survive.
The newest spectator sport in America is watching the disintegration of the great nations of the world on the cable news networks. Each day there is more drama and adventure in the news than the wildest of fiction. Every day you have to worry “What’s next?”
Mass murders multiply—in the workplace, in schools, public places, private homes. It is a frightening and sobering spectacle. The pundits marvel: How could it happen? Who could do that? The unthinkable becomes commonplace. The largest corporations vaporized in the twinkling of an eye. The net worth of millions of people cut in half in a matter of months. The politicians bluster and threaten. CEOs of major corporations fired by politicians, one wonders if the banking industry, the auto industry, the energy industries, etc. will soon be nationalized. Will the United States end up like some insolvent Third-World country. Will we bring wheelbarrows full of dollars to the checkout counter at Walmart soon for a few household items?
Why wonder?
We’ve divorced God...Countries call abortion the “law of the land.” Can such societies that espouse what is tantamount to genocide be pleasing to God?
Can they survive for long?
Please recall that this:
During Holy Week we celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ over all of this avalanche of sin, Satan, and death. He nailed it to the Cross. “Dying He destroyed our death. Rising He restored our life.” It is necessary that we enter into the Paschal mystery one person at a time, fully and seriously. Live in a state of grace. Do not persist in sin, for your life and mine is shorter than we think. The only way a family, a school, a parish, a city, a country, or a world can be healed is one person at a time.
All of the suffering and darkness of Good Friday finds its meaning in the burst of Light that is Easter morning. All of the fear, the insecurity, and the uncertainty; all of the betrayal, the mockery, and the suffering are vanquished by the glory of the Cross. No pain, no gain! No cross, no crown! No battle, no glory.
So stop worrying!
Trust the Lord Jesus...
After all, He is the Savior, and only He is the Savior. Place your trust in Him. All of this is really small potatoes. It simply provides a proving ground for saints. That’s all. We have no lasting dwelling in this valley of tears. It is the crucible wherein imperfect human beings are transformed by the fire of trial and the power of grace into the pure gold of God’s holy ones.
In the twinkling of an eye this will be over and we’ll stand before Jesus, Who will wipe away every tear, and having been faithful to our Faith we’ll hear those beautiful words:
“Well done my good and faithful servant! Now at last enter into the joy of your Master’s house.”
A blessed Holy Week to you, and may the Light and glory of Easter comfort you in your struggles and confirm you in your faith.
http://www.fathercorapi.com/index.aspx
As I write this it is safe to say that there is more fear, insecurity, uncertainty, and distrust of authority than at any other time in my lifetime of over sixty years. This can be said for the United States and for most other countries in the Western world, probably the entire world.
Why?
The secular and worldly thinker will come up with a veritable flock of cackling, screeching, barking, whining and screaming excuses.
They will all be wrong.To understand our tenuous position, one must go to the order of causes rather than mere effects. The serious illness we see manifest socially, economically, and politically has its origin in the moral and spiritual realm.
To be blunt and to the point, it concerns that “dour combat with the forces of evil” that haunts the entire history of humanity.
We have divorced God in the public sphere. We have evicted the Owner of the house, forgetting that nature abhors a vacuum. If we reject the One that is Goodness and Truth, then it is guaranteed that He will be replaced by the one who is the “father of lies and murderer from the beginning,” as Jesus referred to the ancient adversary of man—Satan or the devil.
If you don’t believe that you don’t believe in the existence of either the enemy or the war…You will have little chance to survive.
The newest spectator sport in America is watching the disintegration of the great nations of the world on the cable news networks. Each day there is more drama and adventure in the news than the wildest of fiction. Every day you have to worry “What’s next?”
Mass murders multiply—in the workplace, in schools, public places, private homes. It is a frightening and sobering spectacle. The pundits marvel: How could it happen? Who could do that? The unthinkable becomes commonplace. The largest corporations vaporized in the twinkling of an eye. The net worth of millions of people cut in half in a matter of months. The politicians bluster and threaten. CEOs of major corporations fired by politicians, one wonders if the banking industry, the auto industry, the energy industries, etc. will soon be nationalized. Will the United States end up like some insolvent Third-World country. Will we bring wheelbarrows full of dollars to the checkout counter at Walmart soon for a few household items?
Why wonder?
We’ve divorced God...Countries call abortion the “law of the land.” Can such societies that espouse what is tantamount to genocide be pleasing to God?
Can they survive for long?
Please recall that this:
During Holy Week we celebrate the victory of Jesus Christ over all of this avalanche of sin, Satan, and death. He nailed it to the Cross. “Dying He destroyed our death. Rising He restored our life.” It is necessary that we enter into the Paschal mystery one person at a time, fully and seriously. Live in a state of grace. Do not persist in sin, for your life and mine is shorter than we think. The only way a family, a school, a parish, a city, a country, or a world can be healed is one person at a time.
All of the suffering and darkness of Good Friday finds its meaning in the burst of Light that is Easter morning. All of the fear, the insecurity, and the uncertainty; all of the betrayal, the mockery, and the suffering are vanquished by the glory of the Cross. No pain, no gain! No cross, no crown! No battle, no glory.
