Unveiling the Light

Ever get tired of state and national politics along with other world events? It seems like politics and world events are a priority for many and, judging from the comments in the 49er and letters to the editor, they elicit a great deal of anger and use up lots of energy from many Ridge residents. The problem is that these two subjects can take up so much of our energy and become our focus when, in reality, we have little short term influence over them.

I am not saying that we have no say. We have the power of the vote and public opinion polls are widely used by our politicians. But from the perspective of an individual’s unique viewpoint, the ability to change national or world events is minimal. It is only as a group that we can really make a difference. Over the very long term our personal insights may be the start of a larger wave of opinion that could make a difference but on a day to day basis we are spending a lot of our energy without foreseeable results. This can be frustrating and irritating. It does not have to be this way!

Jesus taught us to look first within ourselves before we looked to make change in others. We cannot hope to make the world peaceful and just if our own lives are not peaceful and just. Otherwise we are just another person seeking to bend the will of others to our own liking. This lesson can be brought home in how we conduct our lives and the priorities we hold. It applies not only to the individual person but also to the individual community. Are we applying our energy and attention to things beyond our control while we neglect those these we can directly affect?

First, as individuals we can turn to our own life and to those we affect the most. Are we spending enough time with our spouse, children, parents, or friends? Do we bewail the national debt while we continue to mount up expensive credit card bills? Do we moan about the next generation of young people while not spending time with our own children? Do we wonder why there is no peace in the Middle East while we feud with our neighbors or continue to not speak with some family or ex-family members?

We also can look to our community instead of the nation or world at large. Instead of applying energy and getting angry over large events which we can only read about; why not do something and make a difference right here in Paradise, Magalia, or other Ridge communities? We have poverty here. We have neglect here. There are many, right here in our community, that could use our help. How much better would it be if we redirected our attention to family and local community? Not only would we be more effective but we would see the results of our efforts and find hope in those results.

There are many in this community trying to make it better. Government agencies, charitable organizations, and churches help provide groceries for needy families, provide meals for the hungry, visit home bound seniors; they help families get through short term crisis needs, and work to enhance the lives of our youth. My own parish is very involved in outreach programs to the community as are many others. Unfortunately we all have one major constraint. We need people, volunteers to stretch our dollars and extend our work to those in need. My parish has over 250 people active in various ministries but we could use a lot more. Continually a lack of volunteers constrains our actions and the actions of many organizations.

There is a need. Being a retirement community, we have many seniors and not a few disabled who are no longer able to drive themselves and are dependent on others for shopping and other services. Many live alone and are seldom checked on. If the fire everyone fears ever comes, do we have any idea as to how many seniors and others are home bound without transportation? Do we have any plans and the means to get them out?

The Ridge is not a convenient place to be a young person. We have few sidewalks, not many places for teens to hang out and not enough organized and supervised programs to keep them busy. Recent hearings at the City Council have revealed how dangerous it can be to walk or ride a bike in Paradise. What if you were a teen and wanted to travel from Magalia to Paradise? Without bike lanes this can be a dangerous ride and yet there is even less for youth in Magalia than there is in Paradise.

There are other areas that need our attention but all of them need one thing most of all … you! With volunteers to organize, plan, work and supervise events; a great deal becomes possible. Without you, ideas to help individuals or the community remain just that … ideas. What we need is involvement and action. We need committed volunteers. That means making a long term commitment of so many hours each day or week and sticking with that commitment. Such commitment allows programs to mature, take hold, and become effective. It can’t be a matter of, “I’ll come when I can make it.� It has to be, “Yes, I will be there every time for this many hours or on these days for this much time and you can depend on that!�

Changing the world starts with our own self and then our own community. Instead of crying about injustice we can make life better right here, in our families and in our community. In doing so, we also make our own life better. Life becomes manageable when we are part of the solution. What once seemed hopeless seems full of potential when we see the results of our efforts. Lives once filled with anger or emptiness become filled with love and meaning. We find that we have purpose!

