Author: esteban

Pilgrimage to Rome

/ esteban

I am enormously privileged to be going to Rome this week and witnessing the Beatification of Pope John Paul II.

I’ve been to Rome several times before and saw Pope John Paul II on three occasions.

I took this photo standing alongside his popemobile route through St. Peter’s Square on May 18, 2000.   This was a special Mass commemorating his 80th birthday.   What a joyous occasion and we couldn’t  believe how close we were allowed to get.  I could have touched him (with a little help, perhaps).

I was there with about 25 students from the St. Philip Neri Newman Center at the University of Tulsa on the first of our yearly pilgrimages to Europe.

We returned to Rome four years later (May 2004) with another group of students and were even more blessed with chances to see JPII.

Somehow, I’m still not sure how this worked out, but we had the awesome privilege of attending the Mass for the canonization of six new saints  Luigi Orione, Hannibal Mary Di Francia, José Manyanet y Vives, Nimatullah Kassab Al-Hardini, Paola Elisabetta Cerioli, Gianna Beretta Molla.

You can get a sense of the joyful atmosphere and see the portraits of the new saints on the fascade of St. Peter’s Basilica. It was a bit like attending a football game with groups chanting and singing and sharing information about their favorite saint.  I had never heard of St. Gianna Beretta Molla before this day but was very moved to see her husband and daughter present the saint’s relics to the Holy Father.  Can you imagine what it must have been like for your wife or mother to be canonized as a saint!?  She has since become a favorite of mine and a true testament to the sanctity of life.

Even more astounding, a few days later we attended the pope’s weekly audience and had tickets to sit on the platform next to the altar.  Our bishop, Most Reverend Edward Slattery of the Diocese of Tulsa, was in Rome for his ad limina visit and secured these seats for our group.  What an honor and privilege to be so close to the Holy Father while he spoke.   It was difficult to get good photos from there and not cause a disruption, but here’s one that suffices.

It was a very sad day when he died, about a year after this trip.  What a tremendous library of writings and speeches he left us; and such a testimony and Christian witness during his final months.  Who doesn’t remember where they were during Holy Week of 2005 and the following weeks of his final decline, death, and funeral, followed by the Conclave of cardinals and the election of Pope Benedict?

It is enormously significant to me to be able to witness Pope John Paul II’s Mass of Beatification and to see Pope Benedict in person.  I can hardly believe that I’ll be there in a few days.

I will do my best to share my experiences as much as I can while in Rome.  I hope you’ll join me.

Honor John Paul II on YouTube!

/ esteban

Fr. Roderick over at SQPN had a great idea for the upcoming beatification of Pope John Paul II.

He is inviting people to create short video testimonies about their memories of JPII and upload them to YouTube. A really fine way to document his legacy!

Learn more over at SQPN at this link.

“The Way” Movie

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The Way – Trailer. Watch more top selected videos about: St james, BBC

I have great anticipation for the upcoming film “The Way”, directed by Emilio Estevez and starring Martin Sheen.    It’s a fictional story filmed along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

I was blessed to spend more than 3 weeks walking the Camino in the spring of 2007 with my good friends Jim and Tom.  It was a great experience and continues to have an impact on my life.  I would like to walk the entire Camino some day, but until then, I hope this film will serve as a worthy reminder of that time.

So, take out your calendar and make a note to search out this film on September 30th.    If you’re lucky enough to live in Ireland or the UK, you can see the film starting May 30th.

St. Damien

/ esteban

 

St. Damien of Moloka'i

I have a new devotion to St. Damien of Moloka’i.

 

If you don’t know about St. Damien, his story of devotion to the lepers on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i is truly inspiring.   You would do well to read about him.

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few links:

Dr. Paul Camarata and his SaintCast have a couple of episodes dedicated to St. Damien.

Article on American Catholic
Article on Catholic Online

Why the sudden new devotion?

 

Last night, I had the opportunity to see a performance of the one-man play “Damien” written  by Aldyth Morris.  It was performed by a wonderful actor, Casey Groves.

Although there was a very small audience for this particular performance, his portrayal was very powerful and captivating.   Here’s a link to Casey’s website where you can see a bit of video of the play.

I seem drawn to  missionary saints and truly respect the special devotion it took for them to leave family and home to serve God and the Church.  So many of the struggled tremendously and faced certain martyrdom.

St. Damien is a great example of this type of devotion, knowing full well that he would face the same terrible disease afflicting his parishioners.

His relics are currently in Tulsa and I plan to visit them later today.

