The Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

predmore.blogspot.com

September 9, 2018

Isaiah 35:4-7; Psalm 146; James 2:1-5; Mark 7:31-37

Isaiah says to the Jews whose hearts are frightened, “Fear not. Here is your God. He comes with vindication.” It is important to remember that they were in exile in Babylon (Iraq) and they wondered if God still remembered them. Isaiah assure them God remained faithful to them, but they would have to creatively look for God in new ways. These are the ways God would reveal God’s presence: the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf shall hear, and the natural ways we have come to experience God will be turned upside-down, but it is a sign that God remains among us.

With all the negative events in the church recently, many rightly feel exiled, and some of those who remain are unsettled. I too feel saddened on many levels, and yet I realize the Christ is still within his church, the sacraments, and in our daily lives. These readings help me to be very active in looking for the presence of Christ in the church. I’m happy to say that I see it.

As September begins with new energy, I’m thankful for the increased number of people who seek me out to have spiritual conversations about what God is doing in their lives. These people are aware of the church’s turmoil, but God is doing something specific in their lives that is consuming their holy desires. What matters to them is that they are experiencing joy in meeting God and learning about this developing relationship.

I’m thankful for the number of people who have significant emotional and spiritual experiences in their lives whether it is a funeral, a profound illness, a movement towards retirement, the birth of a child or grandchild, the promise of a new relationship, or movement towards religious life. I’m grateful that I am able to be there for them as they express their emotions about the meaning of their life and their gratitude for God’s work in it. I see that Christ continues to recreate all things in light of the big mess that surrounds us.

For me, the signs of God’s presence are abundant on a personal level, but I think that is only half the story. Signs of change are present in the church corporately, and the change that was introduced at the Second Vatican Council can finally take root. The Spirit is at work clearing out all that is unholy so that we can once again be the symbol of God’s comforting, consoling presence in the world. It is going to be difficult and messy until the church is reconstructed and we have to endure the pain and cooperate with the change. The church’s structure may change; the personnel may change; our way of proceeding may change, and this is where we return to the words of Isaiah when he says “Fear Not” and to the words of Jesus when he says, “Ephphatha. Be opened.”

I am convinced that Christ’s work of healing continues. Our Lord wants to heal the church, its victims, and all who suffer. He wants to touch our ears and tongues as he prays for us and he groans with us because we suffer as he asks God to open our senses so we can see God’s solidarity with us. Look, listen, use your senses. Christ is doing something new and it is for our benefit. “Be opened.” Do not let your hearts and minds be closed down. “Be opened.” It is the way to our healing, and together, we will see great things as we marvel at God’s goodness.

Scripture for Daily Mass

First Reading: 

Monday: (1 Corinthians 5) It is widely reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans–a man living with his father’s wife. And you are inflated with pride.

Tuesday: (1 Corinthians 6) How can any one of you with a case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the holy ones? Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?
If the world is to be judged by you, are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?

Wednesday: (1 Corinthians 7) In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. So this is what I think best because of the present distress: that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is.

Thursday: (1 Corinthians 8) Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him.

Friday (Numbers 21) With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water?

Saturday (1 Corinthians 10) avoid idolatry. I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ?

Gospel: 

Monday: (Luke 6) On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.

Tuesday: (Luke 6) Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles.

Wednesday (Luke 6) Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: "Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied.

Thursday (Luke 6) "To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Friday (John 3) For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 

Saturday (John 19) When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

Saints of the Week

September 9: Peter Claver, S.J. (1580-1654) became a Jesuit in 1600 and was sent to the mission in Cartegena, Colombia, a center of slave trade. For forty years, Claver ministered to the newly arrived Africans by giving them food, water, and medical care. Unfortunately, he died ostracized by his Jesuit community because he insisted on continuing the unpopular act of treating the slaves humanely.

September 10: Francis Garate, S.J. (1857-1929) was a Basque who entered the Jesuits and became a doorkeeper at the Univeristy of Deusto in Bilbao. He modeled his ministry after Alphonsus Rodriguez and became known for his innate goodness, humility, and prayerfulness.

