I am conflicted as to where to post this
One of the benefits of the limitations brought on by covid-19 has been a major change in my daily life. Like most, our churches have been closed for the last 2 1/2 months. Strangely, that led me to a better place spiritually. Multiple Masses from many different sources are presented on line almost without interruption. I have chosen to join our Bishop for daily mass in his private chapel. That is at 8 AM except on Sunday it is at 10 AM--unless a special event causes a change. As a result, I haven't missed Mass in 2 1/2 months and I have benefited greatly by the daily focus.
Now, the point of this thread. Today is Pentecost Sunday, commemorating the gift of the Holey Spirit on the Apostles. The Bishop, in his Homely (sermon) spoke of the pain and unrest we are experiencing in our society today. He mentioned racism and said that it is not the cause of our disunity but rather a symptom of a much deeper illness bringing us to this hurt. He then listed the fruits of the Holey Spirit:
charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity (kindness), goodness, longanimity (forbearance), mildness (gentleness), faith, modesty, continency (self-control), and chastity.
Those are qualities I do not think any of us would use to define our communities, or our country at this moment.
Words, that I believe, are worth reflection.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
"Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis