Colleagues List, June 9th, 2013

Vol VIII No. 33

****

Wayne A. Holst, Editor

My E-Mail Address:
waholst@telusplanet.net

*****

Colleagues List Web Site:
http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com

Canadian Anglicans Google Groups Web Site:
http://tinyurl.com/pcskb9n

"Quicklinks" are included with many items.
Otherwise, scroll down to find your selection
in the body of the blog.

*****

Dear Colleagues:

This issue of Colleagues List comes to you
a bit later on the weekend because I was
preparing for a talk I gave Saturday to
honour colleague Mathew Zachariah, author
of "Making Anew My Home," at the official
launch of his book. I introduced that book
to the readers of Colleagues List, April 9th
of this year:

Here is the version used by the Anglican
Church of Canada's website:

http://tinyurl.com/mggod7u

The relationship between faith and science 
continues to occupy the minds of thoughtful
people today. This week I introduce a book
by an English scientist who could be termed
a "new atheist" but who takes a more respectful
approach to the biblical tradition, even though
he believes it is trumped by modern science.

The book is entitled:

"The Serpent's Promise -
 The Bible Retold as Science"

http://tinyurl.com/lcqaljj

--

Colleague Comment:

Aaron Navrady, Youth Minister at St. David's
United where we share staff roles, found that
my staff meeting devotional on The House of 
the Virgin in Ephesus, Turkey reminded him of 
another example of a Dominican priest building
spiritual links between Islamic and Christian
spiritualities. He shares his thoughts below. 

http://tinyurl.com/k86akt3

--

Colleague Contributions this week are from:

Marjorie Gibson (Vancouver)
http://tinyurl.com/mfhcag4

Jim Taylor (Okanagan)
http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj

Ron Rolheiser (San Antonio) 
http://tinyurl.com/lc6cqh2

--

Net Notes:

"Senor Romero" - the famous martyr of
El Salvador is introduced once more 
in a review of a new book this week
(Englewood Review of Books)
http://tinyurl.com/moc4t8t

"Big Brother is Watching" - more
on the matter of privacy and the
growing invasion of our personal
information (The Guardian, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/m9hw4dv

"'I Did Not Want to be Pope'" -
Francis I continues to surprise and
delight people as well as to cause
confusion in the Vatican
(Huffington Post Canada, US Catholic)
http://tinyurl.com/l2q4fyr
http://tinyurl.com/l2l6c2x

"Some Don't Celebrate Morgentaler" -
not all Canadian hail Morgentaler as
a liberator of woman. Here is another
perspective on one who died recently 
(Christianweek.org)
http://tinyurl.com/lmwb9r6

"Shakespeare as Literary Dramatist" -
the question is posed - did Shakespeare
work primarily as a playwright or as
one who wanted people to reflect on
his words? (The Tablet, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/kz95o6e

"Young Adults - Why They Leave Church"
- the ongoing matter of youth dropping
out of the church is taken up by a 
Canadian evangelical Christian. Canadian 
evangelicals seem to be doing a better 
job of retaining their youth, by the way 
(Faith Today - Evangelical Fellowship)
http://tinyurl.com/mo7joww


"Thousands Mark Tienanmen Square Massacre"
- the twenty-fourth anniversary of the
famous event in China is remembered again
this year by the city of Hong Kong
(Uca News) http://tinyurl.com/nx58olf

"Turkey: Religious Freedom and Social Reform"
- an insightful probe into the religious issues
that are related to the unrest in Turkey is
unpacked for us by John L. Allan 
(National Catholic Reporter)
http://tinyurl.com/ln2389u

"C of E Drops Its Opposition to Gay Marriage"
- this week, the gay marriage bill passed in
the British House of Lords. The Church of
England dropped its opposition as bishops
sitting in the house changed their stance.
The Archbishop of Canterbury remains opposed
(Huffington Post Canada, The Guardian, UK)
http://tinyurl.com/krx6way

--

Wisdom of the Week -

Courtesy of Sojourners online, the following
share this insights with us:

Henri Nouwen, Francis of Assisi,
Evelyn Underhill and Arundhati Roy

--

On This Day:
June 2nd - 9th

RFK Shot Dead in Los Angeles
http://tinyurl.com/nwzs76e

Allies Take the Normandy Beaches
http://tinyurl.com/k8vw3

Lateran Treaty - Vatican Again a State
http://tinyurl.com/mxxlttr

--

Closing Thought - Paulo Freire

(end)

*****

Our New Fall Programs will be posted here
shortly, as they develop over the next months.

SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS

Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or) admin@sduc.ca
St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/

Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services -
http://sduc.ca/St_Davids_United_Church/Audio.html

*****

STUDY ARCHIVES

An accumulation of thirty-five books studied
since 2000 can quickly be found at:
http://tinyurl.com/6oxmyj4

This collection of study resources represents
more than a decade of Monday Night Studies at
St. David's, plus extra courses too!

You are welcome to use our course outlines,
class notes and resource pages in your personal
and group reflections.

*********************

SPECIAL ITEM

Book Notice - 

THE SERPENT'S PROMISE
The Bible Retold as Science
by Steve Jones, May, 2013.
Doubleday Canada, Toronto. 
Hardcover: $29.95 CAD
Kindle Edition: $15.99 CAD.
ISBN #9780385670630

Publisher's Promo:

A unique contribution to the God/religion debate: 
a scientific take on the Bible that doesn't take 
sides. Many of the subjects studied by physicists 
or by biologists are found in the texts of the 
world's religions: the origins of the universe, 
of life and of mankind; fate, sex, age and death; 
and the prospects of eternal life or of fiery doom. 
The Bible is a handbook for understanding Nature 
and, in its own way, it succeeds. As a factual 
account, of course, it is out of date, but many 
of its statements can be rephrased in modern terms. 
Distinguished geneticist Steve Jones has done that: 
written a riveting, accessible work on recent 
advances in our understanding of ourselves, 
using the Bible as a framework. His narrative 
is structured around the Good Book's grand themes, 
from Genesis to Revelations, and weaves a series 
of unexpected facts into a coherent whole.
     
The struggle of rationalism with its opposite has, 
after decades of torpor, returned to centre stage. 
Polemics against and in favour of religion and 
atheism fill the shelves. Instead of adding to 
that pile, Steve Jones stands back and take a 
fresh look at that issue in a volume that is not 
an attack or a defense but which explores scriptural 
motifs - Creation, the Garden of Eden, original sin, 
the Exodus, virgin birth, the Resurrection, and the 
Last Judgment - using the methods and results of the 
latest scientific research. It is a remarkably quick 
jump, shows Professor Jones, from Adam to 
astrophysics. 
    
Although some of the questions raised are beyond 
the capabilities of science, at least a scientist 
can ask them in a new way. Steve Jones shows there 
is a better route to understanding the universe 
than through doctrine.

--

About the Author:

Steve Jones is the former Head of the Department 
of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at University 
College London and has worked at universities in the 
USA, Australia and Africa. He is also a television 
presenter and a prize-winning author on the subject 
of biology, especially evolution. In 1996, his 
writing won him the Royal Society Michael Faraday 
Prize "for his numerous, wide ranging contributions 
to the public understanding of science in areas such 
as human evolution and variation, race, sex, inherited 
disease and genetic manipulation through his many 
broadcasts on radio and television, his lectures, 
popular science books, and his regular science 
column in The Daily Telegraph and contributions 
to other newspaper media."

--

Author’s Words:

This volume is an attempt… to scrutinize the 
biblical pages from the point of view of a 
scientist, In an attenuated version of its 
original it tries to imitate the Testaments by 
weaving what might seem a series of unrelated 
facts into a coherent whole. Powerful as the 
tools of science have proved, plenty of people 
dispute its findings on grounds of belief while 
others reject claims on faith because they deny 
the truth, or are impossible to test.