September 12: The Name of Mary was given to the child in the octave that follow her birth on September 8th. Mary (Miriam) was a popular name for a girl because it means "beloved."

September 13: John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor (347-407) was a gifted homilist and was called "Golden Mouth" because his words inspired many. He was raised in Antioch and joined a community of austere hermits but the lifestyle damaged his health. He became the archbishop of Constantinople where he introduced many conservative and unpopular reforms. He fled to escape an uprising from the people and on the way to exile he died.

September 14: The Triumph of the Holy Cross remembers the finding of the true cross by the Emperor Constantine's mother, Helen in early 4th century. Two churches were dedicated in the name of the cross on this day in the 4th century. Therefore, the feast was applied to this day. In the 7th century, the feast was renamed, "The Triumph." The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in 335 was also dedicated on this day.

September 15: Our Lady of Sorrows was once called the Seven Sorrows of Mary as introduced by the Servite Friars. After suffering during his captivity in France, Pius VII renamed the devotion that encapsulates: Simeon's prophecy, the flight into Egypt, searching for Jesus at age 12 in the Temple, the road to Calvary, the crucifixion, the deposition, and the entombment.

This Week in Jesuit History

·      Sep 9, 1773. At Lisbon, Carvalho, acting in the king's name, ordered public prayers for the deliverance of the world from the "pestilence of Jesuitism."

·      Sep 10, 1622. The martyrdom at Nagaski, Japan, of Charles Spinola and his companions.

·      Sep 11, 1681. At Antwerp, the death of Fr. Geoffry Henschen (Henschenius). A man of extraordinary learning, he was Fr. Jan von Bolland's assistant in compiling the Acts of the Saints.

·      Sep 12, 1744. Benedict XIV's second Bull, Omnium Sollicitudinum, forbade the Chinese Rites. Persecution followed in China.

·      Sep 13, 1773. Frederick II of Prussia informed the pope that the Jesuits would not be suppressed in Prussia and invited Jesuits to come.

·      Sep 14, 1596. The death of Cardinal Francis Toledo, the first of the Society to be raised to the purple. He died at age 63, a cardinal for three years.

·      Sep 15, 1927. Thirty-seven Jesuits arrived in Hot Springs, North Carolina, to begin tertianship. The property was given to the Jesuits by the widow of the son of President Andrew Johnson.

El Vigésimo Tercer Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

El Vigésimo Tercer Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

predmore.blogspot.com

9 de septiembre de 2018

Isaías 35: 4-7; Salmo 146; Santiago 2: 1-5; Marcos 7: 31-37

Isaías les dice a los judíos cuyos corazones están asustados, "No temas. Aquí está tu Dios. Él viene con vindicación. "Es importante recordar que estaban en el exilio en Babilonia (Irak) y se preguntaban si Dios todavía los recordaba. Isaías les asegura que Dios permaneció fiel a ellos, pero tendrían que buscar creativamente a Dios de nuevas maneras. Estas son las maneras en que Dios revelaría la presencia de Dios: los ojos de los ciegos se abrirán, los oídos de los sordos oirán, y las formas naturales en que hemos venido a experimentar a Dios se darán la vuelta, pero es una señal de que Dios permanece entre nosotros.

Con todos los eventos negativos en la iglesia recientemente, muchos con razón se sienten exiliados, y algunos de los que permanecen están inquietos. Yo también me siento triste en muchos niveles y, sin embargo, me doy cuenta de que Cristo todavía está dentro de su iglesia, en los sacramentos y en nuestra vida diaria. Estas lecturas me ayudan a ser muy activo en la búsqueda de la presencia de Cristo en la iglesia. Estoy feliz de decir que lo veo.

A medida que septiembre comienza con nueva energía, estoy agradecido por el aumento en el número de personas que me buscan para tener conversaciones espirituales sobre lo que Dios está haciendo en sus vidas. Estas personas son conscientes de la agitación de la iglesia, pero Dios está haciendo algo específico en sus vidas que está consumiendo sus santos deseos. Lo que les importa es que están experimentando alegría al conocer a Dios y aprender acerca de esta relación en desarrollo.