Once Upon Our Lives (1961-1966)

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In this latest installment of “Once Upon Our Lives,” we’ve finally reached 1961, the year yours truly makes his appearance.  Eighteen months later my little sister Stacey was born and our quintet of compadres was complete.

These were good years. Happy years.

Our family was prosperous and our summers were filled with trips to Six Flags, Grand Lake in Oklahoma, Big Bend National Park,  Monahans Sand Dunes and visits to our family in Tulsa.

We also indulged my mother’s love of animals.  It seems like we were always playing with one sort of animal or another.  Dogs, llamas, horses, donkeys, chickens, lambs, … it really didn’t seem to matter!

We made our home in Monument, New Mexico, just outside of Hobbs where I was born, but soon moved to Midland, Texas where we lived for the next 8 years.

Some of these photos bring back very good memories.  I particularly like my Batman-themed 5th birthday!

These were freer times too.  Honestly, who these days lets a 7-year old drive their boat with an outboard motor?

Links to previous “Once Upon Our Lives” posts:

100 Words

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I hope this post doesn’t come across as too weird or you think I’m finally off my rocker.

I often think that something totally random can also be poetic.  Take, for example, the list of the 100 most commonly used words in the English language, as determined by the Oxford English Dictionary.  (See this BBC article for more information.)

It occurred to me that if you take the words, in order of use, and add a little punctuation for emphasis, it turns out rather poetic.  Since I enjoy words in general, as does one particular reader of this blog, I thought I would share the resulting poem which I call “The Be To”

The Be To

Of, and a in, that have I
It, for not on, with he as you do.

At this, but his, by from they,
We say her.

She or an will, my one all
Would there their?

What so up out, if about?
Who get which, go me?

When make can, like time.
No, just him know.

Take people into year, your good.
Some could them see other than then.

Now, look only.

Come, its over.

Think also back after use.
Two how our work first well.

Way, even new want because.

Any these give day most us.

If you decide to call the guys in the white coats, be sure and let me know so I can have head start.

Re-entry Complete

/ esteban

Hello Dear Reader,

I’m back from my trip to Haiti and I think I’ve finally come through the “re-entry” pains that follow any truly meaningful mission experience.

If you’d like to see some of what we experienced while we were there, keep an eye on my Haiti “sub-blog” at haiti.everythingesteban.com.  You can click that little link at the top of the page to get there directly.

I saw the following post come through my RSS reader this morning and I thought I would share it with you.  It’s just my kind of humor!  If you don’t follow Rachel Balducci’s Testosterhome blog, you should!

Testosterhome: Morning Deal.

Catholic Media Promotion Day!

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Today is the day that Catholic podcasters, bloggers, Facebookers, Tweeters, TV/radio hosts, webmasters, authors, publishers, … well everyone involved in Catholic media is helping to get the word out about what they do!

The Catholic Church is a very large entity in our world and there are many, many people who serve the call of the “new evangelization” by creating different forms of media related to their lives of faith.

You can find everything – people who are seeking answers, people who teach, people who preach, people who inform, and just plain ordinary people who share the examples of their lives with the outside world.

In honor of this first Catholic Media Promotion Day, here are esteban’s personal picks!

esteban’s three favorite blogs

Here are three Catholic blogs that seem to always catch my attention when there are new posts.  In no particular order …

  • St. Joseph Monastery Blog – written by the sisters of the St. Joseph Benedictine Monastery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  I know several of these sisters and feel a kinship with them.  They operate the Monte Cassino middle school, which my mother attended in the late ’40s when it was also a high school.
  • another cup of coffee – written by my good friend Maria.  What can I say? She tells it like it is and shares from the deep recesses of her soul.  I wish I knew how to be as open as she is.
  • Snoring Scholar – written by Sarah Reinhard.  What I really appreciate about Sarah’s blog is that she seems to always remind me about the things I should be thinking about, like Lent.  Always the place to go when I need a reality check.

esteban’s three favorite Catholic websites

Here are three websites that I find myself returning to often.

