Dear 1036: Birthday Celebration Time

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence,

The middle of March is my birthday, and I have so many fond birthday memories of celebrating that day at my beloved home.

When I turned 23, I decided to invite my family extensions for a birthday lunch, since it was on a Sunday, and so many of them could be there.  So far as I recall, we had some kind of pasta dish.  It was a wonderful time gathered around the table in a spirit of celebration and enjoying a great meal.

The next year, we had food from Grape Leaves.  Our close family friends, the Reiters, consider it their favorite Oak Park restaurant with great comfort food.  Since they built up their business slowly but surely by word of mouth, it was only fitting that we ordered there in such a spirit.

A few years later, when I turned 28, I invited Abuela over to join my parents and me for dinner from Boston Market, since it has my favorite, turkey.  We made sure to keep an eye on Weasley, especially when he got close to the table and started eyeing the gravy.

Indeed, there has been so much good food over the years, enhanced by the spirit of celebration that we enjoyed together.

All my relations,

God's blessings,

Paul

White Smoke and the New Man in White: 10 Years Later

After a memorable first week of Spring Break at St. Augustine Mission during my final year at ValpU in March 2013, I spent the second week of break at home.

On Monday of that week, the conclave convened to elect a new pope.  I was glad that I was home, largely free of obligations so that I could follow the proceedings.  I remember how I was in 8th grade when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, and I didn't find out until hours later after the school day ended, somewhat disappointed that I had missed it.

The news reported that there would be two rounds of voting, and the smoke from the burning ballots would appear at 6 AM and 1 PM CDT.

So I followed the coverage at those times to see which color smoke would appear, even going so far as to wake up earlier to check at 6 AM.

Following the end of the WGN Midday News on Wednesday, March 13, I sat down at the computer and opened a livestream feed from the Vatican.  No smoke was present, so I switched to another tab to do something else.  When I heard some noise, I switched back to the livestream, and I saw the white smoke!

I excitedly went from the computer in the dining room to the back sunroom in our home, and turned on the TV to NBC, where I lingered for almost the next two hours while the proceedings unfolded.  I had to wait a while for the Cardinal Protodeacon, Jean-Louis Tauran, to announce the Latin formula that a new Pope had been elected and who it was.  When he announced the name, I didn't catch it, but then NBC displayed an image of Cardinal Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the first time I heard of him.

Then he appeared, as Pope Francis.  It was clear during his first remarks that he is a person of deep faith and prayer, especially in how he led prayers for Pope Emeritus Benedict.  Then, Pope Francis then humbly asked the people to pray for him as the new pope.

Pope Francis has certainly captured the world's attention because of his pastoral style of reaching out to people and seeking to assist those in need.

As I reflect back on that day 10 years ago when he was elected, it was marvelous to watch the unfolding of a new part of Church history, in accordance with customs that stretch back centuries.  Ultimately, it connects us back to Christ, Who charged St. Peter with a special leadership role in the Church, to uphold the teachings and hand them on so that we, the sheep of the flock, would encounter God and then take up the mission of making Him known.  And in each generation, we come to realize this mission anew.

Another Year of Life in Moments

While I customarily reflect on significant moments of the calendar year around New Year's Eve, the occasion of my birthday in the middle of March gives me another opportunity to do just the same.

I'm sure I could reflect at length on meaningful experiences during the past year of my life.  Many of them are associated with my travels:

Going to Death Valley National Park to experience summertime heat on July 18 was on my Big To-Do List.  Just 2 days earlier, I went to Mexico, the land of my heritage, for the first time.  And the day before that, I had a thrilling and scenic ride on the Pacific Surliner train, which paralleled the coast and came so close, providing spectacular views.

It was also thrilling to feel the high speed of riding the Acela train at over 100 mph during my family vacation in Washington, D.C., almost a year ago.  And it was enjoyable to check out the first-class experience on my way back from a quick visit to Philadelphia, where I reconnected again with Independence Hall by going on a tour.

In October, volunteering at the OPRF History Museum during Open House Chicago weekend was a great way for me to showcase how much Oak Park has meant to me, especially as I marked the 30th anniversary of moving here on November 28.  While I don't have memories of that moving day, there's no doubt it is paramount in its influence on my life.