Estoy agradecido por la cantidad de personas que tienen experiencias emocionales y espirituales significativas en sus vidas, ya sea un funeral, una enfermedad profunda, un movimiento hacia la jubilación, el nacimiento de un hijo o un nieto, la promesa de una nueva relación, o movimiento hacia la vida religiosa. Estoy agradecido de poder estar allí para ellos mientras expresan sus emociones sobre el significado de su vida y su gratitud por el trabajo de Dios en ella. Veo que Cristo continúa recreando todas las cosas a la luz del gran desorden que nos rodea.

Para mí, los signos de la presencia de Dios son abundantes a nivel personal, pero creo que eso es solo la mitad de la historia. Las señales de cambio están presentes en la iglesia corporativamente, y el cambio que se introdujo en el Concilio Vaticano Segundo finalmente puede echar raíces. El Espíritu está obrando limpiando todo lo que no es santo para que podamos ser una vez más el símbolo de la presencia consoladora y reconfortante de Dios en el mundo. Va a ser difícil y complicado hasta que la iglesia se reconstruya y tengamos que soportar el dolor y cooperar con el cambio. La estructura de la iglesia puede cambiar; el personal puede cambiar; nuestro modo de proceder puede cambiar, y aquí es donde volvemos a las palabras de Isaías cuando dice "No temas" y a las palabras de Jesús cuando dice: "Efphatha". Ser abierto ".

Estoy convencido de que el trabajo de curación de Cristo continúa. Nuestro Señor quiere sanar a la iglesia, a sus víctimas y a todos los que sufren. Él quiere tocar nuestros oídos y nuestras lenguas mientras reza por nosotros y gime con nosotros porque sufrimos cuando le pide a Dios que abra nuestros sentidos para que podamos ver la solidaridad de Dios con nosotros. Mira, escucha, usa tus sentidos. Cristo está haciendo algo nuevo y es para nuestro beneficio. "Abrirse". No permitan que sus corazones y mentes se cierren. "Sean abiertos". Es el camino hacia nuestra curación, y juntos, veremos grandes cosas mientras nos maravillamos de la bondad de Dios.

Escritura para la misa diaria

Primera lectura:
Lunes: (1 Corintios 5) Se informa extensamente que hay inmoralidad entre ustedes, y la inmoralidad de un tipo que no se encuentra incluso entre los paganos, un hombre que vive con la esposa de su padre. Y estás inflado de orgullo.

Martes: (1 Corintios 6) ¿Cómo puede uno de ustedes con un caso en contra de otro atreverse a llevarlo a los injustos para el juicio en lugar de a los santos? ¿No sabes que los santos juzgarán al mundo?
Si el mundo debe ser juzgado por usted, ¿no está calificado para los tribunales de justicia más bajos?

Miércoles: (1 Corintios 7) Con respecto a las vírgenes, no tengo ningún mandamiento del Señor, pero doy mi opinión como alguien que por la misericordia del Señor es digno de confianza. Así que esto es lo que creo mejor debido a la angustia actual: que es bueno que una persona permanezca como él.

Jueves: (1 Corintios 8) El conocimiento se infla con orgullo, pero el amor se acumula. Si alguien supone que sabe algo, todavía no sabe lo que debe saber. Pero si uno ama a Dios, uno es conocido por él.

Viernes (Números 21) Con la paciencia agotada por el viaje, la gente se quejó contra Dios y Moisés, "¿Por qué nos has sacado de Egipto para morir en este desierto, donde no hay comida ni agua?

El sábado (1 Corintios 10) evite la idolatría. Estoy hablando de personas sensatas; juzguen por ustedes mismos lo que estoy diciendo. La copa de bendición que bendecimos, ¿no es una participación en la Sangre de Cristo? El pan que rompemos, ¿no es una participación en el Cuerpo de Cristo?