  • SQPN – I know this is an obvious choice, since I work for SQPN, but since the latest revision to the site, I have learned a great deal more about Catholic media and Catholic communicators.  As the site continues to expand, I’m sure that I will spend even more time there.
  • Church of St. Mary – About a year ago, the Church of St. Mary in Tulsa, where I attend Mass, hired a communication director.  Great idea!  Since that time, the parish website has been expanded with all kinds of new information, blogs and relevant up-to-date information about the parish and its activities.  It has been a really useful tool.  It may not be the best parish website in the world, but it is a great improvement and I would encourage all parish webmasters to visit this site and steal … er, borrow … some of their ideas.
  • Missions – I have deep respect for the work of Catholic missions.  I’ve beenassociated with three different missions so far, two in Guatemala and one in Haiti.  Here are two mission websites that I visit often so I can keep abreast of the work they do.  San Lucas Mission in Guatemala, and the SOLT Kobonal Mission in Haiti.

esteban’s three favorite Catholic podcasts

Oh, wow.  I’m not sure I can pick just three podcasts.  There are so many great ones to choose from, but here are three of many:

  • SaintCast by Paul Camarata – I’ve been listening to Dr. Paul almost from the beginning.  His shows are almost like short audiobooks, complete stories of saints in small morsels.  His episodes are timeless and can be listened to over and over.  I think I’ll go do that right now!
  • iPilgrimPodcast – this is a brand new podcast, by my friend Deborah Schaben.  If you have any desire to walk the pilgrimage route along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain, you should listen to this show for all kinds of practical information.  (Disclaimer:  I’ve been a podsquatter on several of the latest episodes, so I guess I’m tooting my own horn a bit)
  • Busted Halo Cast – Fr. Dave Dwyer and his co-hosts have a great show directed towards young adults.  As a former campus minister, I have a heart for this age group and I find myself nodding along frequently with the advice he gives his listeners.  Recommend this to your college age and twenty-something friends.  I’ll also throw in a plug for In Between Sundays, a show for young adults by young adults.

esteban’s three favorite “other” Catholic media

I’m not exactly sure what I should put in this list, so this may seem quite random.

  • Anything written by Pat Gohn – I had the privilege of getting to know Pat last year and working with her on the 2010 Catholic New Media Celebration.  Pat has shown me what good writing is truly about.  I only thought I knew how to put words down.   Her writing is masterful, artful (if I was a good writer, I would know if that is redundant or not), and with a deep texture that draws you deep into what she is saying.  Find her A Word in Season column in the Catholic portal at patheos.com.  Go. now.
  • Nine Days That Changed The World – this is a documentary film about (almost Blessed) Pope John Paul II’s trip to Poland in June 1979.  This is a great filmabout those days and is a fascinating retrospective on the changes that followed and brought about the fall of the Soviet Union and communism in Eastern Europe.  The film is produced and narrated by Newt and Callista Gingrinch, so despite any political feelings you have about them, you should still see this film. Follow the link and watch the trailer.
  • iBreviary Pro Terra Sancta App – I have to be honest and say that I prefer the hardcopy four-volume books for praying the Divine Office / Liturgy of the Hours.  I guess I’m old school.  However, those books can be a bit hard to travel with and I always seem to forget to bring it when I’m away.  The iBreviary app for the iPhone and iPad are great alternatives.  I haven’t been brave enough to bring it to church yet as I’m afraid it might be distracting to others or be perceived as somehow scandalous.

esteban’s three “random” Catholic things

Some other random Catholic things that I like:

  • Visual Rosary – My friend Anthony Barber created a flash app for praying the rosary.  It has a visual representation of a rosary and as you click on a button, it will guide you through the praying of a rosary, along with meditations for the particular set of Mysteries you have selected.   I don’t use it myself for praying the rosary but it’s a good way to explain and teach about it to someone unfamiliar.  You can find it on the website of the St. Philip Neri Newman Center at the University of Tulsa.  Anthony is now involved with the Catholic Young Adult organization in the Diocese of Tulsa.  They have recently launched a new ministry call LivingLent.org.  It will help you stay committed to your lenten observances.
  • Fr. Stanley Rother – an Oklahoma diocesan priest who served many years as the pastor of the Oklahoma Mission in Santiago Atitlan Guatemala.  A cause for canonization for Fr. Rother was opened a couple of years ago.  Fr. Rother was murdered in his rectory by paramilitary agents of the then Guatemalan military regime.  I have a deep connection to Fr. Rother and his cause because of my relationship with the Catholic missions there and because his is Oklahoman.    Here are a few links where you can learn about Fr. Rother.
  • Catholic Volunteer Network – as a campus minister, I had several opportunities to work with graduating students looking to do domestic and international volunteering.  CNVS is a very helpful organization that helps match volunteer organizations with interested people.  If you know anyone who might want to do mission work, have them fill out a profile on cnvs.org and start discerning.

esteban’s other projects

As we come to the end of this long post, let me briefly tell you about the projects that I’m involved with.  In addition to all the good things going on over at sqpn.com …

  • everythingesteban.com – I write this blog whenever something appeals to me.  It might be directly related to Catholicism, or life in Oklahoma, or mission work, or …   When this particular post is released, I will be spending a week working at the SOLT Kobonal Mission in Haiti.  I intend to post articles, podcasts, photos and video about the trip.  So check back here is you’re interested.
  • tulsacatholic.com – this is a website that I maintain on a weekly basis with news and events of interest to the Catholics in the Diocese of Tulsa.  I subscribe electronically to the bulletins from our largest parishes and collate the information that may be interesting to a wider diocesan audience.
  • OntheU.com – this is the website of my “it’s not completely dead, it’s only mostly dead” podcast about Catholic college life.   There’s some good stuff there in the archives and I hope to someday revive it more fully.
  • Podsquatter – You can find me as a guest from time to time on other podcasts, such as iPilgrim Podcast, Catholic Weekend, and the Secrets of Star Trek.

Thank you for checking out my contribution to Catholic Media Promotion Day!  To reach the posts of other Catholic Communicators participating in this effort, jump on over to the  Facebook page for this.

Once Upon Our Lives (1955-1960)

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I’ve had a chance to delve further into my dad’s box of slides.  It is such a treat to transport myself back into time and see my family when we were all young.

The set of photos shown above are some of the better or more meaningful shots taken between 1955 and 1960.    During these years, my brothers Mark and Kevin are born and begin growing up with our eldest sister Christine.

I especially appreciate the shots with my grandfathers.  I never met my mother’s father, he passed away in 1959, I believe, not too long after the photo of him sitting in a lawn chair with Christine.

My other grandfather, my dad’s father, we called Pappy.  I got to know him very well and I miss him every day.   You’ll see him with glasses and a big smile.  He had a great way of interacting with everyone and treated even the smallest kids with personal attention, never dismissive.  I count him as one of the most influential people in my life and a great mentor.

Enjoy these shots, taken in Midland,Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Monument, New Mexico.

Have a look at the previous post in this series:
One Upon Our Lives (1951-1954)

Haiti Mission Video – KLFY TV

/ esteban

I thought I would share a bit of video that I found online about the SOLT Mission in Kobonal, Haiti.  A group of people from my parish and I will be visiting here in a couple of weeks.

I hope to record my own video, audio and photos from our visit to encourage a greater support of the work that Fr. Glenn Meaux is doing there.

This video was produced by KLFY TV in Louisiana in March 2010.

 

iPilgrim Podcast

/ esteban

A few years ago, my good friends Jim and Tom, and I spent three weeks walking the pilgrimage route in Spain call the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.

I’ve been lucky recently to participate as a commentator on a brand new podcast about the Camino called the “iPilgrim Podcast.”

Give it a listen at http://www.ipilgrimpodcast.com or subscribe to it through iTunes.

I am intrigued

/ esteban

Over the weekend, I began removing the wallpaper from my dining area.    I’ve never redecorated this particular area and it’s starting to look pretty shabby.

I was dreading pulling the paper off partly because it commits me to finishing the project sooner rather than later.

Did I ever get a big surprise!  Look what was hiding  underneath!

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I’m pretty sure this hand painted artwork has been on this wall since the late ’60s when my house was built.

It’s pretty atrocious and will be soon obliterated by some blue paint, but I’ve been studying it for the past couple of days.

I’m intrigued!

Who painted it?  It’s the first real clue about any of the previous owners of my house.   What do you suppose the rest of the house looked like?  How long do you suppose the painting was displayed before being papered over?  Was the painting some old world tradition or some “new age” expression of the hippy era?

I’ll never know the answers to these questions, but it was a fun revelation.  It was a bit (OK, a tiny bit) like finding a lost mosaic hidden under the plaster of some ancient cathedral.

Now that these photos have been committed to the interwebs, I can now get back to painting with a clear conscience.

Besides, this was my “winter project” and since Spring is less than a month away, I’d better get to it.

I Miss … Mixtapes

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I miss the old-style cassette mixtapes of the 80’s.  Seriously!

There’s a great description of mixtapes on wikipedia:

A mixtape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a theme or mood, to a highly personal statement tailored to the tape’s intended recipient. Essayist Geoffrey O’Brien has called the personal mixtape “the most widely practiced American art form”, and many mixtape enthusiasts believe that by carefully selecting and ordering the tracks in a mix, an artistic statement can be created that is greater than the sum of its individual songs, much as an album of pop music in the post-Beatles era can be considered as something more than a collection of singles.