So stop worrying!
Trust the Lord Jesus...
After all, He is the Savior, and only He is the Savior. Place your trust in Him. All of this is really small potatoes. It simply provides a proving ground for saints. That’s all. We have no lasting dwelling in this valley of tears. It is the crucible wherein imperfect human beings are transformed by the fire of trial and the power of grace into the pure gold of God’s holy ones.
In the twinkling of an eye this will be over and we’ll stand before Jesus, Who will wipe away every tear, and having been faithful to our Faith we’ll hear those beautiful words:
“Well done my good and faithful servant! Now at last enter into the joy of your Master’s house.”
A blessed Holy Week to you, and may the Light and glory of Easter comfort you in your struggles and confirm you in your faith.
http://www.fathercorapi.com/index.aspx
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Palm Sunday
Today is Palm Sunday! The beginning of Holy Week, which I'm really excited about. I decided to go to Mass down the street today and I found a bunch of people selling these cool palms outside the Church for $.30, so naturally, I had to pick one up.
Someof these palms were really quite amazing as they were weaved into crowns, torches, and crosses. It was really pretty impressive! I settled for this little feller though.
Also, since it is the beginning of Holy Week I decided to go to Confession. I usually go to a priest at the high school that speaks English, but I forgot to go last week. So instead I went to Confession with one of the Spanish speaking priests. After I explained that I didn't speak spanish well, I proceeded to give a spanglish confession. Although I don't plan on making it a habit to go to a priest that doesn't understand everything I say, it was still a very powerful experience realizing that the Catholic Church is truly universal, that knowing wherever you go, the Mass is the same, the forgiveness is the same, and the community all believes the same thing.
Luckily, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a special way and I understood exactly what the priest said to me. It was a very powerful experience and a great way to start off the week!
How are you going to prepare for Easter?
The Sorrowful Mysteries, part one 1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden (from Catholic.org)
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:42-44 Let this mystery teach us true contrition for our sins.
True contrition… it seems to me that before we can have true contrition, we have to first truly understand that we have sinned. I think our self-obsessed, modern, “enlightened” culture would very much like to proclaim Sin as an archaic, prohibitive concept whose time is over.
Moral restrictions, clearly defined standards of right and wrong, and consequences for violators are all antiquated notions wrongly imposed on people of free will. To dare to suggest that Someone outside ourselves, higher than ourselves has the authority to define right and wrong, good and evil, and then establish the just punishment for wrongdoing, well, that’s practically blasphemous in this age of moral relativism.
How can we be truly sorry if we’re not thoroughly convinced we’ve done wrong?
Okay, maybe we can admit that we’ve sinned, but we haven’t done anything truly terrible, so it’s not really that bad. It can’t be that big a deal. Think about that scene in the Garden again. Jesus was in so much anguish that he sweat blood as he prayed! He asked God to change the plan and find some other way, so it’s obvious this Sin problem is a very big deal, indeed. The torture He was about to suffer wasn’t due to something small or trivial. But I can’t help wondering…
what grieves Him more – that we sin, or that we try to cover our sin, make light of it, and even delight in it? Is it the arrogance that inhabits our sins and causes us to deny that we haven’t just broken a rule or made a little mistake – we have sinned against a perfect and just God who also happens to love us beyond our comprehension?! Our sin is aggravated by prideful indifference. Insult is added to injury.
Why?
Because it is scary as all hell, literally, to fully grasp the gravity of our own sin and the consequences of it, and were it not for the Cross and the unspeakable love of the Father, none of us could bear it. Contrition that begins out of fear of the just punishment for sin is a good place to start, but God isn’t satisfied with leaving us there. He wants to overwhelm us with His love; that crazy, illogical, endless love that took our hideous sin upon His perfect Self and endured our punishment for us. We no longer have anything to fear.
Now we are free to be repentant ,out of sorrow, not terror or despair. We can face our wretched condition and own up to our sins honestly, because what awaits us is forgiveness, not wrath.
Once that reality takes root in our hearts, then gratitude inspires us, humility enables us, and LOVE compels us to true contrition.
“Blessed is he who transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:1-5 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge…Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:1-4, 7
Someof these palms were really quite amazing as they were weaved into crowns, torches, and crosses. It was really pretty impressive! I settled for this little feller though.
Also, since it is the beginning of Holy Week I decided to go to Confession. I usually go to a priest at the high school that speaks English, but I forgot to go last week. So instead I went to Confession with one of the Spanish speaking priests. After I explained that I didn't speak spanish well, I proceeded to give a spanglish confession. Although I don't plan on making it a habit to go to a priest that doesn't understand everything I say, it was still a very powerful experience realizing that the Catholic Church is truly universal, that knowing wherever you go, the Mass is the same, the forgiveness is the same, and the community all believes the same thing.
Luckily, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a special way and I understood exactly what the priest said to me. It was a very powerful experience and a great way to start off the week!
How are you going to prepare for Easter?
The Sorrowful Mysteries, part one 1st Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden (from Catholic.org)“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:42-44 Let this mystery teach us true contrition for our sins.
