Look who'se coming to dinner

With only 65 days to go before the beginning of the 49th International Eucharistic Congress which will take place in Quebec City this coming June, the Holy Father has appointed a representative who will attend in his name.

2008 marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Archdiocese of Quebec, Canada's primacial (or first) diocese. It was in 1608 with the arrival of Jacques Cartier and his companions that the first Catholics arrived on the shores of the St. Lawrence river and since that time, the Church has always had a presence in this land we now call Canada. As part of the celebrations marking this major anniversary in the Archdiocese of Quebec, the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses recommended that this year's festivities take place in that Archdiocese.

Work has been in progess to prepare this gathering for the past five years, and it was hoped that Benedict XVI would himself be able to attend, however a few months ago, the Vatican Press Office announced that due to other travel commitments, His Holiness would not be able to come to Canada this summer. Instead, the Holy Father has today appointed His Eminence, Joseph Cardinal Tomko, Past-president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucaristic Congresses to represent him. Cardinal Tomko will therefore present greetings to the ecclesial and civic leaders as well as the thousands of participants who are expected to attend the Congress.

The 2008 International Eucharistic Congress will see the Church of Quebec hosting the Universal Church in a celebration of the Living Christ. Its theme will be The Eucharist, Gift of God for the Life of the World. This experience of faith will be held in a festive atmosphere, with believers of all ages coming together from every part of the world.

Where voices unite

One of the realities that stops me in my tracks once in a while was expressed much more eloquently in the words of Saint Peter, the first to be called to shepherd the Church: 'Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house ...' (1 Peter 2:4-5).

The chief stone upon which the Church is built is therefore the living faith of the living faithful, directed on earth by the pope who is chosen to be the Vicar of Christ - his representative if you will. That's why it's such a big deal to the Church in the US that Benedict will be visiting next week.

One of the stops being planned during this relatively brief sojourn is at the site now known as Ground Zero. This time of prayer is proving to be one of the most anticipated moments during the trip since it will allow Benedict to show his solidarity with all those who, consciously or not, are still vulnerable and grieving over the tragedy that occurred in the heart of New York's financial district six years ago.

Images of the Holy Father's visit to Ground Zero will no doubt be broadcast for all to see, and may very well evoke images of his predecessor John Paul II who prayed at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The fact that the pope prays for the souls of deceased relatives and friends is not uncommon, but somewhat less common are moments when public demonstrations of prayer for the dead are shared with people in a visible and tangible way.

There's something to be said for seeing people at prayer. Such moments unite all people of faith, from pope to pilgrim in the pews. Along the way there are myriads of others, including those who are called to assist with the leadership of the Church, and with the proclamation of the good news. To this end, it seems that our neighbours to the south have made the news quite often this week in ecclesiastical circles. Not only is Benedict XVI in the final days of planning before he travels to the States, but five new appointments of bishops for the Church in the United Sates of America were announced this week in Rome. Now, it happens from time to time that one or two episcopal appointments are made on the same day in the same country, but five?

Whatever the reason for this unusual move, one thing is certain, the Shepherd is united in prayer with the flock which is entrusted to his pastoral care, and we in turn are united with him as he continues to lead us to the heart of Jesus where we continually learn the lessons of love.

Laughter is good medicine

Does anyone remember a very strange toy that used to be all the rage. I think it looked like a face or just a mouth, and when turned ON, emitted the repeated sound of uproarious laughter. The joviality was contageous and no-one who listened to it for more than a few seconds could help but be caught up in the spirit of the moment. Soon, listeners risked the possibility not only of laughing themselves, but actually shedding tears.

Such toys, which some adults might consign to the world of juvinile attempts at humor actually have scientifically proven benefits to the human psyche, not to mention moods and interpersonal relations. Laughter has been proven to be a key aid in battling stress, something that most of humanity faces much too often in life.