The mixtapes that I had were like old friends.  On long cross country drives, there were only certain tapes that would do, tapes that would allow your mind to free itself and remind you of long lost friends and experiences.

Mixtapes were also a very personal way to express yourself to another person.  How many of us put together mixes for a loved family member or boyfriend/girlfriend?

The process of putting together a mix was almost as important as the finished tape itself.  Songs were played, chosen, rejected, and reordered to set just the right mood or sentiment.  Recording to tape required time and effort because you had to manually create the tape, one song at a time.

Burned CDs and iPod playlists are just not the same.  It’s too easy!  Dragging and dropping files just doesn’t have the same sense of thought and commitment.  They are too easily changed and replaced.

My favorite mixtapes took on their own unique character over time.  Imperfections in the tape, little mistakes in the recording process, the unavoidable and crushing damage caused by heat and time.

Mixtapes also had a lifespan.  We all knew that sooner or later our tape deck would eat our favorite tape and our friend would be gone, to be replaced by some other.

I guess there’s a life lesson in mixtapes.  To everything there is a season.  Things too easily replaced lack an honest and redeeming value.

(check out the “I Miss …” page for other stuff I miss, if you wanna)

Haiti – Try #3

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You may have read in previous posts over the past few months about the efforts in my parish to send a small group of people to visit/work in the SOLT Mission in Kobonal Haiti.

We were first scheduled to go in April 2010 but postponed because of the horrific earthquake that struck the previous January.

We were next scheduled to go in November 2010 only to postpone again because of the dual threats from a scary cholera outbreak and the close passing of Hurricane Tomas.

After much frustration both among our group and the mission, we have rescheduled for the third time.   We will be departing Tulsa in mid-March for a week at the mission, to see and learn as much as we can about it.

Our hopes are to bring back a list of needs and potential projects that the rest of the parish can participate in.

My job will be to use my meager media skills to photograph, video, and document all that we learn.

I’ve decided to use my old “OntheU” podcast feed to post some audio recordings of our trip.  If you would like to follow along with your favorite mp3 player, you can subscribe to OntheU through iTunes.

Otherwise, I’m going to be posting the episodes here and at www.ontheu.com.  This latest episode is OntheU #116 and is titled “Haiti #0 – Clearing the Cobwebs and Getting Ready.”  It’s really just a test recording to make sure that I remember how to record and post a podcast, and to make sure the feed still works.  (It’s been awhile since I posted an episode of OntheU)

Find out more about:

SOLT – Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity
SOLT Mission in Kobonal Haiti

Here is OntheU #116 – “Haiti #0 – Clearing the Cobwebs and Getting Ready”

Unless a grain of wheat …

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I ran across this article on CNN.com and the accompanying video called “Dying for Life.” It all seems very strange to me, but the idea is to prevent people who are considering suicide from killing themselves. “We can’t understand death simply by talking about it. People truly experience death by participating in it and being reborn.”

Aside from the macabre ideas, I couldn’t help but be reminded about the following passage from the Gospel of John:

Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.

Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me. (John 12:24-26)

This passage seems to come up from time to time as I think about my life and where it is going. Perhaps it’s a midlife sort of thing, but I seem to have a frequent urge to drastically change my life, to take the road less traveled, to be that radical person who casts his cares aside to seek a different kind of future. A future that encompasses things that are not “what is normally expected.”

Most of the time I feel too cowardly to actually do anything like this. I wonder what it takes to get to that jumping off point and make that “leap of faith”?


Dear Mr. Snow Shovel

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Dear Mr. Snow Shovel,

I wish to congratulate you on your heroic duty over the past week. I called you to service from the dusty and spider-webby confines of the garage and you answered!

Together, you and I threw ourselves into the breach and fought back the relentless onslaught of the blitz-blizzard which descended upon us.

For 3 days we shoveled, pushed, tossed and scraped the frozen elements from the driveways and parkways near our fortress and prevailed!!

Sadly, we didn’t emerge unscathed. The screaming spasms in my back and hamstrings were a constant reminder of our struggles. And you, my utilitarian companion, were broken and split from leading edge to handle, assumed to be past fitness for further active duty.

Reluctantly, we have been called back to duty as the cold north winds blow once again and more of the insidious enemy has descended upon us.

I’ve done my best to splint you up and give you back a measure of your utility. Soon, we will enter the breach one more time to push back the enemy.

As you stand sentinel and witness to the attack, I ask, “Are you ready?”


To Be Salty

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I have been privileged to know and to have worked with many fine priests.