True contrition… it seems to me that before we can have true contrition, we have to first truly understand that we have sinned. I think our self-obsessed, modern, “enlightened” culture would very much like to proclaim Sin as an archaic, prohibitive concept whose time is over.
Moral restrictions, clearly defined standards of right and wrong, and consequences for violators are all antiquated notions wrongly imposed on people of free will. To dare to suggest that Someone outside ourselves, higher than ourselves has the authority to define right and wrong, good and evil, and then establish the just punishment for wrongdoing, well, that’s practically blasphemous in this age of moral relativism.
How can we be truly sorry if we’re not thoroughly convinced we’ve done wrong?
Okay, maybe we can admit that we’ve sinned, but we haven’t done anything truly terrible, so it’s not really that bad. It can’t be that big a deal. Think about that scene in the Garden again. Jesus was in so much anguish that he sweat blood as he prayed! He asked God to change the plan and find some other way, so it’s obvious this Sin problem is a very big deal, indeed. The torture He was about to suffer wasn’t due to something small or trivial. But I can’t help wondering…
what grieves Him more – that we sin, or that we try to cover our sin, make light of it, and even delight in it? Is it the arrogance that inhabits our sins and causes us to deny that we haven’t just broken a rule or made a little mistake – we have sinned against a perfect and just God who also happens to love us beyond our comprehension?! Our sin is aggravated by prideful indifference. Insult is added to injury.
Why?
Because it is scary as all hell, literally, to fully grasp the gravity of our own sin and the consequences of it, and were it not for the Cross and the unspeakable love of the Father, none of us could bear it. Contrition that begins out of fear of the just punishment for sin is a good place to start, but God isn’t satisfied with leaving us there. He wants to overwhelm us with His love; that crazy, illogical, endless love that took our hideous sin upon His perfect Self and endured our punishment for us. We no longer have anything to fear.
Now we are free to be repentant ,out of sorrow, not terror or despair. We can face our wretched condition and own up to our sins honestly, because what awaits us is forgiveness, not wrath.
Once that reality takes root in our hearts, then gratitude inspires us, humility enables us, and LOVE compels us to true contrition.
“Blessed is he who transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Psalm 32:1-5 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge…Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:1-4, 7
The Inca Market!
So I went to the Inca market this weekend. Lots of great stuff there, but also some touristy crap. I am continually amazed though at how good Peruvians are with their hands. Almost all of this stuff was made in Peru and I heard a lot of interesting stories about the symbolism behind the Incan jewlery.
The other good thing from spending 5 hours wandering around in the market was that nobody spoke english, so I got to speak spanish all day, so it was good to learn some new words and build a little bit more confidence.
This necklace reminded me of something my grandma would wear. What do you think?Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Class Update...
So today was reckoning day.
Last week, if you remember from my post, I got very upset with my class for not doing their homework and flipped out on them.
Today, I had my class line up outside and get there homework out in order to enter class. As it turned out only about half my class did their homework. So they spent the hour doing work around the high school for the discipline officer.
The other half of the class that did their work was suprisingly interactive and engaged. We got through a ton of material and it was by far the most rewarding class I've taught so far.
Some highlights:
When discussing indirect (sales) tax, I told them about how powerful a weapon this can be for government to discourage a type of activity.
So we talked about taxing petrol (gas) and how if one city taxes it at 10%, you go to the neighboring city that isn't taxing gas and pay less money. I then asked what happens if the country taxes gas at a high amount and it doesn't make sense to drive to Chile to get gas, what are you going to do?
Their response:
PROTEST!!!!
Kill the President!
Steal the gas!
My response:
No, you can't protest, you can't kill the president, you can't steal. Think about what economic decisions you would make.
Their response:
Ohhhhhh...not use gas!!! (they got the concept and talked about switching to natural gas which is somewhat popular with taxi drivers)
My question:
What things should we not tax?
Their response:
BEER!!!!!!
My response:
Ok, no tax on beer. Who's happy? (most of the class cheers) What are the benefits of cheap beer? What about the negatives?
They eventually realized that the negatives of the population being drunk were real, and had real costs to the public (cancer, fights, car accidents, bad moral decisions, domestic violence, family problems, etc.) So then they wanted to ban beer!!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Weekly Update
Lots of happenings again this week.
Monday: I had an interesting experience emailing a hostile guy about a story (the names have been removed to protect the guilty):
Me:
Mr. Blank
We're trying to track down some more information you wrote about in your blog. Are you available for a phone interview this afternoon? If so, what number can you be reached at?
Thank you in advance for your time,
Ryan
Blank:
Mr. Thomas,
By email.
Me:
In your blog entry, _______, you wrote: "_________." We called the Bishop but they flatly denied this was true. Your link goes to a blog titled, "_________" which links to CNA's article on the same topic. Neither of these support your statement. Can you share where you got the information about Bishop ____ urging _______? Why did you link a story that has nothing to do with your claim?
Blank:
Ah, of course. Agency, not Service. You are with Bermudez's outfit. He wrote a nasty thing about me that included a falsehood among many idiocies. But, it is Lent and I am working on forgiveness. In the event, the link was to a different article - trying to get used to a new laptop here and am consistently hitting the wrong keys. The link is corrected so thanks.