This Ridge community needs you. Many organizations have programs you can become involved in. Many, especially the various churches, also provide a small community in which you can be accepted and within which you are supported and empowered to improve your personal and family life as well. When we begin with ourselves and then band together with neighbors, we become a force that is effective in the world in which we live. National and world events may still draw our attention but, as we are working on the solutions right here, we may find we are less distressed by them. Life becomes good again!

Don’t think or consider getting involved and then fall back into inactivity. As the advertisement says, “Just do it!� You may be surprised at the rewards.

Posted by Fr Steven Foppiano at 04:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I find it laughable that many Muslims are rioting, burning the Pope in effigy, and committing crimes, including the murder of a Catholic nun, to protest the Pope quoting a 15th century emperor who referred to the evil of the violent roots of the Muslim religion. The quote was made to academics to inspire further comment and study. It was not meant to be a criticism. The resulting riots and murders protesting being called to task for a violent past is ironic and would be high comedy were not innocent lives at stake.

One cannot deny history. Mohammed converted people by the sword and conquered large territories, much of which was once Christian. Its violent spread was stopped in three places. Venice held back the tide but only after the fall of the last Roman capital, Constantinople, which was renamed to Istanbul. An outnumbered Christian fleet turned the Muslims away from Italy in one of the largest navel battles of ancient time, and a coalition led by Charlemagne turned the Muslims away at the French/Spanish border but could not save Spain from 400 years of domination by their Muslim masters. This is why Spain became such a central part of the Holy Roman Empire. Having thrown off the yoke of the Moors, it became staunchly Catholic as a reaction to its earlier oppression.

I have no doubt that most Muslims only want to exist peacefully but they often fail to protest the great many radicals who quite openly desire to rule the world. The threat of Muslim violence has caused one politician to leave the Netherlands for fear of her life after the author of a book critical of that faith was murdered and she was threatened for supporting him. There have been riots in France and, the influence there is strong enough that the usually liberal and freedom loving French, now require women to wear tops on beaches. Of course there were the train bombings in Spain that quickly brought about political capitulation there. Only the British are holding fast, despite the bombings of their subway. Our 911 disaster certainly made us aware of the continuing threat.

No Muslim denominated country allows true religious freedom. It does not fit into their doctrine. Other religions might be tolerated but is illegal to evangelize or have a public display by these religions. In Saudi Arabia evangelization carries the penalty of death. Converts from the Muslim religion are considered insane or criminal in many of these countries. Christians and Churches are often attacked and opposition is muted because of the fear of further violence.

It seems that the former Roman emperor was right. Where ever the Muslim faith has gone, all that is new is based on evil. Rights are suppressed, women degraded and one world view (and only one world view) is allowed to dominate and exist in the public forum. Religious freedom should be a basic human right. We need to insist on this right and those in the U.N. that do not uphold that right should be sanctioned or expelled. Only with true religious freedom can we avoid increasing violence as one religion continues its expansion and the rest of the world finally begins to stand in defiance.

Posted by Fr Steven Foppiano at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our country is remembering the tragedy and murderous attack that took place five years ago. Nearly 3,000 innocent civilians died in a morally corrupt attack meant to place fear in the hearts of Americans and to disrupt our economy. Well, the economy has bounced back as strong as ever. At least in that aspect the terrorists failed. But, are we now a people filled with fear and incapable of battling the forces aligned against us?

In many ways the initial response to these attacks was vicious and determined. Afghanistan quickly fell and although it was not directly related to the terrorist attack, certainly our new lack of patience and tolerance led to the subsequent attack and overthrow of Iraq. However, a read of current American politics reveals an astonishing lack of fortitude by many Americans. If the problem can’t be solved quickly, we want to pretend that it is not there. Bring the troops home and … what? That is as far as they seem to go. What then?

To treat the threat of terrorism as a strictly law enforcement problem is to ignore the reality of our situation as revealed by history and by the publicly stated purposes of our enemies. They want us to convert or die and they state these goals clearly. As a Christian minister, I am always drawn first to peaceful solutions and the seeking of common concerns and values to avoid conflict with others. Certainly with the Muslims as a whole, this should be our country’s and the Christian religion’s emphasis. But with those radical Islamic terrorists, we need to understand that we are in a battle for our very survival.

