August's Good News

Let’s be honest here: it’s getting more difficult to find good news in the media these days. Libya & Syria’s violence, Somalia’s famine, the US economy struggling, the stock market descending, the US credit score downgraded, the largest loss of US military life in Afghanistan…we’ve had a tough few days here. Let’s reflect on something positive.

Today (8 August) is the Feast of St. Dominic and the day a friend of mine from my semester abroad, Christopher Gautsch, receives his habit after beginning his formation to eventually become a Dominican priest. Check out the biography of Christopher and the other 12 novices on the “Friar Blog”.

World Youth Day kicks off shortly in Madrid, Spain on 16 August. I deeply wish I were travelling to WYD…start saving now for the next time round! I will join so many others around the world following on EWTN and online. All my friends who will be in attendance will be in my prayers in a special way.

This past Sunday’s Gospel (7 August) told the story of Jesus walking out to his Apostles on the Sea of Galilee. He beckons to Peter: “Come”. Peter hears and responds walking out on the water but when he suddenly realizes the full impact of what he’s doing he begins to sink into the waves. (This Gospel story of portrayed in a huge mural at my home parish, Saint Peter, South Beloit, IL.) The rector of Saint Peter Cathedral in Rockford, IL, Father Karl Beekman, gave a great reason in his homily on why Peter fell into the waves: isolation. Peter trusted at first but then instead of continuing to reach out to Jesus he focused inwardly on his human weakness and this disoriented focus got the better of him. I see this in my own life and am making more concerted efforts to overcome it…but this is just the preview to another blog entry, I think.