Me:
I'm sorry that you and Alejandro Bermudez have a personal conflict. As a news service, we work in the field of reporting, it is my hope that our exchange can be professional, and I hope that whatever past you and Mr. Bermudez have can be reconciled.
I've contacted _____, who hosted the event, and a recording of the event shows the attached link misrepresents Bishop _______words. He did not address the issue of _____at all during his prepared speech, and only mentioned in the Q&A that on the general subject _____. So while the words are correct, it was totally taken out of context.
In light of the denial by the diocese of ____ and the recorded tape, do you think that it's responsible to use the rumor blog sphere as a reference point? Also, are you planning on amending your blog with the correct information?
Do you believe that a Bishop that asks people, in general, to be engaged in the public sphere by _____is stepping outside of "ecclesiastical jurisdiction?"
Blank:
Sir -when you drop your accusatory tone, I will consider replying to you. Needless to say, anyone in the employ of your agency should be careful about throwing around worries about what is and is not responsible journalism.
Me:
Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses. I believe I have sufficient information to complete the story.
Lenten Blessings,
Ryan
Tuesday:
I went to school to teach and found that most of my students had not done their homework. I was upset to say the least, so I gave them a pop quiz. Later on during the class I got really upset because I was trying to have them do a group activity, but one kid was reading a book for another class. So, that's when I snapped. Game's over kids. Get back in your seats. For the first time in a really long time, I got really, really upset and let them know it.
These kids, for the most part, come from a very wealthy background where they're used to having servants in the house cooking and doing EVERYTHING for them. So homework is not something they get very much of in Peru. Also, Peruvian teachers have much more informal buddy/buddy relationships with their students, which I think underminds authority.
So, needless-to-say I'm fighting multiple currents. I chewed them out for their disrespect, for wasting my time and their time, for telling them about all the Peruvians that I've met that would die to be in this class and school. We'll see how much of an impact it has next week.
Wednesday:
I received an email from 8 doctors and health workers in Uganda that wrote a letter in support of Pope Benedict's comments on condoms in Africa, I also worked on a story about one of them who was in Uganda in 1980 when the outbreak occured and they didn't know how to treat it. Very moving story about this guy.
I also met with my American students that I'm teaching Catechesis to. I love these two, they're twins and they're 16 years old. They have very little background in scripture and Catholic Teaching, so we're starting from scratch. Every week I see so much growth! They're asking tough questions and really giving much more thoughtful answers! Very rewarding to be a part of their journey.
Thursday:
Man, Thursday was a busy day! I wrote about 5 articles including one about Notre Dame students launching a response to Fr. Jenkins invitation to President Obama. It was neat to talk to them and learn about how this group came to be as well as hear what students had to say about the situation. They were late interviewed on Fox News about their work.
Friday:
Today I wrote a few articles and learned that I may be traveling to New York City in May to meet with the Associated Press for a business deal. More to come on that later.
This week I also meet Cardinal Pell of Australia. He's a very tall and humble man. I transcribed an interview he gave to our Agency today, and it was very interesting to be writing what he said and really carefully listening to his words. Lots of wisdom in this man!
Monday: I had an interesting experience emailing a hostile guy about a story (the names have been removed to protect the guilty):
Me:
Mr. Blank
We're trying to track down some more information you wrote about in your blog. Are you available for a phone interview this afternoon? If so, what number can you be reached at?
Thank you in advance for your time,
Ryan
Blank:
Mr. Thomas,
By email.
Me:
In your blog entry, _______, you wrote: "_________." We called the Bishop but they flatly denied this was true. Your link goes to a blog titled, "_________" which links to CNA's article on the same topic. Neither of these support your statement. Can you share where you got the information about Bishop ____ urging _______? Why did you link a story that has nothing to do with your claim?
Blank:
Ah, of course. Agency, not Service. You are with Bermudez's outfit. He wrote a nasty thing about me that included a falsehood among many idiocies. But, it is Lent and I am working on forgiveness. In the event, the link was to a different article - trying to get used to a new laptop here and am consistently hitting the wrong keys. The link is corrected so thanks.
Me:
I'm sorry that you and Alejandro Bermudez have a personal conflict. As a news service, we work in the field of reporting, it is my hope that our exchange can be professional, and I hope that whatever past you and Mr. Bermudez have can be reconciled.
I've contacted _____, who hosted the event, and a recording of the event shows the attached link misrepresents Bishop _______words. He did not address the issue of _____at all during his prepared speech, and only mentioned in the Q&A that on the general subject _____. So while the words are correct, it was totally taken out of context.
In light of the denial by the diocese of ____ and the recorded tape, do you think that it's responsible to use the rumor blog sphere as a reference point? Also, are you planning on amending your blog with the correct information?
Do you believe that a Bishop that asks people, in general, to be engaged in the public sphere by _____is stepping outside of "ecclesiastical jurisdiction?"
Blank:
Sir -when you drop your accusatory tone, I will consider replying to you. Needless to say, anyone in the employ of your agency should be careful about throwing around worries about what is and is not responsible journalism.