Evangelio:
Lunes: (Lucas 6) En cierto día de reposo, Jesús entró en la sinagoga y enseñó, y allí había un hombre cuya mano derecha estaba marchita. Los escribas y los fariseos lo observaron de cerca para ver si curaría en sábado para que descubrieran una razón para acusarlo.

Martes: (Lucas 6) Jesús partió a la montaña para orar, y pasó la noche orando a Dios.
Cuando llegó el día, llamó a sus discípulos para sí, y de ellos eligió a Doce, a quien también llamó Apóstoles.

Miércoles (Lucas 6) Alzando la vista hacia sus discípulos, Jesús dijo: "Bienaventurados los que son pobres,
porque el Reino de Dios es tuyo Bienaventurados los que ahora tienen hambre, porque estarán satisfechos.

Jueves (Lucas 6) "A ustedes que escuchan les digo, amen a sus enemigos, hagan el bien a los que los odian, bendigan a los que los maldicen, oren por los que los maltratan. A la persona que los golpea en una mejilla,
ofrécele también a la otra persona, y de la persona que toma tu capa, no retires ni siquiera tu túnica.
Dale a todos los que te preguntan, y de quien toma lo que es tuyo no lo reclames. Hazlo con los demás como te gustaría que te hicieran.

Viernes (Juan 3) Porque tanto amó Dios al mundo que dio a su Hijo único, para que todo el que cree en él no perezca, sino que tenga vida eterna. Porque Dios no envió a su Hijo al mundo para condenar al mundo, sino para que el mundo sea salvo por él.

Sábado (Juan 19) Cuando Jesús vio a su madre y al discípulo allí a quien amaba, le dijo a su madre: "Mujer, he ahí tu hijo". Luego le dijo al discípulo: "He ahí a tu madre". Y a partir de esa hora, el discípulo la llevó a su casa.

Santos de la semana

9 de septiembre: Peter Claver, S.J. (1580-1654) se hizo jesuita en 1600 y fue enviado a la misión en Cartagena, Colombia, un centro de comercio de esclavos. Durante cuarenta años, Claver ministró a los africanos recién llegados dándoles comida, agua y atención médica. Desafortunadamente, murió condenado al ostracismo por su comunidad jesuita porque insistió en continuar el acto impopular de tratar a los esclavos humanamente.

10 de septiembre: Francis Garate, S.J. (1857-1929) fue un vasco que ingresó a los jesuitas y se convirtió en portero de la Universidad de Deusto en Bilbao. Él modeló su ministerio después de Alphonsus Rodriguez y se hizo conocido por su innata bondad, humildad y devoción.

12 de septiembre: El nombre de María se le dio al niño en la octava que sigue a su nacimiento el 8 de septiembre. Mary (Miriam) era un nombre popular para una niña porque significa "amado".

13 de septiembre: John Chrysostom, obispo y doctor (347-407) fue un homilista talentoso y se llamó "Golden Mouth" porque sus palabras inspiraron a muchos. Fue criado en Antioquía y se unió a una comunidad de ermitaños austeros, pero el estilo de vida dañó su salud. Se convirtió en el arzobispo de Constantinopla, donde introdujo muchas reformas conservadoras e impopulares. Huyó para escapar de un levantamiento de la gente y en el camino al exilio murió.

14 de septiembre: El Triunfo de la Santa Cruz recuerda el hallazgo de la verdadera cruz de la madre del emperador Constantino, Helen, a principios del siglo IV. Dos iglesias fueron dedicadas en nombre de la cruz en este día en el siglo IV. Por lo tanto, la fiesta se aplicó a este día. En el siglo VII, la fiesta pasó a llamarse "El triunfo". La Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro en 335 también fue dedicada en este día.

15 de septiembre: Nuestra Señora de los Dolores alguna vez fue llamada Los Siete Dolores de María, como lo presentaron los Frailes Siervos. Después de sufrir durante su cautiverio en Francia, Pío VII renombró la devoción que encierra: la profecía de Simeón, la huida a Egipto, la búsqueda de Jesús a los 12 años en el Templo, el camino al Calvario, la crucifixión, la deposición y el entierro.