Polemical works for and against… belief stream 
from the press. Some attack its fundamentals 
while others do the opposite… Some try to have 
a foot in both camps. They suggest that objective 
analysis can only go so far and that there must 
be another truth beyond. Martin Luther King said 
“Science investigates; religion interprets… the 
two are not rivals.” The notion that science and 
doctrine occupy separate, or even complimentary, 
universes and that each provides an equally valid 
insight into the world seems to me unconvincing 
and is pursued no further here.

The Serpent’s Promise is not intended as a 
statement for or against the joy of sects; as an 
attack on, or defense of, Christianity or any 
other creed. My own views on the sublime, such 
as they are, play almost no part.  Instead, I 
attempt to stand back and take a fresh look at 
the sacred writings in a volume that tries to 
interpret some of its themes in today’s language.

The Serpent’s Promise ends with an account of 
today’s attempt at a science of faith; and makes 
the modest proposal that now may be the time for 
the natural to supplant the supernatural as Man 
begins to make sense of the universe he inhabits… 
Religion depends on revealed or permanent truths… 
(On the other hand) Einstein saw the Bible as no 
more than ‘a collection of honourable but still 
primitive legends which are nonetheless pretty 
childish,’

Science is constantly open to a more adequate 
explanation of what can be known. The danger of 
doctrine is that its adherents seek confirmation 
of what they know… but whatever the triumphs of 
modern research, a good portion of humankind still 
rejects its tenets because they conflict with their
own opinions… I sometimes wonder whether those who 
pour their inane doctrines into their pupils’ ears 
ever consider the damage they do; not to my 
profession, but to theirs.

I hope to make the case that reason is a better 
way to understand the physical universe than is 
faith; that science is a more consistent, universal 
and satisfying tool with which to organize human 
lives.

--

My Thoughts:

The Serpent's Promise is based on the snake's
message to the women (Genesis 3:4) "No, you
will not die. God knows in fact that the day
you eat (the fruit of the tree) your eyes will
be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing
good from evil."

This is a book by an author who might well be 
called a new atheist, but whose writing takes
a higher road than that of many other cynical
new atheists who are contemptuous of faith.

Steve Jones acknowledges the authentic background
offered to modern science by the Bible and he tries
to read the biblical narrative - both Hebrew Bible
and the New Testament - in that light.

Still, he concludes that the faith traditions are
only a backdrop to a more adequate explanation of
reality offered by an ever evolving modern science.

In that regard he wants to reconnect the link that
was severed between science and faith at the time
of the enlightenment. 

Here is a critical but sympathetic assessment of
the faith traditions that nevertheless views
science as the ultimate winner of the survival
sweepstakes.

Many of us would beg to differ with the author.
Still, we continue to benefit from the critique
of modern science on our inherited spiritual
wisdom. We might also question what 'survival' 
of the truth really means when the long history
of faith is compared to that of modern science.

This book is another good "workout" for people
of faith who believe that faith needs constant
challenge in order to survive and thrive.

--

Buy the Book from Amazon.ca:
http://tinyurl.com/lcqaljj

*****

COLLEAGUE COMMENT

AARON NAVRADY
Youth Minister, 
St. David's Calgary

Wayne

Your opening at our staff meeting this morning 
got me thinking to an episode of the online radio 
show On Being. It's an interview with a Dominican 
who also connects with Islam as a part of his faith 
exploration (he works in Turkey).

I have included the link to the episode (see the 
LH sidebar on the page) in case you are interested.

Thanks for your reflections this morning!