We should note that the conflict between the Muslim and non-Muslim world has been continuous since the time of Mohammed. While many modern Muslims choose to interpret the prophet’s commands as a call to internal warfare to improve one’s self and conquer evil; for over a millennium the Koran’s division of the world into peace (those areas controlled by Muslims) and war, (those areas not controlled by Muslims) has led to a nearly continual battle with an expanding Muslim empire. Turkey and North Africa were once Christian homelands until conquered by the forces of Mohammed. The Crusades were a misguided attempt to win these lands back.

Only barely was the Muslim expansion halted at the border between Spain and the rest of Europe by a united Christian force while Constaninopol held them off in Eastern Europe for centuries until finally falling and becoming what is today, Instanbol. Spain itself was captured and kept under Muslim control for 400 years. It was also a very hard fought battle at sea that kept the expanding Muslims from invading Italy, with the stated goal of destroying Rome. Only the western jump towards a philosophy of science, and the corresponding great increase of its military might, has over the past few centuries put a halt to such Muslim attempts to expand its influence.

Now, powered by oil money, the ability to buy modern technology, access to modern weapons and the funding of a new radicalism, we find the Muslim religion on the march of expansion again. Many of the civil wars of Africa have been caused by its oppression of non-Muslims, often initiated by non-Africans hailing from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. Even Muslim countries at peace and with relatively pro western views are intimidated by the radicals around and within their numbers. Europe seems to be neutralized by the large Muslim population within its borders and we and any country that stands against radical Muslim terrorists find ourselves under attack and often isolated.

I am sure that most Muslims are peaceful but they or at least their leaders do harbor an intolerance of others religions. Christianity might be tolerated in some of their countries but one does not dare evangelize. Converts to Christianity are often criminalized and Christians are routinely subject to harassment, persecution and suppression. Freedom of religion is non-existent in any Muslim controlled country. This brings out the fact that this religion from its beginning has mainly relied on force and intimidation for expansion. Mohammed himself expressed this methodology.

Until freedom of religion is universal and terrorism is both condemned and suppressed by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, we are in a war for our survival. We should not gloss over the problem but neither should we be faint of heart. We need not live in fear. As a country we can look to the many challenges we have faced and overcome through history. For Christians we can always put our faith in our Lord and know that we are never abandoned. If we put our mind to it, there is great hope not only for our future but the future of the world. Freedom is powerful. Given the choice between oppression and freedom, people will always choose freedom. We simply need to make sure that choice is made available for all.

Five years after 9-11, we can look to our strong economy and the progress made against terrorists with comfort. At least now the war is being fought closer to where they live and not where we live. We must now find it in our hearts and in our guts to persist and not give up. We are blessed in this country and have a lot to defend. We also have a great many brave young men and women who are leading the way, coming forward and willing to sacrifice for the ideal of freedom and the importance of the individual. We should not let them down on the home front. This is our fight and our future.

Now, powered by oil money, the ability to buy modern weapons and a fund a new radicalism, we find the Muslim religion on the march of expansion again.

Posted by Fr Steven Foppiano at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you have met me, you have probably met my friend Patrick. As friends go he is kind of cool. He is very loyal and very playful but does have a severe problem of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder as he tends to fixate of certain things. He is a wonderful athlete, usually friendly and gentle and from time to time loves to cuddle. In case you have not met him and before you jump to unwarranted conclusions, let me tell you that Patrick has four legs. He is a dog but please don’t tell him that. He would not understand. A wonderful mix of Labrador and boxer, black with a white chest, white muzzle and white feet, he is a joy to behold.

Until recently Patrick was a parish dog, free to roam the parish and play with adults and kids. During services he would wait outside of the church for all of his fans to come out. I always knew that if I was standing near him to say goodbye to parishioners, I would be second in line. Patrick always got the first greetings and if he thought he was not getting enough attention, he would lie on his back and invite all to rub his chest. He knew how to steal the show. His OCD problem is oriented towards balls. Put a ball near him and he will stare it and you down until you finally get the message that you are supposed to throw it. He is ever looking out for balls on the roll. Then there is the game of getting the ball back from him. Grab it from his mouth and he would engage in a wonderful game of tug a war. Ignore him and he would drop it at your feet.

