Welcome

Welcome to All. This blog is a discussion site, looking at our lives through our experiences, our spiritual, and, not so spiritual lens, ....what our lives look like at The Front. We are and some would argue, always have been, in interesting times. Servants, past and present have been at constant struggle with whatever the issues of the day have been. Where do we even begin to name them: poverty, hunger, education, shelter, .... and did I mention poverty? Fifty-one years ago, President Lyndon Johnson declared war on poverty, a war by the way, we're still fighting. Then again, we've always been at war with poverty, and yet poverty has remained steadfast. Jesus apparently got it right: "The poor will always be with you." But Jesus was a smart man. Did he mean what we think? Does poverty always have to be with us. Let's talk about this, and whatever else, in real and truthful ways. Let's view our lives from The Front.
If you have come to help me, then you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is linked to mine, then we will work together.
----(Anonymous) Australian Aborigine Activist
--mailto:--neilpitts@aol.com

Contemplative Action

The Rite of Initiation: You are going to die


A shocking statement. Perhaps. But the Franciscan Priest, Richard Rohr,,who has studied the Rite of Initiation has said the following::

"Every initiation rite I've studied had some ritual, dramatic, or theatrical way to experience crossing the threshold from life to death in symbolic form. Some ritual of death and resurrection was the centerpiece of all male initiation. It is probably why Jesus sought out and submitted to John the Baptist's offbeat death and rebirth ritual down by the riverside, when his own temple had become more concerned with purity codes than with transformation. It is probably why Jesus kept talking to his disciples, three times in Mark's Gospel, about the necessity of this death journey, and why three times they changed the subject (8:31-10:45). It is undoubtedly why Jesus finally stopped talking about it, and just did it, not ritually but actually. Death and resurrection, the paschal mystery, is the theme of every single Eucharist no matter what the feast or season. It takes us many seasons and even years to overcome our resistance to death.

"The transformational journey of death and resurrection is the only real message. It makes you indestructible. The real life, God's life, is running through you and in you already. But allowing it to flow freely doesn't come easily. When you do, the spiritual journey really begins. Up to that moment it is just religion. Everything up to then is creating the container, but you have not yet found the contents; you are creating the wineskins, as Jesus says, but you are not yet drinking the intoxicating wine."

Sunday, February 25, 2024

The view at PennDot

 If you're from Pennsylvania, you know immediately that PennDot is the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Not a mental giant to figure that out.  But, like other states, if you have a driver's license, you pend time in the local Department of Transportation office,.. applying, renewing, re-instating. For me, this year was my turn to renew. A fairly mundane activity on a chili but sunny  Saturday afternoon in February.

But you can find familiar and captivating scenes everywhere you go. Like the parade of dutiful parents going through the ritual of helping their teenager obtain their driver's license. A tentative yet joyful teenager, an anxious and questioning parent. ... Yeah, been there done that. But I remember being joyful with my now grown children when the 3 of them were teenagers, getting their first driver's licenses.  So I got to do that 3 different times with 3 different personalities and in 3 different cars (all mine), so I've had the full experience. 

I was nervous for all 3 of them when they were finally in the car with the State Trooper.. My girls were of course quite anxious,.. my boy had a certain amount of bravado and swagger, carefully masking his anxiety. And me, I tried and I think successfully, to hide my anxiety , but not my support and pride.

But its funny, in the moment of being in the DOT yesterday, its was only then that I realized what I was supportive and proud of.  If you don't know me, I can tell you that I'm often a bit of a slow learner, most times it takes a lifetime. But it was yesterday that I realized that I was supportive of this moment we were bearing witness to, of them being on the threshold of adulthood. I was proud of them for taking this step. 

But deep inside I was emotional. Emotional for the joy I felt at being their Dad. I enjoyed being their Dad. 

I watched the other parents yesterday and prayed that they recognized this moment and what a blessing this moment is. I hoped that they'd remember this moment in years to come, as one of many moments they got to share as they launched their teenager into the world. Maybe they'd be emotional, maybe they wouldn't.  But like the line in the movie 'Avalon' implied, I pray that they'll 'remember well" 

So in the view at PennDot, I see several things, but the keenest viewpoint I have is that of remembering well. It sometimes comes naturally, sometimes we have to work at it. But however it come to you, remember well. You'll never regret it.

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