Aaron

http://tinyurl.com/k86akt3

*****

COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

MARJORIE GIBSON
Vancouver, BC

Marjorie Remembers Blog
"Spring for the Prairie Child"

http://tinyurl.com/mfhcag4

--

JIM TAYLOR
Okanagan, BC

Personal Web Log
"Why Opinion Polls Don't Get it Right"

http://tinyurl.com/yl374wj

--

RON ROLHEISER
San Antonio, TX

Personal Web Site
"Always in a Hurry"

http://tinyurl.com/lc6cqh2

*****

NET NOTES

MONSENOR ROMERO
Recent Bio Reviewed

Englewood Review of Books
June 7th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/moc4t8t

--

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING
And Doing More Than That

The Guardian, UK
June 7th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/m9hw4dv

--

"I DID NOT WANT TO BE POPE"
Francis Concerned for Psychiatric Health

Huffington Post Canada
June 7th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/l2q4fyr

Pope's Spontaneity Has Vatican in Spin

US Catholic
May 31st, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/l2l6c2x

--

SOME DON'T CELEBRATE MORGENTALER
Pro-Lifers Not Happy With Him

Christianweek.org
May 31st, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/lmwb9r6

--

SHAKESPEARE AS LITERARY DRAMATIST
Did He Write to be Seen or Read?

The Tablet, UK
June 6th,  2013

http://tinyurl.com/kz95o6e

--

YOUNG ADULTS - WHY THEY LEAVE
And Why They Stay in Church

Faith Today
Sept/Oct 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mo7joww

--

THOUSANDS MARK TIENANMEN MASSACRE
Event Not Forgotten after 24 Years

Uca News
June 5th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/nx58olf

--

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND REFORM IN TURKEY
Do the Protesters Want What We'd Want?

National Catholic Reporter
John L. Allen, Reporter
June 7th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/ln2389u

--

C of E DROPS OPPOSITION TO GAY MARRIAGE
Significant Policy Shift By UK Anglicans

Huffington Post Canada
June 7th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/krx6way

Canterbury Opposed to Gay Bill

The Guardian, UK
June 3rd, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/pfdbnmj

Lords Approve Gay Bill

The Telegraph, UK
June 4th, 2013

http://tinyurl.com/mlnh9co

*****

WISDOM OF THE WEEK

Provided by Sojourners Online:

Dear Lord, I will remain restless, tense and 
dissatisfied until I can be totally at peace 
in your house. There is no certainty that my 
life will be any easier in the years ahead, 
or that my heart will be any calmer. But there 
is the certainty that you are waiting for me 
and will welcome me home when I have persevered 
in my long journey to your house.

- Henri Nouwen

--

Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit, 
which Christ grants to His friends, is that of 
self-conquest and of willingly bearing sufferings, 
injuries and reproaches and discomforts for the 
love of Christ. If we shall bear all these things 
patiently and with cheerfulness, thinking on the 
suffering of Christ the blessed, which we ought 
to bear patiently for His love, O Brother Leo, 
write that here and in this is perfect joy.

- Francis of Assisi

--

Charity is the live wire along which the power 
of God, indwelling our finite spirits, can and 
does act on other souls and other things, 
rescuing, healing, giving support and light. 
Such secret intercessory prayer ought to 
penetrate and accompany all our active work. 
It is the supreme expression of the spiritual 
life on earth.It moves from God to others 
through us, because we have ceased to be 
self-centered units, but are woven into the 
great fabric of praying souls, the 'mystical 
body' through which the work of Christ on earth 
goes on being done.

= Evelyn Underhill

--

Colorful demonstrations and weekend marches 
are vital but alone are not powerful enough 
to stop wars. Wars will be stopped only when 
soldiers refuse to fight, when workers refuse 
to load weapons onto ships and aircraft, when 
people boycott the economic outposts of Empire 
that are strung across the globe. 

- Arundhati Roy

*****

ON THIS DAY

From the Archives
of the New York Times

RFK SHOT DEAD IN LOS ANGELES
http://tinyurl.com/nwzs76e

ALLIES TAKE THE NORMANDY BEACHES
http://tinyurl.com/k8vw3

LATERAN TREATY - VATICAN AGAIN A STATE
http://tinyurl.com/mxxlttr


*****

CLOSING THOUGHT - Paulo Freire

To speak a true word is 
to transform the world.

