Even in Cold, a Right Cause for All Lives

Earlier this month marked the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision that opened up legalization for unrestricted abortion throughout the United States.

Since this controversial decision, throngs have come to Washington, DC, for the annual March for Life.  It happened once again this year earlier this month, even though the Mid-Atlantic region was hours away from a major winter storm.  When I did a search on Google News, the top results of news stories pretty much all talked about how the crowds for the March were diminished on account of the impending storm.

Yet, as this Chicago Catholic Examiner column indicates, the throngs still came for the March this year.  He cites other examples of how the pro-life cause continues on toward victory despite all the hurdles it encounters and the ways that powerful forces seek to advance the pro-abortion cause.

This columnist even cites the Chicago March for Life 2016, which turned out a huge crowd, including my Dad and me, despite air temperatures in the single digits on the afternoon of Sunday, January 17.  I was glad indeed that Dad was unwavering about going, which encouraged me to keep up my spirits about attending, despite the brutal cold.

So there we were, hundreds of people in the Loop, fired up and energized by the rightness of our cause.  I can still recall how much pain my feet were in from the extreme cold as we marched around from Federal Plaza to the Thompson Center and back.  I experienced a good deal of discomfort, but I was so glad to be there to join with the hundreds gathered to make a statement that life matters.

There were many good speakers, including Archbishop Cupich, Pastor Corey Brooks, and abortion survivor Melissa Ohden (see directly below).  Their remarks all centered around the reality that all lives matter, and how we should value all life.  Indeed, there was so much energy as Pastor Brooks urged us on in yelling out that all lives matter.

It was amazing to see Melissa Ohden, who by the grace of God, stood before us that day, having survived an abortion attempt, to speak for her unborn brothers and sisters who never saw the light of day.  She spoke well when she said that the pro-life cause is totally pro-woman, owing to the immense damage an abortion does to a woman both physically and mentally.

In his remarks, Archbishop Cupich (see directly below) talked about how we should welcome children warmly into the world.  Indeed, I recognize that being pro-life starts with fighting for the right of the unborn to be born into this world.  And it continues by working to make a world that nourishes children so that they flourish, especially in helping them feel that they matter and have value.

I see those sentiments connecting with my role as a Religious Education teacher.  I seek to impart to my students that they are loved by God, and so they have value, to God who created them, to their parents who raise them, and to me as their teacher.  The reality is that if any young person grows up feeling he/she isn't valued, it will have a negative impact on the rest of their lives.  But when we make clear to young people that they have value, they will be inspired to live to the fullest, embracing their God-given gifts and talents, and working to overcome their weakness to be the best for Him who created them and loves them, even to the point of sending the Son to die for them.

Indeed, it's a sacred and undeniable truth that life is a precious gift from God, and we must strive to uphold it in word and deed.

Above and below: scenes of the crowd at the 2016 March for Life Chicago

SOTU Thoughts 2016

On January 12, President Obama delivered his final State of the Union Address.  He focused on what the United States can achieve in the future, with four major issues driving his speech: the economy, technological innovations (including clean energy), maintaining national security (especially as it relates to situations abroad), and the political atmosphere.

I was kind of surprised when I found out about a month ahead of time that the speech was scheduled for January 12.  Usually, it happens much later in January, and has even happened in February.

President Obama made a lot of remarks that sounded good, befitting his style of being a speaker who likes to captivate people with ideas that sound great, as Governor Nikki Haley indicated in the Republican Response to the State of the Union.  One example is when he discussed the economy, and the idea of creating an economic environment in which the middle-class flourishes and wealthy interests don't bully the lesser people around.  He even made clean-energy proposals sound fantastic, and seem like the proper way to address climate change.

But my concern is that like what has happened in the past, this is just that--a speech, which he puts so much emphasis on, rather than the hard work of sorting through the issues, especially through meaningful dialogue, at hand to create substantial resolutions.

He claims that the Affordable Care Act has helped so many, but not acknowledging the need to address problems it still has, which has made it a burden for people.

He also assailed climate change deniers as people who "will be pretty lonely".  He didn't even try to dialogue with them about the concerns they have deep-down.  Indeed, the whole speech lacked any sense of dialogue.  He masked real problems underneath a guise of how great everything is about America, and how great everything is going, and how we should press forth to do great things.  Even his tone seemed so emphatic in this regard.  I will say, though, that he made a valid point about America being a great nation, especially in regards to its military might, which no other nation dare challenge.

Honestly, I feel one of the biggest problems the United States is facing currently is a toxic political environment, which puts people at odds with one another, and causes them to talk past one another, so that it's a challenge to accomplish things.  Certainly the mainstream media's portrayal of this situation only exacerbates it.  President Obama called for greater decency in the political process.  I was pleased to here him call for changing the way legislative districts are drawn every ten years as part of changing the system.

Governor Haley also addressed the broken political system in her remarks, and called for the need to fix it, not necessarily stating how--thus I say the two sides talk past each other.  But overall, I found her tone so refreshing in her short address in comparison to President Obama.  And I think that shined most clearly when she talked about the shooting tragedy at Mother Emmanuel AME Church last June, and the response that followed.  There were no riots that pitted people against each other.  In the midst of a heart-wrenching tragedy, people came together and embraced the values that keep us close, and especially faith in God.

