We've completed another local campaign cycle here in Oak Park, with the voters having stated their minds during the April 7 elections.
What stood out to me during this campaign season was the variety of candidates running for the various offices, especially for the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Board of Education. For the first time since I've started voting, the District 97 race was contested, and had quite a crowded field.
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know many of the candidates in a personal way at a candidates' forum sponsored by the Village Managers' Association at Trattoria 225 back on the evening of March 18. The event was structured to be an opportunity to informally mingle and speak with the candidates in the various contested races. I was at it for quite a while talking with the candidates, and I got into some pretty interesting conversations.
This was certainly the case when I talked with the three candidates running for the Oak Park Library Board of Trustees, with whom I shared my own perspectives from the work I've completed so far on my MLIS degree as I make my foray into the field of library and information science.
There was quite a range of perspectives and backgrounds presented by the candidates in the various races.
Fred Arkin, who won a seat on the OPRFHS District 200 Board of Education, is an alumnus of OPRFHS, and serves as a wrestling coach, underscoring his commitment to the students there.
Gil Cabacungan, who attended West Point and served in the US Army, had this very visionary plan to make the high school a very ergonomic and energy-efficient building by reorienting it so it runs west-east and the solar panels placed on top would achieve maximum energy efficiency. To accommodate the building's reorientation, he also had the idea to move the football field south of Lake Street and make Lake between Scoville and East a pedestrian zone. He claimed that his experience on a nonprofit board, the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, would allow him to get the funds needed from higher levels of government to do all of this. Much of this plan seems impractical, but at least he's been thinking big.
Sharon Patchak-Layman, who ran unsuccessfully as an incumbent, had some notable ideas about the high school. She raised concerns about how there's too many students there and the need to implement policies to give students other opportunities so they don't all have to be in the building at once, especially as District 97 will soon be sending upwards of 700 more students to OPRFHS. We also chatted about a lot of other things, like the nature of the middle schools in Oak Park, as she formerly served on District 97's board.
The Park District candidates fell into two groups: the three running on a slate, and three others who all ran on their own, so to speak. The slate included two incumbents, including Vic Guarino, a great guy I first met several years ago when he ran for the District 200 Board, and who I've seen around at my home parish, Ascension Church. The incumbents were very practically minded about things the Park District has done, like the new Ridgeland Common facilities, whereas the three others wanted to implement some new initiatives, like community gardening, and even having a space at every park for dogs to be off the leash.
The District 97 candidates were a great and varied group of individuals: There were the candidates who ran out of frustration with the way the board and Dr. Roberts, the superintendent, have handled their business recently. Then there were those with interesting backgrounds, like Rupa Datta, an education policy expert and Holly Spurlock, who works at Groupon. Rita Kahn has experience serving in an administrative capacity with the Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry. Sarah Arguello taught English in South America.
Then there was Marcus Croom, who has some experience in educational leadership. I had a very good conversation with him at the candidates' forum. One question I like to ask candidates is what their moral vision is, a big picture question to get their sense of how they approach life. Mr. Croom was excited when I asked that question, and was ready with a well-thought out answer: "More human fulfillment, less human suffering", which governs the way he approaches education, to ensure every child succeeds.
There were also the two incumbents. Jim O'Connor, who lives two doors away from me, is very experienced in education as a teacher, principal, and policy expert. Then there's Bob Spatz, who worked extensively to make the middle schools in Oak Park a reality. I had some good conversation with him back and forth over e-mail about his work with the middle schools. I was glad to hear that someone put in so much thought and effort to make the middle schools what they are, as my time at Julian Middle School was one of the best times of my life, in part because of changes he helped implement.
It was a little difficult to pick from such a diverse group of candidates, but I nevertheless made my choices and then voted. As I went off to vote on Tuesday, April 7, at my polling place, the Oak Park Conservatory, I couldn't help but think that six years before, just weeks after turning 18, I went there for the first time to vote, after having spent much time researching the candidates, even attending forums. It's been a great experience, being engaged in the democratic process of our republic, especially at the local level, because these races have a very significant impact on us.
