Praying For Peace

Sometimes the simplicity and the beauty of life hits directly over the head and we completely miss it. The other day I was reading the Prayer of St. Francis and it really hit me that it is a true call to a life of love and compassion that today we oftentimes forget.

Prayer is the archenemy of evil. Prayer can conquer evil and all that is required is that we pray! When prayer overtakes evil as our way of life, then evil is defeated and we enter a life of peace and love. Imagine if human beings prayed and lived the life advocated by St. Francis! What a glorious and wonderful world we would have. I challenge us to take up the mantle of Francis and pray his prayer and lead the life of the prayer. Good will result. Not only, for ourselves, but for those in our community, which in reality is the world.

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 

Amen

Francisco

Male Journey 8

A Radically Benevolent Universe In the past view discussions of the Male Journey, we have been discussing the discovery if the inner-self and how that in itself helps shape who we are as men. This search can become a very challenging experience for us, if our objective is not fully understood. The struggle to find our role as men in our society can be daunting and can, if we surrender to the challenges, can act as a dam to the free flowing love which God constantly offers us. Our universe is love and benevolence. We need to discover this and so benefit from it and become the men that we are expected to be.

 If we cannot understand that the our universe is deep-set in love, a love that is overwhelmingly available to us, we then ask if life is worth living and so fall into a state of despair. As we look at the history of masculinity, we can see that despair has overwhelmed many of our brothers throughout time and so we see frequent examples of war, moral collapse, or simply social chaos. If we become aware of the goodness and love of God, a goodness and love that at times is not easily recognizable, we will naturally develop a happiness of life which will not only influence us, but will overflow to our families, friends, and society. Males face intellectual and spiritual challenges that are quite different from those of women. It appears to me, that we men are more easily influenced/controlled by the “whirlwind” of the universe.

Men succumb to the invitations of evil at a high rate (this can be looked at in many different ways and I am not trying to imply in any way that one gender is “better” or “more intelligent” than the other): sexual entreaties; an over-the-top desire to succeed, not mater what; ignoring the weak and less powerful; etc.

The “benevolent” universe God offers is the way for us to reject what we perceive as the easy way to achieve our negative objectives. By rejecting these offers of easy pleasure, power, avenues to ego development, etc. we will become better husbands, fathers, businessmen, teachers, etc. and so we can help nurture a better universe for the rest of society. Rejection of the “easy way” is difficult and unpopular. We may see ourselves as weak and “unmanly” if we reject the evil way, but in looking deeper into this, we see that it takes greater strength to reject evil, than to accept the love of God. If we believe that heaven is in us, and understand the love God has to give us in every aspect of life, we will be happier, and contribute to God's role as the provider of happiness in life.

 The basis for this discussion comes from Richard Rohr:

 A Radically Benevolent Universe Traditional myths and stories present a benevolent universe, a hostile universe, or an indifferent universe. This is what children seek in movies, books, and even video games; they are looking for the shape of their universe.

Mature Christians should recognize that ours is a generous and benevolent universe, as describe in the first chapter of Genesis. We are told that the world is not only good, safe, and on our side, but that there is Someone who is for us more than we are ourselves! This truth must be felt, understood, and drawn upon to become life-giving. The work of healthy religion is to open our eyes to see a world in which everything swirls with meaning.

Theologically, you could call heaven “the transcendent inside” of everything. Heaven is not so much a place out there as it is the full depth and dynamism of things in here. That's why Jesus said “the kingdom of [heaven] is within you” (Luke 17:21). Heaven is an experience now before it is later and forever.

 Q:

 When and in what circumstances, did I begin to understand that I am part of a larger story?

 Have I turned my back on a love based universe?

Returning

After a period away from this blog, I have decided to return with a fresh approach that reflects more the person I am.

Aristides de Sousa Mendes

Aristides de Sousa Mendes... Portuguese hero of World War II.
More to come soon.

Portuguese Program at San Jose State

Boy, this project has taken on a life of its' own for me. I believe that it is so important to keep the Portuguese Studies Program at SJSU not only educationally, but culturally.

I have created a web page for the program so that people will know what it is going on and what the needs are of the PSP. It is critical that the Portuguese community assist in helping the SJSU PSP program keep going to grow and thrive.
Right now a student can earn a minor in Portuguese. We need to develop the numbers to create a major and then a masters.

Every year students are turned away because of a lack of funds to pay a professor to teach more sections. This is problem that has to be out to bed by growing the Portuguese Educational Endowment at the Tower Foundation of San Jose State University.
As immigration ends, we need to leave a legacy of our Portuguese presence in California and the West Coast in general. The PSP at SJSU is one way to do that.

I am now working with the PSP Advisory Board to put on the First Annual Evening at the Harvest or Noite nas Vindimas. I pray that this will be successful and that the community will turn for the event.

Abracos

Corralitos

Great day celebrating Marie's birthday at Holy Eucharist Parish. The dinner was excellent, the music great, the friends fantastic, and the weather, balmy 75. In San Jose it was 90!

The drive over Hecker Pass was surprisingly calm for a hot Sunday in the Santa Clara Valley. Picked up some wine at Kirgin Cellars and then headed over the hill.

One of the great things about connecting with St. Francis lads is the warm sense of closeness one gets. I thin that today in our busy lives, some of us tend to forget what friendship is and that it comes with no strings attached.

Steph is back from Burlingame Wednesday, so for now it's me, Bobo and Juno. Lucky me.

It's another Friday.

This was a week of hard, on-my-feet teaching. I can tell that I am doing more than the students are in my classes, but I need to reach them and stimulate them to learn and to think.

I try to mix things up in the classes: discussion, lecture, group work, working with partners, student presentations, etc.

I feel good because I graded tests and the scores are up! That makes me feel good. I have to think about what I did and then repeat it the rest of the year.