I think the same way about the day of my baptism.  It was particularly special to celebrate that anniversary this year because on the same day was the 60th ordination anniversary of Father Pacocha, who baptized me.  I eagerly went to attend a special Mass held in honor of his special occasion on April 23.  At the reception, I thanked her for the impact he had on me, which has gone on to impact so many others, including my RE students.

Religious Education continues to be an important part of my life. Each year is a chance to do some of the same things in class, while taking up new things with a different group of students.

Customarily, I share the story of my faith journey with my students in class, and I mark the progression of the journey by noting significant days in my life.  During this year, when I shared my story, and opened the floor for questions upon finishing, one student asked me what the most significant day of my life is.  I responded by saying there are so many, but somehow, the day of my Confirmation rises to the top.  While my physical life is a great gift that I experienced specially for the first time when I was born, my Confirmation was an experience when I entered more deeply into the mystery of God, Who gave me the gift of life, and enhanced its meaning through the Abundant Life that comes through the Paschal Mystery of Christ.  The day of my Confirmation was when I made a decisive step deeper into the mystery which I realize by faith, and then transformed me to advance forward to put that gift of faith into action.  I have indeed realized the great purpose for my life through the Life that comes to me by faith.

And so I rejoice and give thanks to God.

The Week of a Lifetime, One Decade Ago

One of the most profound weeks of my life happened 10 years ago at the beginning of March 2013:  From March 2-9, I was on a mission/service trip at St. Augustine Mission in northeast Nebraska, a Roman Catholic mission that serves the people on the Winnebago and Omaha Reservations in that part of the state.

I had seen numerous mission trip opportunities growing up, but I passed on them, since they didn't seem like quite the opportunity for me.  When St. Teresa's in Valparaiso formed a sister parish relationship with St. Augustine, and then offered this mission/service trip there, I jumped at the opportunity.

Throughout the week, we did a variety of tasks, like assembling shelving units for a food pantry, sorting clothing donations, cleaning church floors, and even demolition work.  The week also had ample opportunities to immerse ourselves in the culture of the Omaha and Winnebago peoples, starting from Sunday Mass, the day after our arrival.  It was March 3, the Feast of St. Mother Katharine Drexel, who used her enormous inheritance money to start missions to serve Native Americand and African-Americans, including St. Augustine.  Mass that day included elements of indigenous culture, like incense and songs in the indigenous languages.

While I knew about Native Americans and their plight in the course of US history from school, this trip was the chance to get to know them in a much more holistic way.  We really put ourselves into their world, and saw the lingering effects of a dark history, like when we went out on a tour of the reservations on Sunday, our first full day there, as Dwight showed us around.

There was one particularly heavy evening on Tuesday during our dinner when two community members joined us, Sarah and Tunny. Sarah told heartbreaking stories about how her grandmother was punished as a child at the school for using indigenous words with her friend.  Yet her grandmother found healing and forgiveness, remaining true to her Roman Catholic faith throughout her life.

The following evening, Wednesday, March 6, we immersed ourselves even more deeply in the indigenous culture by participating in the weekly Sweat Lodge ceremony held in the backyard of Nathan's house in the small town of Rosalie.  Besides experiencing the intensity of the hot, humid conditions in the hut-like structure, there was a deeply spiritual component to the ceremony that speaks to the experience of what it means to be human.  In the midst of the fiery trials of life, when we focus on prayer, acknowledging how real God is, we overcome, through His help, and are made anew.  I went into the ceremony somewhat nervous, like everyone else in the group, unsure if I could endure for the entire time.  Yet as each of the 4 rounds of the ceremony concluded, my confidence built, and when it was over, I emerged with a great sense of empowerment.  Upon exiting the sweat lodge, we each uttered the words, "All my relations", since it was similar to emerging from the womb in birth, and we were truly made anew through the purifying power of the heat and our time in prayer.  In some ways, the Sweat Lodge was the defining experience of the entire week.

Indeed, despite the mistreatment they've faced, the Native peoples have demonstrated great resilience and there's so much of their culture that is alive.  We saw great hope in how there are many working to build a better world in the reservations, not the least of which is the mission:  Decades after the school staff sought to eradicate indigenous culture, the school is helping it flourish through efforts like teaching the Ho-Chunk language.  I actually sat in on a Ho-Chunk language class on Thursday, when we all spent time in classes at the school.  We also joined the students for breakfast most days and lunch on two different days.

Indeed, relationships with the people were such a memorable part of the trip, and also the ways that we bonded with each other in our group over the course of the week while riding from one place to the next, doing our week, breaking bread, and our nightly reflections led by Lydia, our group's student leader.  And all throughout the week, we had opportunities to see God working.

At Sunday Mass, the first reading was the account of Moses's encounter with God in the burning bush at Horeb.  Father Dave pointed out that we were on holy ground, where a saint walked--and such places are few and far between in the USA.  Yet as I reflected in an account I wrote shortly after that trip, it was holy ground because of the people there working to meet the needs of those on the reservations to give them the chance to flourish in life.  Further, it was holy ground people those of us in our group devoted a week to put faith into action by serving there.

And 10 years later, that week still stirs my heart profoundly:  It inspires me to continue seeking to put faith into action wherever I am each day, through struggles and joys, while living more closely configured to God's purpose for my life, as I draw upon encounters with God from the past, which is why I still feel connected with those we interacted with in northeast Nebraska, and those in my group I served with there.

All my relations.

Thanks and praise to God.

Dear 1036: Ebb and Flow of Winter

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence,

February certainly has brought some big snows as we draw toward the end of winter.

Back in 2021, there was a particularly significant snowstorm that started intensifying around the time I left work in Orland Park, and it took me between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get home to you.  Once home, I sat for dinner and relaxed my muscle soreness from the involved drive.  I was glad I didn't have to be at work the next day.

Later that month, we started heading in a spring-like thaw, and the snow was melting.  I remember seeing the melted state of the snow as I rolled my suitcase along the sidewalk to reach the Blue Line and go to Union Station to board the Amtrak Capitol Limited train on way down to Florida.

And it was definitely springlike the day I returned to you from that trip in the first week of March.

There are always wonders of nature to behold.

With gratitude,

Paul

Dear 1036 Clarence

In tribute to where I grew up, and pursuant to a suggestion someone offered me, here is a letter I wrote to the home:

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence Avenue,

 

You are a house that for over 30 years has truly been a home in the fullest sense of the word. In you I have grown from a baby boy into maturity.  I was so young when I first came to you that I have no memories of that day.  You were there at my dawning of life.  You’ve always been part of my existence in a close, intimate way.

 

In you I experienced great love from the immediate family with whom I lived in countless ways.  I think of the warmth that washed over me when Mom, Dad, and Eric surprised me with gifts right away in the morning on my birthday when I was little, probably about 4.  And there were so many other birthdays, too.  There were also holidays, when other family came to visit and we shared the joy that marks Thanksgiving Day and the Birth and Resurrection of Christ.  Indeed, we shared that joy with so many others who came, including great friends I brought here, among them, Zach, Richard, Matthew, Roy, Rogenique, and the Ruggabers.

 

In you I celebrated so many important events in my life.  There was great joy celebrating graduations, especially after I concluded my time at Julian in June 2005, and then 11 years later, celebrating the achievement of my MLIS degree on May 8, 2016.

 

In you, I experienced so many historical moments.  In the comfort you offered, I processed the immense tragedy of September 11, 2001, even as I took comfort in the final words of President Bush’s speech that night.  I watched live coverage of Pope Francis’s election, and then his trip to the USA in 2015, followed by his trip to Mexico a few months later. I witnessed the progression of technology, from our first computer to dial-up Internet service, and then high-speed Internet. I watched a tape of the 2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on VHS, and more recently, watched curling at the 2022 Beijing Olympics on the second to last night through the Peacock streaming service.