Esta semana en la historia de los jesuitas

• 9 de septiembre de 1773. En Lisboa, Carvalho, actuando en nombre del rey, ordenó oraciones públicas para la liberación del mundo de la "pestilencia del jesuitismo".
• 10 de septiembre de 1622. El martirio en Nagaski, Japón, de Charles Spinola y sus compañeros.
• 11 de septiembre de 1681. En Amberes, la muerte del p. Geoffry Henschen (Henschenius). Un hombre de aprendizaje extraordinario, él era el Padre. El asistente de Jan von Bolland en compilar los Hechos de los Santos.
• 12 de septiembre de 1744. La segunda bula de Benedicto XIV, Omnium Sollicitudinum, prohibió los ritos chinos. La persecución siguió en China.
• 13 de septiembre de 1773. Federico II de Prusia informó al Papa que los jesuitas no serían reprimidos en Prusia e invitó a los jesuitas a venir.
• 14 de septiembre de 1596. La muerte del cardenal Francis Toledo, el primero de la Sociedad en ser elevado al púrpura. Murió a los 63 años, cardenal durante tres años.
• 15 de septiembre de 1927. Treinta y siete jesuitas llegaron a Hot Springs, Carolina del Norte, para comenzar la terciaria. La propiedad fue entregada a los jesuitas por la viuda del hijo del presidente Andrew Johnson.

Jury Duty; Religious Life

As some of you know, I am serving on a jury trial in Boston this week. The trial will continue next week and possibly even longer. To my dismay, I was called when I was to be on vacation so for the third year in a row, I will not get a break that I need.

I’m also not in a position to preside at two funerals this week. One funeral is for a colleague’s mother and the other is for a childhood friend’s husband. I watch him die last night as he labored to breathe. I kept seeing Christ suspended on the cross unable to gasp for air. Fortunately, for my friend, palliative medicine helped him become comfortable.

I am instructed not to discuss the trial in any way, but I will provide some reflections on the process.

The Call

First of all, I was surprised to be called to jury service. This was my first time ever receiving notice of jury duty. I had been told I would never be called as a priest and I made sure that I spoke about being a Roman Catholic Religious Order priest. Still, prosecution and defense accepted me.

I will write further on the entire process because it is astounding and awe-inspiring.

Nevertheless, I was stunned when I heard that I was accepted. I really was disbelieving. We did hear about the case before we were interviewed as potential jurors and I was relieved because I realized I would not be called. I was wrong.

The Role of the Judge

The judge’s role is fascinating. He is the law. It is his or her job to maintain a respectful, pleasant atmosphere. His job is not to judge the case. His job is to apply the law. The prosecutor has the entire burden to prove the State’s case beyond reasonable doubt, and the defense’s case is easier because the defendant is declared innocent until the jury may decide otherwise.

The Jury is the Judge

The jury’s role is to be fair and impartial and to listen to the two sides of the argument. The jury is to be convinced of the prosecutor’s facts or not be convinced. When it comes time to deliberate, four of the sixteen jurors will be randomly dismissed. Certain points of law will be applied, and the jury will be given instructions.

The function of the jury is not to do research, seek, search for the truth. It is not necessarily to assess guilt. It is to determine if the prosecutor’s proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. The jury is instructed to not include hearsay; we have to suspend our desire to draw conclusions or do additional research. Our job is to hear the case.

A Hearing

The trial is called a hearing because this is the primary role of the jury. The jury does not ask questions or interact with anyone. The jury maintains confidentiality throughout the whole process. We do not talk with each other, except about the weather, break times, or looking forward to the weekend. The jury’s job is merely “to hear” until it is time to deliberate.

Jury Selection

In many ways, jury selection is like discipleship. We are called. We don’t know why. We don’t know why the person next to us was called. We sometimes cannot see any similarities or draw conclusions about the type of persons that we selected. The selection is a mystery.

It is just like religious life. Sometimes we wonder why a certain person was selected. We come from so many diverse backgrounds and yet Christ calls us to the same way of life. Somehow it works.