Earlier this week, the on-line magazine Nature published an article entitled How to Laugh Away Stress. One of the findings reported is that even the anticipation of laughter can already have a positive effect on boosting someone's outlook on life. This means that if for instance we know that we have planned an evening with friends or family that will involve the telling of stories and the music of laughter, we can pretty much handle any stressful situation that might come along.

Not only can laughter help to discipate stress, it can also help to keep the immune system in check. Who of our ancestors would ever have believed that such a simple thing as comedy could help to keep us alive? Could it be that civilizations which have not yet become dependent on technology, and rely instead on such quaint activities as sitting around a table, listening to stories recounted by adults and children alike, sharing time with one another in conversation and yes laughing together, could actually be watching out for one another's health.

Perhaps the age-old addage is true after all: laughter is indeed good medicine.

Land ho

Some days just seem to fly by, and despite our best efforts at taking time for balancing work and play, balance can sometimes remain just beyond the sphere of reality. We see this imbalance in the lives of children who have increasing demands of study put upon them, and who must also work part-time in order to earn enough money for little luxuries or in preparation for the ever-increasing costs of post-secondary education.

Never before has the constant stream of demands on one's time been apparent than in today's world. In days of yore, management and owners worked long hours because they often were responsible for all levels of productivity, but these days it seems that you don't have to be earning the big bucks in order to be expected to accomplish the multitude of tasks required to keep up with the ever-increasing pace of life.

Whatever happened to sitting idly on the veranda on a summer afternoon, sipping your favorite libation and musing (seemingly in a dreamlike state) about the supply of tea in China? Well, a recent article published by Work Life Balance aims at helping those of us who seem at times to be caught in the torrential tide of the river that never stops flowing to step out of the stream from time to time. This is the 'secret' to maintaining equilibrium, and sanity especially when demands just seem to pile up.

Finding the islands that emerge from the stream, upon which we can rest if only for a moment before delving head-long into the raging river seems to be more a necessity than a choice in today's world. Faced with ever-increasing demands on time, the human soul needs time to unplug. For some of us, this might mean exploring a hobby, taking a walk, physical exercise, meditation or some other activity (or even the complete lack of activity as the case might be). The important thing is that we all need to recharge from time to time, hopefully before the gas tank is completely empty.

What are the islands in the stream, upon which you can rest, bask in the sun and recharge? Who are the lifeguards who stand on the shore reaching out to help especially when we are most in need of a break. At times it takes someone else to stop us, to point out the fact that we're floating uncontrollably down the river, and to catch us before it's too late.

Many mystics and wise persons throughout the history of humanity have realized the necessity for balance in life. From the Zen practice of meditation to the discipline of Christian monasticism the secret to success has always been balance, and if we can maintain balance in all that we do, living life will truly be an adventure to behold.

Business at hand

The bishops of England and Wales are not the only ones who are in the midst of important gatherings this week. In yesterday's edition of the daily communication bulletin, the Vatican Press Office announced that the executive from the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela were visiting with the Pope.

Every five years, bishops visit with the Holy Father for what is known as the visit ad limina apostolorum (the visit to the Tomb of the Apostles), but in addition, it's de rigeur that at least the members of the Executive from Episcopal Conferences throughout the world visit the various Vatican offices from time to time, and it's usually expected that they should pay a courtesy visit to the Holy Father while they're there.

This week, the bishops from the varous dioceses and eparchies in Ontario are also in plenary assembly. The OCCB meets twice a year in plenary to discuss and review the progress they are making in the various dossiers that are treated on an ongoing basis. Although each residential bishop is responsible for the pastoral care of his own diocese, there is wisdom to be gained from periodic gatherings with fellow shepherds.

Like meetings in the business world, these gatherings are necessary but can become rather tedious. All the more reason why those who are called to shepherd the Lord's flock need our prayers.

Speaking of prayers for and with the leadership of the Church, the Holy Father has issued a video address to the people of the United States of America. He will be arriving next week, and wanted to invite Catholics in our neighbouring country to be united in prayer.