 

And I also enjoyed those little pleasures like the smells of baked goods: cinnamon rolls from a can, and freshly-baked sweet breads.  It was a great delight each spring when the flowers bloomed, the lilacs and most especially the peonies in the yard.  Autumn brings a vibrant shade of red to the tree in front.  On so many mornings, looking out my bedroom window the east, I admired a splendid sunrise, just as I delighted in the light of a full moon shining down on me.

 

Truly that Saturday, November 28, 1992, was a defining day in my life when I first came to live in you.  That day shall always be reason for me to celebrate.  You have given me so much reason for joy, and my rejoicing shall truly last for a lifetime. For you have truly been a home where I have truly lived life.  You are a part of the core of my being.  My love for you shall last for a long time to come, even as expressed in this letter.  You will never fade into the background.

 

And you shall ever remain in my heart: “You’ll be in my heart…”

 

We are Amigos para Siempre, friends for life.

 

I thank God for the gift you have been and are.  Just as Mom said, she and Dad knew you were the place we would move 30 years ago.  You have been part of shaping my identity, and I shall remain connected with you and the events that happened in you:

 

All my relations.

 

With joyful gratitude deep in my heart,

May God bless you,

Paul

New Year's Eve 2022 at 1036 Clarence

I shall continue celebrating and elaborating on what happened at 1036 Clarence over the course of 30 years, with letters regularly posted on this blog.

The Nexus Between Residences

I am in a nexus point in my life, transitioning from the home where I've lived with my family for 30 years to a new homebase.

To ritualize this passage, I invited Father Rex, pastor of Ascension-St. Edmund Parish, to my condo to offer a blessing as part of a ceremony on Sunday, February 12.  Family, friends, and fellow parishioners joined.  I was also honored that my realtor, Kris Sagan, was present, who was an instrumental part of my transition, including in a spiritual sense.

This time of my life highlights how in certain circumstances, music has a way of expressing what words alone can't.

During the ceremony, I played the following songs, which I all enjoy very much, each for a specific reason:

And that is especially the case with the "Circle of Life", which epitomizes the passage I've made over the past few weeks, and how I've strived to grasp on to what matters most in life along the way.

My Grandma Dottie is no longer physically present with us in this life, yet her mark is absolutely upon my new homebase, from the bath linens I got from her, still marked with her apartment numbers, to the funds from inheritance money from her that made it possible for me to acquire ownership of a new condo.  It was only fitting to acknowledge her touch upon my new place by playing the refrain of "Great is Thy Faithfulness", her favorite hymn: "Great is Thy Faithfulness, / Great is Thy Faithfulness, / Morning by morning new mercies I see, / All I have needed Thy Hand hath provided, / Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

When it comes to "The Prayer", performed by Mat and Savanna Shaw, there's something so profound about the words together with the melody.  Savanna recorded this song for her fellow choirmembers in the spring of 2020 when pandemic restrictions prevented them from being together for their usual sessions.  She asked her dad, Mat, to join.  They posted it to social media, and it went viral.  Now, they have a YouTube channel with thousands of followers.  They have truly made a special mark on the world by sharing their uplifting music.

At this point in the ceremony, I proclaimed 4 Scripture passages:

Joshua 24:14-15

This passage is from the first reading proclaimed at the first Mass I attended at St. Teresa's on Sunday, August 23, 2009, the day after I went away from my beloved childhood home to Valparaiso University.  It was fitting to bring back these words in this current time of transition.

Psalm 116:12-14,17-19

I am filled with an immense amount of gratitude for the life I lived on Clarence Avenue for 30 years, which is a basis for the person I am now in a new homebase, as I seek to live in a continued spirit of gratitude.

John 15:1-10

By faith, I have a relationship with God, the gift of Jesus Christ, sustained by the Holy Spirit, and it continues as I remain in Him, together with the whole Church.

Colossians 3:16-17

Living by faith with an eye toward God gives great purpose, especially as we offer it up in a spirit of thanksgiving.  I proclaimed this passage from the Bible I gave as a gift to my parents for their 25th wedding anniversary.

Father Rex then blessed the condo, which included a prayer for the different rooms, and then sprinkled them with holy water.  He also proclaimed the story of Jesus at the home of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42.  It's a fitting passage of being aware of welcoming God into home life.  There was something stirring about seeing Father Rex going to bless and pray at the rooms, and even the front door.