One of my favorites is Fr. Jack Gleason, pastor of my home parish, the Church of the Madalene, in Tulsa.

Above all, his pastoral care in times of tragedy and trouble has been all I could ever have hoped for.

He is also that rare priest whose homilies frequently seem to bore right into your soul and speak to to you in that special way.  That way which gives you assurance that those words are from God and have particular meaning especially for you.

Fr. Jack’s homily last Sunday was one of those special moments and I wanted to record my thoughts about it while they are still fresh in my mind.

The Gospel reading for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary time (Year A), is from Matthew 5:13-16:

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”

I’ve heard and read this passage many times, but the way the Fr. Jack expounded on it really resounded in me.  I listened to the podcast recording of this homily again and I’m going to paraphrase some of what he said, along with some of my own thoughts.

Christ tells us that we are “the salt of the earth.”  But what does that really mean?  We know that salt is necessary for life.  We also know that salt has no purpose unto itself.   It is useful to flavor and preserve other things.

Christ calls us not to be just virtuous, but also to be “salt.”  That is, to “raise the level of the flavor in every human activity and therefore to transform it.”

“What is ordinary can be delightful if seasoned with joy,with fidelity, and with our good works.”

If salt loses its taste it becomes insipid (bland, without distinctive, interesting, or stimulating qualities).  Apparently, the word “insipid” shares some of the same Greek roots as the word “sophomore,”   (sophos wise + mōros foolish), literally meaning a wise fool.

So, to lose taste, to become bland, is to become foolish. A thing is wisest is when it most knows itself.  It tastes more like what it is meant to be.

“Wise salt” gives flavor to the world and helps preserve what is good.  “Foolish salt” has lost its taste and no longer heightens flavor and no longer preserves anything.  It can only be thrown out and trampled under foot.

Since salt is not for itself but gives flavor to other things, it is directed outward.  Christians likewise, in order to be “salty” are also called to be directed outward.  We are called to do something “out there.”  To do something for “them.”

Insipid, bland Christians are foolish Christians who have forgotten who they truly are.  They have forgotten their role in society.  They have become blended into secular culture and are just as bland as everyone around them.

When we say that someone is “salty,” we usually mean that he uses colorful language.  Even if his language is inappropriate, we would agree that he doesn’t blend in, rather he sticks out and is noticed.

We are called not to blend in but to bring life, to bring flavor, zest and joy of what it means to be a Christian into the world.  We are called to know who we are and not to forget our identity.  If we think like everyone else, act like everyone else, if you can’t tell any difference between us and every other person, what good are we?

When we are what we are meant to be, His salvation will resound throughout the world.  As Catholics, we must show the world who we are, what our distinctive flavor is, and not be afraid to show what makes us different.

Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father.”

We cannot be the salt of the earth if we hide it from others.  To be salty is also to be the light set on a lampstand for all to see.

So, this leaves us with a new perspective on the Christian journey.  What makes you salty?  What is your distinctive flavor that God asks you to bring to the world?  What are you doing with it?

Why are you hiding?

Once Upon Our Lives (1951-1954)

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[portfolio_slideshow]

I recently found a box with about 2500 slides that my dad shot in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. I am quite sure that I have never seen most of these before so it has been a real pleasure to delve back in time to the early history of my family.

Both of my parents are gone now.  Mom was the victim of a long battle with cancer, passing away at the age of 49, when I was 16.  Dad succumbed to the ravages of 30 years of diabetes at age 62, when I was 27.

Seeing these slides has let me see them again as they were as young adults, recently married and just starting our family.

The carousel at the top of this post contains some of the better photos – the more picturesque ones, some that are just interesting to me, and in a couple of cases remind me of others in the family who are also gone. My dad was on active duty with the US Navy in 1951-1952 during the Korean conflict.  Some of these slides were taken on an around-the-world cruise that his ship took to Hawai’i, Japan, Singapore, India, and Italy.

Of course, there are many more than these few and I spent an entire weekend living “in” them as they were scanned.  I poured over small details, remembering furniture, dishes, clothes, clocks and “things” that I grew up with.

These long lost photos are a treasure to me and bring my family back alive in my memories.    Seeing my parents before the tragedies of their illnesses encourages me to remember how precious the gift of life is and compels me to try and live it more fully.

I hope you enjoy these photos.  There are more to come!  Watch for subsequent posts with more.

Home for the Holidays

/ esteban

I haven’t blogged for a bit and this particular post has been rattling around in my head, so it’s time that I have it out.  I don’t know if you, dear reader, will find anything particularly profound in this account, but there is a deep and abiding profundity for me.