Certainly we have noble values woven into our national character, that calls for respecting people and a society where all live freely.  President Obama called for this kind of decent behavior especially toward Muslims, that they not be assailed for their religion.  But what concerns me greatly is that his administration has certainly not been kind to Christians who seek to live out their faith, instead pressuring those who support life from the moment of conception and marriage as a union between one man and one woman.  And ultimately, faith in God is what leads us to true freedom, for God makes us free.

As we go forth into the future, which shall bring us a new President less than a year from this date, we should recognize that while the United States is a great nation that stands out among the nations of the Earth, it's not all about being the greatest.  It's about acknowledging our weaknesses and seeking to be a righteous nation in all the Earth, drawing upon the strengths we have to truly foster an environment in which all flourish and live freely.

A Few Notables in Lake County, Northwest Indiana

It's been one year since the installation of Bishop Donald Hying of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary, covering a few counties in northwest Indiana.  This installation took place at the fine Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary.

I have had the opportunity to attend both a priest and a diaconal ordinations at the Cathedral.  It's modestly sized, but has all the trappings befitting the seat of a see, and it is #5 on my list of 200 things about Indiana for its Bicentennial.  The Diocese of which it is the Cathedral is #6, and its metropolitan see, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, is #7, as I was privileged to get to know the Diocese of Gary during my time at St. Teresa of Avila (Roman) Catholic Student Center in Valparaiso.  (The Holy Angels are the Diocesan Patron Saint, and so October 2 is the Diocese' patronal Feast Day--#8.)

During this break for the Nativity and New Year's holidays, I had the opportunity to visit with good friends I have in northwest Indiana, spending most of my time with my longtime college roommate who now lives in Lake County, IN, which has a number of notable locales.

My gateway into Lake County, IN, was the East Chicago, IN, stop on the South Shore Line, which has an enormous parking lot to serve the many people from throughout Lake County who commute into Chicago, and it is #9 on my list.

Merrillville, #10, is a big shopping commercial area centered around I-65 and US Route 30.  It is the home district base for Congressman Peter Visclosky, of the Indiana 1st Congressional District, which covers Lake and Porter Counties, and part of LaPorte County--and is #11 on my list.  (He does a fine job keeping in contact with constituents, and is a very reasonable man, making him #12 on my list.)  Just a little bit east on US 30 is the Albanese Candy Factory and Outlet Store, #13.

Nearby is Schererville, #14, which has some historical markers for the Lincoln Highway running through its downtown area.  It also has St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Parish, #15, which is an amazing church building.  It was the first assignment of Father Ted Mauch, #16, after his ordination on December 4, 2010, which I was privileged to attend at the Cathedral of Holy Angels.

There's also Gary, #17, once a big, bustling industrial city and the birthplace of Michael Jackson, and now home to the Railcats Minor League Baseball Team, #18.  Gary also has the northern terminus of Interstate Route 65, which is #19, in the state that is known as the Crossroads of America.  Gary's eastern section, an area called Miller, #20, contains some of the westernmost sections of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which will be expounded upon further in a subsequent post.  The area in Miller has some lovely wooded areas.

Gifts 2016: the Magi's and Mine

As we celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, we give gifts to one another as signs representing God’s Greatest Gift to us.

A custom that Father Larry, former pastor of Ascension Parish, has on Epiphany Sunday is to share about the gifts he received on the occasion of the Lord's Nativity, and relate them to the significance of the gifts the Magi brought the Christ Child.

The gold was given to acclaim Jesus as King.  The frankincense recognizes He is a priest, with the purpose (or vocation) of bringing us to God.  The myrrh honors the sacrifice Jesus makes in His humanity for the sins of all people.

I like how Father Larry brings spiritual significance to his gifts.  In that spirit, and with his custom as a guide, I here reflect on gifts I gave and received in celebration of Christ's Birth, as I continue pondering the Great Mystery of the Incarnation in this Christmas Season.

Please note: I don't present an exhaustive list of all my gifts here.  Rather, I am selecting one specific gift that pertains to each of the Magi's gifts, even in a small or not so obvious way, but certainly many other gifts I gave and received could fit with the categories represented by each of the Magi's gifts, as there were many wonderful gifts exchanged.

Gifts I Gave
Gold: I gave to my good friends the Ruggabers a musical CD entitled The Nature Suite with songs evoking nature, by Father Bob Hutmacher, assistant at Ascension Parish.

Frankincense: I gave my uncle a bag of a trail mix-type snack, with an assortment of nuts.  In his job with the organization Chicago Voyagers, he takes teens on trips into wilderness areas as a positive character-building experience for them.  I thought a food item like this would be suitable for him on the trip he departed on the day after Christmas Day to the Everglades.

Myrrh: I gave my brother a special pan that can be used to make omelets, with a part of it that flips over to aid in this process, since he enjoys omelets for breakfast.

Gifts I Received
Gold: My paternal grandma gave me a nice sweater that I have enjoyed wearing, and look forward to wearing again and again, especially when at work.