Equality and Dignity

Every juror has the same dignity. No hierarchy exists. If someone is repeatedly late to service, no one can ask why, and no one can ask that someone try harder to arrive on time. Service depends upon the goodwill of people to honor and respect each other and the common good. We are equal. We take the role seriously. We know it is our honored constitutional civic duty.

Good Table Manners

Just as, in a very basic sense, the Catholic mass is a set of good table manners, the courtroom has a particular set of table manners that is upheld. The presider is respected by the court. Everyone rises when the judge enters or exits the courtroom. Prosecuting and defense attorneys have a particular decorum in the court, always asking permission of the judge to perform certain tasks, such as, “May I approach the witness?,” “May I show the jury this evidence?,” “May I enter this as evidence?” Objections are done according to the discretion of the judge. Good manners are a necessity. It is always kind to use good manners.

As the jury is the judge, the entire courtroom rises when the jurors exit or enter the courtroom. You never see this on television or in the movies.

Biblical Role of the Courtroom

I keep seeing parallels between the Old Testament imagery of legal proceedings and today’s courtroom. God, the just judge, presides over the dispute, and Satan is the adversarial prosecutor that is trying to trip up plaintiff. God is also the jury. Christ, the Advocate, is the defense witness, who declares his defendant’s innocence. This imagery begins with the Book of Job, throughout Hebrew Scripture and Wisdom literature, right up through the Gospel accounts. Christ’s representation will see us through the trial and he has won us eternal life.

The Law versus Mercy

While the legal system has the duty to apply the law and be judged by it, God’s judgment is mercy. Mercy always wins out. It is the defining aspect of Christian life, which is a reason it needs to be given ascendancy. Christians work within the law, but the law of Christ has its primacy. We are freed from the law so we can promote works of mercy. 

Onto Week Two…

Literature: Virginia Woolf

If one does not lie back and sum up and say to the moment,
this very moment,
stay you are so fair,
what is to be one’s gain, dying?
No: stay, this moment!
No one ever says that enough.

Changes on Morrissey Boulevard

On Sunday night, I walked by the new UMass Boston dormitories. They appear to be a well-constructed, contemporary set of buildings, and it is terrific to see the Columbia Point area have neighbors. Almost overnight, the character of this part of Dorchester has changed. One thousand and seventy-seven students have been added to the area and they will create a new type of energy. The campus is looking beautiful and I'm sure these students will spend many hours walking the nearby Boulevard that fronts the Atlantic Ocean.

Parents dropped off their children with both pride and concern. It is a big step for many parents who are sending many first-generation students to college. Many students stood in the landing of their floor and waved goodbye to their parents as they left them to get settled before classes begin.

The dormitories complement the work that is done on the boulevard making it a long string of housing from the JFK MBTA stop to the ocean. The land borders what used to be called Columbia Point, but is now called Harborview Apartments, which is a mixed-residential development area. While Columbia Point used to be fenced off, it is now open to the UMass area providing an exchange of pedestrian access.

It leads up to the Ted Kennedy Institute and the JFK Library, plus the new parking area for the Commonwealth Museum, which is a must-see museum because it contains a Massachusetts copy of the U.S. Constitution, plus other foundational documents, and a brief history of rotation topics.

The JFK Library was hopping last night for a wedding that forms a romantic setting overlooking the ocean.

Nearby is a great parcel of land that is soon to be developed. One can sense that it is going to be a large-scaled residential, commercial, and retail development. The Point will not know what hit them.

Across the way from BC High is the former Boston Globe that is being gutted and retrofitted for new light industrial workspace and restaurants. Work is fairly constant, as is change. Each day the area is looking more desirable, and what energy!

Literature: Ethan Hawke, The Hottest State

"Don't you find it odd," she continued, "that when you're a kid, everyone, all the world, encourages you to follow your dreams. But when you're older, somehow they act offended if you even try."

Spirituality: Erma Bombeck

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.

Literature: Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Sometimes the Bible in the hand of one man is worse than a whisky bottle in the hand of (another)... There are just some kind of men who - who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.