Here's to all the wonderful discussions that took place during the campaigns, and best wishes to all the winners as they go off to do their work.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
The Paschal Mystery Version 2015
I am keenly aware that our present existence is influenced by events that happened in our past. That's why I've enjoyed studying history as a personal hobby, because it takes us back through story of how we came to be who we are today.
It's the reason I enjoy celebrating Independence Day. It's also why the Triduum is the most meaningful church celebration of the year for me: It speaks to those pivotal days nearly 2000 years ago when Christ effected His salvific work. These days are at the heart of what it means to be Christian.
For sure, I have my favorite moments that I always look forward to each year when the Triduum comes. (To see that list, please refer to the comment I posted at the end of my post on last year's Triduum 2014.) But at the same time, I seek to keep myself open to how I can experience this annual observance in a new way each year.
There are so many powerful elements in the services on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the prayers, Scripture readings, and other symbols. But this year, I found myself very drawn to the lyrics of the songs we sang.
It started off right away at Maundy Thursday Mass, with the song "We Should Glory". Those lyrics speak to what the Triduum is all about, that Jesus Christ reigns as King upon the Cross, and we should glory in Him and His Cross, because they are the means of our salvation.
I was given the task of proclaiming the first reading at Maundy Thursday, which is a selection from Exodus 12, when God gives the Israelites, through Moses, instructions for celebrating the Passover. This reading sets the context in which Christ established the New Covenant in which we stand, by which we are saved.
The one thing that struck me from the foot washing rite was how much of a family experience it was: There were some couples and families together helping wash feet, and families came together to wash each other's feet. It speaks to how we experience the presence of Christ in our families and in our Church family.
When it came to Cross Friday, I found myself faced with so many wonderful opportunities for prayerful reflection. I ended up at St. Mary of Celle Parish in Berwyn in the afternoon for a live enactment of the Passion of Christ. Upon reaching the point when Jesus is condemend to death, we all left the church sanctuary and walked the Way of the Cross as we followed Jesus walking around the block.
As I walked, I felt as if my movements were joining me to Christ. This is an important idea behind the Triduum: We don't merely remember these things happening to Christ, but we place ourselves in them, that we may be one with Christ who joined Himself to our humanity. I also thought back to the March for Life Chicago 2015, when Archbishop Cupich remarked that we march and join ourselves to the plight of those women in need. I was indeed marching there on this Cross Friday, joining myself to Christ and the way of His Cross, as it is still experienced today through those who suffer.
Later, I attended an evening service at Calvary Memorial Church. The service leader, who happened to be my brother, began the service with a few remarks, encouraging those present to feel the weight of this somber occasion in the words of Scripture and the songs. I indeed felt a certain sense of heaviness, remembering the sufferings of Christ.
The service I attended a little later at Ascension gave me more opportunity to reflect on suffering, a very real part of our human experience. It was a part of our humanity that God didn't shun, but rather, Jesus Christ fully entered into our sufferings, even upon the Cross. Though God doesn't remove our sufferings, He strengthens us to face them. That is why we join ourselves to His Cross, symbolized in the Veneration of the Cross, that our sufferings may have redemptive power.
And to God we offered our intercessions solemnly. These ritualistic intercessions were different than before. There was one intercession praying for all government officials, from the federal level all the way down to the local level.
The beginning and end of this service felt so stark. Yet the music spoke so richly, as we honored the death of Christ, knowing what it brought us, together with His Resurrection.
The next morning, on Holy Saturday, I attended Morning Prayer. Gene, the Pastoral intern at Ascension, offered a wonderful reflection on anointing, a major part of the baptisms to take place much later that day. One meaningful part of Holy Saturday Morning Prayer is laying hands in blessing on the Elect, who were to be baptized.
Then, when Morning Prayer ended, it was time to decorate the Church, getting the Bride (at Ascension) ready and beautiful for the Groom.
There was so much richness in the Great Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, right from the start as the Paschal Candle was lit, speaking of Christ, our glorious Savior, with so much symbolism. Those praises continued in the Exultet, with its glorious language acclaiming how God worked wonders through the centuries in saving us, even unto Christ, whose Resurrection we acclaim and celebrate on this blessed night.