Me:
Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses. I believe I have sufficient information to complete the story.
Lenten Blessings,
Ryan
Tuesday:
I went to school to teach and found that most of my students had not done their homework. I was upset to say the least, so I gave them a pop quiz. Later on during the class I got really upset because I was trying to have them do a group activity, but one kid was reading a book for another class. So, that's when I snapped. Game's over kids. Get back in your seats. For the first time in a really long time, I got really, really upset and let them know it.
These kids, for the most part, come from a very wealthy background where they're used to having servants in the house cooking and doing EVERYTHING for them. So homework is not something they get very much of in Peru. Also, Peruvian teachers have much more informal buddy/buddy relationships with their students, which I think underminds authority.
So, needless-to-say I'm fighting multiple currents. I chewed them out for their disrespect, for wasting my time and their time, for telling them about all the Peruvians that I've met that would die to be in this class and school. We'll see how much of an impact it has next week.
Wednesday:
I received an email from 8 doctors and health workers in Uganda that wrote a letter in support of Pope Benedict's comments on condoms in Africa, I also worked on a story about one of them who was in Uganda in 1980 when the outbreak occured and they didn't know how to treat it. Very moving story about this guy.
I also met with my American students that I'm teaching Catechesis to. I love these two, they're twins and they're 16 years old. They have very little background in scripture and Catholic Teaching, so we're starting from scratch. Every week I see so much growth! They're asking tough questions and really giving much more thoughtful answers! Very rewarding to be a part of their journey.
Thursday:
Man, Thursday was a busy day! I wrote about 5 articles including one about Notre Dame students launching a response to Fr. Jenkins invitation to President Obama. It was neat to talk to them and learn about how this group came to be as well as hear what students had to say about the situation. They were late interviewed on Fox News about their work.
Friday:
Today I wrote a few articles and learned that I may be traveling to New York City in May to meet with the Associated Press for a business deal. More to come on that later.
This week I also meet Cardinal Pell of Australia. He's a very tall and humble man. I transcribed an interview he gave to our Agency today, and it was very interesting to be writing what he said and really carefully listening to his words. Lots of wisdom in this man!
On a lighter note, Hillary Clinton was in Mexico this week. She stopped at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and left a bouquet of white flowers “on behalf of the American people.” Which was a very nice gesture, but then preceding to say, "that's a nice painting (of the Virgin of Guadalupe), who painted it?" Msgr. Monroy looked at her for a moment in disbelief and said, "God."
For those of you that don't know the history, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was miraculously imprinted by Mary on the tilma, or cloak, of St. Juan Diego in 1531. The image has numerous unexplainable phenomena, such as the appearance on Mary’s eyes of those present in the room when the tilma was opened and the image’s lack of decay.
Probably something the Secretary of State should be informed of before arriving to the Basilica. Luckily, she covered herself by saying "you have a marvelous virgin!” Oh Hillary!
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Pope, AIDS, Condoms, and the Truth...
I had the chance to interview two leading AIDS researchers, and email one in Uganda this week. Needless-to-say, I got quite an education on what's going on in Africa. Luckily, the conversation was recorded, so I was able to go back and listen to it a few times.
It's hard to say what was most interesting about the interview. The Director of Harvard's AIDS Prevention Research Facility gave me a surprising lesson on human nature. Explaining how condoms act a lot like sunscreen. You put on sunscreen, and instead of staying out in the sun of an hour, you may stay two hours, or all day. So this added protection actually increases your risk tolerance and you're willing to do things you wouldn't otherwise do, which is one of the big problems with saying that condoms are the solution to the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
My interview can be found here:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=15445
A UC Doctor also spoke with me on his research. He has a fascinating story that I hope to write about this week. He was doing a research project for the United Nations trying to prove that condoms work in preventing AIDS in Africa (and he was a big supporter himself at the time), but after seeing the ineffectiveness, he had to be honest intellectually and change his view. Surprisingly, the UN NEVER published the report.
Both of these doctors site the multi-billion dollar AIDS industry in Africa (and liberal sexual revolution ideology) as the biggest resistors to the answer: fidelity and monagomy. Since there's no money in this behavioral change approach (that has been found to reduce infections in Uganda by 2/3), big corporations and governments are against it.
Hopefully, with your help and the courage of these researchers, we can begin to spread the truth, because based on how the Pope was attacked, they're not interested in the truth either...
It's hard to say what was most interesting about the interview. The Director of Harvard's AIDS Prevention Research Facility gave me a surprising lesson on human nature. Explaining how condoms act a lot like sunscreen. You put on sunscreen, and instead of staying out in the sun of an hour, you may stay two hours, or all day. So this added protection actually increases your risk tolerance and you're willing to do things you wouldn't otherwise do, which is one of the big problems with saying that condoms are the solution to the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
My interview can be found here:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=15445
A UC Doctor also spoke with me on his research. He has a fascinating story that I hope to write about this week. He was doing a research project for the United Nations trying to prove that condoms work in preventing AIDS in Africa (and he was a big supporter himself at the time), but after seeing the ineffectiveness, he had to be honest intellectually and change his view. Surprisingly, the UN NEVER published the report.