Background

The year 2010 was a difficult year for me, as have been the last few years.  I don’t wish to delve into those difficulties but it is important to know that, in December, it brought a certain reluctance for the coming holiday season.  I didn’t foresee any turmoil, more a sense of certain disappointment.

I had no big plans for Christmas or New Years, just a familiar gathering of my family, which while always nice, didn’t portend anything really memorable.  What few friends I have close-by had plans to be elsewhere with their own families.

So, I didn’t have any real expectations for anything other than the status quo ante of 2010.

Consolation

So now, I look back on the period from December 8, 2010 to January 8, 2011 as one of merciful consolation, with a certain amount of redemption, and a heaping bowl of gratitude.

I received many unlooked for gifts during this time.  The best kind of gifts, to be sure.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

This tale begins on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.  One of my parishes, St. Mary’s, was hosting 40 Hours of Devotion – round the clock Eucharistic Adoration – beginning on Wednesday, December 8th and running until Friday, December 10th.   I’m a big fan of adoration, but haven’t done it regularly for awhile.  I decided to pick up an hour each day at 11:30am.

I began with Mass on the 8th, which also happens to be my mother’s birthday, and the anniversary of my First Communion.  So, it’s always a special day for me.

After Mass and for an hour on the next 2 days, I spent time in St. Mary’s chapel, alone with the Lord.  It was a great time to pray and enjoy the silence. (Of course, anyone familiar with Adoration knows that it’s really a deafening silence.)

Prior to this, I had been lamenting the fact that I hadn’t really embraced the Season of Advent, so this was a very good way to address that as well.

Those few hours really benefited me and centered me in a way that I hadn’t felt in some time.

Christmas Tree

On the 10th of December, my friend Whitney, who works for the Tulsa Housing Authority, called me and volunteered to help me decorate my house for Christmas.  She had just done the same at her office and was in the mood to share the Christmas spirit.

I haven’t decorated my house at Christmas for a couple of year because I rarely have any guests or visitors, but I acquiesced.

I am so grateful for this!  Following on the heels of my time in Adoration, I thoroughly enjoyed our little tree decorating event, along with a dinner of broiled fish and mashed potatoes.  Yes, I know, not really holiday food, but at least it was edible.  I give full credit to Whitney for kicking me out of my doldrums and setting the mood for the rest of the Christmas season.

Whitney has been a true friend since our days at the TU Newman Center.  I could always count on her to liven things up and make them so less serious than they might have otherwise been.   She’s the original “Cookie Girl” and often appeared on my “OntheU” podcast.

Aaron & Jordan Get Married, Patrick Comes to Visit

Aaron & Jordan Guernsey

A week later, on the weekend of the 17th-19th, my friends Aaron and Jordan were married.  They too were regular members of the OntheU crew and their wedding was a joyous occasion and gave me a good reason for me to be around the old Newman Center gang.

Pat Padley drove down for the wedding and stayed at my house for the weekend.  We’ve been friends for 6 years now and he too was one of the original OntheU co-hosts, from the very first episode.

Although this day was for Aaron and Jordan, it brought back together at least 30 Newman Center students and alumni, and for me, it was a wonderful homecoming.

Patrick Padley

The wedding Mass was celebrated by my favorite priest, Fr. Jack.  The Newman Choir, with both past and present members, sang many of the old songs and Mass parts, and it was such a benison to me, soothing away many of the pains that time and distance have inflicted.

A White Christmas

The next weekend, although completely different, was just as awesome and special.

John & Sophie

My good friends, John & Nadine White, had plans to drive from Omaha to Dallas, to spend Christmas with their family.  Since they currently have two small kids, Sophie (3 yrs) and Dominick (10 months), they asked if they could stay at my house one night, and break up their trip.

I was thrilled!  Sophie is my goddaughter and I hadn’t seen her for several months, and I always like spending time with John and Nadine.

John and I have a history that goes back to my earliest days at the Newman Center.  John was one of the first students that I really got to know.  He is from Odessa, Texas, not too far from my old hometown of Hobbs, New Mexico.   He and I have done some serious traveling together, back in the day.

John was part of the first trip I made to Guatemala.  He was part of a pilgrimage group that I helped lead to Rome the spring after he graduated, and along with some of his closest friends, we backpacked through Europe.  We also traveled through Greece and Turkey as part of another pilgrimage.  Later, while he was serving as a Christian Brothers volunteer in Peru, I was lucky to visit him and see the sites, including Machu Picchu.