This is a companion who was happy to wait for me in the truck or the next room, so long as he knew where I was. If he was outside playing, from time to time he would dash into the office just to check and make sure I was there and then would dash off again. His athletic ability and constant motion helps him to stay in shape. It’s needed because Patrick loves cookies. He will sit in front of the cookie jar and star at you until you retrieved one. If that was not successful he would nose the lid off the jar to make his point. He was also good a knocking at doors to be let in and would make sure everyone in the room had a chance to pet him or shake his paw.

I write about him in both the present and past tense because although he is well, he is no longer my companion. During my recent stay in the hospital, something got into him and this usually gentle and loving dog bit a person rather severely. We don’t know why he did it as it is so out of his nature but it could have been the stress of my absence or perhaps he just had a bad day. None-the-less it sealed his fate and he can no longer be a parish dog. I cannot have a pet that could possibly hurt someone. Luckily though, it appears that some saint is looking out for him.

Much of the advice I received was to put Patrick down. The bite was too severe for the shelter I got him from to take him back and potential homes had all turned down the chance to adopt him. I even made an appointment on Friday at 11:00am for the vet to euthanize him. Then a friend thought she had found someone at the shelter to make an exception to the rule and instead of making our 11:00 appointment I took him there. Unfortunately it was a mistake and the only option the shelter offered was again, euthanasia. However, for some reason this process is much more expensive at the shelter and meanwhile I had missed the 11:00 appointment at the vet. Patrick had gained a few hours reprieve.

I made a second appointment for 2:00 that afternoon, determined to do this before the weekend. The longer I put it off the worse I felt about it. This was especially true as he was turning on his charm, being very loving and obedient. Patrick was not making this an easy decision. Then, about 1:15, with just 45 minutes to spare, Jim and Barbara Brown came forward. They changed their original refusal, could not bear for him to be put down, and agreed to adopt him. This is the couple who for the past three years have been Patrick’s sitter during my absences. Thus Patrick received a last minute reprieve from the deadly needle that awaited him. I wonder if he knows how close he was.

Over this past week we have be in transition with him spending more and more time at his new home while they fixed their yard to prepare for him. It has gone extremely well. For a “one man dog� he is adapting and last night was able to stay there overnight. He loves this couple and has especially bonded to Jim. He has even started up a dialogue of sorts with the cat with whom he shares this new home as they have been peacefully nose to nose. Even the cat seems to understand his usual gentle nature. His transfer will be final this weekend. I and many parishioners are grateful to the Browns and to Patrick’s guardian angel for saving him and finding him a new home. What’s even better is that it is a home in which he is happy and content.

So Patrick the parish dog is doing better than I could have hoped. It is now I who will likely be the pet sitter, although he is now banned from the parish grounds. While many of us will miss him, we are happy for him finding a new home and new lease on life. Now it is my turn to adjust. I no longer have an excited companion thrilled to see me walk into the room and I now go to bed at night alone without him guarding me and watching me until I settled into bed. No more spontaneous “pet me and play with me� sessions. No more having him sit at attention waiting for my command or having him hop on my bed while I dressed in the morning. No longer would I have an escort as I walk across the property. Life is once again common.

God has given us many gifts in this life. Mainly he has given us the gift of each other. People always come first. This is why Patrick had to leave. I could not take the chance that in this very public place he would hurt someone again. But his absence reminds be that there are many gifts in this world and too many that we take for granted. We need to stop sometimes and appreciate the many gifts we have. Our family, friends, health, talents and skills, each new day we are granted and the companionship of God’s creatures in this wonderful creation in which we live. Too often we wait until we loose something before we realize how good it was. With Patrick I knew I was lucky to have him. I just did not realize how much of a gift he was. I am glad to share this gift of Patrick with Jim and Barbara. They deserve this companion who is among God’s blessings. I can only give thanks for the years he was with me and such a joyful part of this parish. Now I must look to other gifts but I know they are there. God has made it so.

Posted by Fr Steven Foppiano at 06:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)