By addressing this message to all people in the United States of America, Benedict XVI is attempting to reach out to the entire population of that country, even though he will only be physically capable of visiting two cities during his impending visit. The video message is a new step for the Vatican in the use of modern-day technology in order to reach out to as many people as possible.

Charity begins at home

There are great deliberations going on across the pond this week. Beginning today, and throughout this week, the Episcopal Conference of England and Wales is meeting in Plenary Assembly. Usually when bishops get together for such a tête-à-tête, there can be any number of discussions going on in publicly accessible gatherings and behind closed doors.

It just so happens that there is a 'special guest' who has been invited to at least a part of this illustrious convocation in the person of Paul Joseph Cordes, the Cardinal President of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. His Eminence will address the assembly of bishops, inviting conversation around the issue of charity. The Vatican announced today that 'The aim of the visit is to dialogue with the Bishops, in the light of the Holy Father’s first Encyclical Deus caritas est, on how to promote the Catholic identity of the Church’s charitable organizations in a rapidly changing environment, characterized by challenges to the Church’s traditional outreach in this field.'

England and Wales are not the only countries in the world which are experiencing changes in perception relative to the traditional view that the Church has held about its involvement in charitable and philanthropic work, so Cardinal Cordes will doubtless be interested to hear any discussion that takes place this week at Hinsley Hall (Leeds). Other Episcopal Conferences will also be interested to join the fray, if they have not yet done so. Collective wisdom is usually worth listening to. In short, if the Church wants to continue being effective in today's world, we need to return to the basics of caring for one another, of listening closely to one another and to believing that somehow, God is present, guiding the ship.

Coincidence or not, a new book by Father Aiden Nichols, OP entitled The Realm: An Unfashionable Essay on the Conversion of England is being discussed in some theological circles these days. Father Nichols posits that the sovereign nation is ripe for a new examination on the part of those who make faith and such concepts their concern. For the past 500 years or so, England has been largely a protestant nation, but perhaps it's now time for a second look, something that the bishops may also be keenly interested in discussing this week.

The Plenary Assembly of the CBEW continues until Thursday of this week.

Getting through it

One thing I've learned about life is that if you take the time to get to know people, it isn't long before you realize that there's a surface level at which we can exist, speaking pleasantries to one another, and being nice in general, or we can choose to allow ourselves to be known by the other at a level below the initial assessment.

For many people, even the most hardened of characters, once we crack the protective shell and allow ourselves to be known by another, it isn't long before we discover that in truth we're not so different one from another. Despite the fact that we might appear to have it all together at least as far as the outside world is concerned, inside many people are actually filled with questions about our effectiveness at communicating a message, about the true meaning of what we do and the influence we have on others, about whether anyone else out there truly cares about what we do and about who we are, beyond the fact that we appear to be occupying temporal space.

Those who rail on about the ineffectiveness or the inappropriateness of faith and of the Church would probably change their tune if they realized that there is a wealth of wisdom to be gained from the simple lessons about life that were taught by the One Saint Benedict refers to as the Master. Jesus' message was not about being grandiose in the eyes of the world. Instead, it was about justice for the oppressed, about love for the unloved, about acceptance for the castoffs of society, about the dignity of every human being, solely on the merits of the fact that they have been created, and live as reflections of the face of the Master.

In the end, regardless of whether or not we live with a faith element in our lives or not, true wisdom is found when we are able to find comfort in reflecting the inner self through the person we show to others. To this end, many of us could probably learn some valuable lessons from those who appear on the surface to be the anawim of society: the physically and mentally challenged who just don't seem to measure up to the modern-day vision of productivity, but who often know instinctively how to share the important gifts of love, acceptance and true purpose. People like Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche continue to challenge us to be human. If we accept the challenge and do our part to struggle with the true wisdom that brings us meaning, we're well on the way to learning some of the most valuable lessons in life.

For more on this subject read or listen to my reflections for this weekend.