Something on the Insane Side

The following prayer was composed by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw, drafted for a homily by Cardinal John Dearden in Nov. 1979 for a celebration of departed priests.  As a reflection on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Romero, Bishop Untener included in a reflection book a passage titled "The Mystery of the Romero Prayer." 

 It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.  Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

26.  Read the following 29 books: A Confederacy of Dunces, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Anna Karenina, Atonement, Beloved, Birdsong, Brave New World, Catch 22, Death Comes for the Archbishop, Infinite Jest, Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men, On The Road, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Portnoy's Complaint, Rebecca, The Color Purple, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Handmaid's Tale, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Little Prince, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Poisonwood Bible, The Power of One, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Things Fall Apart, White Noise

28.  Travel to the following places: Thailand, Vietnam, Greece, India, Brazil, Bora Bora, Spain, South Africa, Seychelles, Chiapas, Mexico, Iceland, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Machu Picchu, Peru, New York City, Jerusalem, Alaska

If you haven't read Rebecca, it's a must.  (Thank you Aunt Mary!)  I finished reading it last week, but I'm still thinking about it.  In my opinion, those are the best kind of books.

And of course, Chiapas was so wonderful.  Words don't really explain how great it is.  But, for your next trip, think about it!

One of the best things I've read a while.  Why are you so terribly disappointed?

What happened to my bonus? What happened to my job? What happened to my country? Why can't it all go the way it's supposed to go? You mean having a kid won't solve my marriage problems? Why don't these drugs make me feel better? Where's that goddamn waiter with my salad? Have you seen the stupid weather today? Is this really all there is?

These are, from what I can glean, the most important questions of the day, of the month, of modern life itself. Hell, what with the economy and job situation, the housing market and the overall feel and texture of the nation right now, it's no wonder Americans are, by and large, a goddamn miserable bunch. We don't like anything right now. No politician, no decision, no situation, no inhale, no exhale. We are sick to death of all of it, including ourselves.

Some entertaining links from Kottke's The Noughtie List.  A few highlights that I really liked are listed below.

The Decade with No Name - The New Yorker

The Top Ten Everything of 2009 - Time Magazine

The Ten Worst Things About the Worst Decade Ever - Time Magazine

The Decade Definer - Vanity Fair

Mister Narrative of the Decade - Click Opera Blog

That's So Aughties - Vanity Fair