Jack’s Winning Words 10/14/22

“Anyone can love a rose, but it takes a lot to love a leaf.  It’s ordinary to love the beautiful, but it’s beautiful to love the ordinary.”  (Unknown)  SR RD appreciates Dom Camara as I do.  Although I’m not thrilled with red ants, Camara likes them - their shape, their bright red color and, especially their work ethic.  Consider the dandelion!  Most  of us see it as a weed, but try looking it as a beautiful yellow flower.  That’s seeing the beautiful in the ordinary.  Or,look at that disheveled homeless person on the corner holding a cardboard sign.  What do you see? What would Camara see?  What would he do?  Do you see a leaf, or a flower? ;-)  Jack

FROM TRIHARDER:  I always comment that cartoons portray good looking people as heroes, good people and ugly as evil.===JACK:  I happen to like the cartooning on the Opinion Page of the newspaper.  I appreciate cleverness.

FROM JOE ANN:  I think a child believes a dandelion is a beautiful flower until some adult tells them it is an ugly weed, never listen to an adult!===JACK:  Do you suppose that's how children learn to be predjuced toward other people...or to be predjucoed in general?

FROM HONEST JOHN:  Have you ever noticed that little children seem to love dandelions?===JACK:  I like the children's song from The Sound of Music: These Are My Favorite Things - raindrops on the whiskers of a kitten, warm mittens, doorbells, flying geese and snowflakes - simple, ordinary things.

FROM ST PAUL:  a very good one today,  Jack!   thanks...   i like the line,   Do you curse the rose bush for having thorns or bless the thorn bush for having roses??     it's all a matter of perspective.===JACK:  Even when we fall in love with someone, falling in love means taking the while package.  Roses have beauty, a sweet aroma....and thorns.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Jesus loves the little children  All the children of the world  Red, brown, yellow Black and white They are precious in His sight Jesus loves the little children Of the world 0;-)  ===JACK:  Jesus love the little red ants, all the red ants in the world.  Jesus ;oves homeless and poor person, all the homeless and poor people in the world.  Do we mean what we sing?, 

FROM JU IN NC:  One time in Vietnam I backed against a tree and instantly I was completely covered with large biting red ants.  I believe I may still be in the process of trying to love them.===JACK:  I can imagine that Camara has not been bitten by red ants, or been in Viet Nam under the conditions you experience.  We write our own "history" books.===J:  So true.===JACK:   Where (and how) did you learn your writing skills?  Your mom was Joan's English teacher.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  What great food for thought.  Entering this into my journal for further reflection in the future.===JACK:  Many of Camara's writings are worthy of more thought...and so is his life story.  He's one of my Christian heroes.===BB:  Thanks for the author tip; I have so much to read right now but will put his name in my journal for future reference. Enjoy the autumn weekend; beautiful in Chicago today.===JACK:  You can find snippets of his words thast are for quick reading.  Google him.

FROM SR RD:  😌  I'm not sure how to answer your questions, Jack! I can  see  beauty in  so many things and I'm grateful. . .===JACK:  Look around you.....I'm looking around my room right now.  There's a clock that was presented to me on the 5oth Anniversary of my ordination.  There's a picture of Joan.  There's the desk that I used when I was in high school, in college, in seminary...the same desk and so many memories and so much which to be thankful.  Look around you.===R:   I just finished reading the wonderful first story in Dom Helder's book to a sister who had hip surgery and returned to us! The story is about the little boy who was giving his friend , ant her first bus ride!  she was absolutely delighted!  I have read i the story at least 10 or 15 times to different people!  All of them love Dom Helder. . .and I tell them about your gift of the book to me, in appreciation of our friendship!  Thank you, my friend!===JACK:  That book (one of my favorites) was given to a friend.

FROM JOE ANN:  Research shows children become aware of race and racial inequality at a very early age. By the ages 3 to 5 a child may have already developed a racial biases. They watch us and listen to us and copy us. Be so very careful!===JACK:  Racism is all around us: in the home, the neighborhood, the school, the playground, the TV, Is it any wonder that it rubs off on the child?

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  It's all in the attitude, which feeds the eye!! And sometimes the sense of smell is more powerful than ! Sight; ===JACK:  The body acts as one.  The brain cannot say that I am more important than the eye, nor the eye more important than the ear.  At this point in my life, with failing sight and diminished hearing, I give special thanks for my brain.  I can opine.  God knows.

 

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