Both of these doctors site the multi-billion dollar AIDS industry in Africa (and liberal sexual revolution ideology) as the biggest resistors to the answer: fidelity and monagomy. Since there's no money in this behavioral change approach (that has been found to reduce infections in Uganda by 2/3), big corporations and governments are against it.
Hopefully, with your help and the courage of these researchers, we can begin to spread the truth, because based on how the Pope was attacked, they're not interested in the truth either...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday Night Reflections
Today I spent most the day doing my taxes, looking up information, and adding up all those things that you don't even get to take a deduction on. In the end, I'm getting money back. So in celebration, I decided to walk down the street to my new favorite place: Creeps and Waffles. It's a Columbian restuarant that employs only head-of-the-household women. They train them very well and teach them all aspects of the business. Not only is the place immaculate, but friendly, and quite formal. Their specialties are homemade ice cream, as well as using only native grown foods of Peru. So I took the 5 minute walk down to the restuarant and found a nice little table outside to have a cafe and ice cream.
It was strange tonight, because I think it's beginning to get cool, almost like a little bit of "Fall" in the air. Logically, it makes sense that Fall is coming, but it is very weird to think that Fall comes in March/April.
Tonight I brought a notebook and a pen. My task was to begin to write my life story. Sounds like something strange, but as part of my spiritual meditations, my spiritual director encouraged me to begin to write my life story down, just the events, no feelings. At first, it was hard to think about my first memories, but as I began to write, I remembered more and more. It was almost like the walls to my memory were crumbling.
For some reason I have been resistant to writing my story, perhaps it was because there were things I didn't want to remember, maybe it was because I don't enjoy writing that much, or maybe it was because I like to remain a mystery, even to myself. Whatever the cause, it was an eye-opening experience.
I reflected upon the first time I learned how to ride a bike, my first love (Lindy), stupid things that I said when I was 5 (like when I announced to my pre-k class that when I become President, I'm going to bomb Mexico and make it the 51st US State, only to make a Mexican boy in my class cry). These memories and reflections don't seem like anything material, but as I think that we are always adapting, and our earliest memories are the foundation of who we are today. If we don't remember these, if we do understand them, then how are we to grow as human beings?
I also reflected upon how much I love Peruvian desserts...
It was strange tonight, because I think it's beginning to get cool, almost like a little bit of "Fall" in the air. Logically, it makes sense that Fall is coming, but it is very weird to think that Fall comes in March/April.
Tonight I brought a notebook and a pen. My task was to begin to write my life story. Sounds like something strange, but as part of my spiritual meditations, my spiritual director encouraged me to begin to write my life story down, just the events, no feelings. At first, it was hard to think about my first memories, but as I began to write, I remembered more and more. It was almost like the walls to my memory were crumbling.
For some reason I have been resistant to writing my story, perhaps it was because there were things I didn't want to remember, maybe it was because I don't enjoy writing that much, or maybe it was because I like to remain a mystery, even to myself. Whatever the cause, it was an eye-opening experience.
I reflected upon the first time I learned how to ride a bike, my first love (Lindy), stupid things that I said when I was 5 (like when I announced to my pre-k class that when I become President, I'm going to bomb Mexico and make it the 51st US State, only to make a Mexican boy in my class cry). These memories and reflections don't seem like anything material, but as I think that we are always adapting, and our earliest memories are the foundation of who we are today. If we don't remember these, if we do understand them, then how are we to grow as human beings?
I also reflected upon how much I love Peruvian desserts...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Benedict: God is Love
8. We have thus come to an initial, albeit still somewhat generic response to the two questions raised earlier. Fundamentally, “love” is a single reality, but with different dimensions; at different times, one or other dimension may emerge more clearly. Yet when the two dimensions are totally cut off from one another, the result is a caricature or at least an impoverished form of love. And we have also seen, synthetically, that biblical faith does not set up a parallel universe, or one opposed to that primordial human phenomenon which is love, but rather accepts the whole man; it intervenes in his search for love in order to purify it and to reveal new dimensions of it. This newness of biblical faith is shown chiefly in two elements which deserve to be highlighted: the image of God and the image of man.
