It has been a while since I last posted. I thought I would be more committed to blogging during Lent. I had many ideas, but it seems my Lent needed to be a quiet one. Lent was challenging, but also rewarding. It was nice to do a lot of contemplation and self reflection, because it was certainly needed, but now that it is Easter it is time to be alive. Many things happened during Lent and some have spilled over into Easter. Easter is my favorite time of the year which had me celebrating, Russia is surrounding eastern Ukraine, and an NBA owner is being essentially exiled, picking at the racism scab all over again.
Easter is a time of renewal; a time to celebrate the victory we share in Christ! It was great to celebrate this blessed season with our Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ! Knowing how I lived in college, I certainly enjoy this season. I don't even want to imagine what my life would be like without Christ. I have absolutely fallen in love with the Easter Vigil. To be in total darkness amidst a great flame and then to process in as the light of Christ spreads from candle to candle is a magical moment. I am honored to be part of the RCIA team, helping people come in or back to the Church is truly rewarding. I remember my reentry very fondly. I was wide eyed with eyes filled with tears of joy, because of the incredible journey I was on. The journey continues, and hopefully it continues at St. Mary's Seminary on my way to becoming a Priest. Please pray for me. Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia!
Earlier this week the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling, was banned from the NBA for life. This race stuff is really getting annoying. There will always be people who are racist. Always. What he said is wrong, absolutely. However, why aren't we also discussing comments made by former NBA star Larry Johnson? He wants an all black league? Why is it OK to say that? Isn't that the exact opposite of what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted? Yes, it is. His dream was for all races to be able to work together and judge each other by their "character". How does the rhetoric by Mr. Johnson help King's cause? It doesn't. I have a proposal similar to King's; actually it is the same. Why don't we all just get along. King is remembered for his demonstrations of peace. He did not seek vengeance, he simply sought equal opportunity. We ought to work toward the same. We should not work for an all black league, or forced affirmative action. We should work for solidarity and opportunity. Enough of this vengeance seeking! It only fuels the fire of racists. It divides, not unites.
The Catholic Church is a shining example of how people of all walks of life work together for the glory of the Kingdom of God. The Universal Church is global, covering all races and cultures. The Catholic faith is applicable to every nation and tribe. It is absolutely beautiful. I can go into a Catholic Church in any country and celebrate the Eucharist with a multitude of people. I encourage you to look up footage from World Youth Day, where Copa Cabana Beach is filled with three million people from all over the world celebrating Mass. It is an amazing site.
And then we get to Russia and Ukraine. Putin is asserting his power during a time of US weakness. The United States has been drained by over a decade of war (three years of which there were two concurrent wars), and continues to build up trillions of dollars of debt. The United States is tired. It shows by our political climate. Each side continues to grow farther and farther apart, and the same can be said for the people of America. So while America continues to fight within, Russia is making moves. I also wonder what China is doing. We need to pay attention to the crisis in Ukraine. We are seeing incredible witness by Catholic and Orthodox Priests who are standing up for peace. Let us focus on this issue. Instead we are focused on what some old racist man said, and it is quite disappointing. I couldn't care less about the race "issue". Did Mr. Sterling's racism hurt anyone? Did his players get paid? Yes. Was his team all white? No. Is he wrong for being racist? Yes! However, instead of moving on and moving forward we let that bog us down. While this all happens Putin continues to move. We need to be paying attention, before China surpasses us as the world's largest economy. Yeah, that may happen in a decade as well. Did you hear of that? Probably not.
America needs to drastically discern its priorities. We are very concerned about social issues, but what about the economy and national security? How good are our arguments about social issues, if we can't keep our people employed and safe? They will all be for not. There is a solution. The solution is simple and many people know the solution, but choose the wide gate because it's easy. Let us choose the narrow gate. Let us choose Christ and seek to live by His commandments. If we all did this, the world would be a much better place. Well, at least it would have a better chance of being a better place. Credo Domine.