Dominick & Nadine

It’s a great honor to be Sophie’s godfather, so having them stay with me was a real treat.   I enjoy seeing them in their early adulthood and building their family together.

It also made Christmas that much more special to have Sophie and Dominick at my house.  How can you not have the Christmas spirit with kids around?

Christmas Chili

If there was one sour spot to the whole Christmas season it was unfortunately Christmas Eve Mass.

My aunt likes to go to Christmas Eve Mass at our local Augustinian Prep School – Cascia Hall.  It’s a great school, but I despise going to Mass there.  It’s an awful thing to say, I know, but I always leave there very disappointed.

The Mass was completely packed  with the upper crust of Cascia society – students, parents and alumni, but there was little participation in the Mass.  No singing, no recitation of prayers, and much gazing about to see who else was there.

But go, we did nonetheless.

Christmas Day was a much better experience.  My aunt, my sister, a family friend and my brother-in-law gathered for our traditional Christmas chili, blueberry pie, and ice cream.

I know that chili probably doesn’t sound very traditional to most folks, but we grew up with it, and it was a way to lessen the burden on my parents when we were kids.

Besides, I make a mean pot of chili.  You can get the recipe in this post.

A Return Visit

So what happens after Christmas?  People go home, which means that I had a return visit from the Whites as they made their way back to Omaha.  It was a short visit, but still very enjoyable.  They were a little worse for wear, being on the rode with two small kids for over a week, but they were surviving.

Tanner & Marissa Get Married!

The first week of January was probably the most special part of this whole period.   Two more Newman Center alumni, Tanner & Marissa, were getting married on the 8th of January at Christ the King Church.

Christ the King, Tulsa

CTK is a very beautiful church, built in an art deco style and full of stained glass and mosaics.  It also happens to be the church where my parents were married, my sister Christine was married, and where my brother Kevin was married.

Tanner had asked me some days before if he could stay at my house the week before the wedding, to have some space to himself in the midst of all the final preparations.

So once again, my spare room came into service.

I loved having Tanner at my house and I was also happy to do some little tasks to help out with the wedding preparations.  During the week, I helped him finish the wedding program, had copies made and gave myself blisters as I folded and stapled them.  It was a lot more work than it needed to be, but in the end, they looked really nice.

The couple had asked me to be a reader during their wedding Mass, so I was pleased to

Cheesecake Tarts!

attend their rehearsal and dinner on Friday night, the 7th.

I really like how they did this.

I’ve been to some very formal and some very informal rehearsal dinners.  Tanner and Marissa, in order to be able to spend time with more of their friends, just had pizza brought into the parish hall, had some wonderful desserts, and had a slideshow of photos to entertain folks.   Perfectly acceptable and perfectly enjoyable!

Wedding & Reception

Fr. Matt, Tanner, Marissa, Fr. Brian

Tanner and Marissa’s wedding was fantastic and very much the Newman Center reunion that Aaron and Jordan’s had been.

The celebrants were Fr. Brian O’Brien, president of Bishop Kelley High School, and Fr. Matt Gerlach, chaplain of the Newman Center.

The place was packed with family and friends, the Newman Choir sang, and it was a very special time.  I am very humbled to have been a part and so glad that I could attend.

Wedding Reception @ John Rucker Warehouse

The reception was incredible!  It was basically held in a car garage, an old building in downtown Tulsa that holds a collection of antique cars.  Decorated with lights, tables, chairs, and a live band, and voila!

It took me a whole day to recover!  I arrived after the wedding at 3:30pm and didn’t leave until after 10pm.  More than 6 hours and I’m sure I have some permanent hearing damage!

Nonetheless, it was a terrific time and a perfect way to end a stellar month of celebration.

Strength

A Treasured Gift!

There is more that I could add to this long list of events, but I think I will end it here with some reflection.

The Christmas season was a blessing to me and having the chance to reconnect with so many of my “Newman” family couldn’t have come at a better time.

I’ve been rejuvenated in a new way and it has given me strength for the upcoming year.

I’ll close with a photo of the gift that Tanner and Marissa gave me for participating in their wedding.  I’ve only had it a short while now, but I already treasure it.

I’m sure that Tanner picked this out because he understands what a struggle these past couple of years have been.  Loss of a mission, loss of a job, difficult decisions and uncertain futures.  New missions, new job, new futures and new milestones.

The sentiment on the cross proves to me that he gets it.  And that is the healing that comes with the joy of all the opportunities I had to be “home” for the holidays.

Strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life through devotion, to something beyond himself. – Henry Miller