The newness of biblical faith
9. First, the world of the Bible presents us with a new image of God. In surrounding cultures, the image of God and of the gods ultimately remained unclear and contradictory. In the development of biblical faith, however, the content of the prayer fundamental to Israel, the Shema, became increasingly clear and unequivocal: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Dt 6:4). There is only one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who is thus the God of all. Two facts are significant about this statement: all other gods are not God, and the universe in which we live has its source in God and was created by him. Certainly, the notion of creation is found elsewhere, yet only here does it become absolutely clear that it is not one god among many, but the one true God himself who is the source of all that exists; the whole world comes into existence by the power of his creative Word. Consequently, his creation is dear to him, for it was willed by him and “made” by him. The second important element now emerges: this God loves man. The divine power that Aristotle at the height of Greek philosophy sought to grasp through reflection, is indeed for every being an object of desire and of love —and as the object of love this divinity moves the world[6]—but in itself it lacks nothing and does not love: it is solely the object of love. The one God in whom Israel believes, on the other hand, loves with a personal love. His love, moreover, is an elective love: among all the nations he chooses Israel and loves her—but he does so precisely with a view to healing the whole human race. God loves, and his love may certainly be called eros, yet it is also totally agape.[7]
The Prophets, particularly Hosea and Ezekiel, described God's passion for his people using boldly erotic images. God's relationship with Israel is described using the metaphors of betrothal and marriage; idolatry is thus adultery and prostitution. Here we find a specific reference—as we have seen—to the fertility cults and their abuse of eros, but also a description of the relationship of fidelity between Israel and her God. The history of the love-relationship between God and Israel consists, at the deepest level, in the fact that he gives her the Torah, thereby opening Israel's eyes to man's true nature and showing her the path leading to true humanism. It consists in the fact that man, through a life of fidelity to the one God, comes to experience himself as loved by God, and discovers joy in truth and in righteousness—a joy in God which becomes his essential happiness: “Whom do I have in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you ... for me it is good to be near God” (Ps 73 [72]:25, 28).
The newness of biblical faith
9. First, the world of the Bible presents us with a new image of God. In surrounding cultures, the image of God and of the gods ultimately remained unclear and contradictory. In the development of biblical faith, however, the content of the prayer fundamental to Israel, the Shema, became increasingly clear and unequivocal: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord” (Dt 6:4). There is only one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, who is thus the God of all. Two facts are significant about this statement: all other gods are not God, and the universe in which we live has its source in God and was created by him. Certainly, the notion of creation is found elsewhere, yet only here does it become absolutely clear that it is not one god among many, but the one true God himself who is the source of all that exists; the whole world comes into existence by the power of his creative Word. Consequently, his creation is dear to him, for it was willed by him and “made” by him. The second important element now emerges: this God loves man. The divine power that Aristotle at the height of Greek philosophy sought to grasp through reflection, is indeed for every being an object of desire and of love —and as the object of love this divinity moves the world[6]—but in itself it lacks nothing and does not love: it is solely the object of love. The one God in whom Israel believes, on the other hand, loves with a personal love. His love, moreover, is an elective love: among all the nations he chooses Israel and loves her—but he does so precisely with a view to healing the whole human race. God loves, and his love may certainly be called eros, yet it is also totally agape.[7]
The Prophets, particularly Hosea and Ezekiel, described God's passion for his people using boldly erotic images. God's relationship with Israel is described using the metaphors of betrothal and marriage; idolatry is thus adultery and prostitution. Here we find a specific reference—as we have seen—to the fertility cults and their abuse of eros, but also a description of the relationship of fidelity between Israel and her God. The history of the love-relationship between God and Israel consists, at the deepest level, in the fact that he gives her the Torah, thereby opening Israel's eyes to man's true nature and showing her the path leading to true humanism. It consists in the fact that man, through a life of fidelity to the one God, comes to experience himself as loved by God, and discovers joy in truth and in righteousness—a joy in God which becomes his essential happiness: “Whom do I have in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you ... for me it is good to be near God” (Ps 73 [72]:25, 28).
St. Patty's Day and other ramblings...
My co-worker, Walter, and I enjoy a large American burger and a Peruvian beer at an American style bar in Lima.
My friend Charlie bringing a delicious mocha at my favorite cafe.
Another favorite delicious drink of mine, the chocolate helado.Some quick reflections:
As my Spanish gets better and I get a little more courage to go out and about, I’m learning quite a bit about what the life of an average Peruvian is like. What I’ve learned has really opened my eyes to what it’s like to actually suffer and sacrifice.
My friend Charlie:
He’s 23 years old, has a high school education, knows some broken English, is engaged to a woman that is carrying his first child. Charlie wakes up every morning at 5 am, showers, presses his clothes, eats breakfast with his wife and then catches a series of 3 microbuses to work. His trip takes him about 90 minutes in the morning. He arrives at a small café where he’s worked for the last 3 months and prepares the kitchen and shop for the busiest time of the day: lunch.
Recently, Charlie got a promotion and is managing the wait staff: 1 or 2 people on a given day and now gets to wear a black tie which he’s really proud of and irons daily. At lunch, he usually will make special trips to deliver food for his loyal customers, runs around serving as many as 30 clients at once, and will provide back up support when the kitchen gets swamped. It’s a long day, and he’s usually closing up shop at 10pm, a 13 hour day, working 6 days a week, for a salary that was recently increased to about $300 per month.
On his days off, I thought he would be able to spend them with his pregnant fiancé, but in fact she has to work on those days. So the only time they actually get to see each other is between 11:30 pm and 1 am, and then when they wake up at 5 until he leaves at 8:30 am. It must be a tough life, but he didn’t tell me that. Instead, he works away, always wearing the biggest smile when I see him, “Ryan, my friend. Que tal?
This is a pretty story of the average Peruvian, it makes me sad, but then I realize that he is really happy. It’s almost the case of not knowing what else is out there. Many of the waiters and waitresses don’t know anything about the United States or Europe except for the occasional movie they watch, but I find that many of the movies and songs they like are not current pop culture, but rather, movies and music from 10+ years ago.
