Feb 09, 2025

Living in Unconditional Love (204)

 

“Love flows from God to humans without effort:

As a bird glides through the air without moving its wings-

Thus, they go wherever they wish united in body and soul,

Yet separate in form.”

–Mechtild of Magdeburg

 

My wife Eileen died from esophageal cancer in February 2020 one year after being diagnosed, 60 years after we met on Long Island. Then my brother Tom became ill (not COVID), and I spent a total of six weeks being with him in Ohio, but he died in October 2020. My sister-in-law Sue Mahoney died from Covid-19 in January 2021. On top of it all stood the pandemic, locking everyone down almost two years. Covid has proved to be a persistent problem, and many of the long-term effects are quite serious, and it has proven much more serious than flu.

02/09/2025                                                    The Christmas tree and the stable are all put away, and another holiday season is gone. I am making my preparations for my trip to Peru and gathering the things that Dan and Alesandra want me to bring with me when I go next weekend.

I am writing this on Saturday evening as I wait for the winter storm that is supposed to dump 5-7 inches of snow during the night. The projected timetable means that I probably will not be able to go to church in the morning. Right now, it is cold, and the snow has not started, but it is supposed to start at any moment. (Sunday report: only about 3 inches fell, so I had no problem getting to church, but it was less than half the congregation present. I suspect it was an excuse to stay in bed and they had not looked.)

I travel light, as I need few changes of clothing unless a formal event is planned, and none have been talked about. But I will fill up two suitcases with items that they have sent to me or asked me to buy and bring. Even though most items are available there, some simple items we take for granted are not, such as flavored instant oatmeal.

One of the annoying things that have happened is that they order things using Amazon Prime, but the truck will not drive down my driveway which has about 2 inches of snow and plenty of tire tracks on it. They just pile the packages on top of the mailbox, unprotected to the elements and open to the public driving by. I had not realized that, and I do not pick up the mail and paper each day. I drove out last Sunday to go to church at early morning and there were two items just sitting on the mailbox for who knows how long as I had not been down to pick up things in several days. Lucky that my neighbors are honest. This has forced me to drive down to the mailbox (600 feet) late in the evening each day to check, as the Prime truck comes late in the day.

Our sad world is reeling under the blows by T. One of things that has me amused is that the VP, who is Catholic, demanded an apology from the US Bishop conference which had issued a rather mild rebuke to the administration on their handling of the refugee situation. He apparently has not heard the many words of Jesus on dealing with the poor or believes (?) that it does not apply to him. Many of T’s proclamations have been put on hold as the court system begins to grind through the demands by T and EM.

Meditation

 

Gentle One, I rest in You as this pain filled world is reeling under that attacks by terror by self-absorbed madmen who have seized much of the world. I offer it to You as I plead for justice and peace in the many corners where pain is front and center. Give us the courage to step forward in support of the poor of and enslaved of our poor world.