(end)

Colleagues List, June 2nd, 2013

Vol VIII No. 32 **** Wayne A. Holst, Editor My E-Mail Address: waholst@telusplanet.net ***** Colleagues List Web Site: http://colleagueslist.blogspot.com Canadian Anglicans Google Groups Web Site: http://tinyurl.com/mz354eu "Quicklinks" are included with many items. Otherwise, scroll down to find your selection in the body of the blog. ***** Dear Colleagues: It was only recently that Pope Francis was elected, but books on his life and thought are already beginning to appear. This week, I introduce two of them: "Pray for Me" (and) "On Heaven and Earth" http://tinyurl.com/lkh2afb http://tinyurl.com/mapp8pd Hopefully, this will provide some good background on this intriguing global pastor. -- Colleague Comment this week is from Isabel Gibson of Ottawa who has thoughts on last week's "Wisdom of the Week." Colleague Contribution for this issue is from my longstanding priest friend Ron Rolheiser of San Antonio. http://tinyurl.com/ka82ofh -- Net Notes: "I Hear America Singing" - from an era past but still appealing, a poem by New England sage and author of  "Leaves of Grass," Walt  Whitman (Englewood Review of Books)) http://tinyurl.com/mhxoods "Canterbury to Visit Pope" - plans are in the works for a meeting of the two global Christian leaders (The Tablet, UK) http://tinyurl.com/k32qkaf "Scripture on the Silver Screen" - here are insights into how the Bible continues to influence modern movie-goers (Christianweek.org) http://tinyurl.com/mquecea "Visiting the World's Newest Country" - Karen Stiller won an award from the Canadian Church Press for an article that appeared on the South Sudan last year (Faith Today) http://tinyurl.com/m3a4p6q "Lessons from the Good Friday Agreement" - it is now more than fourteen years since this historic document was signed by combatants in Northern Ireland (America Magazine) http://tinyurl.com/lg34ud9 "Catholic Priest Comes Out of the Closet" this recently appeared in the Catholic press and it signals changes in the works (Uca News) http://tinyurl.com/pa9ryae "Andrew Greeley, Priest Writer, Dies at 85" - Greeley was a longtime friend of colleague Martin Marty in Chicago; I too read many of his books and appreciated our correspondence (National Catholic Reporter, America Magazine) http://tinyurl.com/k6o7fm2 http://tinyurl.com/kkd9n6 "How Henry Morgentaler Changed Canada's Laws" - this man was well-known in Canada a generation ago and continues to invoke strong feelings - pro-and-con - for his stand and work on abortion (Calgary Herald) http://tinyurl.com/l7wpe6n -- Wisdom of the Week - comes through the good services of Sojourners online. Paul Hawken, Robert James Brown and Francis de Sales appear this week. -- On This Day: May 26th - June 1st) India's First PM Dies http://tinyurl.com/lrqs6h3 Hillary Conquers Mt. Everest http://tinyurl.com/lxhjbee Helen Keller Dead at 87 http://tinyurl.com/kfrzxa6 -- Closing Thought -  Cesar Chavez (end) ***** Our New Fall Programs will be posted here shortly, as they develop over the next months. SPECIAL ST. DAVID'S LINKS Contact us at: asdm@sduc.ca (or) admin@sduc.ca St. David's Web Address - http://sduc.ca/ Listen to audio recordings of Sunday services - http://sduc.ca/St_Davids_United_Church/Audio.html ***** STUDY ARCHIVES An accumulation of thirty-five books studied since 2000 can quickly be found at: http://tinyurl.com/6oxmyj4 This collection of study resources represents more than a decade of Monday Night Studies at St. David's, plus extra courses too! You are welcome to use our course outlines, class notes and resource pages in your personal and group reflections. ********************* SPECIAL ITEM Book Notices for: PRAY FOR ME The Life and Spiritual Vision of Pope Francis, First Pope from the Americas by Robert Moynihan. $22.95 CAD. Kindle $9.99 Random House Canada, Image hardcover ISBN #978-0-307-59075-6 (and) ON HEAVEN AND EARTH Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the Twenty-First Century by Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Rabbi Abraham Skorka. $25.00 CAD. Kindle $10.99. Random House Canada, Image hardcover ISBN #978-0-7704-3506-6 Publisher's Promo: "Pray for Me" - From the founder and editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, the world's most well-informed, comprehensive monthly on the Roman Catholic Church, comes this enlightening introduction to the life and spiritual teachings of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, the first Pope of the Americas. On March, 13, 2013, 115 Cardinals elected for the first time a Pope from outside of Europe. Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, is not just the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere, he is also the first Jesuit to ever hold the Chair of Peter. This means a bridging of the Northern and Southern hemispheres and religious traditions in a way we've never seen before, signifying a new global vision for the 1.2 billion people who call themselves Catholic. Now a leading expert on the papacy provides the ultimate introduction to this new Pope, including biographical information and an absorbing collection of Jorge Mario Bergoglio most persuasive words. -- About the Author: Dr. Robert Moynihan is founder and editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, a monthly journal on Church and world affairs from Rome. He is regarded as one of the world's leading Vatican analysts. He received his PhD in medieval studies from Yale University and divides his time between Rome and Front Royal, Virginia. -- Author's Words: Who is this man? What does he believe? What will he do as leader of the church? This book hopes to provide starting points to answer some of those questions. Written in the two weeks following the papal election, "Pray for Me" is partly my eye-witness of those early days... Here is a bit of history in the making, captured as it was happening, in order to root out the story of Pope Francis in facts, rather than speculation about what he might do in the future. First, a brief biography... I approached this material as a journalist, but also as a believer... (but) The central point of this book is to offer readers the opportunity to journey alongside this new pope, to experience the soul of this ma, the strength, passion and tenderness. The simple request was his first "Pray for Me." He (knows) his own imperfection, his humanity. He knows he needs the prayers of others. In calling for prayers for himself, Pope Francis asks us as a community to care for the poor, those treated unjustly, for the imprisoned and the suffering, for those who have lost hope, and also for him, that he might carry out his task with courage and humility. (Rome, April, 2013) - from the Preface. -- Publisher's Promo: "On Heaven and Earth" From the man who became Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio shares his thoughts on religion, reason, and the challenges the world faces in the 21st century with Abraham Skorka, a rabbi and biophysicist. For years Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Argentina, and Rabbi Abraham Skorka were tenacious promoters of inter-religious dialogues on faith and reason. They both sought to build bridges among Catholicism, Judaism, and the world at large. On Heaven and Earth, originally published in Argentina in 2010, brings together a series of these conversations where both men talked about various theological and worldly issues, including God, fundamentalism, atheism, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and globalization. From these personal and accessible talks comes a first-hand view of the man who would become pope to 1.2 billion Catholics around the world in March 2013. Rabbi Skorka's Words: True dialogue is at the heart of the thinking (man's) life and demands that each person tries to get to know and to understand the person with whom they are conversing... In its most profound sense, to have a conversation is to bring one's soul nearer to another's in order to reveal and illuminate his or her core... There were many different opportunities which helped pave the the long road ... that brought Cardinal Bergoglio and me closer and allowed us to get to know each other better. (Out of our conversations) written ideas become permanent testimonies that allow people to access them... We have transformed our dialogue into a group conversation, exposing our souls. - from the introductory chapter entitled   "How We Experience Dialogue" -- My Thoughts: It is now almost two months since the election of Pope Francis, and many of our first impressions of him have been good. In many ways he is quite different from his predecessor, but it is also apparent that he was selected because his theological stance remains true to those popes who have served before him. He is a Jesuit, the first from that order to be elected pope. Popes and Jesuits have not always gotten on, but it is clear that Francis assumes a non-combative stance. It should also be assumed that his theological formation is as good as any pope. Added to that is his authenticity and his heart for