Frankincense: My brother gave me a copy of the book American Catholic History: a Documentary Reader, which tells the story of the Roman Catholic experience in the United States.  It ties in with my lifestyle as a Roman Catholic, and as a book, it connects with my life’s work in library and information science, and the handling of knowledge.

Myrrh: I received many nice food items from Trader Joe’s, especially fruit bar snacks.


It’s amazing to think that these gifts, embedded into the fabric of our lives, especially those we use on a regular basis, hold such significance in pointing us to the Greatest Gift of all.  It’s just like Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into humble and ordinary circumstances to point the way to God.

I couldn’t help but think about this a few days before Nativity Day when I watched The Nativity, a BBC movie that portrays the events of Christ’s birth.  Normally at this time of year, I would watch The Nativity Story, a movie that came out in 2006.  But I saw the BBC movie at the library when shelving DVDs in the British section, and I thought I would do something different and watch this version of the story instead.

After a vivacious, optimistic start that showed Mary and Joseph happily reveling in the start of their betrothal relationship, the vast majority of the movie had a darker tone, as the characters agonized over Mary’s pregnancy.  Even Joseph had a hard time accepting what Mary said about her encounter with the angel Gabriel.  As the movie got close to its end, it seemed like he still hadn’t fully shaken his stance that she had committed adultery, like many others claimed.  There was even one point in the movie when Mary is out walking in Nazareth, and an angry mob nearly stones her.

It was into these messy circumstances, in a world wracked by the turmoil owing to the ruling powers, that Christ was born.  And though He would seemingly be defeated on the Cross by these ruling powers and evil itself, He triumphed gloriously.

So we, too, in the midst of our struggles, rejoice because God loved us so much, He sent His Son to be born into our world, to become one of us, to redeem us from sin and evil, bringing us to new life, which we live even now as we share His presence within us with others.  What a gift He has given us to give to others.

20+C+M+B+16

(The above is something that is written above the door to the house on the occasion of Epiphany.  The 20 and 16 signify the year 2016.  The letters stand for the traditional names for the Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.  The four crosses represent the four seasons.)

Grapes of Anticipation 2016

Happy 2016 New Year's Greetings!

Again, we have entered into a fresh new year, with hopes and dreams abounding.  As I think about this year 2016, I recall to mind several things I'm anticipating.  And like I did with reflecting on the year 2015 that has passed, I use the Hispanic custom of consuming 12 grapes as a model for looking ahead in this new year:

Grape #1: This March will mark 10 years since we welcomed Buddy the dog into our family, with all his antics and delights.  It is definitely a time for celebration.

Grape #2: I look forward to what I'll accomplish in doing library work: In addition to 2 classes in this spring semester, I'm going to be doing a practicum at Argonne National Laboratory's Library, which will be a great opportunity work at a specialized library setting with scientific materials.  And, of course, I look forward to the excitement of continuing to work at the Oak Park Public Library, as we keep seeking innovative ways to engage with our community.  (I'm sure I'll also find more great books there to read, and hopefully have the chance to read some of them, especially once graduate school is over.)

Grape #3: I plan to graduate with my MLIS degree on Mothers' Day, May 8, and I look forward to see where my path will lead me in my career life after that point.  And how nice to graduate from Dominican University as the order from which it receives its name marks its 800-Year Jubilee in 2016.

Grape #4: Later this month, the Ascension Confirmation Class of 2016 will begin their preparations for the sacrament in October.  I look forward to coming along side these young people and seeing how the lesson plans for the preparation process will unfold at the meetings.

Grape #5: With much delight do I anticipate the celebration of Indiana's Bicentennial as a state on December 11, with many posts on my blog to continue the list of 200 things to note about Indiana, the fair neighbor state where I spent time as a student-resident.

Grape #6: The National Park Service will mark its Centennial on August 25.  I look forward to marking this occasion for this great agency that preserves numerous sites of ecological, cultural, and historical significance throughout the United States.  Maybe this will include a trip to one of those sites.

Grape #7: August will see the world come together once again to engage in spirited athletic competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.  While it will disappointingly not be Chicago's turn to host, I look forward to see what will be put on down in Rio de Janiero.

Grape #8: I'm very hopeful that the Independent Maps amendment to the Illinois State Constitution will finally overcome all the obstacles thrown at it and will be approved by voters in the November elections, to bring much needed reform to the political process in Illinois.

Grape #9: I'm interested in seeing how this winter, and the rest of the year, turns out weatherwise, with a strong El Niño event now occurring, that made December 2015 temperate, even though it's become seasonably cold as we start this new year.

Grape #10: I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to mark a milestone in celebrating the life I have lived for a quarter-century when my birthday rolls around on March 16.

Grape #11: Pope Francis has a trip planned to Mexico in February.  I look forward to following his visit there, a place that is very much part of who I am, both my ethnic heritage and my religious background.

Grape #12: I am eager to see what happens as we, the Church, celebrate this Jubilee Year of Mercy, reminding ourselves of the mercy we have received from God, and sharing it with others.

So to the God who has shown great mercy, let us entrust and commend ourselves now, as we go forth with Him in great joy into this new year of 2016.