Thanksgiving Reflection
From: phogan@molloyhs.org [mailto:phogan@molloyhs.org]
Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 3:34 PM
To: Tom@Kearns.net
Subject: Thanksgiving Reflection
Let me ramble
The first thing I want to do is to welcome the class of 2005 into our midst. Periodically I will send out a few thoughts for you to consider. I hope you enjoy them and pass them on, if you feel that can speak to family or friends.
It has been a while since I sent out the last reflection. A lot has happened since then. A group of students, faculty and alumni went to Lourdes France where we helped the sick, and where we became quite involved with the whole program. It was a wonderful Faith experience for all of us. There has been a lot of sickness in my family of late, so it has prevented me from sitting down with a clear head, to share a few valuable ideas. Things are settling down now and I have my head together, so here it goes.
THANKSGIVING?
Hurricanes, tsunami, tornado's, family illness, war, terrorism, bombings, hunger thanksgiving? What is there to be thankful for? Last night I was talking with my sister Eileen and we got to talking about my Aunt Julia and how she brought so much joy to the family. In her own small way Julia became the care giver in our family. A tough life never married but loved and cared for all of us. This morning my palm pilot went off at 7:15am to remind me that it was the anniversary of her death. I read reflections from Creighton University every morning before Mass and this morning the author was talking about his Aunt Fredia and about passing on the Faith to the next generation. Aunt Frieda was stricken with polio but always had a smile on her face and if anyone had a reason to be bitter and angry with God she did. Fredia and Julia spoke of their faith and trust in God, they made cookies and took care of us. Personally my faith was influenced by Julia. She passed the faith on to us. Parents pass the Faith to their children, older alumni/ae pass the faith on to the younger alumni/ae and students. “Not for school but for life.” Older people worry about younger people they love, because they want them to see God and to know God as we do. Christ said to pass on the truth to the next generation, but is Generation X,Y and Z getting the Faith? We cannot force anyone into a relationship with God. This is between them and God and they have to work it out.
Hurricanes, tsunami, tornado's, family illness, war, terrorism, bombings, hunger thanksgiving? What is there to be thankful for? I read these words over again and I see all the pain and suffering in the world – I want to jump out the window. I can’t explain it….but…. WAIT…. STOP... look around before you jump. I need to open my eyes and see the love that exists before I jump. These events which hurt us and others so much seem to bring out the best I people (and the worst too.) We say the Jesus Christ is Love, God is Love. If that is true and I believe it is than people who love manifest God’s presence here on earth. They are the tangible manifestation of God’s love. What do we have to be thankful for? Try this on for size: people leave their jobs to rebuild homes in New Orleans, raise money; Tsunami and tornado's bring people together to help strangers; my brother Neil and my brother-in-law Bob are sick, my nephews and my nieces and their families and myself have all rallied around these events to help my sister, our new care giver get through all of this…what a manifestation of Love. The people who went with me to Lourdes to work with strangers in a language they did not know showed these people how much God loved them. I hope you get the picture. Generation X,Y and Z are receiving the faith loud and clear. This is what we need to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving day. We thank God for all the people who show us how much God loves us, and if we are in pain in our families we need to look at those who are there to support us and thank God for their presence in our lives.
So enjoy that Turkey and have blessed Thanksgiving Day with those you love.
Bro. Pat Hogan.
posted by Tom Kearns @ Thursday, November 10, 2005
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