One noticeable difference this year was a reading from Jonah. There's a fitting connection between Jonah, who spent three days in the belly of a whale, and Jesus, who spent three days in the tomb.
There was quite a flood of light during the Gloria. And then, during the Epistle reading, the lector actually came down from the ambo and addressed the Elect in a personal way. The Elect were often addressed directly during the Mass, yet what was said to them applies to all of us who have already been baptized for sometime.
Then, finally, came the great moment of the Alleluia acclamation. I got emotional hearing David Anderson's voice lead the choir in breaking out that great song of praise of Christ and His new Life. (And, oh, how those Alleluias roll off the tongue with added delight after the Lenten hiatus.) But again, this wasn't about remembering Christ coming back to life, but our coming to new life in Christ, which we did as we witnessed the four baptisms (and five confirmations), and then processed to the font to renew ourselves in our baptisms. Serving as Eucharistic minister gave me the chance to witness the new neophytes, and one newly Confirmed, complete their initiation by partaking of the Eucharist for the first time. All throughout, the choir led us in great music, especially the anthem sung during the Offertory.
The celebration got going right away the next morning when Mom put on some celebratory Easter music at breakfast.
And the musicians at Mass really sang their hearts out in offering praises for Christ's Resurrection, as did the incense in its own way. As I swung the thurible in the procession, and then paused at the back side of the altar, I saw a huge cloud of incense smoke rise above the altar toward the dome, which was an incredible sight.
Plus, the sanctuary was packed, and made everything seem so alive that Sunday morning. I realized more fully how packed the Church was when I served as Eucharist minister for the back half of the Church. There were so many people who passed by, and it went on for quite a bit of time. I even had to wait a while in the back of the Church for people to exit before I could get back to the sacristy at the end of Mass.
The celebration continued as I spent time with family later in the day, even during a car ride when I brought my Grandma to our meal. Our meal was quite a feast, with both lamb and ham, from Costco.
The General Norms for the Liturgical Year, #18, speaks to the importance of these three days, saying they form the heart of the Church year, and giving meaning to all the 362 other days. We have this faith because Christ rose from the dead, after having died, and signifying His death to be part of a New Covenant in the blood He shed. By celebrating this Sacred Holy Paschal Triduum, we are renewed in the basis for the faith we live every day, reminded of where it all started. And as part of living this faith, we join ourselves to the Christ who gave Himself for us, that in dying and rising with Him, we may fully live this new life, which points our way now toward Heaven, where we shall dwell with the God who loves us so much, and sent His Son to make Heaven a possibility for us.
That's why I look forward to these sacred celebrations every year, and they were something to behold this year as always.
It's the reason I enjoy celebrating Independence Day. It's also why the Triduum is the most meaningful church celebration of the year for me: It speaks to those pivotal days nearly 2000 years ago when Christ effected His salvific work. These days are at the heart of what it means to be Christian.
For sure, I have my favorite moments that I always look forward to each year when the Triduum comes. (To see that list, please refer to the comment I posted at the end of my post on last year's Triduum 2014.) But at the same time, I seek to keep myself open to how I can experience this annual observance in a new way each year.
There are so many powerful elements in the services on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with the prayers, Scripture readings, and other symbols. But this year, I found myself very drawn to the lyrics of the songs we sang.
It started off right away at Maundy Thursday Mass, with the song "We Should Glory". Those lyrics speak to what the Triduum is all about, that Jesus Christ reigns as King upon the Cross, and we should glory in Him and His Cross, because they are the means of our salvation.
I was given the task of proclaiming the first reading at Maundy Thursday, which is a selection from Exodus 12, when God gives the Israelites, through Moses, instructions for celebrating the Passover. This reading sets the context in which Christ established the New Covenant in which we stand, by which we are saved.
The one thing that struck me from the foot washing rite was how much of a family experience it was: There were some couples and families together helping wash feet, and families came together to wash each other's feet. It speaks to how we experience the presence of Christ in our families and in our Church family.
