Friday, December 12, 2008

Other stuff

One of my readers has pointed out some things he wished had been on the list of interesting stuff one has done. Like him, I was thinking about other things that I have done. For example,
Climbed both the Pyramid of the Sun and of the Moon at Teotihuacan
Spoke to the pope
Also did that pope's corridor thing (that Joseph mentions in his comment)
Saw the alleged tomb of St. Peter at the Vatican
Wore St. Teresa's mantle and drank from St. John of the Cross's chalice
Rode a cable car in San Francisco
Served Mass for the Cardinal Primate of Mexico (no, that's not an ape)
Started crying while preaching in public (on more than one occasion)
Wrote a novel (unpublished, as you know)
Worked as a prison guard
Was interviewed on the radio and on television
Knew a convicted murderer
Can (could!) read Greek, Latin, French, German, Spanish and English
Know how to ask where the bathroom is in Kiswahili (but I probably won't understand the answer in Kiswahili -- just point!)
Have friends in England, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Croatia, China, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria,Canada, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, Colombia ... maybe more
Drove a diesel train (admittedly a small one)
Make fudge and other kinds of candy (but pretty much cannot bake cookies or cakes)
Single-handedly prepared a full meal for a group of 60
Discussed theology and science fiction with George Anastaplo, "The Socrates of Chicago" (Tom's former father-in-law)
Know the Cardinal Primate of Australia (this one may be an ape, actually)
Coordinated a visit to Chicago by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baghdad, John Sleiman
Carried on a personal correspondence with said Archbishop of Baghdad
Held in my own hands the original manuscript of St. Teresa's book, Las Moradas, (popularly known in English as The Interior Castle)
Ate octopus pizza
Sang the Exultet (the lengthy proclamation sung at the Easter Vigil)
Wait, there's more!

But I'm sure you have had enough by now.

2 comments:

shera10 said...

Know the Cardinal Primate of Australia (this one may be an ape, actually

a joke for catholics only!

Carmelite Candle said...

So you speak with the Pope!

Text him quick before he departs for Cuba that my buddy Thomas Merton was there first in the 30's. In the great economy of time, they might be standing in the same spot at the same time:

'WHEN WE HAD CROSSED OVER THE DIVIDE AND WERE GOING DOWN THROUGH THE GREEN VALLEYS TOWARDS THE CARIBBEAN SEA, I SAW THE YELLOW BASILICA OF OUR LADY OF COBRE STANDING ON A RISING ABOVE THE TIN ROOFS OF THE MINING VILLAGE IN THE DEPTHS OF A DEEP BOWL OF GREEN, BACKED BY CLIFFS AND SHEER SLOPES ROBED IN JUNGLE.

THERE YOU ARE, CARIDAD DEL COBRE! IT IS YOU THAT I HAVE COME TO SEE. YOU WILL ASK CHRIST TO MAKE ME HIS PRIEST AND I WILL GIVE YOU MY HEART. LADY. AND IF YOU WILL OBTAIN FOR ME THIS PRIESTHOOD, I WILL REMEMBER YOU AT MY FIRST MASS IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE MASS WILL BE FOR YOU AND OFFERED THROUGH YOUR HANDS IN GRATITUDE TO THE HOLY TRINITY WHO HAS USED YOUR LOVE TO WIN ME THIS GREAT GRACE.'

THOMAS MERTON
DIALOGUES WITH SILENCE
Seven Storey Mountain

There is not one page in this book that does not reduce me immediately to tears, given the right disposition.

Perhaps the world does not need another Thomas Merton biography, but by sheer grace I found one at Goodwill last Wednesday with a new crop of pictures.

A picture of the ACTUAL Firetower from "Prayers on a Fire Watch" (Sign of Jonas)!

"Oh my God, where have I been sleeping? What have I been doing? How slowly I awaken once again to the barreness of my life and its confusion.....God, have mercy on me in the blindness in which I hope I am seeking you....mercy within mercy within mercy...have mercy on my darkness, my weakness, my confusion. Almost everything is ashes." etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three gorgeous Youtubes I offer you this Fifth Sunday in Lent:

1) Thomas Merton Hermitage
2) Mass in Merton Hermitage
3) 6 reasons to be a Carmelite
(not to be missed if you
are an Edith Piaf fan)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sent from my laptop from the
eucalyptus room at my health club sitting under orange heat-lamp-type lights, like the kind used in restaurants for the 'hot line'. From the sauna across the room, I tell people this room looks like the hell room. At least the purgatory room where all the many sins are one.........

Love, Maureen. Glad to hear you are well. As the song in "Thomas Merton Hermitage" begs, let us continue our journey into nothing.