the poor and those on the margins of society. How will all this pan out as time confronts the new pope with big decisions and church politics? All we know at this point is how he has dealt with major issues in his own past. These two books provide openings into the new pope's life and mind. And, we can rejoice that he seems quite accessible and truly human. Whether we are Catholic or not, we truly want to see him succeed as perhaps the leading global figure of spiritual conscience. So let us all indeed "pray for him" and try to come to know him better, as he desires to get to know us. -- Buy the Books from Amazon.ca: Pray for Me: http://tinyurl.com/lkh2afb On Heaven and Earth: http://tinyurl.com/mapp8pd ***** COLLEAGUE COMMENT ISABEL GIBSON Ottawa, ON May 26th, 2013 Wayne: Your Lichtenberg quote would be enough for this week all on its own, it seems to me. Thanks, Isabel From Colleagues List Wisdom of the Week May 26th, 2013 Issue: "I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is that they must change if they are to get better." - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg ***** COLLEAGUE CONTRIBUTION RON ROLHEISER San Antonio, TX Personal Web Site May 26th, 2013 "Ordinary Time" http://tinyurl.com/ka82ofh ***** NET NOTES I HEAR AMERICA SINGING Poem by Walt Whitman Born May 31st, 1819 Englewood Review of Books May 31st, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/mhxoods -- CANTERBURY TO VISIT THE POPE Welby and Francis to Meet in Assisi The Tablet May 31st, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/k32qkaf -- SCRIPTURE ON THE SILVER SCREEN Bible-Based Movies are Popular Christianweek.org May 21st, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/mquecea -- VISITING THE WORLD'S NEWEST COUNTRY Karen Stiller, A.C. Forest Prizewinner Faith Today May/June, 2012 http://tinyurl.com/m3a4p6q -- LESSONS FROM THE GOOD FRIDAY AGREEMENT When Peace Came to Ireland America Magazine June 2nd, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/lg34ud9 -- CATHOLIC PRIEST COMES OUT OF CLOSET Reveals His Gayness, Risks Vocation Uca News May 29th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/pa9ryae __ ANDREW GREELEY, PRIEST-WRITER, DIES AT 85 Chicago Writer Had a Heart for Imagery National Catholic Reporter, May 30th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/k6o7fm2 -- "Greeley in America" America Magazine, May 31st, 2014 http://tinyurl.com/kkd9n6 -- HOW HENRY MORGENTALER CHANGED CANADA'S LAWS Agree With Him or Not, He Served the Nation "Canada Would be Different for Women"  Morgentaler Made A Special Contribution Calgary Herald May 29th, 2013 http://tinyurl.com/l7wpe6n ***** WISDOM OF THE WEEK Provided by Sojourners Online When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and are not pessimistic, you don’t understand data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you are not optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. - Paul Hawken -- We have got some very big problems confronting us and let us not make any mistake about it, human history in the future is fraught with tragedy... It's only through people making a stand against that tragedy and being doggedly optimistic that we are going to win through. If you look at the plight of the human race it could well tip you into despair, so you have to be very strong. - Robert James Brown -- Love the poor and love poverty, for it is by such love that we become truly poor. As the Scripture says, we become like the things we love. If you love the poor you will share their poverty and be poor like them. If you love the poor be often with them. Be glad to see them in your own home and to visit with them in theirs. Be glad to talk to them and be pleased to have them near you in church, on the street, and elsewhere. Be poor in conversing with them and speak to them as their companions do, but be rich in assisting them by sharing some of your more abundant goods with them. - Francis de Sales ***** ON THIS DAY Provided from the Archives of the New York Times INDIA'S FIRST PM NEHRU DIES http://tinyurl.com/lrqs6h3 HILLARY CONQUERS MT. EVEREST http://tinyurl.com/lxhjbee HELEN KELLER DIES AT 87 http://tinyurl.com/kfrzxa6 ***** CLOSING THOUGHT Cesar Chavez "When we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we are. It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life. I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness is to sacrifice ourselves for others in totally nonviolent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men!" - Cesar Chavez (end)