When it came to Cross Friday, I found myself faced with so many wonderful opportunities for prayerful reflection. I ended up at St. Mary of Celle Parish in Berwyn in the afternoon for a live enactment of the Passion of Christ. Upon reaching the point when Jesus is condemend to death, we all left the church sanctuary and walked the Way of the Cross as we followed Jesus walking around the block.
As I walked, I felt as if my movements were joining me to Christ. This is an important idea behind the Triduum: We don't merely remember these things happening to Christ, but we place ourselves in them, that we may be one with Christ who joined Himself to our humanity. I also thought back to the March for Life Chicago 2015, when Archbishop Cupich remarked that we march and join ourselves to the plight of those women in need. I was indeed marching there on this Cross Friday, joining myself to Christ and the way of His Cross, as it is still experienced today through those who suffer.
Later, I attended an evening service at Calvary Memorial Church. The service leader, who happened to be my brother, began the service with a few remarks, encouraging those present to feel the weight of this somber occasion in the words of Scripture and the songs. I indeed felt a certain sense of heaviness, remembering the sufferings of Christ.
The service I attended a little later at Ascension gave me more opportunity to reflect on suffering, a very real part of our human experience. It was a part of our humanity that God didn't shun, but rather, Jesus Christ fully entered into our sufferings, even upon the Cross. Though God doesn't remove our sufferings, He strengthens us to face them. That is why we join ourselves to His Cross, symbolized in the Veneration of the Cross, that our sufferings may have redemptive power.
And to God we offered our intercessions solemnly. These ritualistic intercessions were different than before. There was one intercession praying for all government officials, from the federal level all the way down to the local level.
The beginning and end of this service felt so stark. Yet the music spoke so richly, as we honored the death of Christ, knowing what it brought us, together with His Resurrection.
The next morning, on Holy Saturday, I attended Morning Prayer. Gene, the Pastoral intern at Ascension, offered a wonderful reflection on anointing, a major part of the baptisms to take place much later that day. One meaningful part of Holy Saturday Morning Prayer is laying hands in blessing on the Elect, who were to be baptized.
Then, when Morning Prayer ended, it was time to decorate the Church, getting the Bride (at Ascension) ready and beautiful for the Groom.
There was so much richness in the Great Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, right from the start as the Paschal Candle was lit, speaking of Christ, our glorious Savior, with so much symbolism. Those praises continued in the Exultet, with its glorious language acclaiming how God worked wonders through the centuries in saving us, even unto Christ, whose Resurrection we acclaim and celebrate on this blessed night.
One noticeable difference this year was a reading from Jonah. There's a fitting connection between Jonah, who spent three days in the belly of a whale, and Jesus, who spent three days in the tomb.
There was quite a flood of light during the Gloria. And then, during the Epistle reading, the lector actually came down from the ambo and addressed the Elect in a personal way. The Elect were often addressed directly during the Mass, yet what was said to them applies to all of us who have already been baptized for sometime.
Then, finally, came the great moment of the Alleluia acclamation. I got emotional hearing David Anderson's voice lead the choir in breaking out that great song of praise of Christ and His new Life. (And, oh, how those Alleluias roll off the tongue with added delight after the Lenten hiatus.) But again, this wasn't about remembering Christ coming back to life, but our coming to new life in Christ, which we did as we witnessed the four baptisms (and five confirmations), and then processed to the font to renew ourselves in our baptisms. Serving as Eucharistic minister gave me the chance to witness the new neophytes, and one newly Confirmed, complete their initiation by partaking of the Eucharist for the first time. All throughout, the choir led us in great music, especially the anthem sung during the Offertory.
The celebration got going right away the next morning when Mom put on some celebratory Easter music at breakfast.
And the musicians at Mass really sang their hearts out in offering praises for Christ's Resurrection, as did the incense in its own way. As I swung the thurible in the procession, and then paused at the back side of the altar, I saw a huge cloud of incense smoke rise above the altar toward the dome, which was an incredible sight.
Plus, the sanctuary was packed, and made everything seem so alive that Sunday morning. I realized more fully how packed the Church was when I served as Eucharist minister for the back half of the Church. There were so many people who passed by, and it went on for quite a bit of time. I even had to wait a while in the back of the Church for people to exit before I could get back to the sacristy at the end of Mass.