In an awareness of being driven by an all-encompassing vision of God in the midst of a nexus, I played "Be Thou My Vision", performed by two sisters, Abby and Annalise, including the verse beginning with the words, "Be Thou my battleshield..." of which I was unaware until my friend Zach's wedding on New Year's Eve 2021.  (I like how the sisters' outfits change to reflect different centuries with each verse.)

The song "Glorious", performed by the One Voice Children's Choir, is definitely one of my favorites.  This choir started by performing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and has continued to sing songs with uplifting messages.  This song speaks to how so many places and so many people have been part of my life, and together, we each are specially part of a glorious symphony of life.  I highlighted this with 8x10 photos I have prominently displayed in my condo of the home where I grew up, Ascension Church, Percy Julian Middle School (about 3/4 miles directly east of my condo), and St. Cornelius Parish in Chicago, where I was baptized.

I certainly also think about this in regard to all the people who gathered, including my realtor, Kris.  Around the time I started searching for a new residence, in the waning days of my employment at the Orland Park Public Library, in my stack of books to do was a book about the steps of buying residential property.  It mentioned that it involves a team of people, and I am blessed that I had Kris as a realtor, who proved herself a knowledgeable expert and a faith-filled woman, who got together with my Mom in a group to pray for each other's children.  Her genius was demonstrated when she employed the used of the escalation clause in my offer paperwork so that I could maintain a competitive advantage while saving thousands of dollars.

To celebrate my place as as citizen of the United States of America, a significant pillar in my life, and recognizing Abraham Lincoln's birthday, I concluded with "God Bless America", performed by John McDermott.  (It's notable that all three permanent addresses in my life are in Illinois.)

After a prayer of blessing for the meal, the mingling part of the gathering started.  I played "My Place in this World" by Michael W. Smith, which speaks powerfully about seeking the purpose God gives us in life.

I also distributed door prizes, prints of two different photos.

Back on August 23, 2021, I photographed this sunset over the I-290.  I submitted it to the attention of WGN News through social media, and Demetrius Ivory featured it on the evening news weather segment.

I saw this sun dog on a cold Christmas Eve morning 2022.  After feeling discouraged about my transition, I saw it as an answer to prayer as a sign that God provided me.

There are some additional songs that were not part of the ceremony that I include here:

"O God, You Search Me", based on Psalm 139, speaks about how God's presence is all-encompassing in all times and palces.

"Lifesong", performed by Casting Crowns, speaks powerfully about the purpose we have for God in life.

During the mingling, I played albums of the complete soundtracks for two movies I enjoy, Lincoln and

Cars.  The latter has some particularly great songs, like "Life is a Highway", symbolizing the movement we make in life.

I was intentional about serving entrees from Oak Park restaurants, to celebrate how much it means for me to have lived in Oak Park for 30 years and to continue my place here in a new residence.  I had a pasta tray from Cuzzo, on the same block as Julian Middle School, and the combination plate from Jerusalem Cafe.  I also served applesauce/berry bread and cornbread.  It was great to see how I created an experience in which everyone was making merry and having a great time.  I look forward to hosting future gatherings in the condo.

At this nexus point, I behold the impact of decisions we make in our lives.  Some are small, and some are big.  There's a varying degree of how much we control we have in making them, and what factors are beyond our control.

I marvel at the decision my parents made 30 years ago to move to a home in Oak Park, giving me a wonderful home marked by love and goodwill in a fine village.  I have valued that beloved home, and it's clear that decision from 30 years ago has had long-lasting effects, which I am still realizing even now as I have made passage to a new homebase as I affirm and celebrate those roots and continue what started 30 years ago.  I feel a sense of connection, epitomized in the Native American phrase: "Mita Kuye Oyasin", translated into English as "All my relations".

Through it all, I enter more deeply into the mystery of God, as illustrated in the St. Francis Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your Peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith;

And where there is despair, hope.

Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is dying that we are born to Eternal life.

Amen.

And so I am made anew, and even my wonderful past at 1036 Clarence is made anew, too.