I’m sure I’ll have more on this as time goes on…
My friend Charlie:
He’s 23 years old, has a high school education, knows some broken English, is engaged to a woman that is carrying his first child. Charlie wakes up every morning at 5 am, showers, presses his clothes, eats breakfast with his wife and then catches a series of 3 microbuses to work. His trip takes him about 90 minutes in the morning. He arrives at a small café where he’s worked for the last 3 months and prepares the kitchen and shop for the busiest time of the day: lunch.
Recently, Charlie got a promotion and is managing the wait staff: 1 or 2 people on a given day and now gets to wear a black tie which he’s really proud of and irons daily. At lunch, he usually will make special trips to deliver food for his loyal customers, runs around serving as many as 30 clients at once, and will provide back up support when the kitchen gets swamped. It’s a long day, and he’s usually closing up shop at 10pm, a 13 hour day, working 6 days a week, for a salary that was recently increased to about $300 per month.
On his days off, I thought he would be able to spend them with his pregnant fiancé, but in fact she has to work on those days. So the only time they actually get to see each other is between 11:30 pm and 1 am, and then when they wake up at 5 until he leaves at 8:30 am. It must be a tough life, but he didn’t tell me that. Instead, he works away, always wearing the biggest smile when I see him, “Ryan, my friend. Que tal?
This is a pretty story of the average Peruvian, it makes me sad, but then I realize that he is really happy. It’s almost the case of not knowing what else is out there. Many of the waiters and waitresses don’t know anything about the United States or Europe except for the occasional movie they watch, but I find that many of the movies and songs they like are not current pop culture, but rather, movies and music from 10+ years ago.
I’m sure I’ll have more on this as time goes on…
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Pope Benedict: God is Love
7. By their own inner logic, these initial, somewhat philosophical reflections on the essence of love have now brought us to the threshold of biblical faith. We began by asking whether the different, or even opposed, meanings of the word “love” point to some profound underlying unity, or whether on the contrary they must remain unconnected, one alongside the other. More significantly, though, we questioned whether the message of love proclaimed to us by the Bible and the Church's Tradition has some points of contact with the common human experience of love, or whether it is opposed to that experience. This in turn led us to consider two fundamental words: eros, as a term to indicate “worldly” love and agape, referring to love grounded in and shaped by faith. The two notions are often contrasted as “ascending” love and “descending” love. There are other, similar classifications, such as the distinction between possessive love and oblative love (amor concupiscentiae – amor benevolentiae), to which is sometimes also added love that seeks its own advantage.
In philosophical and theological debate, these distinctions have often been radicalized to the point of establishing a clear antithesis between them: descending, oblative love—agape—would be typically Christian, while on the other hand ascending, possessive or covetous love —eros—would be typical of non-Christian, and particularly Greek culture. Were this antithesis to be taken to extremes, the essence of Christianity would be detached from the vital relations fundamental to human existence, and would become a world apart, admirable perhaps, but decisively cut off from the complex fabric of human life. Yet eros and agape—ascending love and descending love—can never be completely separated. The more the two, in their different aspects, find a proper unity in the one reality of love, the more the true nature of love in general is realized. Even if eros is at first mainly covetous and ascending, a fascination for the great promise of happiness, in drawing near to the other, it is less and less concerned with itself, increasingly seeks the happiness of the other, is concerned more and more with the beloved, bestows itself and wants to “be there for” the other. The element of agape thus enters into this love, for otherwise eros is impoverished and even loses its own nature. On the other hand, man cannot live by oblative, descending love alone. He cannot always give, he must also receive. Anyone who wishes to give love must also receive love as a gift. Certainly, as the Lord tells us, one can become a source from which rivers of living water flow (cf. Jn 7:37-38). Yet to become such a source, one must constantly drink anew from the original source, which is Jesus Christ, from whose pierced heart flows the love of God (cf. Jn 19:34).
In the account of Jacob's ladder, the Fathers of the Church saw this inseparable connection between ascending and descending love, between eros which seeks God and agape which passes on the gift received, symbolized in various ways. In that biblical passage we read how the Patriarch Jacob saw in a dream, above the stone which was his pillow, a ladder reaching up to heaven, on which the angels of God were ascending and descending (cf. Gen 28:12; Jn 1:51). A particularly striking interpretation of this vision is presented by Pope Gregory the Great in his Pastoral Rule. He tells us that the good pastor must be rooted in contemplation. Only in this way will he be able to take upon himself the needs of others and make them his own: “per pietatis viscera in se infirmitatem caeterorum transferat”.[4] Saint Gregory speaks in this context of Saint Paul, who was borne aloft to the most exalted mysteries of God, and hence, having descended once more, he was able to become all things to all men (cf. 2 Cor 12:2-4; 1 Cor 9:22). He also points to the example of Moses, who entered the tabernacle time and again, remaining in dialogue with God, so that when he emerged he could be at the service of his people. “Within [the tent] he is borne aloft through contemplation, while without he is completely engaged in helping those who suffer: intus in contemplationem rapitur, foris infirmantium negotiis urgetur.”[5]
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