The celebration continued as I spent time with family later in the day, even during a car ride when I brought my Grandma to our meal. Our meal was quite a feast, with both lamb and ham, from Costco.
The General Norms for the Liturgical Year, #18, speaks to the importance of these three days, saying they form the heart of the Church year, and giving meaning to all the 362 other days. We have this faith because Christ rose from the dead, after having died, and signifying His death to be part of a New Covenant in the blood He shed. By celebrating this Sacred Holy Paschal Triduum, we are renewed in the basis for the faith we live every day, reminded of where it all started. And as part of living this faith, we join ourselves to the Christ who gave Himself for us, that in dying and rising with Him, we may fully live this new life, which points our way now toward Heaven, where we shall dwell with the God who loves us so much, and sent His Son to make Heaven a possibility for us.
That's why I look forward to these sacred celebrations every year, and they were something to behold this year as always.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
A Matter about Religion
The Jewish festival of Passover is at its end. At this time, I can't help but think back to the beginning of last month, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the United States Congress, on the day before another Jewish holiday, Purim, began.
He started his speech addressing the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and other ambitions by making a timely reference to the story in Jewish history of Esther, and ended it with a reference to another story, that of Moses's leading the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, pertinent to the occasion of Passover now at hand.
I find it wonderful that Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed out Moses's appearance in the House Chamber, which, according to the US Capitol Architect's website, is in a marble relief portrait along with 23 other Lawgivers throughout history. Moses was in a long line of individuals who contributed to the basis of governmental Law upon which the US Constitution was established, individuals whose images appear above the House gallery doors. It's amazing to note these various details that compose the design of such important spaces.
Furthermore, it's fitting that Prime Minister Netanyahu made these religious references because what's at stake in the Middle East conflicts right now involves religion so heavily. These Islamic countries base their government, and the whole of their society, on Islam, which is something that countries like the United States don't conceive so well because of the secular nature of our society.
That's probably part of the reason why sometimes US leaders don't always prove so helpful when mediating in these conflicts, especially when it comes to aiding Israel in standing against a menace like Iran, which has as the foundation for its government, the idea of waging jihad against all those outside of Islam, and is now flexing its nuclear muscles.
Those outside the Middle East should more intimately understand the major role of religion in these conflicts as they seek to help alleviate them. Because we see again another example of how a major world power seeks to annihilate the people of God, the Jews in Israel, just as Haman did thousands of years ago, based on their religion, and how Israel continues to stand strong, as Moses commanded them before their entry into the Promised Land.
He started his speech addressing the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and other ambitions by making a timely reference to the story in Jewish history of Esther, and ended it with a reference to another story, that of Moses's leading the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, pertinent to the occasion of Passover now at hand.
I find it wonderful that Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed out Moses's appearance in the House Chamber, which, according to the US Capitol Architect's website, is in a marble relief portrait along with 23 other Lawgivers throughout history. Moses was in a long line of individuals who contributed to the basis of governmental Law upon which the US Constitution was established, individuals whose images appear above the House gallery doors. It's amazing to note these various details that compose the design of such important spaces.
Furthermore, it's fitting that Prime Minister Netanyahu made these religious references because what's at stake in the Middle East conflicts right now involves religion so heavily. These Islamic countries base their government, and the whole of their society, on Islam, which is something that countries like the United States don't conceive so well because of the secular nature of our society.
That's probably part of the reason why sometimes US leaders don't always prove so helpful when mediating in these conflicts, especially when it comes to aiding Israel in standing against a menace like Iran, which has as the foundation for its government, the idea of waging jihad against all those outside of Islam, and is now flexing its nuclear muscles.
Those outside the Middle East should more intimately understand the major role of religion in these conflicts as they seek to help alleviate them. Because we see again another example of how a major world power seeks to annihilate the people of God, the Jews in Israel, just as Haman did thousands of years ago, based on their religion, and how Israel continues to stand strong, as Moses commanded them before their entry into the Promised Land.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)